Explore Stamford Hill…Part 1

If it’s dinner you’re after then pop a couple of doors down and you will find the most recent addition to the food scene in Stamford Hill: De Gusto. This is a Brasilian-cum-Italian restaurant that opens in the evenings and serves hot food with a cocktail list long enough to wallpaper a small room. Covered in pictures of Italy and Brazil it’s not quite Nobu, but it will fill you up and if you go during the week you’ll be likely to catch the Pasta Buffet: for less than a tenner you will be served-up pasta dish after pasta dish – a taster menu for the carb-hungry and a guaranteed crowd-pleaser for anyone looking for a place to take fussy children or those in need of comfort food.

For something strictly South American you’re in the right place in Stamford Hill. With a growing community here the food is authentic and affordable. La Carrilera is the best if you like your meat done Latino style and accompanied with plantain and beer. The staff are friendly, and the menu is large and includes tapas-style food as well as big main dishes.

And if you’re looking for a watering hole then Stamford Hill has a fair few, many of which have been revamped over the last couple of years to make them more welcoming, although some are still worth avoiding. The Dutch House is a bustling, well-kept pub with friendly staff and a wide range of drinks. It shows the football and has a decent pool table at the back for any budding Stephen Hendrys.

So forget the myth that Stamford is the boring bit of the A10 and make the most of one of its unique, un-gentrified culinary offerings before the rest of the world catches on.

Why not share some of your favourite places in Stamford Hill.

This week’s guest blog is written by Sophie Robinson-Tillett.  Once the editor of www.stokenewingtonpeople.co.uk, she still contributes to the website, as well as to London 360 and East London Lines.

Stamford Hill has always been overlooked as a destination in Hackney – outdone by the bells and whistles of Stoke Newington up the road, Londoners don’t realise that there are plenty of hidden gems in this part of N16 too.

Summer is the best time to check Stamford Hill out because some of its greatest assets are the green spaces tucked in every corner. Springfield Park is by far the best in North East London with a Green Flag Award to prove it, and benefits from being relatively undiscovered. Enjoy a coffee at the park’s Spark Café, also known as White Lodge Mansion: they do great paninis, soups, salads and milkshakes, and a truly mean hot chocolate when you need a bit of warming up. In the winter you can enjoy the interior of the Grade II listed building, and on those rare occasions when the British sunshine makes an appearance you can pull up a chair outside and try spotting the wild green parakeets that the park is well known for.

Or if you’re a bit of a water baby then head a little further down and you’ll end up at the canal. Here you can enjoy anything from a brownie to a full English at the Riverside Café on the waterfront. It’s cheap and cheerful, and is a favourite for old-school locals and thirsty kayakers from the rowing club next door. This is a great place to people-watch and enjoy the chugging narrow boats and panting dogs that can be found here throughout the year.

If the weather isn’t quite nice enough to laze by the waterside or bird watch in the park then there’s plenty on offer indoors too. Stamford Hill Broadway may look like a hodgepodge of betting shops, supermarkets and fast food outlets, but there is an increasing number of interesting, independent pubs and restaurants that reflect the dynamism and multi-culturalism of this pocket of North London. If you fancy some down-to-Earth daytime food, then it’s all about Moteginos on Amhurst Park. A long standing, much loved greasy spoon selling everything from roast dinners and omelettes to the biggest fry-ups you’ve ever seen. Good service, clean environment and shoestring prices make it popular with local residents, workers and police officers all day long.

Read Explore Stamford Hill…Part 2

Fish and Chips! It’s a traditional dish that we adore and with a chippie practically in every high street, you can be forgiven for ‘enjoying’ the same experience time and time again. However, with most of these shops serving the same old greasy stuff, help is at hand in the name of Kerbisher & Malt.

The latest Qype event saw us venture to its Hammersmith base, where I was instantly transported to sea, thanks to the white tiled walls, scripted with black text echoing the menu. All wouldn’t be complete without the long wooden table and stools, ready to accompany me in my new found pleasure. It was a surprise to be greeted with entrees, which were offbeat from your normal chippie menu and varied. K&M’s experimental approach provided pickled onion rings, white bait fish and my favourite – calamari. I could have eaten these all night, especially the tentacles. Although omitted from most chippie menus, these were a welcomed exotic addition to a ‘ye olde’ menu!

Next was an insightful talk about the K&M ethos. Old definitely meets new, as their thoughtful and impressive food processes were explained. The fish is steamed in hand-made batter and preservative-free (as is the home made mushy peas, baked beans, salads and sauces). K&M still manage to create the perfect chip; pre – cut and double fried, which delivers a fluffy inside and a contrasting crunchy outside. And of course, preservative free too. As for the fish, you are definitely spoiled for choice, as haddock, cod, plaice, pollock and coley are served, battered, breaded and grilled. Only the best, sustainable fresh fish is bought from Billingsgate Market and excellent potatoes supplied by British farmers.

For the main event, we were treated with grilled cod, battered haddock and matzo-breaded coley. Qypers Lankygirl, Chrissj, Bring_stuff and I became food critics for the night, trying to figure out which fish was which before it was revealed. Tasty chips also went down a treat, along with an unexpected likening to the mushy peas and tartare sauce. No better dessert suited the mood than ice cream. With so many flavours, I went for the honey comb. What a delicious way to end the evening!

Qype’s next event takes place on Wed 29th February at Cabana in Westfield Stratford.

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