Hackney Wick's a strange place; very grey, very concrete and, it appears to be from the outside at first, very desolate. About the only people you see are neon jacketed workmen on breaks from building up this concrete jungle, bright spots against the grey. But, as I discovered whilst working in a studio in the area, behind almost every wall of its ugly looking facade lies a hub of creativity with the warehouses being home to many artists.
At lunch time everyone seems to congregate at the only cafe in the area 'The Wick'. For both artists and builders it's become quite an indispensable institution which is lucky as it's really the only sit-in place to eat around here. This strange mix of wacky art students and bricklayers both have one thing in common at around midday... whatever they've just been working on has made them hungry, very hungry.
It's ridiculously cheap and the portion sizes are enormous. So although it is a greasy spoon with the obligatory no-frills atmosphere, people don't come here to enjoy the decor, they come to fill up on a mountain of stodge. Burgers, lasagne, kebabs, jacket potatoes, all-day English breakfasts... take your pick. Most come served with chips, beans and a surprisingly fresh side of salad. You can actually substitute the chips for white rice, but hell, if you're in a place like this then why bother. They have a stalwart selection of English puddings such as apple pie and jam roly-poly, with custard so thick you could use it as Polyfilla. Orange juice is served in pints straight from the milkman.
Every time I've been here it's been packed but the Turkish owner and his harem of sweet Eastern European waitresses keep the place running like a well oiled deep fat fryer. It's quite shocking how easily I went from a health conscious foodie to a pie eating fiend, but I thoroughly enjoyed my descent and for the best part of a month I ate some of the best-worst food that exists. And I've got to say, I loved every second of it. It's a good thing that my contract ended and that I live miles away from this place as The Wick is seriously addictive.
Definitely the best greasy spoon in London.
Um actually, thinking about it, is anyone feeling peckish? I mean it's not that far away, maybe we could take a trip over, like right now??? read more