Harden's says
Hot news from Hot Dinners. Ex-River Cafe and St John Bread & Wine chef Max Rocha has opened this canalside spot in Hackney (part of the new WMe8 development) after running a lockdown delivery venture and supper clubs.
Harden's survey result
Summary
“Slightly off the beaten track but worth the trek” – Max Rocha’s “joyous” if “minimalist” Hackney canalside spot is “a fantastic venue, and a slightly quirky one given the charming but industrial view”. It inspires nothing but upbeat feedback for “French bistro food (e.g. Onglet & Chips) cooked to perfection”; and it does a “very good breakfast” too. “Busy, but they don’t hurry you”.
Summary
“Cool places rarely fit the hype… but this one does!” Max Rocha’s “low key and informal” Hackney two-year-old is going from strength to strength. “A light airy space by the canal, it’s great for a relaxed meal”, with service that – “though achingly hip – is very good”. The “slightly unusual” food is all about small portions of intense flavours and “super-fresh seasonal ingredients”, and results are “excellent”. “Bonne chance getting a table!” Top Menu Tip – “the Guinness bread is very tasty”.
Summary
By the canal in Hackney, this August 2021 newcomer arrived with high expectations thanks to the CV of chef Max Rocha and was quickly blessed by The Guardian’s Grace Dent, who felt that despite it’s “homespun edge”, it was “only just getting started on its path to being one of London most serious restaurants”. Our feedback was more cautious: split between finding it “a really nice, friendly new favourite” and “not living up to the hype”.
Summary
Down by the canal in Hackney, this new café is part of the new WME8 development. Opened in August 2021, it’s the work of Dubliner Max Rocha (an ex-River Café chef and son of Irish fashion designer John Rocha) who has run a series of supper clubs in recent years. Breakfast (with Guinness bread and potato cake advertising his origins) is served from 9am, then it’s on to fairly simple lunches (onglet and chips, rabbit tagliatelle…), with dinner opening promised for later in 2021.
For 33 years we've been curating reviews of the UK's most notable restaurant. In a typical year, diners submit over 50,000 reviews to create the most authoritative restaurant guide in the UK. Each year, the guide is re-written from scratch based on this survey (although for the 2021 edition, reviews are little changed from 2020 as no survey could run for that year).
Have you eaten at Cafe Cecilia?
Canal Place, 32 Andrews Road, London, E8 4RL
Restaurant details
Cafe Cecilia Restaurant Diner Reviews
"French bistro food (onglet and chips) cooked to perfection and served in a minimalist setting. Rabbit rillettes a highlight. Heavy mark-up (?400%) on wine"
Prices
 Drinks |
|
|---|---|
| Wine per bottle | £25.00 |
| Filter Coffee | £4.00 |
 Extras |
|
|---|---|
| Service | 12.50% |
Canal Place, 32 Andrews Road, London, E8 4RL
Opening hours
| Monday | CLOSED |
| Tuesday | CLOSED |
| Wednesday | 12 pm‑3 pm |
| Thursday | 12 pm‑3 pm, 6 pm‑8:30 pm |
| Friday | 12 pm‑3 pm, 6 pm‑8:30 pm |
| Saturday | 12 pm‑3 pm, 6 pm‑8:30 pm |
| Sunday | 9 am‑10:45 am, 12 pm‑3:30 pm |
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