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
This all-day Hackney venue with a “quirky canalside setting” from St John-trained chef Max Rocha (son of fashion designer John) is “accessible and casual by day, and morphs at night into a sexy hotspot for East London’s beautiful young things”. “Breakfast is a stand-out treat”. The “French bistro food” that follows later in the day receives steady but more guarded acclaim. Top Menu Tip – “rabbit rillettes a highlight”.
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”.
For 34 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
Prices
 Drinks |
|
|---|---|
| Filter Coffee | £6.50 |
 Extras |
|
|---|---|
| Bread | £6.00 |
| Service | 10.00% |
Canal Place, 32 Andrews Road, London, E8 4RL
Opening hours
| Monday | CLOSED |
| Tuesday | CLOSED |
| Wednesday | 12 pm‑3 pm, 6 pm‑8:45 pm |
| Thursday | 12 pm‑3 pm, 6 pm‑8:45 pm |
| Friday | 12 pm‑3 pm, 6 pm‑8:45 pm |
| Saturday | 9 am‑3 pm, 6 pm‑8:45 pm |
| Sunday | 9 am‑3 pm |
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