Wick Cafe

Cheap and just what the doctor ordered. If you’re not a local or wearing a yellow hi-​vis, there’s a likelihood that you feel a bit seedy, having found yourself in Hackney Wick during a wide spectrum of breakfast time.
I love the poached eggs just a tad too vinegary sometimes but they knows what I likes, and how I likeses it. Poached eggs-​soft, soft, soft (is what they called me after several visits. They are all very sweet!), with grilled tomato and a bit of black pud covered in economy brown sauce, well remembered.
Forget foodie pretensions here, omelettes are the size of small Mediterranean islands, and everything comes with enormous portions of chips, in fact everything is huge and best of all. Well Cheap!
It’s cute how they serve tea and coffee with the spoon in the mug, coffee isn’t great, so go round the corner to the Hackney Pearl, but if the Wick made Turkish Espresso sorta of coffee, this place would be perfect!
So if post party, needing a cry or something solid to take an ibuprofen with. Go here.
They even have a Facebook page. It’s a local rite of passage.

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 façade lies a hub of creativity with the warehouses being home to many artists.
At lunch time everyone seems to congregate at the only café 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 décor, 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???

Proper East End caff here. I like how builders and workers mingle with artists from the nearby studios. I also like the chilli con carne (
). And the strong tea. And the nice waitress that was there on my last visit.
I’m not terribly familiar with this part of London but I love paying it a visit, usually with my camera slung round my neck. And when I do, Wick Café is the perfect spot for a break or quick meal.

This is my local café, I usually come here on a Saturday to have breakfast with friends. It’s a good idea to go there hungry as the portions are Super size.
The last time I was here I ordered the Vegetarian Breakfast number 3 which is vegi sausages, tomato’s, hash browns, 2 eggs, loads of onions and chips with toast and tea or coffee for £5. Needless to say I couldn’t finish it.
As Hackney Wick is the home to a mass of creative people and also a building site at the moment with all the developments going on you will usually find builders and artists in here filling up on nosh for the day. It’s cheap and cheerful and the only greasy spoon in Hackney Wick at the moment.
There is a homeless man i have seen more than one occasion on a Saturday Morning who waits outside for the waitress to come out with a cup of coffee which is nice.