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Special occasionBest for a blowout, not a Tuesday. Usually a bigger night and spend.DinnerOpen for dinner — the usual LocalBite recommendation.

Cafe Cecilia

Irish-Italian · Hackney

Canal Place, 32 Andrews Road, E8 4RL

Budget £50 · typically ~£45 pp·5 min walk

Location

80Score
LocalBite score from taste, value, discovery, authenticity, and local confidence — not Google stars.

Taste

9.0

How good the cooking actually is.

Value

7.5

What you get for the money.

Discovery

6.0

How easy it is to stumble on, versus already famous.

Authenticity

8.0

How true it is to the cuisine — not a diluted version.

Local confidence

8.5

Whether locals who care about food actually go.

Why we recommend

Max Rocha (River Café, St John) doing seasonal Irish-Italian on the canal — immaculate ingredients, relaxed neighbourhood feel. Best with £45–50 budget.

  • Standout orders

    Deep-fried bread and butter pudding, Guinness bread ice cream, and sage and anchovy fritti

  • Atmosphere & service

    Welcoming atmosphere and the attentive, friendly staff

  • Locals & regulars

    Chef pedigree spot on Regents Canal — seasonal Irish-Italian

  • Locals & regulars

    Limited hours Wed–Sat dinner only

What to order

  • Guinness bread

    From reviews

    Diners highlight the deep-fried bread and butter pudding, Guinness bread ice cream, and sage and anchovy fritti.

  • Lamb leg with purple sprouting broccoli

    Our pick

    A curator staple at Cafe Cecilia — the dish we'd send a first-timer toward.

  • Skate with brown butter

    From reviews

    Diners highlight the deep-fried bread and butter pudding, Guinness bread ice cream, and sage and anchovy fritti.

  • Chocolate Guinness cake

    From reviews

    Diners highlight the deep-fried bread and butter pudding, Guinness bread ice cream, and sage and anchovy fritti.

Good for

Something amazingChef favourite

Practical notes

Dinner Wed–Sat 6–9pm only. Reservations essential.

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