Clapton Pond Blog

Pleasures of the Clapton Table

I liked its predecessor, Candela, with its charming proprietors and endearing air of gentle chaos. But I also like the Clapton Table. It's contemporary but not too complicated. It's friendly and the food is reliably nice. I haven't photographed any of the food because everyone does that. So I've photographed the bar instead. See pictures of the food here. 

Dan's Island meets the Mermaid Fish Bar

New restaurants, cafes and takeaways come and go at such a rate round here these days it can be hard to keep up, so there's something reassuring about the continuing presence of a fish and chip shop and a Chinese takeaway that have been feeding me and my family for as long as I have lived in this corner of Hackney (nearly a quarter of a century, since you ask). Visiting them is always nice, largely because of the welcoming women behind their respective counters. Even if you don't go in for a few weeks, it's nice to know that they are there.

Fifty years of the Amhurst Café

Now that there is no truly traditional English cafe in the vicinity of Clapton Pond - must be an opening there, young entrepreneurs - the Amhurst Café on Amhurst Road opposite Hackney Central station feels even more precious than before. When only a straightforward bacon, egg and chips will do, it's definitely worth the walk or short bus ride to an eating establishment that, amazingly, celebrates its half century anniversary this year.

Pizza pressures as Domino's move in next to Yard Sale

They have branches in Hyderabad, Manitoba and Milan as well as all over the US and the UK, and now the international pizza chain Domino's have turned up in Lower Clapton Road. This shouldn't be a big surprise - there are already outlets in Mare Street, Stamford Hill and Leyton, which tells you something about market taste for pizza in this part of London. Protests such as greeted the arrival of a Tesco Express near the pond seem unlikely. But how will this local manifestation of global capitalism affect rival pizza outlets down our way?

Scene from an organic cafe

I took this picture during a visit to the Organic and Natural shop, where my wife and I often go on a Saturday morning in order to talk to the young man in the green jumper (there's a family connection). I'm no photographer, but I thought the image caught something of the flavour of the place.    

A message from Khan at Palm 2

In case you can't see the words written on the cup, here's what they say:

In the dark, look for the stars,

In the rain, look for the rainbow,

Stay positive. 

This is the sort of thing that makes me like shopping at Palm 2.

There goes the Jackdaw jazz cafe

Last July the story was: "Here comes the Jackdaw jazz cafe." But the venture has lasted less than a year. This is a shame, just as the closure of Maeve's Kitchen is shame. Now there are two empty spaces where examples of local gentrification had been, once again raising questions about why some manifestations of the "new Clapton" have taken root and others haven't. The Jackdaw seemed nice enough, but did it over-estimate the Dalstonisation of this neck of the woods?

Farewell to Maeve's Kitchen

I wasn't a devotee of Maeve's Kitchen but I'm still sad that it's closed down. What happened? Until someone out there tells me, I can only speculate. The restaurant's website and Facebook page say only that it has "decided to take a prolonged pause from trading." The freehold of the entire property, which includes two flats above the restaurant space, is for sale for £795,000. This could mean that Maeve's was doing OK as a business but that the owner, Maeve's erstwhile landlord, reckoned to make more money from the sale if the premises were sold empty. Or maybe Maeve's was closing anyway and the landlord has decided to cash out. Or it could mean something else.

The flavour of Ten Ten

Havana's cafe at 207 Lower Clapton Road was a long time closed and much missed, in my household at least. Finally, last autumn, it reopened as Ten Ten. The owners, who also run Dom's Place a few doors down, are the same but it is now a very different cup of tea.

The big telly has gone and so has the old menu, which was basically traditional English cafe fare with a few Turkish options too. The new one is more what some might call "new Clapton" and the premises is now licensed to sell alcohol. The refurbished interior, like the atmosphere as a whole, is quieter and there are now comfy window seats as well. As you'll see from the photo above the customers include truly lovely people, some with fabulous big hair, some with almost none.

When I went in the other day I tried their beef burger (with cheese, caramelised onions, tomatoes, lettuce and pickle in a rinkof brioche, to give it its full title) with a side salad and some fries. I'm pleased to report that it was delicious. These are still early days for Ten Ten and no doubt it will take a while for it and its potential punters to find each other. I recommend you give it a try.       

     

Here comes the Jackdaw jazz cafe

Exactly as I took this photograph a jazz trio was warming up at Dom's Place next door. That was fitting and hints at a potential for some interesting competition because Jackdaw, which is set to open soon at 201 Lower Clapton Road, has been described to me by one of the men doing it up as a forthcoming "jazz cafe". It replaces Cave of Plunder, whose treasures, it appears, weren't alluring punters in sufficient numbers.