It’s all part of the Spike is 60 film festival which kicks off with Mo Better Blues (a day before Spike’s actual birthday on the 20th) then runs across the year before wrapping up with a screening of Chiraq in November. Find out more about Sunday’s event and the festival here.

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Proper scones and cake

I was invited to try Little Nan’s new spot in the basement of the Rio Cinema in Dalston. As I said, there were all sorts of madness going on with the decor, but Instagram/Snapchat opps aside, the tea itself was wonderful: we’re talking proper scones with homemade jam, solid sandwiches, a choice of vicky sponge and carrot cake (both delish) and a very generous pot of those teapot cocktails we guzzled down with teacups.

As it happens, this ain’t the only place you can try this out 0n the East side at the mo. They’ve also popped up at the National Trust’s Grade-II listed Sutton House until the end of September, but they’ve toned things down a touch to include a tour of the house (it’s the oldest once in Hackney) and a bespoke cocktail with your name on it. Check out pics from my visit of the Rio Bar below – but for more info about Little Nan’s, head to www.littlenans.co.uk.

afternoon tea at Little Nan’s Rio Bar

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Back to the Future by RYCA

Presented by Print Club London, BLISTERS – The Director’s Cut is the studio’s fourth annual show and features clever revamps of posters for the likes of Star Wars, The Godfather and Metropolis amongst others.  The open evening on August 31st will feature film screenings, themed cocktails, and  hot dogs and popcorn for film buffs and art lovers alike, followed by an open day on September 1st – and the prints themselves will be available to buy for just £40, signed exclusively by the artists.

You can check out a couple more of our favourite prints from the show just below, but click here for more info and e-mail rsvp@printclublondon.com if you’d like to attend on Friday, August 31st.

Star Wars by Conception Studios

Metropolis by Raid 71

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Jazzy music warms up the atmosphere,  service is prompt and friendly and the menu offers a few delights that come highly recommended, like the scotch egg ( served with fresh piccalilli and the yolk is gorgeously soft).  Elsewhere, the salmon foursome of rillet, smoked, confit and caviar with melba toast is a generous pick, though only falls short by being a little salty.

Starters aside, the mains like the 3-5 day air hung rib-eye steak with hand cut chips  expectedly deliver – can’t go wrong, really? – and the 8 oz braised beef burger packs an extra punch with its Hunter sauce, bacon and cheese and caramelised onions. It’s colossal too.

It was very hard to resist dessert, especially as a good pecan pie can be hard to come by – and Hunter’s took me back to the kind my neighbours would bake when I was a kid in Texas – while the apple and mixed berry crumble with homemade custard is as perfect as it sounds.  To top things off, a three-course meal comes up to little under £30 which is decent for quality grub, and if you throw in a warming house red like the Esperanza Merlot, you’ll be sure to have a memorable evening at a pub that won’t be exclusive to the hip locals for long. (Words: Matilda Egere-Cooper) 

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However, it’s clear that the east end’s manifesto of creativity and entrepreneurialism is still very much alive. Evidence of the area’s continued regeneration includes the recent opening of the impressive new Hackney Picturehouse cinema on Mare Street, based in a truly gorgeous venue and set to be a massive hit with both locals and those further afield.

The latest venture by the Dalston-based Bootstrap Company is also sure to pull in the punters. It’s a night-time street food market just off Kingsland Road, taking place every Friday night from November 25th (6pm until 1am) until Christmas. If you live close by, you won’t want to miss out on a chance to sample culinary delights such as a signature dish from London’s prestigious Hawksmoor restaurant, Big Apple hotdogs or The Bowler’s meatball mayhem, out in the fresh night air. Whether on your way to or from a night out, it’s sure to beat the sub par grub of your typical fast food joint and the atmosphere is certain to be much better too (minus the neon glare and grotty tables).

Happily, they’ve also installed fire pits in the secret location on Abbot Street to keep our mitts nice and toasty whilst we munch alongside our fellow eastenders. Bon appetit! (Words: Aoife Moriarty)

For more information, go to: www.thelongtable.net

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For more info, visit dalstongarden.site11.com.

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