Stokey Newington’s best spots for alfresco dining and drinking
Updated: Jun 21, 2022
As summer gets its sizzle on, we’ve been checking out local pubs, cafes and restaurants to find Stoke Newington’s best outside dining spots.
From secret gardens with retractable roofs to sprawling pub gardens with a choice of sun or shade, there’s something for everyone.
Demand for outside seating has rocketed since the pandemic and some businesses have spent considerable time sprucing up their gardens.
Here, in no particular order are great independent businesses offering space to eat or drink outside.
Run by husband-and-wife Oya and Erol Adem, The Green Room Café is accessed through their shop N16 Flowers. The south-facing garden is huge and a real sun-trap but there are plenty of options for shade. Enjoy delicious brunches and lunches or kick back with a cuppa and a cake. This place is popular with local families. Save 10% (Mon-Fri) with your Local Buyers card.
The pretty garden at this popular pub is one of Stoke Newington’s best-kept secrets. It’s south-facing and decorated with bunting and fairy lights and there’s plenty of space. Come here for a drink (they have fab craft ales) or tuck into brunch or some pub grub that’s cooked with care. Ryans N16 has been part of the Stokey community for more than 25 years.
This rustic Italian restaurant on Stoke Newington High St has a secret garden downstairs – if it rains, there’s a retractable roof. The pizzas here are wonderful – light but huge, the pasta is homemade in-house and you’re guaranteed a warm welcome from the mother and son team who run this place (Erjon and Bihije). Local Buyers Club members save 20%.
Covered and heated, the garden at this gastropub is a good choice whatever the weather. Expect staff who really know their wine and food that tastes as beautiful as it looks. Or just kick back for a pint and some nibbles. This pub is run by the team behind the Anchor & Hope in Waterloo. It’s a great place for Sunday lunch.
This place has a large, beautifully planted garden with plenty of parasols and lots of seating. There’s also a lounging area with fake grass and beanbags. When there’s sport on, they wheel out TV screens so you can watch. The menu includes pizzas and their cocktails are worth checking out!
This picturesque pub on Barbauld Road has a cute walled-garden. Get there early as spaces are limited. The food is good and there are options for everyone – from amazing roasts and burgers to risotto and home-made gnocchi. The Londesbourough regularly hosts wedding parties so it’s worth checking if they’re open to the public before you arrive!
If people watching is your thing, bag a table at the front of Acoustic on Stoke Newington Church St and watch the world go by. The portions here are big, with the menu inspired by the Mediterranean and there’s an option for bottomless brunch!
With its massive garden, the White Hart on the High St is a brilliant place for summer fun. The menu includes ploughman's, burgers and pies. If the sun’s out this is a great option.
Few spots could be prettier than this café garden overlooking Woodberry Wetlands. Enjoy brunch, lunch and hot and soft drinks while watching the wildlife dart about the reeds. Profits from this lovely cafe support the work of London Wildlife Trust.There's a large canopy over the outside tables to protect you from the elements.
Slap bang in the middle of Church St, the Red Lion has a lovely walled garden with options for covered seating or full sun. The menu includes pizzas by Flatboys and delicious doughnuts! Dogs are welcome and there are treats and water bowls. This pub was built in 1924 but there has been a record of a Red Lion on the street since 1697.
When lockdown hit, the owners of this Irish bar set to work transforming the garden and adding more seating. Voted the best Irish pub (outside of Ireland) and rumoured to serve the best pint of Guinness in London, the Auld Shillelagh recently celebrated 30 years in Stoke Newington.
In the heart of Clissold Park nestled on the first floor of the historic Clissold House this café has a serving hatch and a large garden at ground floor level with a small amount of seating. There’s also some outside seating at the front of the House. Bring a rug and pick up a sandwich, cake, pastry or hot lunch. They also serve beer from London Fields Brewery. Our favourite spot is on the hill, which offers good views over the park and the New River. Save 10% with your Local Buyers card (Mon-Fri)
This neighbourhood pub on a quiet Stoke Newington back street has picnic tables out the front and a small courtyard garden. Space is limited so it’s worth getting here early. Save 10% Monday-Thursday with the Local Buyers Club.
The Sunday roasts at this neighbourhood pub are worth eating even in the heat of summer! The Axe on Northwold Road has a lovely little beer garden, decked in wood and with a covered area. The food here is good – European and British dishes with a modern twist – and there’s plenty of natural wine and 22 beers on tap.
This lovely cafe at the back of St Mary's Church on Church St is tackling food waste, isolation and poverty. Pop in between 11am and 2pm on Thursdays and Fridays for the best soup, bread and cakes and sit outside in the garden. Pay what you feel!