From freshly baked morning pastries to colourful, photogenic lunches, beautiful cakes and bakes, and inventive seasonal dinners, this new Hackney café has all the trappings of a thriving social hub. And the fact that the kitchen is a collaborative effort from student and professional chefs only adds to OKN1’s appeal at a time when community, craft and creativity are highly-prized in the capital. Made with passion and pride by a diverse team of promising student chefs and like-minded professionals, you’ll find dishes inspired by the surroundings and the seasons, all bursting with bold flavours.
Breakfast might take the form of a honey parfait with toasted oats, crushed pistachios and summer berries or a buttery pain au chocolat, while lunch items include exciting takes on classics, such as a scorched feta and pink pickle flatbread. Dinner options range from lighter bites to heartier dishes such as a Suffolk bacon chop with fried egg and devilled sauce. For the sweet-toothed, there are desserts in the form of Prosecco and raspberry posset with charcoal sugar biscuits, and greengage frangipane tart with clotted cream (season permitting, of course). With a drinks list featuring craft cocktails and a terrace that overlooks the New City College gardens, OKN1 is well-equipped for summer.