A young Italian couple, Marco Tassone and Ilaria Giovannini, own this boxy all-day café, wine bar and bottle shop. The Hive is dedicated to ‘well being’, but that doesn’t preclude you trying the perky aperitivo hour Negroni (made with The Jerry Thomas Project’s Gin Del Professore) or an elegant Trentino spumante that’s far superior to the feeble Venetian fizz currently on tap in many London bars. Otherwise, order local craft beers with – smoked salmon aside – a vegetarian menu whose lunchtime ideas include quinoa, avocado and shallot salad; roasted aubergine and halloumi; or smoked tempeh (Javanese soybean cake), sauerkraut, mushrooms and sun-dried tomato pesto on sourdough. From 5pm, artisan cheeseboards, raw pizza bites and farinata (Genoan chickpea-flour pancakes) make ideal grazing material. Sweets include cheesecakes, brownies and affogato. For early starters, cold-pressed juices (‘Repair’, ‘Green Giant’) plus veggie breakfast and brunch dishes are how to kick-start your day the Italian-in-Hackney way.