Hackney Vegetarian Dinner Picker: Market Day to Canal Supper

This Hackney vegetarian dinner picker starts with a problem many people have on a Saturday in East London: you spend the late morning at Broadway Market tasting cheese, pastries and street food, and by evening you are not sure if you want a big dinner at all. Hackney is full of good vegetable cooking, from small bistros to canal-side kitchens and Turkish grills on Mare Street, so the real question is not where to find a meat-free plate. It is how to shape the whole day so that dinner still feels like a treat.

Broadway Market runs along a short street between London Fields and the Regent's Canal, and on market days it is packed with stalls. There is fresh bread, cheese, olives, vegetables, flowers, coffee and a long line of hot food. For a vegetarian, it is easy to graze: a falafel wrap here, a slice of quiche there, a cheese toastie, a cinnamon bun. The trouble is that three small bites quickly become a full meal.

A simple rule helps. Pick one hot dish and one sweet thing, and stop there. Buy the rest to take home: a loaf, a wedge of cheese, a bag of seasonal vegetables. That way you leave the market happy but light, and your dinner plans are still open. If you are with friends, share plates and agree on what you will save room for later.

From the bottom of Broadway Market, the Regent's Canal towpath runs east towards Victoria Park and on to Hackney Wick. This is one of the nicest walks in East London. Narrowboats are moored along the water, some with herbs and tomatoes growing on their roofs. Cyclists ring their bells, ducks and coots move between the reeds and the brick walls of old warehouses reflect in the water.

Walking for an hour or so after the market does two things. It gives you time to get hungry again, and it shows you the neighbourhood you will be eating in. Stop at Victoria Park to sit by the lake or walk through the old gardens. Continue to Hackney Wick if you want a more industrial feel, with murals on the walls and old factories turned into studios and bars.

When you are ready to eat, think about three kinds of dinner. The first is the small neighbourhood bistro, where the menu changes with the seasons and vegetables are cooked with care. Here you might find roasted squash with brown butter, a tart of leeks and cheese, or beans with herbs and good olive oil. These places suit couples and small groups who want a slow evening.

The second kind is the canal-side or warehouse kitchen in Hackney Wick. These are often louder and more casual, with sharing plates, pizzas, and drinks from small breweries nearby. They suit groups and anyone who wants a lively end to the day. The third kind is the Turkish or Kurdish grill on Mare Street or Kingsland Road, where meze, salads, grilled halloumi, lentil soup and fresh bread make an easy and generous vegetarian dinner.

If you ate a lot at the market, go for the bistro and order two small plates instead of a main. Ask the server which vegetable dishes are lightest, and share a dessert. If you walked far and you are hungry again, the Turkish grill is the best choice, because you can order a mixed meze and as much bread as you like.

If you are with a group and everyone feels different, choose a sharing-plates kitchen in Hackney Wick. Some people can order a pizza, others a salad, and everyone can share the sides. It is the easiest way to avoid one person feeling too full and another feeling hungry.

Many Hackney restaurants write short menus that change often, and the descriptions can be brief. A line like squash, sage, hazelnut does not tell you if there is chicken stock in the sauce or anchovy in the dressing. Ask politely: is this dish fully vegetarian, including the stock and the dressing? Most kitchens in the area are used to the question and will tell you honestly.

Also watch for cheese. Some traditional hard cheeses, such as Parmesan, are made with animal rennet. If you avoid it, ask whether the kitchen uses a vegetarian alternative. Many places already do, but it is worth checking.

Skip the second round of street food at the market, even if it smells amazing. You will enjoy the evening more with an appetite. And skip the busiest canal-side spot on a sunny Saturday if you want to talk. Walk a few minutes further and you will often find a quieter room with the same kind of food.

On the other hand, do not skip the bread. Hackney has some of the best bakeries in London, and a good loaf with butter or olive oil is one of the simple pleasures of a vegetarian dinner here.

One of the joys of this day is that you can change your mind. If you get home and do not feel like going out again, use what you bought at the market. Roast the vegetables, slice the cheese, warm the bread and open a bottle of something. A simple supper at home after a long walk can be as good as any restaurant.

If you live nearby, you can even invite friends to bring one thing each from the market. It becomes a small shared dinner with very little cooking, and everyone tries something new.

This plan suits couples who like slow weekends, friends who want a full day out without spending it all in one restaurant and visitors who want to see a different side of London away from the centre. It suits vegetarians who enjoy fresh produce and seasonal cooking, and meat-eating friends who are happy to share.

It may not suit someone who dislikes crowds, because the market and canal can be very busy on a sunny day. In that case, try the walk on a weekday, or go to the canal later in the afternoon when the market crowds have gone.

London weather can change quickly. If it rains, cut the walk short and head for one of the covered spaces under the railway arches, or go straight to an early dinner somewhere warm. A bowl of lentil soup and bread in a Turkish grill on a wet evening is a very Hackney kind of comfort.

In winter, the light fades early, so start the canal walk soon after lunch. The towpath can be dark and muddy at night, so bring a light and good shoes, or take a bus back along the main roads after dinner.

London Fields, Cambridge Heath and Hackney Wick stations are all close to this route, and buses run along Mare Street and Hackney Road. The towpath is shared with cyclists, so walk on one side and keep an eye out. Carry a tote bag for market shopping, and a small bottle of water for the walk.

Karpo APP can help you find vegetarian-friendly places near the end of your walk, so you can decide on the spot rather than planning every step in advance. In Hackney, a little freedom usually leads to the best evenings.