16 best hidden gems in Hackney
16 hidden gems venues in Hackney, ranked by community hype and rated by real Londoners. Good for casual meet-ups, date nights, group socials and work outings — save the ones you like and turn them into a shared poll in a couple of taps.
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Turning Earth Pottery
Hoxton · Pottery Class
Beginner wheel-throwing class in a sunlit member-led pottery studio.
Hype
Shoreditch Street Art Tour
Shoreditch · Walking Tour
Two-hour expert-led graffiti tour from Banksy to Stik.
Hype
Nightjar Shoreditch
Shoreditch · Speakeasy
Hidden basement speakeasy with nightly live jazz, blues and swing.
Hype
Candle Making — Earl of East
Hackney · Candle Workshop
Blend your own scented soy candle in a beautiful east London studio.
Hype
Tufting Workshop — Tuft the World
Hackney · Rug Tufting
Make your own hand-tufted rug — wildly satisfying and TikTok-ready.
Hype
Time Run Immersive Hunt
Hackney · Treasure Hunt
Real-world live escape adventure where you run between locations.
Hype
The Glory Drag Show
Haggerston · Live Music
Pioneering queer pub with weekly drag competitions and DJ sets.
Hype
Community Sauna Baths
Hackney Wick · Spa Day
Co-op-run Finnish sauna and cold plunge — pay-as-you-go.
HypeCallooh Callay
Shoreditch · Hidden Cocktail Bar
Eccentric Shoreditch cocktail bar with a wardrobe-door hidden room.
Hype
Sager + Wilde Hackney
Hackney · Wine Bar
Railway-arch wine bar with low-intervention bottles and great toasties.
Hype
Draughts Board Game Café Hackney
Hackney · Board Game Café
600+ board games, pay-by-time, with toasties and craft beer.
Hype
Clapton Country Club Bowls
Clapton · Mixed Games
Indoor bowls and Bavarian beer hall in a converted dog track.
HypeSaunabox Hackney
Hackney Wick · Spa Day
Mobile barrel sauna and cold plunge on the canalside.
HypeHackney Bowls Club Social
Hackney · Mixed Games
Indoor lawn bowls in a 1950s clubhouse with cheap beer.
Hype
Hackney City Farm
Hackney · Farm
Free working city farm with pigs, goats, donkeys and a vegetarian café.
Hype
State of Play Pinball
Hackney · Pinball Bar
Pay-once-play-all pinball arcade with craft beers and pizza.
HypeMore in this borough
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