Who doesn’t love a towpath eatery? Pick through the shards of broken glass, and stand firm against the wobbly Lime bikers dawdling along in tortoise mode and you’ve got yourself one of London’s most unique dining options. From pretty little plates at Towpath Cafe to pizzas and pints at Crate Brewery, canal-side dining has long been an east-London failsafe, and Inis (which means ‘island’ in Irish) has now boldly entered the chat.
You’ll find it out in Hackney Wick, where the River Lee meets the Union Canal. There’s seating for 50 out front by the towpath, but also a big, grand room for those who don’t feel like an al fresco dinner before summer truly kicks in. Approach in the evenings and there’s a Bladerunner-esque energy to this particular Fish Island location, surrounded as you are by new build flats that sprung up around the 2012 Olympics, with construction work still neverending. There are cranes here and wooden hoardings there, but in a spot that could feel soulless, Inis offer a warm, neighbourly embrace.
A raucous starter of potato scallops is basically thick cut wedges halfway between crisps and chips
Run by Lynsey Coughlan, the former director of Ginger Pig butchers, and her partner, Lindsay Lewis, everyone at Inis is greeted like an old friend. Since opening in the summer of 2024, Inis has become something of a queer hub, but everyone is welcomed like they’ve just bought a bottle of £30+ wine to a dinner party. The room itself is super spacious, with high ceilings and a lighting rig that makes it feel a little like you’re about to watch a worryingly contemporary rendering of a Chekov play. Luckily, the only drama tonight comes in the form of a super sharp and ridiculously refreshing clementine gimlet, which comes from a cocktail list devised by Liam Davy, one of the co-founders of the gone but not forgotten taco bar Bad Sports.
Like Cafe Cecilia before it, Irish flourishes decorate a menu of seasonal fare, with the occasional full-throttle modern Gaelic dish, such as a raucous starter of potato scallops (aka, massive thick cut wedges halfway between crisps and chips) accessorised with a pot of creamy curry sauce. Neater, but no less delightful, is an impish wedge of winter tomato and anchovy toast; tangy, salty and pretty enough to frame.
Irish-ness is harder to pin down in a starter of ferociously farmy barbequed lamb ribs, which are served with an equally butch walnut ketchup. Grilled prawns are somewhat sprightlier, kicking back like burly, sunbathing jocks in a bowl of luminous, chill-flecked bisque that’s more Med than Meath. Not that it matters, everything here is imbued with care and class, and that’s what’s important. Roast duck is the champion dish of the night. In a burst of cheffy flair, it comes two ways; on a bed of greens and so pink it might still be capable of quacking, and then as chunky, crispy skin in a deep dish of clementine-spiked salad.
That promised Irish edge returns in time for dessert, with a wedge of just-about-dense-enough, and just-about-sweet-enough Guinness cake zigzagged with fresh mascarpone and cream cheese frosting. Community hubs are rarely this delicious.
The vibe A super friendly all-day canalside spot for the local community and beyond.
The food Irish and British-inspired seasonal fare.
The drink A great cocktail menu; try the house martini, and a wine list from Clara Rubin (Hawksmoor, The Draper’s Arms, Restaurant Gordon Ramsay).
Time Out tip All all-day spot, Inis opens at 8am, perfect for a canal-side coffee and spot of breakfast before you start your uber creative Hackney Wick working day.