Late Night Bites
Here’s something good to build up a knowledge stash of:Where are the places to eat after a dinner of crisps at a pub, or when it’s 2 am and you know your fridge is barren aside from a mass of condiments?On a night post-drinks and post-pool (the game, not the swimmy), a friend of a friend walked me into the kebab shop on Stoke Newington High Street in Dalston across the street from the 24-hour Turkish soup place (is it really 24 hours? I think it is). I had intended on going there, which would have been a fine idea, but my new friend convinced me to go across the street to a kebab shop and get a falafel wrap there instead.What’s wonderful about this place is that the guys behind the counter chop up the salad bits–your tomatoes, your pepper, your onions (if you want them nasty things)–before putting them into your wrap. This, my friends, is a key difference in what sets this establishment apart from the other kebabberies in Hackney and elsewhere. It’s a difference I have come to appreciate when I’m hungry and in the area.The fine men who make these wonders of falafeldom wear polo shirts embroidered with the moniker ‘Ali Baba’ upon them, and you should be able to see the neon-lit image of a donor across the street from the bright orange storefront of the Turkish soup place. Would anyone else care to contribute their favourite haunt for late night bites? Anywhere to get some quality nums past nine or ten at night is good, and extra points if it’s past midnight.
ewebber
In the Clapton Pond area, it seems to be 2 choices. 1) If you can catch Palm2 still open then you have a huge choice of things to buy, but that probably means attempting to cook something and that’s not always a good idea if it’s late and post pub. Or 2) Mermaid, Fish and Chips/Kebab shop – They have \proper” chips which sets them above a lot of other kebab shops”
quitepeculiar
For a moment there, I had no idea what/where Palm 2 was. Then I realised you were talking about the Green Shop that I pass by every single day. I’ve just been calling it the Green Shop, and didn’t even realise it had a proper name.Must investigate more….
yeahhackney
I think it currently calls itself Clapton Village! It’s my nearest shop and pretty great in terms of what it sells and for Abdul, the owner who is a asset to the community. They have recently taken to baking really nice pide type things – yum
quitepeculiar
Oh yeah, the spinach and feta stuff, right? It’s quite good, indeed.
quitepeculiar
Right, so there’s The Bagel House on Stoke Newington High Street, which was open last night at around 2 am. I went in and asked for a veggie samosa, which came to 95p.Win, right? Well, not so much. It was all right until about halfway through, I started chewing on what seemed to be sand, and wound up throwing the corner I couldn’t finish away.However, with a lively late-night crowd, The Bagel House seems to do a brisk nocturnal business, most of whom I’m sure have had better experiences than my lone samosa fail. Anyone else got a story with the place?
jeffhubbard
Yeah. They gave me free cornish pasties when i was sleeping rough. The pasties don’t seem so good now i have to pay for them.
quitepeculiar
When I found out the samosa was 95p, I was quite jolly, but they were quite skimpy little things.Maybe other stuff is better, though? Maybe?
jeffhubbard
Anything in a bagel, especially salt beef.
alexpink
Last night on our way home @ewebber and I visited the Mermaid take away on Lower Clapton Rd. Chips and pitta with a few onion rings for good measure. The chips are \proper” chippy chips and being slightly drunk it really hit the spot. There were even a few left for breakfast…not so good.”