Cat & Mutton

You'll find Cat & Mutton tucked into the heart of Broadway Market, that stretch of Hackney that's somehow managed to stay properly neighbourhood-feeling despite the gentrification creeping in from all sides. It's the kind of pub that doesn't need to try too hard—scuffed wooden floors, mismatched furniture, and the sort of crowd that's genuinely there to eat and drink rather than perform for Instagram. The menu takes pub classics seriously without getting precious about it, and they've clearly put thought into their beer selection. It's become the sort of place locals actually return to, which says more than any review ever could.