The new print edition of The Wick contains a double page feature in support of Fish Island’s brilliant array of food and drink locations.

It’s a celebration, but also a call to arms.

Despite the attraction of sunshine on the waterfront terraces, this summer is going to be tough for these great spots, as the direct walking route from Hackney Wick Overground remains out of action while construction continues on the new Roach Point Bridge over the canal.

So, we thought it would be most timely to put together a tasty list of all the places, right across Fish Island, where you can enjoy everything from a simple sourdough pizza to a complex Caribbean curry.

We’ve put the entire rundown online too, so do check it out today and keep it bookmarked. You can use it as a reminder of food and drink destinations that really do deserve a bit of extra support over the summer - and also possibly as a way of discovering your new favourite local spot, too.

Read ‘The Best Eating & Drinking on Fish Island’ here.

🎨 Tonight, Wed 18th Jun, sees the launch of the latest artist residency at Two More Years from Wiktoria Kucwaj (main pic above) who will be showing her first exhibition of paintings while also selling prints, alongside live music and more starting from 6pm.

⌚ There’s also a free curator-led tour of the Appendix / Index by Palestinian writer, researcher and curator Aram Masharqa, at Hypha Gallery 2 Sugar House Island tonight, Wed 18th Jun, for a look at the painting, drawing, ceramic and textile sculpture, light installation, and UV print onto found objects from ten London-based artists.

This Saturday afternoon, 21st Jun, sees the Festival of Stuff: Stratford Extravaganza 2025 take over UCL Marshgate for a free drop-in day of demonstrations and hands-on making activities, to a live music soundtrack and what they’re calling ‘unorthodox culinary stalls’, as the Institute of Making bring people together to explore the sheer joy of stuff. Try everything from rope-making to basketry, parachute stitching to enzymatic plastic recycling, and screen-printing taking a dip into a pizza dough paddling pool.

🖼️ Felstead Art’s new exhibition Wicked Changes V, is the latest in their ongoing series exploring how artists respond to current urban and social challenges, with a particular focus on Hackney Wick. This exhibition presents a select group of artists from the East London Art Society and forms part of this year’s London Festival of Architecture. It’s on at The Trampery Fish Island Village until 2nd Aug.

💘 The summer show at Stratford East is a new musical comedy inspired by true events. Lovestruck tackles themes of online dating, toxic social media and crippling self doubt, as it charts the hilarious, humiliating and all too relatable quest for our happy ever after. Runs to Sat 12th Jul.

📚 The Library of Things We Forgot to Remember is an archive of materials including vinyl, posters, paintings and more, drawn from private African collections. Artist Kudzanai Chiurai invites a different librarian to interrogate the archive for each show, the latest being shaped for the UCL Urban Room by guest librarian Dr Kara Blackmore. Runs to 16th Aug.

🍖 Talking of Aperol, over in their Aperidisco pop-up in the garden at Hackney Bridge, tonight sees the first of their special Supper Club with chef Robin Gill events, where your £50 ticket gets you sharing platters laden with smoked beef cheek, Iberico pork shoulder, green choritzo and more, with veggie and veggie platters available too, and two spritz included for each diner. Also happening next Tues 24th & Wed 25th Jun, too.

🏳️‍🌈 Coven is the brand new queer bar and arts venue taking over the upstairs at Queen’s Yard haunt Fabwick from Thurs 19th Jun. The opening night sees DJ sets from Bestley, Zach Witness and Sissy Fit with live music by Max Francese and Jacob Morgan.

🎺 Indie record label Wah Wah 45s are back at Grow this Sat 21st Jun for a bumper summer session including new label signings, the dub, Afro and jazz outfit Kotoa, and label boss Dom Servini on the decks with edit master Laroye, plus queen of the broken beat, Lyric L, on the mic. Our on the terrace, Frankson will be rocking the sundown vibes, too.

📊 Hackney Wick and Fish Island Creative Enterprise Zone (CEZ) is looking to review and strengthen its objectives to match the changing needs of local creative and other businesses. Have your say in under a minute by responding to this short four-question survey to help shape proposals for supporting the local creative community for the next three years and beyond.

👩🏼‍🦽‍➡️ Aksana Berdnikova, Master's student in Disability Design and Innovation at UCL, is looking to find out whether East London’s creative programmes and communities are truly inclusive for disabled creatives. Fill in her questionnaire here to offer your views and experiences.

🥻 Applications are open for the second cohort of The Fashion Residency at Studio Smithfield. The Mayor of London, Projekt, Paul Smith’s Foundation and British GQ are behind the scheme to offer six successful creatives access to a free studio space for 18 months and over 60 hours of personal and business skills mentoring. Apply by 20th Jul.

📊 The Tower Hamlets Council Business Rates Team will deliver a free one hour workshop, open to all Tower Hamlets based businesses to better understand the Business Rates environment, covering topics like reliefs and reductions available, revaluations and what to do if you're struggling to pay, on Mon 23rd Jun at the Town Hall.

🎓 The Inspiring Success Scholarship at Loughborough University London covers 100% of tuition fees on a masters programme, including career guidance and support, to unemployed or under-employed graduates from East London at their London campus at Here East. Residents of Hackney, Newham, Tower Hamlets, or Waltham Forest who are willing to actively contribute to the local community are invited to apply for the programme by 31st July.

🎾 Starting next Thurs 26th Jun and running for seven weeks, Bola Beach Tennis promises sand, sun and sweet serves. You’ll find adult group coaching, social matchplay, tournaments, kids after school Friday and Saturday sessions, as well as a Thursday morning 60+ session and free trials for local community organisations. Contact [email protected] 

🌊 Over 3,400 homes in Hackney are at risk from surface water flooding, also known as flash flooding. If you are concerned about this and want to know how to better prepare, respond and recover, visit the new Hackney flood website. The Environment Agency has also put together these resources especially to help locals be better prepared for flooding in this area, following similar incidents in recent years.

📢 The V&A East in the QEOP and Young V&A in Bethnal Green are looking for an experienced Communications Manager to work on campaigns including The Music Is Black: A British Story, the first exhibition to open the forthcoming museum at East Bank. Apply by 30th Jun.

📍 HTA Design is looking for a Bid Manager to join their collaborative team, with studios in Hackney Wick, Manchester, Bristol, and Edinburgh, to help them win new work ranging from social housing, regeneration, and mixed-use town centres, to interiors, parks, and historic landscapes. Apply by 27th Jun