Dark Arts Coffee founder Brad Morrison on the best places to eat, drink and go out in Homerton

Dark Arts Coffee founder Brad Morrison

(Picture: Handout)

When I was first looking for somewhere to set up the coffee business it was very cheap because it wasn’t that desirable to be a business in a railway arch in Hackney back then.

All our neighbours were car mechanics and workshops. I’m originally from New Zealand and when I sent my mum the address to look up the first thing that came up was a stabbing that week, right outside the arch.

Homerton’s changed a lot since then, there are a lot of new apartment buildings.

Best eating and drinking

If I wasn’t going to get a coffee from our place or anyone serving our coffee, I’d go to 46b on Chatsworth Road, one of the original third wave coffee places in east London. For brunch there’s Millfields Coffee right on Millfields Park.

A friend is executive chef at Nest and what they’re doing is phenomenal. Jim’s Cafe on Chatsworth Road does an amazing cheeseburger and it’s a bit of a biker spot. Hai Café on Lower Clapton Road is run by a Vietnamese mother, father and son; it’s really small but just amazing. P Franco and Clapton Craft serve all your alcohol needs.

Where to work out

Blok in the old tram depot has all the classes you could want and it’s beautiful — a little bit pricey but it’s worth it, the quality of the instructors is really high. A lot of people also work out with their personal trainers in Millfields Park.

To commune with nature

Hackney Marshes are amazing. There’s a really nice area that a lot of people aren’t aware of hidden behind the wide open flats where they have a water nature reserve with bird watching.

Chatsworth Road has a number of popular shops and cafes (Daniel Lynch)

For a culture fix

The Castle Cinema has really comfortable seats and there are lovely booths you can sit in while you wait for the film. If you want to see a film with a few people it’s a bit more of an outing and they serve our coffee. Blondies is a really fun dive bar and they have a thing called the K-Pit, it’s a collaboration with Kerrang. They put on live secret gigs by really big acts.

Grocery shopping

Palm 2 is the shop everyone knows but I can’t go in there any more. It’s so expensive I think I’ve got PTSD from the amount of money I’ve spent in there.

Casey’s has just opened next door. She’s got her own little bakery and does bits and pieces, and the Spar on Chatsworth Road is good.

Getting around

There’s good cycling around here, lots of the roads are closed to traffic and the canal is a good route too.

Anything but driving because Hackney’s always gridlocked and it takes a million years to get anywhere.

Dream Street

Powerscroft Road. It’s on a slight hill with really nice old Victorian houses - not too big, not too small.

Something you only see in Homerton

There’s definitely a lot of hipsters, the Shoreditch man beard is still popular.

The Castle Cinema was recently restored after a crowdfunding campaign (Daniel Lynch)

What’s the catch?

The absolute eyesore that is Hackney Walk shopping outlet. I don’t know how much money was wasted on that but it’s such a shame, there’s no businesses there any more, it’s just a big empty business park.

In three words

Liveable, happening, gentrifying.

Schools

Morningside, Kingsmead and St John and St James CofE are all local primaries rated outstanding by Oftsed and there are several more schools rated good. For secondary pupils the City Academy, Mossbourne Community Academy, Clapton Girls’ Academy and the Boxing Academy are all outstanding

What it costs to live in Homerton

Buying

Average house price: £875,885

Average flat price: £480,941

Renting

Average house pcm: £2,218

Average flat pcm: £1,669