INIS — Restaurant in London

Three friends and a hot dog walk into a bar... It was a very hot day in Hackney we had walked through the park to the Wick and on through the Olympic Park to see the new arts institutions yet to open, the magnificent V&A, Sadlers Wells and UAL.The sun beating down, the dog in my arms, too hot to walk, thank God he's not a Great Dane, he'd never fit in my bag. Following the footwork and having got our steps in we deserved a good sit down and maybe a snack. In a part of town awash with pizza we were after something different, yet strikingly familiar. We'd all heard about INIS and were excited to try it, except the dog who said nothing. The sun beat down on the canal side tables so we decided to sit inside. By the time I had washed my hands with the special fennelly smell of Haekels, my friends had been seated at the long black ceramic tiled table, the kind of cool that we needed on a hot day. 'Beers, Pet Nat? Why not, it's Sunday and we deserve it'. The dog was offered his favourite tipple, he settled down for a quick snooze. We decided to share everything, which I think is always wise when you go somewhere new. The sweetcorn on cute bamboo skewers, buttery and honeyed was my favourite, so much so we asked for bread to dip and dribble down our chins. The smoked eel was delicious and light on such a hot day. There was a scallop doing the rounds, which I didn't try, but watching the faces of my pals it did the job. Toasted soda bread with herb salsa dipped and dunked. Did I mention we shared a bottle pf Pet Nat rosè it was all coming together nicely. As a massive water drinker I was very happy that the carafe was always filled as if by magic. The staff were very welcoming and knowledgable about the dishes that we shared, although I can't remember what a Pithivier is (you will have to go and ask them yourself), but it is a lovely word. The sun was getting lower in the sky, we moved outside for a coffee, the dog brought his water bowl, we were happy and had tasted the familiar with fresh mouths. As locals of many years standing, from the days before the new buildings, working and living in Hackney I can say that I welcome INIS to Fish Island, it is everything you want from a local restaurant, high quality food, a cool setting and knowledgeable staff. I even got to talk to Lindsay about Edna O'Brian The dog...

INIS has made a very welcome debut to Fish Island. This beautifully presented eatery balances both comfort and aesthetic and is the perfect canal side location to enjoy elevated dishes with a focus on seasonal produce.

From arrival, the welcome is warm and genuine. The team are friendly, and attentive. All comfortably knowledgable of the menu.

The lunch menu has an array of options from nibbles to small sharing plates and several main players. It’s really great to see as much GF and Vegan representation as for the meat options. So everyone in the group felt there were several choices to go for.

I opted for two of the smaller dishes: the Welsh rarebit with leeks and the Smoked trout which were both delicious and satisfying. Absolute qudos to the chef - the presentation and flavours were exceptional on each.

As it was a Sunday my friends each tried one of the roast options: The Beef; Pork and Roasted cabbage, The generous thick sliced meats were perfectly cooked (the beef was well done -as requested) and each came with a large crisp Yorkshire pudding. All three roasts came with large selection of veggies including roast potatoes, flavoursome cabbage and heirloom carrots as well as an individual pot of gravy to self pour.

The table water was refreshed several times, without us needing to request refills.

Our desserts - Affogato; chocolate ice cream; mango sorbet and kafir lime; and (everyone’s favourite) the sticky toffee pudding rounded off the lunch.

The vibe is relaxed; the space is so nicely considered and I found myself Shazaming the music several...

I would like to preface my review by praising the food. On that alone, Inis is truly one of the best eateries in Hackney Wick.

Everything we ordered looked and tasted wonderful. Plus, the wine and cocktails are stunning.

However, I was left with a sour taste in my mouth with the service we experienced. We were a few minutes late to our reservation, but there was no table for 5 set up. We were left standing in the middle of the restaurant while the team discussed how and where to seat us.

We ordered, enjoyed a Guinness and a few cocktails, and our small plates and starters swiftly came out. Then followed a 40-minute delay for our mains to come out. Our reservation was for 19:30, and it was gone 21:00 before the mains came out.

The most frustrating thing is, I wouldn’t have minded if we were being looked after during this time.

There was no communication from the manager. All it would’ve taken was an update. A quick “sorry all, know you’re waiting for your mains, but would you like any more drinks while you wait”? I rarely complain, but when eating out at a place like Inis is a luxury in this economy, I can’t let things like this go. Between the two waiters and the manager, the service should’ve been hot.

The manager did comp us one of our wines. Then she proceeded to give us the cold shoulder for the rest of the night. We left feeling like we were the most hated customers, despite raising valid issues.

I would like to give Inis one more try, maybe it was just...