Hackney Empire cafe reopens as the latest food and music venture by Platterform

The Hackney Empire cafe has been revamped

Did you like the Skylodge pop-up over by London Fields before Christmas? And the Sea Adventure dining experience? If so you’re going to love immersive food and music crew Platterform’s latest venture.

After a succession of temporary installations the creative collective is setting up shop permanently – in Hackney Empire’s cafe no less – with an exotic new venue called Stage 3.

From 12-course Indonesian feasts and art installations to Tai-chi masters, bands and DJs, Stage 3 promises to be an ambitious affair, with the usual cocktails, craft beers and food, only this time the emphasis is on music.

The team is collaborating with a network of local artists, musicians and DJs for a programme of live performances this summer. Director Jules Bayuni says: “This is Hackney’s cultural quarter – with the museum, the cinema and the theatre. We’re the missing puzzle piece: music.”

Inside, it’s a nod to both the building’s thespian history and Bayuni’s Indonesian heritage, with beautiful tropical prints patterning the walls and brightly-coloured puppet masks strung up over the bar.
So what can we expect? Thursdays will be supper club night up on the mezzanine floor, with a different theme each week – ranging from French Creole to New Orleans to Caribbean nights.

“The food is what we’ve collectively grown up on – it’s our soul food,” says Bayuni. Fridays will see art collectives like Unity take over the walls and DJ decks, Saturday is for more partying and Sunday is for hangovers, when you can drag yourself down for a day of healing or hedonism –the choice is yours.

You’ll be able to pick from detox and retox cocktails, gorge on oriental-style duck and pork roasts and even take part in some tai-chi to restore the natural order after a heavy night. Sounds like you’re in safe hands.
Watch out for updates about what’s on each week, it’s already looking excellent and this imaginative bunch have plenty of surprises up their sleeves.

Stage 3
Hackney Empire
291 Mare Street, E8 1EJ