Hackney Restaurant Festival: 40% Off at Acme Fire Cult in Feb

Key Points

• The Restaurant Festival, Hackney, runs throughout February 2026, from 1st to 28th February.
• Organised by Hackney’s cult live-fire restaurant Acme Fire Cult in partnership with the free dining app EatClub.
• Curated by Acme Fire Cult’s chef Andrew Clarke to showcase Hackney’s culinary talent during a quiet month for hospitality.
• Diners can enjoy up to 40% off meals at selected times by downloading the free EatClub app, selecting a restaurant, and paying via the app upon arrival—no bookings or vouchers required.
• Participating restaurants include Acme Fire Cult, Corrochio’s, Big Night, Mangal 2, Papi, Tom’s Pasta, Alber’s, My Neighbours the Dumplings, Sune, Oren, Marksman Public House, Mambow, Lucia’s, Berber & Q, with more to be announced.
• Festival aims to provide affordable access to popular spots and boost footfall for local independents in a tough trading period.
• Special menus at some venues, such as Acme Fire Cult turning into a curry house with dishes like pigs head vindaloo and venison sheekh kebab.
• Diverse cuisines on offer, from Mexican at Corrochio’s and Papi, Turkish Ocakbaşı at Mangal 2, Italian at Tom’s Pasta, dumplings at My Neighbours the Dumplings, to North African BBQ at Berber & Q.

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Hackney, East London (East London Times) January 31, 2026 – Diners in Hackney are set for a treat this February with the launch of The Restaurant Festival, Hackney, a month-long event offering up to 40% off meals at the borough’s most celebrated eateries, spearheaded by Acme Fire Cult in collaboration with EatClub app. The chef-led initiative, running from 1 to 28 February, invites locals and visitors to explore Hackney’s vibrant food scene at cut prices during hospitality’s quietest month. Participating venues, handpicked by Acme Fire Cult chef Andrew Clarke, promise a win-win: affordable dining for customers and vital footfall for independent restaurants.

What Is The Restaurant Festival in Hackney?

As reported by the Secret London team in their article published on 29 January 2026, Hackney’s cult live-fire restaurant Acme Fire Cult has joined forces with dining app EatClub for the Restaurant Festival, curating a selection of the borough’s best spots for a month-long celebration of local food.

The event highlights Hackney as a standout culinary hub in London, an incredible city for food overall, providing an affordable chance to try ultra-popular eateries. EatClub’s blog, dated 27 September 2025 but updated for 2026, describes it as a partnership to launch The Restaurant Festival, Hackney—a celebration of the borough’s outstanding food scene with up to 40% off.

The festival is not ticketed; participants simply download the free EatClub app, browse deals, choose a venue, and pay via the app on arrival. Time Out London, in a piece from 22 January 2026, notes that East London’s hottest restaurants like Acme Fire Cult, Mangal 2, and My Neighbours the Dumplings are involved, with 40% off during selected times throughout the month.

Who Organised Hackney’s Restaurant Festival?

Acme Fire Cult, based in Dalston, leads the charge, with chef Andrew Clarke hand-curating the lineup, as stated in EatClub’s announcement:

“the chef-led festival has been hand-curated by Acme Fire Cult’s chef, Andrew Clarke”.

Thatsup.co.uk, reporting on 25 January 2026, credits “local heroes Acme Fire Cult” for spearheading the new initiative in collaboration with EatClub to highlight culinary hotspots across Hackney borough. High End Hospitality, on 14 January 2026, confirms: “EatClub and Acme Fire Cult launch a restaurant festival celebrating local restaurants and opening up access to some of the borough’s best tables”.

The partnership addresses post-holiday slowdowns, with Secret London emphasising the dual benefit: “You get cheap(er) food, and the restaurants get customers. It’s a win-win!”​

What Is Acme Fire Cult’s Role?

Acme Fire Cult transforms into a curry house for the festival, offering Indian-inspired fire-led dishes paying homage to chef Andrew Clarke’s travels in India. EatClub details highlights like Lamb chop railway curry, Pigs head vindaloo, Vadouvan monkfish skewers, and Venison sheekh kebab, blending bold new flavours with classics. Thatsup notes:

“Acme Fire Cult is transforming into a curry house for the duration, offering Indian-inspired dishes like pigs head vindaloo and venison sheikh kebab”.

Which Restaurants Are Participating?

Secret London lists: Acme Fire Cult, Corrochio’s, Big Night, Mangal 2, Papi, Tom’s Pasta, Alber’s, My Neighbours the Dumplings, Sune, Oren, Marksman Public House, Mambow, Lucia’s, Berber & Q,

“with even more restaurants still to be announced”.

Shortlist.com, on 21 January 2026, echoes: Corrochio’s, Big Night, Mangal 2, Papi, Tom’s Pasta, Alber’s, My Neighbours the Dumplings, Sune, Oren, Marksman Public House, Mambow.

EatClub expands on signatures: iconic family-run Ocakbaşı grill Mangal 2; vibrant Mexican with small plates and cocktails Papi; viral authentic Italian Tom’s Pasta; all-day neighbourhood favourite Alber’s; handmade dumplings at My Neighbours the Dumplings; wine-led sharing plates at Sune; Mediterranean sharing plates and low-intervention wines at Oren; North African BBQ at Berber & Q. Thatsup mentions Mangal 2, Mambow, and Sune specifically, noting the list is growing.

What Specials Do Participating Restaurants Offer?

Corrochio’s, the cult Dalston Mexican taqueria and cocktail bar, features much-hyped Vampiros—crispy grilled tortillas with melted cheese and fillings like pork carnitas, grilled cactus or portobello al ajillo—plus tacos, spicy margaritas, weekend brunch, and a basement agave bar. Big Night hosts Chef Joe Lippman’s limited residency with a produce-led open-fire menu: Porthilly oysters with blue rhubarb, wild bass crudo with tomato ponzu and yuzu oil, octopus carpaccio with lemon and shiso, signature pork skewer, and grilled hispi cabbage with seaweed and lime butter.​

How Can Diners Access the Discounts?

As per Secret London:

“Simply download the EatClub app (it’s free!) and have a scroll through the participating restaurants. Pick where you’d like to go, and you can enjoy 40% off at selected times throughout February. When it comes time to eat, just rock up, pay via the app, and enjoy!”

Time Out confirms: “the festival isn’t ticketed and anyone can participate by joining EatClub’s app for free. No vouchers or bookings are required – you can just walk in and pay via the app.” Thatsup urges: “diners who have signed up to the free EatClub app can enjoy discounts of up to 40%… Get booking!” though no advance bookings are needed.

First Time in London, on 24 January 2026, calls it a

“unique opportunity for diners to enjoy significant restaurant deals, with discounts of up to 40% off meals”.​

Why Was the Festival Launched Now?

The event targets February’s traditional quiet period, as Secret London explains:

“it also gives people an extra reason to visit local restaurants during one of the hospitality industry’s quietest months of the year”.

High End Hospitality states:

“designed to drive footfall to a limited number of offer-led tables at some of Hackney’s most in-demand independent restaurants during a traditionally quieter trading period”.

EatClub notes it gives “locals and visitors a reason to explore new restaurants with more affordability during one of the quieter months of the year”.

Thatsup observes:

“Coming at a time when purse strings are drawn tight and the weather makes cosying up at home particularly appealing, The Restaurant Festival, Hackney looks to be a great reason for a big night out”.​

What Makes Hackney a Foodie Destination?

Hackney stands out in London’s food landscape, home to popular and celebrated restaurants across cuisines, from small plates to grills. The festival showcases this diversity, from live-fire at Acme to Mexican at Corrochio’s and Ocakbaşı at Mangal 2. Shortlist describes it as a “month-long celebration of the best grub in the borough”, encouraging locals to discover new favourites and attract visitors.

This initiative underscores Hackney’s role as East London’s culinary hotspot, blending long-standing favourites with exciting newcomers. With the festival’s discounts, more people can experience what the fuss is about, as Secret London puts it.