Cornerstone is an elegant restaurant in Hackney Wick focused on creative yet simple seafood dishes. Shiima’s started to enjoy seafood, but a seafood-focused restaurant is a stretch for her. I, on the other hand, love seafood so Cornerstone Hackney has been right at the top of my solo excursion list for a while now. Plus, it’s walking distance, which allowed me to make quick plans once Shiima got busy last Friday evening.
Cornerstone oozes smooth. Simple furniture with a distinctly black-and-white aesthetic, which can also leave you cold as I initially felt walking through the door. That wasn’t helped by the hostess who wasn’t the most welcoming… maybe she was surprised I was there to eat alone, or that I look different from everyone else in the restaurant. Oh well, my waitress, Sarah, was wonderful and talked me through the menu which changes daily.
Food
Salmon Pastrami 
Bread & Butter
I’m not a fan of pastrami, but I love salmon and this tasted like top quality lightly smoked salmon. But then, it’s all about the incredibly rich butter which I could just down by itself.
This is one of the best dishes I’ve had in years. It’s amazingly delicious. Cheesy, packed with rich flavour, and moreish.
Another fantastic dish, and this was recommended by Sarah. It’s tartare as you’d expect, but the red mullet is steeped in delicious soy, and the perfectly runny yolk is well seasoned.
This was enjoyable. The John Dory was well cooked but lightly seasoned, so it’s all about the richness of the roast chicken butter sauce.
Dessert!
I love apple pie so much, but I can never decide whether to have it with ice cream or custard. So this just blew my mind! But only briefly, because it was small! 😂.
Verdict
I really enjoyed Cornerstone. It took a while to feel welcome, but once I did I was really satisfied with the friendly service and especially the delicious seafood. I recommend for a casual date, a top-notch seafood meal with friends, and for all seafood enthusiasts. Cornerstone is fairly expensive, so do bear that in mind.
Cuisine: Seafood
Dress Code: Casual
Star Dish: Crab Crumpet
Price: £30-£40pp (excluding alcohol)
Rating: 4.5 out of 5
Cornerstone Hackney
3 Prince Edward Road
Hackney Wick
London E9 5LX
Book a table through Resy,
Or call 0208 986 3922
