According to the bookings site Resy, Whyte’s in Hackney isn’t a restaurant at all, but rather “an experimental and adaptive open kitchen space”. That is the first shot fired, warning you that the River Cafe this is not.
Down an alley off Mare Street, and tucked into the side of an office block, Whyte’s is little more than some roaring hobs, a few tables and a bit of strategically daubed graffiti. I’ve sat in plusher minicab office waiting rooms. Not one tablecloth was troubled in creating the Whyte’s vibe, nor one napkin folded, origami-style, into a replica orchid.
