Ivy's Mess Hall - Hackney

Ivy's Mess Hall is a charming brunch spot located in the heart of Dalston. Unfortunately, the beautiful interior does not match the quality of the food or service. My dish, avocado on toast with extras, tasted as if it had been prepared without any seasoning, leaving it bland and lacking in flavor. My friend's eggs royale was disappointingly small for the £8 price tag, and the hollandaise sauce was left out in an uncovered jug for the duration of our hour-long meal. The coffee was bitter and seemed to be over-roasted, but it was presented nicely with decorative latte art. As we dined, we overheard complaints from the table behind us about their barely toasted toast.

At Ivy's Mess & Sip in Halle, I stumbled upon a gem that quickly became my go-to spot for a weekday breakfast. I was delighted to find that they serve my personal favorite: avocado on toast. This dish is a rarity in most places, but Ivy's gets it just right with perfectly ripe, creamy avocado on crispy, buttery sourdough, sprinkled with salt and garnished with a poached egg for an extra heavenly touch. All this for just £4.50. The interior of Ivy's is just as charming, with low-hanging lighting that adds to its cozy atmosphere, tiny lush plants adorning every table, and drinks served in elegant small glass tumblers. Overall, Ivy's Mess & Sip is a delightful and inviting café that I highly recommend visiting for a wholesome and delicious meal.

The service was fantastic, the food was delicious, and the price was very reasonable. This was my first time dining here but it definitely won't be my last.

Ivy's Mess Hall is a cosy brunch spot in the heart of Dalston. Unfortunately the nice interior doesn't match the food or service.My meal (avocado on toast with extras) felt as though everything had been turned on to the plate with no thought to seasoning basically it was bland and lacked any kind of flavour. My friends Eggs Royale was incredibly small for the he paid for it, which included hollandaise from an uncovered jug that was kept on the side for at least the duration of our stay (around an hour). As for the coffee, it was bitter (read: burnt) but presented well with some decorative latte art. Whilst we ate, the table behind us complained about their toast being barely toasted and soggy (a problem I had spotted with my own). They were brought new toast, but were given no apology. They later complained about the whole meal, claiming it wasn't worth paying for. I felt that we all were in the same boat eating less than average food at extortionate Dalston prices. They just had the guts to complain (I'm so stereotypically English). Service is also severely lacking in Ivy's Mess Hall. We stood for a good few minutes waiting to be seated, whilst staff did nothing and ignored us. No one came to take our order, or explained if we needed to order at the counter (I still don't know). Honestly it felt as if the staff had better things to do, and us customers were just getting in the way. If you hadn't guessed from my glowing review, I won't be back anytime soon.