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I commute, and on the nights when I drive I need some time to eat or have a drink until rush hour traffic clears enough to allow me out of the city. So I look for inexpensive places with decent wine that aren't packed in the early evening. (In the same situation? Post some reviews - there must be lots of us who need ideas for quiet places in N/E/S London to wait out the evening rush hour.) I read or write until the food comes so I pick restaurants with enough light to see by. Being single I avoid places packed with couples (so's I don't feel too envious) and it's cool if there are a few attractive fellow diners to glance at occasionally.
Sea Cow is on Church Street so parking can be a bit dodgy. The initial impression from outside is upmarket chip shop, not so comfy and I couldn't see a bar. But it looked really clean so I went in. It was. Nice minimalist ambience and furniture. Great selection of fish. I was offered the menus as soon as I sat down. I asked for a glass of merlot upfront, and it arrived straight away. It was really nice. So nice that I had another afterwards. I didn't have to wait long for the crab cakes. They were excellent. The salad they came with was tasty, and the lime mayonnaise was good too. The other (5) diners were nice to look at, as were the (2) waiting staff. I would return and it wouldn't be a bad place to take a friend or a date, although it wouldn't do for a private chat when busy because you share the biggish tables. The music was cool and the volume was fine for talking over. Fish was about £8 or £9 to eat in, £5,6 or 7 to take out. I didn't try the chips but seeing them on others' plates made me decide to next time. Main course and two decent sized glasses of red cost me £15.
Their website shows (in detail) that they get their fish from sustainable sources. Their waste oil powers their delivery vans. (Very Stoke Newington.) So 4 stars for the wine, 4 for the food. 5 eco-stars for acting responsibly towards the planet. Hopefully I'll find a date next time too - it looks like a good place for flirting.
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Mailer to Norman
So you have a couple of glasses of Merlot then drive home do you Norman!!
Also you claim that the "Sea Cow is on Church Street so parking can be a bit dodgy".
Do you know why that is Norman? It's because people who "commute", from "out of the city" used to park in the streets of N16 before catching the bus or train into zone 1. Our streets became so crammed with commuter cars that we the residents were forced into having a managed parking solution imposed on us by the Hackney council.
Thanks Norman