Casa Fofó
The menu is rewritten every morning around what the suppliers sent, and nobody gets a choice about any of it.
Why go
Adolfo De Cecco started as a kitchen porter in Amsterdam at 19, went back to Italy for culinary school, and worked through Perbellini, De Pisis in Venice, Tetsuya's in Sydney, Aria in Brisbane, Galvin at Windows and the Corinthia before running the pass at Pidgin. He opened Casa Fofó on Sandringham Road in spring 2019 and it took a Michelin star in the 2021 guide, which it still holds in the 2026 selection. His own description of the method is "very instinctive and dictated by the produce we have available at that particular moment," and the result is eight courses for 76 pounds, with Italian technique running under Basque, Japanese and Nordic ideas. The wine pairing is 58 pounds. Harden's surveyers score the food 5 out of 5 and the ambience 3, which tells you where the money went.
Order this / avoid
- Order: the tasting menu, since it is the only thing served, and take the pairing. Harden's surveyers call the list
amazing and surprising wines, and astounding value for money.
2 - Avoid: turning up with a restriction you have not flagged. Allergies and dietary requirements go in by email before the booking, because nothing on the menu is chosen at the table.
What locals & experts say
- Harden's (2026 survey):
Simple surroundings belie the quality of the food,
withStunning flavours and textures, offered by the fixed-price, no-choice, but ever-changing taster menu.
Food 5, service 4, ambience 3, about 98 pounds a head.2 - MICHELIN Guide, one star (2021 guide, held in 2026): cited for high quality cooking.4
- Adolfo De Cecco, to The Staff Canteen: on sourcing,
the meat we use comes from respectfully raised animals, the fish is sustainably caught and the veg is organically grown.
1 - Local rec: a chef, per Jeff's note.
Good to know
- Timing: Wednesday to Friday 6pm to 9.30pm, Saturday and Sunday lunch 1pm to 2pm plus the evening service. Closed Monday and Tuesday.
- Booking: essential. The online system takes up to six people, and larger parties go through email.
- Price: 76 pounds for the menu, 58 for the pairing. Harden's survey has the all-in figure climbing from 75 pounds a head in 2023 to 98 in 2026.
- Hygiene: FSA rating 4, Hackney, inspected 15 March 2025.
- Getting there: 158 Sandringham Road E8 2HS, between Dalston Kingsland and Hackney Downs.
Jeff's take (his words)
- Note: "Michelin star. Chef rec. Tasting menu." REAL. Confirmed: one star, first awarded in the 2021 guide.
Verdict
should-visit — Adolfo De Cecco cooked at Perbellini, Tetsuya's in Sydney and Galvin at Windows, ran the pass at Pidgin, and opened this thirty-odd-seat room on Sandringham Road in 2019. It has held a Michelin star since the 2021 guide, and the menu is rewritten every morning around what the suppliers brought, eight courses for 76 pounds with a 58 pound pairing. Harden's surveyers rate the food 5 out of 5 and keep using the phrase value for money about a starred restaurant, which almost never happens in London. The room is plain and the format is no-choice, so go for the cooking and tell them in advance what you cannot eat.