Craft beer, real ale, pizza, burgers and sun; now that pubs are reopening, here is our pick of Hackney beer gardens.

Crooked Billet

84 Upper Clapton Rd, Clapton, London E5 9JP

A large pub with an even larger beer garden (complete with outside food and drink bars) the Crooked Billet is good for an afternoon session or a Saturday night out.

The bar has a rotation of real ales, and beers on tap are a mix of craft and commercial draughts.

Pub on the Park

19 Martello St, Hackney, London E8 3PE

This beer garden is hard to beat on a sunny afternoon. Looking out across London Fields, it’s a great place to hipster watch.

Once the sun goes down and everyone moves inside, the music is turned up, the dancing begins and inevitably, punters go home with an impending hangover and a story to tell.

CRATE Brewery

Unit 7 Queen’s Yard, Hackney Wick, London E9 5EN

A real Hackney Wick gem, the micro-brewery has outdoor seating right along the River Lea that catches most of the day’s sun.

While the bar does have wine and spirits, you go for the beer, stone-baked pizza and chilled-out atmosphere.

People’s Park Tavern

360 Victoria Park Rd, London E9 7BT

Another park-side pub where many punters have woken-up the next day sore-headed. The beer garden is sprawling and backs onto Victoria Park.

The pub has an onsite brewery and the kitchen does a pretty good burger.

White Hart

69 Stoke Newington High St, Stoke Newington, London N16 8EL

A cheerful, shabby-chic pub with an outside courtyard that leads onto a large and grassy beer garden surrounded by trees.

Currently, you can reserve a table, but the venue is also keeping a few tables open for walk-in customers.

Clissold Park Tavern

177 Green Lanes, Highbury East, London N16 9DB

A laid-back locals’ hang with craft beer and stone-baked pizzas (including vegan ones), right by Clissold Park. The “great big beer garden” is a bit of a suntrap, but it also has covered tables.

Dog friendly.

Strongroom Bar

120-124 Curtain Rd, Hackney, London EC2A 3SQ

An independent venue with a huge beer garden – Shoreditch’s largest apparently. The bar has a good selection of craft beers, and while the kitchen offerings are small, they pair well with a couple of pints and vegans are catered for.

Audio studios are attached to the venues, so you’re mingling with a creative crowd. Good selection of craft beers.

Royal Inn on the Park

111 Lauriston Rd, London E9 7HJ

The Royal Inn’s large beer garden looks onto Victoria Park, and is ideal for an afternoon beer with friends. The beer garden also now features a garden stretch tent, so this summer, social distancing permitted, you can have a drink outside come rain or shine.

Craft beer on tap includes Beavertown, 5 points and Little Creatures.

The Chesham Arms

East London Public House, 15 Mehetabel Rd, London E9 6DU

A charming and relaxed neighbourhood boozer with friendly staff, independent brews, cask ales and a suntrap beer garden.

There’s no kitchen, but you can order in pizza from Yard Sale. Reopening in August.

The Scolt Head

107A Culford Rd, London N1 4HT

A locals’ pub with a lot of charm that pulls an easy-going and friendly crowd.

The kitchen offers up bar snack, dinners and Sunday lunch. Dog and child friendly.