Gotto Trattoria is a canalside Italian spot in Hackney Wick that punches well above its postcode. From the team behind Mele e Pere in Soho, this independent trattoria serves hand-rolled pasta, 48-hour proved pizza, and house-made vermouth — a rare combo in East London. The canalside terrace is where you want to be on a sunny evening, spritz in hand.
House-made vermouth, 48-hour proved pizza, and a canalside terrace — Gotto is Hackney Wick's slice of the Italian Riviera done right.
The canalside terrace is first-come, first-served and can't be booked — arrive early on sunny evenings to grab a table outside.
Canalside Italian that earns its 4.6 rating
Gotto Trattoria is the kind of place that makes Hackney Wick feel like a proper neighborhood rather than just a post-industrial art corridor. From the team behind Mele e Pere in Soho, this independent trattoria brings serious Italian cooking to the canal — and it shows. The 48-hour proved pizza dough is the headline act: properly blistered, light, and with that slight chew that tells you someone actually cares about fermentation. The hand-rolled pasta changes daily, and the maccheroncini that reviewers keep raving about is genuinely excellent — perfectly cooked, sauce clinging to every ridge.
But what really sets Gotto apart is the drinks. They make their own vermouth in-house, which means the spritzes and the signature bottled negroni aren't just an afterthought — they're a reason to come in themselves. The canalside terrace is first-come, first-served and on a sunny evening, it's one of the best spots in East London to sit with a plate of pizza and an Aperol-style spritz watching the canal traffic drift by. Inside, it's small and rustic — not trying too hard, which is exactly the right vibe for the area.
With over a thousand Google reviews averaging 4.6, Gotto has clearly built a loyal following. It's not a fine-dining experience and it doesn't pretend to be — it's a proper neighborhood trattoria that happens to do pizza, pasta, and cocktails better than most places charging twice the price in central London. Go for a long lunch or an early evening dinner when the terrace catches the last of the sun.