An Engagement Party Venue in East London
Not a room in a busy bar. The whole venue, from £2,000 minimum spend, no hire fee.
Plan Your Engagement Party
Tell Us About Your Celebration
Four quick questions and we will come back with availability and a price for your date.
Year
Month
Which day?
What You Are Getting
A Private Room vs The Whole Venue
Most engagement party venues in London hire out a private room or an area of a working bar, with other drinkers on the other side of the door. At The Hackney you get the whole building: the Winter Garden under its glass roof, The Lounge, The Covered Terrace and The Bar Area, with nobody else in it for your night.
| A private room in a bar | Exclusive hire The Hackney |
|---|---|
| Other guests on the other side of the door | Nobody else in the building |
| One room | Four spaces: the Winter Garden, the Lounge, the Covered Terrace and the Bar Area |
| A shared bar and shared toilets | Your own bar, team and facilities |
| Decorations limited to one room | Decorate the whole venue, from balloons to photo walls |
Bring your own cake and decorations. No cake fee. Everything you and your guests spend on food and drink counts towards your minimum spend.
Pricing
Engagement Party Pricing
There is no hire fee. You agree a minimum spend, and everything you and your guests spend on food and drink counts towards it.
From £2,000 minimum spend
Want The Full Pricing Guide?
See the full pricing: the food, the drinks and what is included are in the pricing guide.
Your Celebration
However You Want to Mark It
Cocktails and Canapes
Start on the covered terrace with a drink in hand, then let the night move through the lounge and the winter garden. Our kitchen makes the canapes and our bar makes the cocktails, so there is nothing to bring in.
A Seated Dinner
For closer family and friends, we seat up to 60 in the winter garden under its glass roof, from grazing tables to a three-course dinner. Seated dinners are quoted separately, so tell us your numbers and we will send you a price.
A Proper Party
Up to 100 guests standing, your playlist or your DJ on our sound system, and the whole building to yourselves until the music stops at 11pm.
Both Families, One Room
An engagement party is often the first time everyone is together. Exposed brick, timber beams and plants hanging from the glass roof give it a sense of occasion without anyone needing to dress the room, and every dietary need is covered, from vegan to halal.
At A Glance
- Where
- 503 Hackney Road, London E2 9ED
- Guests
- Up to 100 standing or 60 seated
- Price
- From £2,000 minimum spend. No hire fee
- When it applies
- Standing parties. Saturdays within three months, Sunday to Friday however far ahead. Seated dinners are quoted separately
- Timings
- Evenings from 6pm. Music until 11pm, guests leave by 11:30pm
- What is yours
- The whole venue, not a room in it
- Food and drink
- Our own kitchen and a full cocktail bar. All of it counts towards your minimum spend
- Cake and decorations
- Bring your own. No cake fee
- Getting here
- 2 minutes from Cambridge Heath Overground, 9 minutes from Bethnal Green Underground
How It Works
From First Message to the First Toast
01
Tell Us Your Date
Send us your date, guest numbers and whether you want to stand or sit, and we will check availability quickly.
02
Come And See It
Walk the space with us and picture where the bar, the cake and the dance floor go.
03
Get Your Price
We confirm which rate applies and put it in writing. No hidden extras.
04
Enjoy The Night
A deposit secures your date. From then on, our events team looks after the details.
Before You Get In Touch
Engagement Party Questions
How much does an engagement party at The Hackney cost?
Engagement parties at The Hackney are priced as a minimum spend with no venue hire fee, starting from £2,000. Everything you and your guests spend on food and drink counts towards it. These rates are for standing parties. The Saturday rate applies to dates within three months of your party, and the Sunday to Friday rate applies however far ahead you book. A seated dinner is quoted separately. The full pricing is in our pricing guide. Get the pricing guide.
How many guests can The Hackney hold for an engagement party?
The Hackney holds up to 100 guests standing and seats up to 60 for dinner. The whole building is yours, so the number is limited by the space, not by other bookings.
Will we have the venue to ourselves?
Yes. The Hackney is exclusive hire only, so your engagement party has the whole building: the Winter Garden, The Lounge, The Covered Terrace and The Bar Area. There are no other guests and no shared rooms.
How does the minimum spend work?
The Hackney charges no hire fee for engagement parties. Instead you agree a minimum spend, and your food, your drinks and anything your guests buy at the bar all count towards it.
Why does the price depend on how far ahead we book?
The Hackney is a wedding venue first, and Saturdays further ahead are usually taken by weddings. Party pricing applies to Sunday to Friday dates however far ahead, and to Saturdays within three months. Saturdays further ahead are priced as a wedding.
Can we have a seated engagement dinner?
Yes. The Hackney seats up to 60, and our kitchen cooks everything from canapes to a three-course dinner. Seated dinners are quoted separately rather than on the minimum spend, so tell us your numbers and we will send you a price.
How late can the party go?
Evening parties at The Hackney run from 6pm, with music until 11pm and guests leaving by 11:30pm. Earlier start times are available Sunday to Friday.
Can we bring a DJ or live music?
Yes. The Hackney has a built-in sound system that connects to Spotify, so you can play your own playlist or bring a DJ. Live acoustic groups up to a quartet also work, finishing by 10pm, because we have neighbours.
Can we bring our own cake and decorations?
Yes. Bring your cake and we will store it, set it up and serve it, with no cake fee. Balloons, banners, flowers and photo walls are welcome; we ask that nothing is fixed permanently to walls or floors, and our team helps with setup and handles the takedown.
Can you cater for dietary requirements?
Yes. All food at The Hackney is prepared in house and every dietary requirement is catered for, from vegan to halal.
Can we hold our wedding at The Hackney too?
Yes. The Hackney is a wedding venue first, and the same building hosts wedding ceremonies and receptions for up to 60 seated and 100 in the evening. Wedding pricing and availability are separate from party pricing.
Where is The Hackney and how do guests get there?
The Hackney is at 503 Hackney Road, London E2 9ED. Cambridge Heath Overground is a 2-minute walk and Bethnal Green Underground on the Central line is 9 minutes away. There is no on-site parking; Hackney Road has metered parking during the day and free parking from 7pm to 8am.
Is the venue accessible?
Honestly, not fully. The Hackney is a Victorian brewery with a protected facade, so there is a 15cm step at the entrance and the pavement is too narrow for a permanent ramp. The doorway is wide enough for a wheelchair with a little help. We do not currently have accessible toilets. If this matters for any of your guests, tell us up front and we will be straight with you.
Planning the wedding as well? Our weddings page has the prices and how to come and see the venue. You can also see all our private events.
Your Next Step
Is Your Date Free?
Pick a date and see what is open. If it is free, the next step is a quick chat, not a sales pitch.
Weekday dates are often available at short notice.