For over 10 years, The Natural Philosopher has been a beacon of community in East London. Owned and operated by award winning bartender Josh Powell since late 2019, our neighbourhood cocktail bar focuses on introducing our guests to the flavours of the natural world around them. Using foraged ingredients from East London and further afield, our team create cocktails that you won't find anywhere else. From our acclaimed TERRAIN menu to our newer Forager's Journal menu, there will be something for everyone at our venue. Including classic cocktails, beer, wine, and excellent non-alcoholic options.
We've built a community of eager regulars looking forward to our next creations, as well as attracting a clientele from all over the world excited to experience our hospitality.
The bar itself is hidden through an operational Mac Repair store on Hackney Road. The two businesses are separate and make for an unusual set up with the repair shop being open during the weekdays and the bar functioning in the evenings and weekends. The venue is littered with Victoriana and quirky bric-a-brac with plants seemingly bursting through the walls to reclaim the space.
The sunken bar provides a talking point and a change of perspective for visiting guests, and is the source where the atmosphere of the evening is conducted. From here the cocktails are built, shaken, and stirred before making their way to our guests tables.
It is the perfect venue to while away the hours with a date or friends. Happy Hour runs 6-8pm every day with selected twists on classic 2 for £16. We also hire the space out for partial (30-38 guests) or full venue hire(39-60 guests). Perfect for birthdays, leaving parties, and anything else in between. Just send us an enquiry!
Booking is highly recommended on weekends as we can get very busy. We do leave space for walk-ins but as a small venue it is better to book ahead and guarantee a spot for the evening. We can accommodate bookings for tables of up to 10 when booked in advance. Please note that we take card details on booking to discourage no shows. Our cancellation policy is 3+ hours notice.
We look forward to welcoming you to our bar soon
| Offer | Availability |
|---|---|
|
Happy Hour £7 Selected Classics
£7 Selected Classic Cocktails |
Monday 18:00 – 20:00
Tuesday 18:00 – 20:00 Wednesday 18:00 – 20:00 Thursday 18:00 – 20:00 Friday 18:00 – 20:00 Saturday 18:00 – 20:00 Sunday 18:00 – 20:00 |
|
Sunday Hospitality Staff Offers £7
£7 Selected cocktails for those with proof of working within hospitality |
Sunday 16:00 – 23:30 |
| Day | Open | Close | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Monday | 18:00 | 23:30 | |
| Tuesday | 18:00 | 23:30 | |
| Wednesday | 18:00 | 23:30 | |
| Thursday | 18:00 | 23:30 | |
| Friday | 18:00 | 1:00 | |
| Saturday | 15:00 | 1:00 | |
| Sunday | 16:00 | 23:30 |
Address
The Natural Philosopher, 489, Hackney Road, E2 9ED
Area
Hackney
Nearest Station
Cambridge Heath (Rail)
| Name | Type | Capacity Seated |
Capacity Standing |
Cost | Min spend Midweek* |
Min spend Weekend* |
|
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| The Dispensary Bar or Whole Venue | Venue Hire | 0 | 0 | - | £700-1000 | £1400-2000 | |
|
We offer private hire of our main bar area for between 30 and 38 guests or full venue private hire for 39-60 guests. We don't charge a hire fee but instead work with a minimum spend system. Minimum spend is subject to the timings of bookings and which days of the week the hire is for. We're happy to work within budgets where possible. We require a 20% deposit of the minimum spend in advance of the booking to secure the hire and close off any bookings to our regular guests. This deposit can be used to pay for a round of welcome drinks for your party or it can be refunded at the end of the night once minimum spend is reached. If minimum spend is not reached, you will need to pay any difference after deposit on the night. We offer drinks packages to those looking to put a tab behind the bar for office parties, networking or special events, otherwise drinks are paid for individually via bar service. Music playlists can be played via Spotify or Deezer for those wanting to play their own, otherwise our music is a mix of dreamy indie and alternative or Studio 54 disco dependant on the night. As we don't have a kitchen we are unable to offer food, however you're more than welcome to bring food to the venue should you wish. We have some recommendations for restaurants in the area if you'd like somewhere to eat first. We understand that these are difficult times and therefore we can pivot and be flexible within reason. If you need to cancel, you MUST give us a minimum of 48hrs notice. We cannot refund your deposit without sufficient notice of cancellation. We will contact you a week in advance of your booking and again on the day of, to ensure your expected number of guests will be arriving. In order to hit minimum spend it is ideal that the majority of your guests arrive within the first hour of your booking. If you are expecting less guests, then we reserve the right to seat you and your guests instead under a table service system and open up the venue to general admission. |
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* The minimum spends are a guideline only and vary according to the day and time of the year.
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