Hackney City Farm

Good place to take the kids. I've been there 3 times this year alone. A little smelly but hey it's a farm thats to be expected. 

As far as City Farms go the farm is tiny compared to others, Surrey Docks is bigger and less crowded, but the real star among city farms though is Mudchute which is big and you are allowed to pet animals (if they do come your way). Visiting Hackney City Farm after having been to the previous two it felt tiny and cramped, lots of visitors and barely any animals visible, the fun was over in less than 5 minutes for our little boy. Mudchute will offer at least an hours worth of walking and looking at animals as well as feeding them (with food you can purchase at the entrance).

The restaurant at City Farm is ok, but it is crazy busy and keeps running out of certain dishes. We waited 40 minutes for half a chicken which we only ordered because they had run out of the ingredients for a breakfast. The prices are quite high and if you compare the food to the cost I don't think it's worth it.

Haha! All of the reviews focus on how brilliant Hackney City Farm is for kids. And that's true. But call me childish, but I'm a big fan of cute animals too. I want to sneak away with them all! Mine! Give my the bunny to keep!

Ahem. Sorry. It's fun here, and entirely unexpected. We only found it after a misadventure to Columbia Road. Alex said "oh I've always wanted to go here! now I know where it is!" and I insisted that we went to play with the sheeps (insert Welsh joke of your choice here).

The animals here are happy. Even sad little Eeyore donkey was smiley in the sunshine. The chickens were the flappiest chickens I've ever seen. Everything about this city farm made us smile. Especially the funny looking ducks and the cute little bunny rabbit.

I'm so excited about it here (and now I'm tempted to do a city farm tour and visit them all). Going to Columbia Road flower market? Take a walk up the road and say hello to the cute donkeys. They're friendly.

Hackney City Farm makes people smile.

Hackney City Farm is brilliant if you have children. When I went the baby-strollers were piled in there like shopping trolleys. Also ideal for a Sunday morning brunch with a newspaper. Coffee could have been stronger, but at least it was piping hot. Highlight is the rustic feel and the piggies, duckies and goaties lying about being benevolent and lazy. The kids go absolutely bonkers for it.

This is one of the best places in central London where you can introduce children to animals such as cows, pigs, sheep, goats and others.
It also boasts an excellent Italian cafe-restaurant which is worth visiting just for that!
If you go on a sunday morning then it is a fantastic oportunity to combine it with a trip to the nearby Columbia Road flower market if that is your kind of thing.

I’ve been here more times than I care to remember. Quite frankly, it’s not even the best City farm (I think Freightliners is slightly superior) but Hackney wins on atmosphere and the restaurant does a great breakfast. It’s open from 10 on Sundays (Columbia road first, playground, then City farm (incl. breakfast) and before you know it, it’s naptime!) Plus it’s free – although donations, I’m sure, are welcome.
I do find myself drawing out visits at times – you could be round in 5 minutes – and therefore, I wonder whether it needs some kind of children-related activities on a more organised basis – as in, feeding of X at Y o’clock. But then again, the informal structure is part of its charm.
Did I say anything about the breakfast?

Here you can watch a sheep shearing, buy some hen’s eggs from happily rescued ex-battery hens, visit a beautiful straw bale building (recently built by volunteers), eat at the very lovely Italian cafe. Especially good outing for children to learn where food comes from, or for anyone wanting to meet people in and get involved with the local community. It combines a ramshackle, farmyard feel with a vibrant community bustle to make all visitors feel at home.

Hackney City Farm is small and self contained with a lovely little cafe which makes it a good place for those with a young family. The cute donkey on my profile picture is a resident of Hackney City Farm and she lives there amongst an array of ducks, chickens, goats and the most enormous pigs you would have ever seen! The Farm is a short walk from Hoxton Flower Market which makes a good follow-on visit if you go to the farm on a Sunday. The farm is free and there is the opportunity to buy farm-fresh eggs to take-away.

Tucked into the corner of Haggerston Park, the City Farm, like the larger Park, packs an amazing amount into a tiny space. Even the several flocks of chickens use the yard on a rota system. There’s a building with a nice café, and sometimes events such as a craft market. From there you can walk on through to the yard, which is full of chickens and surrounded by various sheds and stalls, some of them holding more chickens. They seem to have a lot of chickens. There’s also a shed with small pet-type creatures. Some of the stalls will probably be empty, with their usual inhabitants out in the fields: goats, a donkey, sheep and a couple of calves maybe. All pretty friendly and happy to come up to the fence to be petted. When I say fields by the way, I am not implying anything large…

Anyway it’s free to get in, though donations are welcome. There’s also opportunities to volunteer if you feel like getting your hands dirty.