The Laughing Yak is exactly the kind of restaurant London Fields needed. Bright, welcoming and packed full of personality, it brings Nepalese food into one of East London’s most restaurant-packed corners, yet still manages to feel completely different from anything else nearby.
The restaurant started life in Dalston, where its small, community-led original earned a loyal following for its playful take on Himalayan dining. Now, with a second site in London Fields, The Laughing Yak has taken that same joyful energy and given it a bigger home.
A New Nepalese Spot In London Fields
The new London Fields restaurant sits between Pophams and Lardo, which, if you know Hackney, is prime foodie territory. It is two minutes from the park and a short walk from London Fields Overground.
Outside, there is a small terrace with colourful tables, cheerful napkins, playful little details and plenty of shade, which feels like a blessing when London decides to turn the heat up. Inside, the former Patty & Bun site has been completely transformed into something warm and full of charm.
The bar is lined with quirky glasses, the mango lassis arrive in the cutest little carton-style cups, and even the cocktails come with a sense of fun. I opted for a White Linen, which was light, refreshing and somewhere between a cooler, cleaner Hugo Spritz and came with a tiny umbrella, which gave it a pop of fun.
A Dining Room With Personality
There is something instantly likeable about The Laughing Yak. The staff are genuinely smiley, the welcome feels personal and the whole place has a family-run feel to it that cannot really be faked.
There were even two little dogs roaming around when we arrived, with the team checking first that we were happy with dogs. Obviously, I was delighted. They padded over to say hello, made themselves known and added to the feeling that this is not trying to be some polished, overly serious restaurant. It is playful, relaxed and you feel happy just being here.
That is probably what makes the food feel even better. The Laughing Yak describes its style as Himalayan dining, with Nepalese dishes given a creative, refined spin. The menu is exciting, but not necessarily obvious at first glance, which is part of the fun. You might not immediately know what everything is, but the team are brilliant at guiding you through it, and once the food starts arriving, it all makes sense.
What Is Kinema Achar Pani Puri?
We started with the Kinema Achar Pani Puri shots. Pani puri is a crisp, hollow shell usually filled and eaten in one bite, while achar means pickle or relish. Kinema is a fermented soya bean ingredient used in parts of the eastern Himalayas, including Nepal, and here it is served with chilli, timmur and mint chutney.
They arrived in little shot glasses, with the crisp shell balanced on top, ready to be filled. It was fresh and sharp, with a bright tomato-style relish and enough heat to wake everything up.
Start With The Momos
The momos were one of the standout dishes of the night. The Laughing Yak serves Nepalese dumplings with hemp seed and tomato chutney, and we tried both chicken and pork. The pork was our favourite: packed full, well seasoned and juicy in the middle.
A good momo is hard to find, and these were the kind you immediately want to reorder. The chutney brought sweetness, acidity and a little warmth, cutting through the richness of the filling without taking over.
The menu also includes crispy sweet chilli lamb momos, fermented soya and aubergine momos, and buffalo momos, so this is definitely somewhere to go with a group and order as many as possible.
The Menu Takes You On A Journey
What is clever about The Laughing Yak is that it gives you familiar entry points, but always with a twist. There are thalis, curries, momos, but also chatamari, which is described as a kind of Nepalese-style pizza, made with a rice and lentil base and topped with things like goat, butter chicken or vegetables.
We went for the jumbo prawn curry as our main, which came in a rich, creamy tomato sauce, with rice, poppadom and salad, and we opted for an extra garlic and coriander roti on the side. It was comforting without being heavy, gently spiced and full of flavour. The roti was excellent too: soft, warm, garlicky and perfect scooping up the last of the sauce.
We also ordered a wild boar kebab-style dish, which was one of the most interesting plates of the night. Wild boar is not something you see on menus every day, and here it was tender, smoky and full of depth, served with charred peppers, onions and a fresh drizzle over the top.
The Tasting Menu Looks Like Brilliant Value
The Laughing Yak also offers a six-course tasting menu for £45.90, or £70 with wine pairing, which feels like a very good way to experience the restaurant properly.
Usually, with tasting menus, there is at least one course you would rather swap out. Here, the set menu looked like it genuinely covered the dishes you would want to order anyway, with a spread of the restaurant’s best-known plates. If I went back — which I absolutely would — I would be very tempted to do it that way.
There are also lunch options, including tiffin-style boxes, which feel like a brilliant midweek pick-me-up.
Cocktails, Wine And Happy Hour Momos
The drinks list is just as considered as the food. The cocktails are playful without being silly, with classics given bright, cross-cultural twists. The wine list is surprisingly extensive too, and what I really liked is that dishes come with suggested wine pairings, which is useful when you are eating flavours this layered.
There is also a happy hour-style offer with discounted £1 momos and 2 for 1 cocktails, which makes the place feel super tempting as a post-work option. A cocktail, a few plates of momos and a table outside in the sunshine would be a very strong start to any Thursday or Friday night.
Save Room For The Gulab Jamun Doughnut
The dessert menu is called “Happy Ending”, which, honestly, couldn’t be more true.
We were told to order the gulab jamun doughnut, and I am so glad we listened. I do not even usually gravitate towards doughnuts, but this was one of the best desserts I have had in recent memory.
The outside had a little crunch, the inside was soft and soaked with a cardamom-rich syrup, and it came with pistachio candy floss and clotted cream ice cream. It looked dramatic, tasted even better and somehow managed to be indulgent without becoming too much.
Why The Laughing Yak Is A Must-Eat
The Laughing Yak is a gem of a find. It is colourful, generous, creative and full of heart, with food that feels both comforting and genuinely exciting.
London Fields is not short on good restaurants, but The Laughing Yak brings something new to the area. It is perfect for a date, a group dinner, a sunny lunch, a casual cocktail and momo situation, or a full tasting menu if you want to let the kitchen take the lead.
Book your table here.