Our Story

A Little Balkan Soul in Walthamstow

The Lacy Nook is our little independent, family-run restaurant, built around a simple idea: good food is always better shared.

Inspired by our Balkan roots, our love of vegetables and cooking over fire, we've created a place where everyone is welcome, the plates belong in the middle of the table, and there's always room for one more dish.

Meet the team

Our story

How It All Began

I'm Elena, originally from Ex-Yugoslavia, Macedonia, now North Macedonia. Self-taught chef, food lover and someone who has probably spent far too much of her life thinking about what to eat next!

Growing up in the Balkans, food was never just about eating. It was family, friends, celebrations, long tables, endless conversations and always far too much food. Those memories have stayed with me, and they're a big part of everything we do at The Lacy Nook.

Our little adventure began in Stoke Newington in 2016. We wanted to create somewhere that celebrated the flavours we grew up with, alongside all the wonderful food we've discovered along the way.

In 2023, we brought The Lacy Nook to Walthamstow, the neighbourhood I've called home for many years.

Today, we're lucky to have a wonderful team who bring the whole thing to life. Our chefs put their hearts into the food, our front-of-house team look after everyone who walks through the door,and together we make The Nook what it is.

It's a lot of hard work, a fair bit of chaos, and a whole lot of love. We wouldn't have it any other way.

Elena Smileva

A self-taught cook, food obsessive and the person keeping The Lacy Nook ticking as General Manager.

From menu development to the everyday madness of running a small independent restaurant, I'm involved in pretty much everything. Saturdays are my favourite escape, when I swap managing the restaurant for cooking brunch in the kitchen.

Running a restaurant is certainly not for the faint-hearted. Throw motherhood, family life and a never-ending to-do list into the mix, and some days I do wonder what on earth I'm doing! There's always something that needs fixing, organising or worrying about.

But then I see a restaurant full of happy people, our wonderful team doing what they do best, and plates coming back empty. And I remember exactly why I love it.

Forever dreaming up new dishes, especially when vegetables are involved, and still convinced there aren't enough hours in the day!

Jason Williams

The British half of our Balkan-British duo, and a man rarely seen without his trusty bandana!

My partner in life, business and all the madness in between. We've been on this adventure together since the beginning, building our little restaurant one day, one dish and one challenge at a time.

You'll usually find Jason behind the BBQ, cooking over fire, or digging away in our little garden, growing something delicious for the kitchen.

And then there's Florian, our little boy, who's added a whole new level of chaos to our lives. Running a restaurant and raising a three-year-old? Never a dull moment in our household!

The People Behind the Nook

Elena keeps the Nook ticking, Jason keeps the fires burning and the garden growing, and Florian keeps us both on our toes!
A proper family affair, with a little Balkan soul and a healthy dose of chaos.