‘Stylish venue shaking up perceptions of vegan fare’ Floating on the first floor of the Leman Locke Hotel in Aldgate East is the new enfant terrible of the vegan food scene. Alter perches on the corner of the glass monstrosity, like a little bat filled with herbivorous delights. We arrive like two drowned rats. The lift spirits us up and as the ...
‘So delectable that they will be fighting people off with a stick’ As we scurry through the petite and stylish downstairs of The Gun pub and up a winding wooden staircase, anticipation is building. Ling Ling’s opens up before us – the hot new Asian fusion restaurant perching above this established East End boozer. The anticipation is completely satiated, but ...
‘Who better to trust with French food?’ Named (presumably) after Alberto Santos-Dumont and his early attempts to be the first person to fly, this semi-circle of a restaurant commands an impressive view of Newington Green. The vista is everything, as the decor is a little disjointed. Real and false plants rub shoulders, and wood panelling produces a sauna-like feel. Émilie ...
‘As if Vienna flapped her wings and landed in Hackney’ Are the cold winds of the world whipping around you? Do you need shelter? Warm reassuring food that will rejuvenate you? In a setting that still reminds you of your good taste without being overly pretentious? Well, have I got a joint for you. Thrust out onto a corner plot ...
‘Exceptional service but less-than-exceptional food’ The players: a beloved old school friend and myself. The setting: the bustling heart of Shoreditch. The destination: a trendy little Italian spot. Add copious cocktails and a warm(ish) summer night and the stage is set for quite the evening. But is disappointment a-lurking? Ushered through the dark, woody, almost Spartan interior of this spacious restaurant, we opt ...
‘A cornucopia of flavour, fun and sustainable frolicking’ All’s Well is it? I’ll be the judge of that! The optimistically named sister restaurant of Covent Garden’s Tredwell lurks unassumingly on Mare Street. What lies within is a cornucopia of flavour, fun, and sustainable frolicking. Turmeric and pumpkin shades and a pot-plant-heavy interior remind me of my mum’s trendy but distinctly ...
‘Elves have been busy as plastered everywhere you look is tinsel, presents hanging from the ceiling, candy canes, and paper bunting’ Tempted by the warming fumes of an old-fashioned English roast but put off by the senseless slaughter of innocent animals? Hold my almond milk latte, The Spread Eagle in Homerton has you covered my conscientious friend. Having opened in 2018, London’s ...
‘Entertaining, not entirely filling, but simulating’ Sat unassumingly on the bustling Well Street is the inventively named Wells Street Kitchen. But tonight it sheds its daytime coat of brunch and coffee and dons a cloak of haute cuisine, as the Rogues boys pop up inside! Freddie Sheen and Zac Whittle (the bearded chaps in the logo) are not only masters ...
‘Dinky and delightful’ Surreptitiously perched on the corner of Blackstock Road is the little French gem, Maison Patron. Dinky and delightful, this slice of Paris in north London bustles after its long closure during the coronavirus lockdown, ready to charm once more. Diners brave a chilly summer evening on a couple of outside tables, but thankfully myself and my plus-one ...
‘Little pub with a big heart’ Nestled away in leafy De Beauvoir Town is a gem quietly twinkling. Having only started serving brunch a month ago, the folks at The Scolt Head pub certainly know their way around this trendy little meal. A charming pizza-shaped garden greets us out front, but the spitting rain of the dying summer drives us ...