‘Soul-warming gem’ More than 2000 years’ worth of human steps have bustled along the Roman Road. With olive oil coming from Greece and amphorae of wine from Pompeii, this street is certainly no stranger to new cuisines. Now up pops an homage to the American deep south, named after one of its fieriest products. It is as if one has ...
‘The right food for the right occasion’ Queen’s Yard is hung with festoons of fairy lights, quietly buzzing on a Tuesday night. Popping up in the cool Howling Hops Brewery, Colombia comes to Hackney Wick. Stepping into the cavernous space, relaxed hip-hop caresses your ears. The pub is more industrial squat than Wetherspoons, with massive silver tanks lining one wall. ...
‘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 ...