Hoxton, Mediterranean Restaurant Guide

“Sit at the kitchen counter and watch small plates of mostly Italian influence being expertly prepared for the best take on this consistently good venue” (which has no more than 30-35 seats in total). Jon Lawson will celebrate his tenth year here in 2026 and has maintained impressive standards of seasonal Italian-inspired small plates all the while. It helps that the venue has “a nice casual-and-hip but also romantic vibe too”.

“Some of the food was inarguably good, but none of it was remarkable and overall this was a forgettable meal at an unforgettable price” – a diner review that encapsulates both poll feedback and press reports on Clove Club founder Isaac McHale’s new venture, which occupies a site on the Shoreditch/Dalston border that he formerly launched as Two Lights (RIP). The relatively casual menu mostly focuses on the sunny gastronomy of south France and Spain, but prices can seem “insane for both food and drinks”: an early report notes – “our bill for a modest dinner came to £250 for two without any alcohol … £18.50 of which was a non-alcoholic highball!”. Similar outrage is evident in the press from both The Standard’s David Ellis (“£309 for two. For a night of fried chicken and snails and no pudding. For God’s sake”) and The Guardian’s Grace Dent (“people [who] flew in the face of formality over a decade ago… are [now] opening places like Bar Valette to show us how to be truly relaxed while paying £11 for a bowl of kale…”). Breaking news – in June 2025, launch chef Erin-Jackson Yates moved on, to be replaced by former The Clove Club chef, Stan Wróblicki.