London Shoreditch Restaurant Guide

This potentially “very interesting” yearling in Shoreditch (on the site long famous as Eyre Brothers, RIP) with a ‘fire and ice’ theme – a combination of open-hearth, roast dishes with a raw seafood bar – failed to ignite passions amongst our reporters in its first 12 months, despite some adulatory press reviews. Some fans did proclaim its “amazing” dishes, but others said “how I hate this place” citing “terrible food and snotty service”. Perhaps the management just didn’t gel, as Jackson Boxer unexpectedly severed his ties with the place in August 2019, leaving Andrew Clarke to soldier on solo.

In the basement of this very boutiquey, year-old Shoreditch hotel – London’s first from the global Japanese-American chain – the big, airy dining room opens onto a small sunken garden. To fans, its sleek styling, wizard sushi and “perfect cocktails” make it “pricey but worth it for a special blow-out”. To sceptics, though, it’s all a bit ‘vieux chapeau’: “for what it is – an old formula with nothing innovative – it’s overpriced; and you can have much better Japanese elsewhere at a fraction of the bill”.

“An ever-evolving, fun take on Mexican street food offering zingy flavours (plus a damn fine margarita)” all “efficiently served” in a “bright and buzzy” environment seems to have protected Thomasina Miers’s popular chain from much of the casual dining fall-out of recent times; and it remains “the most dependable of fast(ish) food chains” for many reporters. In particular, it’s “perfect for kids”, and families appreciate that “you fill up well for the price”. At the end of 2020, as a result of the Pandemic, the chain was rescued by Dick Enthoven, the billionaire owner of Nando's who put in £4m in exchange for a majority stake.

“Big, punchy flavours” come through from the “varied” menu at these “lively” (“we could barely hear one another above the din”) Peruvians, in Marylebone and – since November 2018 – now also in Shoreditch (Pachamama East).

“Outstanding Turkish and Cypriot cuisine” – with an original, light spin that can come as a “real surprise” – wins plaudits for this Shoreditch venue. “Sitting at the counter watching the food being prepared is eye-opening; and owners (Selin Kiazim and Laura Christie) obviously love what they do”. “It’s not strictly vegetarian, but has many options if you are”.

“An amazing experience at a price that doesn’t hurt your wallet” – Jonathan Lawson’s “superb Italian food with Spanish and Moorish influences, and including brilliant pasta (just as good as at The River Café!)” is well-worth the trip to Shoreditch to discover his brilliantly casual and laid back little hole-in-the-wall, with counter seating at the open kitchen downstairs, and a small upstairs dining room.

“Perfectly executed classics with a gentle twist” and other small plates with “delicious and inventive combinations” have won foodie renown for this approachable (if “rather cramped”) three-year-old: a re-working (and not just of the name) of the same team’s original Hackney outfit, Ellory (RIP), occupying a quirky triangular site. Our reporters are a little more circumspect, and unimpressed that the venue sometimes seems to attract “the Michelin-star-chasing crowd... not what you’d want in a neighbourhood Shoreditch restaurant”.

“Oh my! A meat-lovers’ feast awaits!” at these “carnivorous havens”, where “evidently very well-sourced produce is expertly cooked and served in great platters of meaty delight!” (“go when you are hungry!”). There are “superb-value steaks”, but it’s the “mouthwateringly scrumptious” chops that inspire more feedback. Soho and the City occupy “urban-chic” basements, whereas Shoreditch is above-ground and more “warehouse-y”. Top Menu Tip – “bargain basement prices on Butchers Block Monday, with £10 corkage if you bring your own wine!”

“If Wes Anderson did Italian restaurants, they might be something like this”; and this “very 2019” Shoreditch yearling – whose glam, pastiche decor apes a thriving 1960s ristorante – feels “like popping to the Amalfi Coast for lunch without the air travel!”. Definitely, it’s not one for food purists, who can condemn what they see as “overhyped, Instagram-led, bog-standard, fake cooking”. Don’t take it too seriously, though, and it’s superb “fun”, service is “prompt and smooth-running”, and the calorie-laden scoff – with echoes of 1970s Britalian – is “generously portioned” and “surprisingly good”.

“Bellissimo!” – Tim Siadatan and Jordan Frieda’s Borough Market four-year-old remains one of the capital’s best options on a budget. The formula is simple: “no reservations, no frills”: just “superlative, freshly made pasta” from a “compact and great value menu”. “Arrive ultra-early to dodge the worst of the perma-queues”, although “the line moves relatively quickly, and their beeper system means you can go for a drink and come back to get your table”. In early 2020, just before Covid-19 struck, they absolutely crushed it with the opening of an outstanding follow-up in svelte, airy, polished-concrete Shoreditch premises. Trading in EC2 since they re-opened post-pandemic has remained deservedly strong for an incredible value destination.

With their “chilled ambience and laid-back vibe” this trio of cafés have championed Aussie-style day-time eating for more than a decade in London. “Good for breakfast, brunch and lunch”, they are “not too overpriced compared with competitors”, and the Shoreditch and London Bridge venues are open in the evening for drinks and dinner.

On the sizeable Shoreditch site that was Merchant’s Tavern (RIP), this mid-2021 newcomer is nowadays a 130-cover Japanese izakaya, with more of an emphasis on drinking (and DJs) than of old. It comes complete with open kitchen and robata counter, serving skewers, sushi and steamed buns to soak up the hot or cold sake, beers and cocktails.

The “fantastic” Vietnamese food at these canteens “is by far the best I’ve found, and I’ve tried a number of places in London” – although “it isn’t the best for ambience”. There are two to choose between, although the Soho site attracts more feedback than the Hoxton original these days. Top Tip – “the banh cuon (steamed rice roll) has me travelling across town with a craving!”.

“They put the price up from £10 to £11, but it still can’t be faulted!” – for a “a great steak, without any frills” this “always busy, lively and buzzy” chain remains “a winning formula”: “it’s so nice to have a simple menu choice, and what they do, they do very well”; this includes the very impressively “friendly and professional service-with-a-smile”. One catch: “you have to put up with no bookings”, so “be prepared to queue”. But “if you want a great meal on a budget: go visit!”

“Hard-to-beat ramen” – “the tonkotsu pork broth has amazing depth of flavour” – make Japan Centre owner Tak Tokumine’s “relatively authentic” West End duo (in Soho’s Kingly Court and on Regent Street) “preferred noodle-stops in a very competitive market”.