where to eat in Shoreditch | cheriecity.co.uk

An Amazing Tapas Lunch at BiBo Shoreditch

November 28, 2022 by cheriecity

Tapas is always a good idea, especially when it’s as good as this! BiBo Dani García opened last summer at the new Mondrian Shoreditch (now Virgin Hotels London Shoreditch) on Curtain Road and it’s already become known for its authentic Spanish dishes and cool atmosphere.

BiBo is a vibrant, casual-luxe concept from three Michelin-starred Andalusian chef Dani García, with outposts in Madrid, Ibiza, Marbella, Tarifa and Doha. It pays homage to time-honoured Andalusian recipes and cooking techniques with a few touches of aromatic Japanese flavours.

Walking down the stairs of the bright, contemporary hotel, you immediately feel the warmth of BiBo with its gorgeous terracotta walls, dimmed lighting and breezy Med vibes. The Spanish influences run through the stylish interiors with sculptures of shoals of fish, rustic decorative wall plates and plush brown leather banquettes.

The spacious open-plan restaurant features an open kitchen where you can watch the chefs at work, as well as a central island bar and high tables for a quick bite. There’s also a leafy, deep red-hued courtyard and private dining room, where you can imagine having the most fabulous flamenco party or romantic wedding reception.

BiBo can get lively on the weekend with DJ sets and flowing sangria (it is Shoreditch, after all), but our Monday lunchtime visit was chilled out and thoroughly relaxing. I was particularly drawn to the express lunch set menu, as every dish was something I definitely would have chosen – when does that ever happen?

We were seated at a comfy booth and ordered drinks while waiting for the plates to arrive without any effort or decisions required. It was then that I noticed the attention to details like embroidered linen napkins, ice cold frosty glasses, stunning tableware and a buzzing soundtrack at just the right level. BiBo is already an established brand and its confidence shows.

Everything is made to share and our table quickly filled up with five fantastic dishes. Croquetas de jamón ibérico were gooey, dense and generously filled with the finest coating of crispy breadcrumbs, topped with a slice of top quality Jabugo jamón ibérico (from the Huelva region of Andalusia).

Gambas fritas with spicy mayo were plump and juicy, served piping hot with fresh coriander in the lightest, crunchy filo pastry, almost like delicate wontons.

Patatas bravas are a staple of any good tapas lunch, but their success depends on the quality and abundance of the sauce and the crispiness of the potatoes. Dani García’s were the most interesting I’ve tried, as they were fried with an extra-crunchy coating, almost like breadcrumbs, and topped with a luscious, piquant tomato sauce, velvety aioli and finely chopped chives.

Oxtail brioche with salsa bull and pulled oxtail stew was an absolute treat. The steamed brioche buns were ever so fluffy and moreish, packed with rich, tender slow-cooked meat and a generous dollop of smooth, glossy salsa bull emulsion.

It’s hard to believe that our star dish would be a big plate of greens, but there was something truly magical about the Broccolini and kale salad with black sesame mayo and peanuts. It was just so tangy, refreshing and umami-rich with a smokiness from the charred broccolini, crunchy textures from the nuts and a slight chilli kick.

Lunch ended on a high with the most decadent Caramelised rice pudding for dessert. The sauce was so luxurious and creamy, scented with vanilla and orange blossom, and the bomba rice had a refined, pearl-like texture. It was finished with a golden brûlée crust that cracked rather satisfyingly.

BiBo has to be one of the best new hotel restaurants in London and the express lunch menu is certainly generous and well-composed. If you’re already a fan of the city’s well-established tapas bars like Barrafina, Brindisa and José Pizarro, you won’t be disappointed here. I’m already really tempted to return for the lobster paella, more tapas and a slice of Basque cheesecake.

The BiBo Shoreditch express lunch menu is priced at £25 per person and is available between 12pm and 2.30pm everyday. For more information and booking, visit: www.grupodanigarcia.com

@cheriecity
Insane tapas at BiBo by Dani Garcia at Mondrian Shoreditch #CollageVideo #tapas #london #food #yummy
? Feels This Good – Jon Mero & LÒNIS

Hotels, London

A Great Stay at One Hundred Shoreditch

August 3, 2022 by cheriecity

One Hundred Shoreditch opened its doors earlier this year, replacing the landmark Ace Hotel that sadly didn’t make it through the pandemic. Luckily, the game-changing Lore Group was quick to snap it up and within a speedy five months, a second London hotel joined its portfolio, which includes Sea Containers London, Pulitzer Amsterdam and Riggs Washington DC.

The Shoreditch High Street hotel certainly feels more grown-up than its predecessor with an elevated look and a brand new concept for its six restaurants and bars. I’ve stayed in this property a few times over the years (anyone remember when it was the Saint Gregory?), so I was excited to see how it had changed.

Arrival

We visited during the first heatwave of the summer and were blasted with delightfully glacial air-conditioning on arrival (well, it was 35 degrees, after all). The friendly, efficient staff made check-in a breeze and kindly gave us a welcome postcard offering three complimentary food and drink options for each guest. We could choose from a glass of wine in the restaurant, coffee and cake at the coffee shop or a pizza in the lobby.

Since it was already midday, we took the time to explore the open-plan lobby and enjoy some cooling drinks with two hearty stone-baked pizzas served straight to our sofa – what could be better than that? By the time we had finished lunch, our room was ready and we took the rather atmospheric blood red lifts up to the sixth floor.

The Studio

Our Studio on the sixth floor was huge and designed in soft shades with a luxurious wool carpet, large paper pendant light and an exposed concrete ceiling. This natural palette was punctuated by a floor-to-ceiling woven tapestry and bespoke artwork in the most striking blue shades by Jacu Strauss, creative director of Lore Group.

I also loved the plush white linen sofa spanning the entire width of the room and the decorative vases filled with eucalyptus and dried flowers.

Room features include a dining table, large TV, tea and coffee facilites, free wifi and plenty of plugs and USB ports. There’s also a luxury minibar stocked with east London treats and stylish glassware, including carafes that you can fill with unlimited still and sparkling water from the station next to the lift on each floor. We really appreciated being able to grab our own filtered water, especially in the scorching heat – hopefully more London hotels will follow this green initiative.

The king-size bed was absolutely heavenly with a white linen headboard, top quality cotton sheets and lots of plump pillows.

The Bathroom

The white tiled bathroom was simple and modern with a large bath and shower, wooden stool, fluffy towels, bathrobes and a full set of products by New York-based perfumers D.S & DURGA in the signature Debaser scent.

They are my holy grail of luxury hotel toiletries (just beating Byredo at Miss Clara Stockholm), as I have a few of their candles at home and the body range is actually quite hard to find in the UK. It was a real treat to try out these products and they were even more fabulous than I’d imagined.

Dinner at Goddard & Gibbs

That evening, we enjoyed dinner downstairs at Goddard & Gibbs, the hotel’s buzzing seafood restaurant inspired by fishing villages and coastal towns around the country. The wood-panelled walls from its days as Hoi Polloi remain and the space has been given an upgrade with a new adjoining wine bar, terrazzo tables and bold artwork in maritime yellow. Not much has really changed though, as it’s still an east London fashion spot, having hosted a number of parties and events already this year.

Head chef Tom Moore’s varied menu features dishes such as Maldon oysters, Soused red mullet, Hake Kyiv, Fish and Chips and a signature Angus beef burger. While the fish options were tempting, we were swayed by the steak on the very well-priced set menu (two courses £23/three courses £27).

Beef onglet (cooked medium rare) was so tender and juicy, served with punchy salsa verde and a silver cone of hot, crispy French fries. We also loved the freshly-baked Sourdough milk buns with cultured butter – perfect for mopping up the sauce.

G&G’s dessert game is strong, so be sure to leave plenty of room. The Insta-worthy Fried doughnut with malt ice cream, miso caramel and peanut dust was truly decadent with rich umami flavour from the miso. Surprisingly though, my favourite was the velvety Honey and sesame tart with zesty grapefruit and luscious salted milk ice sorbet.

The Rooftop Terrace

After dinner, we checked out the dreamy, Palm Springs-inspired rooftop bar, decorated with touches of pink marble, rose gold lamps, succulents and hanging plants. It was absolutely packed with Londoners making the most of the balmy weather and panoramic views of the city over plates of tacos, fried chicken and crab burgers, washed down with margaritas.

For a more intimate nightcap, there’s also the downstairs Seed Library by London cocktail guru Mr Lyan. The hotel has a lot of eating and drinking spaces to try, so you could easily stay local for a relaxing weekend stay.

Breakfast

In the morning, we headed back down to Goddard & Gibbs for a hearty breakfast. We’d expected to order dishes like pancakes and Eggs Royale from the menu, but were told the breakfast offering had recently changed to a self-service buffet on weekends.

It all worked out fine though, as we made up our own superb Full English breakfasts with extra sausages and enjoyed the array of home-made pastries, yoghurt, muesli and cured meats and cheeses, washed down with excellent coffee, a pot of strong Good and Proper Tea and orange juice freshly-squeezed to order.

Everything was exceptionally high quality and tasty, but there could have been a few more items available like waffles, muffins or chia pudding to make it more interesting.

Location

One Hundred Shoreditch has an unbeatable location for exploring East London, within walking distance of Brick Lane, Spitalfields and Columbia Road Flower Market. Just around the corner is design-led Redchurch Street with hotspots such as Earl of East, Reformation, A.P.C, BAO Noodle Shop, Jolene bakery and Allpress Coffee. It’s also worth walking down to Liverpool Street for quick links to the city centre via the Elizabeth Line and of course gourmet Italian treats at EATALY London

One Hundred Shoreditch is a stunning hotel with equal measures of style and comfort, but it’s the welcoming, experienced staff that take it to the next level. It marks a new chapter for Shoreditch and is set to be the place to be this summer – I can’t wait to go back!

For more information and booking, visit: www.onehundredshoreditch.com

All photos by Cherie City

London, Restaurants

The Best Places To Eat Outside in London

April 14, 2021 by cheriecity

It’s the moment we’ve all been waiting for… restaurants are back! While we have to wait until next month to dine indoors, many London eateries have worked hard to transform their outdoor spaces, big or small, and lift our spirits again.

With such promising sunny days throughout April, there’s no better time to support your old favourites or try somewhere new. Just be sure to wrap up warm (especially for dinner), stay safe and be a gracious guest – there’s nothing more soul-destroying for restaurants than a no-show.

Here are some of the best terraces for a celebratory meal to remember…

The Berkeley Beach Huts

The Berkeley brings the nostalgic glamour of the Great British seaside to Belgravia for spring/summer with its glorious rainbow-coloured, stripey Berkeley Beach Huts. Inspired by iconic foodie seafronts such as Whitstable, Southwold and Padstow, fresh seafood and fun retro classics take centre stage.

Catch up with friends and family over magnificent seafood platters, grilled langoustines and five star fish and chips, alongside lighter bites such as brioche lobster rolls, plaice butties and crispy squid.

Leave room for dessert to enjoy a selection of ice cream sandwiches, ‘make a mess’ Eton Mess and best of all, a ‘Gourmet 99’ with no less than four chocolate flakes and ‘add your own’ toppings. Wash it all down with the finest British wines, maritime-inspired cocktails and shandies.

If you don’t managed to snag a highly-coveted beach hut, you can still soak up the seaside atmosphere on the surrounding terrace and counter. A trip to the beach has never been so luxurious!

Seabird

What could be more decadent post-lockdown than working your way through London’s longest oyster list with a bottle of Champagne and panoramic views over the city? Seabird – the photogenic rooftop restaurant on the fourteenth floor of The Hoxton Southwark – has a fabulous terrace and a summery sea-to-table menu.

Nestle on a rattan sofa among the tropical palms and take in the beach club vibes over Spanish and Portuguese plates like Squid ink rice, Iberico pork presa, Scallop ceviche and the famous Octopus roll. Don’t miss the traditional Torrija and Manchego cheesecake for dessert and plenty of frozen Caipirinhas.

Brat at Climpson’s Arch

Brat is set to continue its hugely successful residency at Climpson’s Arch, the London Fields coffee roastery, throughout 2021. Michelin-starred chef Tomos Parry celebrates the ritualistic simplicity of fire, bringing his Basque-inspired open fire grilling techniques to the marquee-covered courtyard.

Expect signature sharing dishes such as Whole roasted turbot, Crab with hay butter and wood fired breads, not forgetting that heavenly Burnt cheesecake.

The Tramshed Project

The Tramshed Project was created by Dominic Cools-Lartigue during lockdown as a place to eat, work and build on the spirit of community with wellness classes, chef residencies and cultural events.

It’s a new chapter for the grade II listed Tramshed building in Shoreditch, taking the baton from former restaurateur Mark Hix and replacing the iconic Damien Hirst Cock and Bull sculpture with new artworks from the Zabludowicz Collection. It also has a delightful terrace seating up to 50 on the pedestrianised Garden Walk.

Chef Andrew Clarke’s spring menu is an absolute joy with dishes including Fried calcots with Ogleshield fondue and hot sauce, Slow-roast lamb shoulder with potato and anchovy boulangère and Grilled baby chicken with baby leeks, lemon and aioli. Definitely a reason to stop by Shoreditch this spring.

Towpath Cafe

Take it easy with a casual lunch overlooking Regent’s Canal at Hackney favourite Towpath Cafe. Lori De Mori and Laura Jackson’s petite waterside cafe is the perfect spot to catch some sun and with a no-booking policy, there’s hope of scoring a table if you arrive at the right time.

You can look forward to grazing on rustic sharing plates of Brown shrimp and kohlrabi, Crispy lamb with houmous and caramelised onion and the much-loved Grilled cheese sandwich with quince jam.

Circolo Popolare

Eating truffle straight from the copper pan in a secret garden sounds like the ideal way to emerge from lockdown. Big Mamma’s boistrous Sicilian trattoria Circolo Popolare has the prettiest terrace in Fitzrovia with colourful parasols and twinkling fairy lights.

Start with a big burrata, crocchetta and cured meats and follow with an indulgent Grilled tagliata and Spaghetti cacio e pepe served straight from the percorino wheel. Dessert is also a must with a classic Tiramisu, giant profiteroles or Instagram-famous lemon meringue pie.

If you loved Big Mamma’s Napoli Gang delivery service, you’ll have even more fun at the restaurant.

Have you started eating out in London again? Where have you booked for your grand return?

London, Restaurants

A Great Dinner at Smokestak in Shoreditch

January 23, 2017 by cheriecity

Saturday night barbecue in Shoreditch is my kinda night out, and where better than the newly-opened Smokestak?

It’s amazing to see stars of the London street food scene thrive and launch a restaurant of their own. While Smokestak’s branding has always been on point, the food market set-up has its limits, so it was exciting to see what founder David Carter had in mind when given free reign with the menu, design and location.

Smokestak opened to rave reviews and I’m pleased to report that it’s just as thrilling and brilliant as expected. The first thing you’ll notice when approaching the restaurant is the intoxicating aroma of smoked meats and secondly, the unique exterior designed by Red Deer, taking urban-industrial cool to another level.

Inside, it’s buzzing and loud – a slick operation and clearly the place to be on a Saturday night in Shoreditch. As if you aren’t already drooling by this point, the open kitchen offers a glimpse of what’s to come out of that wood-burning smoker and there is table and counter seating at either side, as well as a more zen basement bar for cosy cocktails and bar bites.

The moody interiors are inspired by the inside of a smoker with black carbon-stained concrete walls, steel surfaces, solid wood seating, leather banquettes and even black metal cutlery. It’s like a gloriously charred, steampunk workshop and I can’t think of any restaurants with this kind of dark and sexy look.

I wasn’t thrilled at being seated at the end of the counter, next to a narrow pathway to the less glam side of the kitchen, as it was quite chaotic. Luckily, service is speedy and charming and I was quickly dazzled and distracted by the arrival of some real eye candy food. The concept is all about sharing, so we ordered two different meats and two sides, which was more than enough for a good feed.

The Beef brisket with barbecue (£9.50) was magnificently tender with a rich flavour and a small layer of melt-in-the-mouth fat. The home-made barbecue sauce had a mellow, spiced taste and the pickled red chillies added a tangy punch. It can also be served packed inside a brioche bun, but for the first visit, I preferred to get the full flavour of the meat on its own.

I thought the brisket couldn’t be matched, but the Thick-cut pork ribs were also divine and made for a nice contrast. The lean meat had a very pure taste and was enveloped in silky fat with charred edges enhanced by a bold, full-bodied dry rub. The portion size of the ribs was particularly generous and they were just so satisfying.

Sides aren’t merely an after-thought either, in fact, the Jacket potato with smoked rarebit (£5) was quite an event in itself. The crispy smoked potato skins were filled with a lovely mix of scorched, gooey cheese with mild rarebit seasoning and soft, slightly sweet potato. I think we scored an extra portion, shhh…

Another gem was the Roasted carrots and parsnips with thyme and honey (£4.50). The aromatic, sticky glaze really enhanced the flavours and I could detect some additional herbs and zesty orange.

We were feeling pretty full by that point (I blame the boulder-esque jacket potato) but found room to share a light dessert. Salted caramel ice cream with hazelnut praline (£4.50) was ultra-smooth with an intense flavour (you could actually taste the salt in the salted caramel) and punctuated with a layer of golden crunchy nuttiness.

It was the perfect end to a fabulous meal, but if you have an appetite for further indulgence, try the Sticky toffee pudding or Plum crumble with malt ice cream.

Smokestak not only does the most mouth-watering barbecued meat, but it’s a fun destination restaurant with tons of atmosphere, modest prices and really dedicated staff. I know I’ll be back pretty soon to indulge my barbecue cravings on these cold winter nights.

For more information and booking, visit: www.smokestak.co.uk

Photos by Chérie City