In a world where first impressions count, many diners might naturally be put off Satyrio. Not only could the exterior do with a face lift, but to get there, diners must navigate liminal London. Located on Aldgate High Street, Satyrio feels likes it neither quite swanky City nor trendy Shoreditch. Step inside, however, and there is a lot – even if not everything – to like about this venue.
Your reviewer really wanted to like Sagardi. He has been visiting the Basque region for over 20 years, had one of his best meals of 2024 there and fell in love with Ibai when it opened in London last June. Fronted by a chef from the region and with other successful Sagardi branches around the world, there was so much to like on paper. Walk into the Shoreditch venue and you will be wowed on first impressions. We were let down though by both food and service.
Every neighbourhood should have a good Indian restaurant. Colaba ought to be West Hampstead’s. Named after a district of Mumbai, its quality of cooking would put it close Dishoom. However, our quartet left Colaba feeling severely underwhelmed by its service. Improve this and the venue could be a local star.
“Because it’s cooked with love” was the answer given by our garrulous host when asked what made Barrafina’s tortilla better than those of its rivals. Such a response may sound trite or flippant. However, it serves as a perfect expression for Barrafina’s cooking. 18 years’ on from when the first branch opened and now up to 5 outlets, it was abundantly evident to both your reviewer and his dining comrade on a recent visit to the Covent Garden site that this love story remains very much alive.
Colour is the first thing you notice when flying into Cork in Ireland’s south and then driving west. It’s like seeing forty shades of green, as our host for the weekend put it. Beyond the stunning countryside, there’s the coastline; the blue of the Atlantic that stretches from here across to America. The locals are rightly proud of the scenery. Working with and respecting both land and sea informs the approach to cooking in County Cork. The holy trinity of local, seasonable and sustainable features strongly. Almost all we ate was delicious too.
Your reviewer really wanted to like Sagardi. He has been visiting the Basque region for over 20 years, had one of his best meals of 2024 there and fell in love with Ibai when it opened in London last June. Fronted by a chef from the region and with other successful Sagardi branches around the world, there was so much to like on paper. Walk into the Shoreditch venue and you will be wowed on first impressions. We were let down though by both food and service.
Cool as the Llama Inn may be, it still doesn’t have it all. Sure, it’s located on the boundary of where Hoxton meets Shoreditch. It’s got a rooftop bar with stunning city views. It’s got a sister restaurant in Brookyln, New York. But – and of course there was going to be a caveat coming – it’s misnomer to call this a Peruvian restaurant. There may be some Peruvian nods, but they’re mingled up with many things Japanese and there is barely a llama to be seen in either the venue’s décor or on its menu. Maybe neither of these things matters, especially if you’re a hipster, but your reviewer and his dining comrade had hoped for a little bit more.
For those unaware, ‘bubala’ is a Yiddish term of endearment, roughly translated as darling. No surprise then that the restaurant is a homage to Levantine food, located appropriately in east London’s former Jewish quarter, yards from Petticoat Lane. Such has been the success of Bubala that its backers have recently opened a second outlet in Soho. Securing a table here is almost impossible currently, but the original venue provides a wonderful insight into what can be expected.
Think of Manteca as the love child of St John and Boca di Lupo. Take Fergus Henderson’s nose-to-tail approach, apply it to Italian cuisine and you have Manteca. After the success of its pop-up ventures, Manteca has moved on to bigger and better, opening a permanent venue in Shoreditch earlier this year. Such has been its success that diners are packed in almost cheek by jowl, but they come for a clear reason: the whole experience is very good.
It is hard not to pre-judge the Clove Club. The venue is the highest ranked British restaurant in the annual San Pelligrino top-50 list. Maybe as a result of its fame, it is necessary to reserve a table for a weekend evening three months in advance and – in a first for this country – pay for it all upfront. Against this background, I seriously expect to be wowed. What my comrade and I learned, however…
I first visited Les Trois Garcons when it opened around 15 years ago. I loved it then and I still love it now. Shoreditch has changed a lot during this time, but the evidently successful formula here has not. We all probably play the game – if you had a restaurant, how might you choose to furnish it?
