"Why, Sir, you find no man, at all intellectual,
who is willing to leave London. No, Sir, when a man is tired of London, he is tired of life; for there is in London all that life can afford."
— Samuel Johnson
Dining
Robert and David Eyre, two brothers with over thirty years of experience in every last aspect of restaurants, were presented with a vacant four hundred square metre ground-floor warehouse space early in 2000, and within a matter of a minute or two had, through squinted eyes, seen the restaurant of their dreams.
Opening Hours
Restaurant
Noon to 3pm Monday to Friday for lunch
6:30pm to 10:45pm Monday to Saturday for dinner
WE ARE NOW OPEN ON SUNDAY 12:30PM TO 4:00pm
Bar
Noon to 10:45pm Monday to Friday
6:30 to 10:45pm Saturday
12:30 to 4:00pm Sunday
You can find them here...
70 Leonard Street
London
EC2A 4QX
Reservations
020 7613 5346 (tel) and 020 7739 8199 (fax)
Reservations are open from 10:30am to 11pm Monday to Friday and from 2pm to 11pm on Saturday
New York Times, Sunday, December 8, 2002
8 December '02
CHOICE TABLES; Tapas, Risotto and Feta Pie: Beyond Pub Fare in Shoreditch
By NINA SIMONDS
David and Robert Eyre are East End pioneers. They established their reputation in 1991 with the opening of the Eagle, the first ''gastropub'' in East London, offering not just traditional pub food but also sophisticated menus -- a concept that was soon imitated all over the city.The brothers then moved east and opened a tiny lunch counter-deli in Hoxton that offered simple but delicious Mediterranean food.
At their sleek new restaurant, which opened a year ago and seats 102, they've created another winning combination with smart d�cor and a menu of Spanish and Portuguese dishes (although the prices are slightly high for the area). The spacious dining room is cozy yet stylish with a rich dark wood ceiling and burgundy-colored leather banquettes. The wood-paneled bar offers a ''bitings'' menu of tantalizing tapas such as brandade and fried white bait with a�oli and lemon at $6.40 apiece.
Grilled squid with chili and garlic, paired with delicate Castelluccio lentils, was succulent. Petit salt cod croquettes were crisp and a lovely counterpoint to the tomato and fresh cilantro salad. One of the nicest surprises was the oxtail and pistachio terrine sprinkled with pomegranate seeds and served with ribbons of celery and celery leaf salad. Entrees are as good as the starters. The unanimous favorite of our table of three was the grilled Iberico pork fillets seasoned with smoky paprika and served with tender potatoes, peppers and onions. The meat, from the celebrated black-foot Iberian pig, fed exclusively on fresh herbs, acorns, chestnuts and wheat, was superb. Grilled sea bream was beautifully seared -- crisp on the outside and tender within -- and didn't really need the accompanying a�oli, which was not garlicky enough.
Portions are generous, but the dessert selections are too enticing to ignore. The quince tarte Tatin was buttery and flaky; a chocolate-hazelnut brownie was rich and velvety, coupled with vanilla ice cream; and the cheese plate with Sardinian blue cheese, fresh fig and walnut bread was delicious. Our '98 Rioja Blanco, Crianza Vetiver from the mostly French wine list was slightly fruity but dry, and a little
