London’s East End is a sprawling and diverse part of our great city. Today’s destination in the East is close to the Barbican Centre, an icon of Brutalist architecture created after the site was almost completely erased by the Blitz. This city within a city that rises above street level is home to some 4,000 residents. It’s really worth a visit with its many public spaces, an entire arts centre and even an artificial lake and conservatory to explore. Although today we’re staying at ground level and heading for lunch at the recently renovated Chiswell Street Dining Rooms nearby.
The restaurant is housed on the corner of the famous old Whitbread Brewery building. It’s a stylish light-filled space with polished wooden floors and elegant decor in shades of green. The menu is designed for all-day dining and the kitchen focuses on highlighting seasonal British fare including freshly caught fish and seafood and meat sourced directly from the market.
There’s a list of specials including fresh oysters and Aberdeen Angus steaks as well as the fabulous combination of fish, vegetarian and meat dishes on the a la carte menu. The starter selection soon got our gastric juices going with king scallops, house-cured smoked salmon, wild venison carpaccio and smoked haddock and watercress soup to choose from.
All corners of the UK are well-represented in the mains section with Cornish fish pie, Roast Torbay hake, Scottish monkfish, and Welsh lamb on offer. And my Aberdeen Angus Sirloin was packed with flavour and served with the perfect combination of truffled fries and indulgently silky Bearnaise. Desserts include favourites like raspberry, frangipane crumble, sticky toffee pudding as well as delightfully refreshing citrussy sorbets including zesty blood orange.
There’s an extensive and reasonably priced wine list and a selection of tempting cocktails. The restaurant also serves afternoon tea, and if you’re thinking of going to a show at the Barbican there are great pre-theatre deals to be had. Making Chiswell Street Dining Rooms the perfect venue no matter what the time of day or occasion.
Words by Sandy Cadiz-Smith
