*UPDATE* Beagle has now closed.
Located under the Hoxton railway arches, this restaurant manages to retain all the best of a neighbourhood restaurant while delivering destination food & service.
On a Tuesday night the bar & restaurant was quiet but still had a nice intimate atmosphere. Having started with cocktails at Happiness Forgets we went straight to our table and ordered bread & butter to fend off hunger pains – the sourdough had an irresistible crust!
To start we went for the special pickled herring served with surprisingly strong horseradish – you’ve been warned!
The purple sprouting broccoli with walnuts and grated Ashbrittle cheese was tasty but a large portion that could have been halved. I’d have loved a little more citrus in the dressing if I were to be picky.
We ended up swapping our main courses! I ordered the Lamb with came juicy pink with grilled courgettes and a fresh green sauce, however I favoured the slow cooked melt in the mouth venison with celeariac mash and red wine gravy – divine! The side of duck fat chips were super crunchy.
Staff were very lovely and knowledgeable suggesting two full-bodied wines and offering tasters before I committed. I got a deliciously smooth carafe of the french cabernet syrah for a very reasonable £11.
Cocktails packed a punch. The Dutch Bullet with caraway, cacao, bitter chocolate & lemon was less desserty then it sounds and heavily seasoned with Cinnamon. The Apples & Rye cocktail, with whiskey, apple brandy, vermouth & bitters knocked our socks off!
We couldn’t quite manage dessert but those lovely waitresses bought us a chunky piece of hazelnut brownie that finished off the meal perfectly.
I’ll be returning on a bright sunny morning to try out the brunch menu on the lovely outside seating area.