Where do you take the food blogger for lunch on her 30th birthday? Impossible right? Wrong! After a very boozy breakfast at home, in a flurry of present opening, I was whisked over to Leroy, the new(ish) restaurant from the team behind Ellory.
You might remember when the Hackney hot-spot was awarded a Michelin Star and then almost overnight, shut up shop. It came as a big shock to the industry and we never actually managed to make it over there but hey ho – Leroy is the new and (improved?) version, this time in Shoreditch proper.
The sun was shining outside and it felt like somewhere you might stumble across on your hols inside. Busy, buzzy, fun – full of life. No hushed whispers here. Thank god.
The wine list is EXCELLENT. Full of exciting tipples (many I’d never heard of), and really very reasonably priced so you can have a proper explore without fear of the bill. Once we asked staff for a bit of advice they came into their own, telling us about the wine they’ve created themselves, sounding genuinely excited for us to try something new. Infectiously engaging. We drank orange wine, light reds, full whites and just about everything in between. Well, it was my birthday remember.
We started with THE MOST DELICIOUS strips of anchovies, doused in olive oil, soaked up with a hunk of sourdough. Holiday mode was officially activated. Next up a plate of courgettes – just cut up into big ol’ chunks with not a care in the world – sitting on a decent splodge of yoghurt, sprinkled with pepper flakes and more of that olive oil. A bowl of baby semolina gnocchi came to say hello, alongside a plate of griddled asparagus doused in bagna cauda (yep, we really like anchovies). We ordered a lamb chop because – why not. We didn’t need it but everything was so delicious we daren’t not order something in case the world ended then and there and we’d never have another chance.
There was just enough space to squeeze in a chocolate pot which I would happily run off to Gretna Green with to give my hand in marriage. Sweet Jesus.
Veggies will have plenty to get excited about here, as will the lunch crowd who are able to get their hands on three courses for 20 quid. I’m thinking of relocating offices to make better use of this offer. We ordered everything we could and the bill came to £80 for two people – a steal.
In short – Leroy is an absolute gem of a restaurant that strikes the exact right balance. We haven’t got THIS excited about somewhere in a long time and everyone we’ve raved about it too have come back to me thanking me profusely for the tip off. You’re welcome!
