Leroy

Hipster wine bar in Shoreditch

Cured trout, samphire, cucumber, horseradish

Leroy is a wine bar and restaurant in the trendy area of Shoreditch. Surprisingly, it landed a Michelin star in the 2019 guide, which is a bold move from the guide as Leroy's setting and food is far from fine dining level. The decor is your typical modern wine bar, with table closely packed together with an ever-changing daily menu. The food is modern British, small pates, which is something that is so popular in London right now. Our waiter on the day suggested us to order 3 dishes per person and the food are best for sharing.

Raw beef on toast with mustard

Lamb sweetbread, carrot, curry sauce

The slip sole cooked with butter was well executed, cooked to the perfect level, everything fell off the bones easily. The mixture of butter and herbs combined nicely to lifted up the sweetness of the sole. I found the lamb sweetbread was really interesting in taste, the sauce reminded me of a mild Chinese style curry with a hint of freshness from the dill. The sweetbread was also cooked well, tender with very little earthy taste. The pork chop was the weakest dish of the day, the pork was under-seasoned, the mustard and butter sauce was fantastic, but none of those taste managed to penetrate the thick cut of the meat.

Slip sloe, butter, herbs, potatoes

Middle pork chop, brown butter, turnip

The lunch was very enjoyable, the cooking level was generally pretty solid, with great use of seasonal ingredients. Everything was simple and straightforward, no gimmicks whatsoever.  I feel it is best to forget about the Michelin star issue. Instead, Leroy is best to treat it as a trendy wine bar with good quality food, nothing more, nothing less. If you have eaten at a good number of Michelin starred restaurant and expect Leroy to deliver something exceptional, you will be disappointed.


Food 3/5


Average cost without drinks and services:
£25

18 Phipp St, Hackney, London EC2A 4NU

https://www.leroyshoreditch.com/