Lyle's

Modern international cuisine 

Raw Scallop, Pink Grapefruit & Smoked Roe

10 years ago, people would associate fine dining/ Michelin restaurants to be something formal, for a special occasion, or only for the elites. It is amazing to see how things have developed over the years and now there are plenty of 'casual fine dining' venues popping up that has done a great job to make top-level cooking to be more accessible and less formal. Without a doubt, Lyle's is a perfect example, the 1-star venue kept things simple, with an Ikea feel dining room and an open kitchen, with no dress code enforcement. All the dishes use no more than 5 ingredients and have no fancy presentation but do deliver in great taste.

Grilled Razorclams & Sea Green

Cuttlefish, artichoke, lemon

This is my 4th visit, I picked a few dishes from the lunch menu to share between two people. The razor clam in seaweed broth is something I have encountered before, the broth is cooked in seaweed and clamshells so it has a lovely umami note to it. The razor clam was grilled to the right level with a charred surface which offer a nice hint of sweet and smoky taste. The mangalitsa pork collar was stunning, cooked medium and well seasoned along with a killer mustard, hard to go wrong when you have such an amazing cut of meat. The grilled duck Leg appeared to have a Chinese element, the pickled prunes and sauce had a fermented sweet soybean taste, very inviting with the earthiness and smokiness of the duck.

Grilled duck, radicchio, purnes

Magalitsa, chicory, apple

Lyle's output remained more or less the same as the last time I visited back in 2021. The cooking is simple with a touch of international influences to it. For sure is not the cheapest place around in London, but given the creativity and level of cooking, I felt it justify the price tag. There are many places elsewhere that do similar things but don't reach the same level as Lyle's (Leroy is a great example). For people who enjoy fine dining-level food without the classic fine dining vibe or formal energy, Lyle's would be an ideal choice for you.

Food 4/5


Average cost without drinks and services:
£65 (Lunch)

£79 (dinner)

Tea Building, 56 Shoreditch High St, London E1 6JJ

https://www.lyleslondon.com/