Tipped

Best in Shoreditch bar none

September 17, 2007

You won’t beat the Eyre Brothers if you’re eating in the Shoreditch / Hoxton area. Tucked away at the end of Leonard Street, this Portuguese restaurant is discreet. The décor is simple rosewood and white tablecloths, soft lighting and comfortable leather chairs while along one side the kitchen, serving hotplate and small bar add a little bustle to the relaxed atmosphere. The staff are quietly charming and well informed about the food and wine – I’d recommend asking a few questions as authentic Portuguese food and wine isn’t that well known and they can explain some of the more unusual items. They have the best quality ingredients, amazing olives and olive oils and the Jamon Iberico is quite without equal. The Bacalhau (salt cod) and Mozambique prawns (the size of a pistol) are the kinds of simply prepared foods that feel very authentic and transport you back to that lovely little taverna you visited on holiday, way off the beaten track. The food isn’t over-prepared, re-shaped, assembled into little turrets or served on geometrically interesting crockery, just really well cooked food, served with elegance and without too much fuss. The wines are excellent, but don’t be a mug and dip into the Australians, go for some Portuguese Douro or Quinta do Crasto because they go much better with the food (and have a few hundred years of tradition and skill backing them up too).

The Eyre Brothers is perfect for a business lunch, a romantic dinner or a quality session with your friends. The food, wine and atmosphere mean it’s intimate enough to be special and relaxed enough to be a safe choice for a great night out. The Eyre Brothers doesn’t need gimmicks, it’s not so trendy you have to book a year in advance and it doesn’t splash truffle oil or raspberry vinegar over really good produce in an attempt to impress, instead it exudes understated cool and confidence that you will rarely encounter in London’s popular nightspots.

Tags: Portuguese, restaurants, shoreditch, hoxton, special nights out, intimate, romantic