Galvin HOP (Bar, Restaurant)

Top 10 things you need to know about Galvin Hop:

1) Enjoyed Galvin La Chapelle but want a more chilled atmosphere? Tone down the posh at its sister-next door, Galvin Hop, created by brothers Chris and Jeff Galvin, who both have Michelin-spangled CVs. 

2) Hunger for authentic French cuisine? While the concept has been done to death, the entire French-inspired gastropub experience here feels fantastically gastro and thought through, not kitsch. Galvin serves up signature Maille mustards in seasonally updated flavours such as rosemary, truffle, and chablis-infused.

3) Fancy yourself as a booze snob? Galvin Hop pours pilsners the traditional Czech Republic way: lots of foam. There’s a five-day freshness rule for all of their date-stamped, copper beer tanks. Also, get ready for wines from Rhone, Languedoc, Bordeaux, and Loire. A proper-pinned sommelier is on hand to offer great food and wine pairings. 

4) Don’t count pints or calories? This is your official haven for indulgence. Try the Galvin butcher board deluxe with authentic fatty French rillette, and the Kentish lamb Barnsley chop cooked to medium-rare perfection. If you still have room, finish with a nice prosecco and dessert, like the treacle tart with clotted cream.

5) Feel like throwing a big party? The venue can host 70 people outside, 50 people inside and 35 people on the back terrace. Yes, terrace!

6) Want quiet conversation or a cosy place for a private pint and a book? Then this is not it! Be prepared for loud, shouty banter and beats to match. Thursdays and Fridays are the best days to get social here.

7) Need breakfast? Skip your usual Pret pit-stop and carve out some time for morning nosh before that early meeting (8:30am to 11:30am).

8) Are you a designophile? Modern meets antiquated here. Cheeky art with cute French inside jokes covers the dining room walls. Modern toilets (eco-friendly Ren skincare) juxtapose era-style service, including a tuxedoed bathroom attendant.

9) Are you a City type who enjoys a little taste of Havana? Enjoy a cigar from the bar's private, on-site thermidor.

10) Galvin Hop is a venue on the borders of Shoreditch aiming to reinvent its City address with cuisine and ambiance that's not fabricated; refreshingly un-trendy. ...read more