Coin Laundry (Bar)

Top 10 things you should know about Coin Laundry restaurant:

1) I was born in 1989 so naturally I know nothing about the 70’s; save for the tales my mother and father would tell me about discos, Top Of The Pops, discipline and school dinners.

2) This doesn’t, however, mean I don’t have an appreciation for the 70’s, the epoch of Ziggy Stardust, amazing kids TV, awesome toys and new food hitting British mouths. In today’s ludicrous era, when even cod cheeks aren’t safe from gentrified hands, you have to appreciate a menu from a decade when food was exciting and fashionable but still managed to fill you up.

3) So enter Coin Laundry, a modest restaurant on the corner of Exmouth Market. It’s no lie that when you walk in, you won’t be blown away. It’s vaguely normal and looks slightly unloved. Think: shabby chic. The music is sort of 70’s; the people are clearly 00’s, as is the mood. Sit yourself down.

4) With four menus, Coin Laundry can cater to whatever you fancy. However, you need to be quick! The rabbit Balti pie sells out, as does the chicken Kiev.

5) The bar menu is a mix of 70’s classic and 00’s inspiration. Pickled eggs, cheese toasties, cheese and pineapple, whilst the day menu is a mad collaboration worthy of an hour-long food special on BBC Two.

6) You may want to try the cockle popcorn, which is one of the most gorgeous seafood dishes this side of anywhere. Salty and grainy (good grainy), it tastes of the sea. You’ll want two helpings. It pairs oddly well with the sweet pear and clove SodaStream drink!

7) The ricotta and fried artichoke is a strange combination; the slightly oily vegetable balances the creamy cheese.

8) Maybe you’re in the mood for something eccentric? If so, try the spag bol croquettes. It’s the weirdest thing you’ll eat and has a certain charm. Throw in some meaty lamb faggots and you’ll be feeling more nostalgic for the 70’s.

9) All this 70’s food is having an effect on your companions who are suddenly donned in bell bottoms and loud, patterned shirts, and one might even have an afro. You’ve got to love the 70’s.

10) Only one thing to do now: enjoy KerPlunk and a host of 70’s games downstairs. Far out, man!...read more