100 Hoxton (Restaurant)

The top 10 things we learnt when we visited the 100 Hoxton restaurant:

1) The place could not be any more Hoxton if it tried. It’s on Hoxton Street, in deepest Hoxton, near Hoxton overground station. If you’re looking for an urban gathering of Hoxes, you’ve probably come to the right place.

2) It’s also exceedingly trendy. The sparsely decorated main room bleeds cool from every exposed brick and shabby leather seat. The central bar offers the odd flourish, and there’s the obligatory open-front kitchen towards the back, but don’t expect bells and whistles - that’s so passé.

3) The surrounding area (Hoxton, in case I forgot to mention) doesn’t leave the venue a lot to work with, but the outdoor area and all-glass front lend a bit of light and levity to proceedings.

4) Cocktails are 2-for-1 between 5 and 7pm, but there are no vulgar Pina Coladas to be found here; ask for the house cocktail and you’ll get an intriguing (and not unappealing) concoction of lemongrass, lychees, ginger and prosecco.

5) True to the cutting-edge aesthetic, the short menu offers a range of tapas sized dishes to share, with courses nonchalantly divided into “garden”, “ocean” and “land”.

6) The sharing system helps to cut costs, but conversely can lead to rampant over-ordering – mouth-watering items such as braised octopus with celeriac puree and 7-spice crispy quail are small but overpowering, even when split among friends.

7) The appearance of steak on the menu represents a small concession to the uncultured hoi polloi – albeit one that’s smothered in excessive quantities of garlic. The slightly undercooked Beggar’s Chicken, on the other hand, acknowledges the venue’s hipster roots – you should eat it before it’s cool.

8) Service is erratic but well-meaning, while the Instagram-friendly portions betray the hand-wringing of a doting team of chefs behind the scenes, despite the venue’s cultured ennui.

9) Our meal was rounded off in style with delicious homemade coconut and banana ice cream, and an assortment of teas.

10) The venue’s unappealing area and stark design make for an uncompromising setting for brunch, lunch or dinner, but the sharing concept works and, for the most part, the food is inventive and appetising enough to warrant a trip or two....read more