Bishopsgate Kitchen, Spitalfields

Bishopsgate Kitchen, Spitalfields

20 September, 2011
by: Tom Jeffreys

Tom Jeffreys welcomes a new bearer of the prestigious Best Eggs Florentine in London crown, and in Spitalfields no less.

As the gentrification of Spitalfields continues apace, and sundry media types lament the passing of a piece of history they never cared about until it had already vanished, one thing has always puzzled me: why are there so few good places to eat? Sure, Canteen does a mean macaroni cheese, A Gold's scotch eggs are pretty reasonable, and I once enjoyed some rather delicious lavender chicken at The Luxe, whilst lunching with none other than the man himself – Masterchef's John Torode.

But apart from that, it's the usual boring fodder from chains that either used to be good or never really were – like Carluccio's or Leon. And don't even get me started on the nauseating faux-global smug-fest that is Giraffe.

But now there's a new arrival, and although it won't make everything better overnight, it certainly helps. Housed between the Pizza Express and  Starbucks on Brushfield Street (see what I mean?) Bishopsgate Kitchen is a breath of fresh air.

A kind of bolt-on to the ever-brilliant Bishopsgate Institute and run by Benugo, Bishopsgate Kitchen is a rather lovely little place, if a tad cramped. A cunning layout – divided by ceiling-high shelves of foodstuffs and a long, elevated central table – makes the most of the rather tiny space, whilst the liberal use of brushed steel is lightened by some excellent attention to detail: cute little wooden tables and chairs, personal coat hooks, functional design classics like Dualit toasters and Duralex glasses. Meanwhile, the big window facing onto the street at the front and the Grade II-listed red brick arches of the Bishopsgate Institute at the back add both light and character.

The evening menu is short and straightforward, with things like burger with bone marrow (£12), 28 day hung rib-eye steak (£21) and a Cobb salad (£12.50) as well a selection of smaller dishes (cured meats, cheeses etc for around a fiver each). But we're here for the brunch. I go all out with a full English breakfast (£9.25) which is innovatively served inside a little cast iron frying pan. I have to confess that, for me, this is a trifle irritating. I've always been an advocate of a healthy space between the ingredients of one's breakfast – it's up to the eater to bring them together as he or she sees fit. Otherwise the breakfast is excellent – rich, creamy fried duck egg is a nice touch, while the sausages are appropriately hearty and the Ramsay's Ayrshire smoked bacon is quite excellent.

My companion goes for Bishopsgate's variation on Eggs Florentine – poached duck eggs on sourdough with hollandaise, with tender stem broccoli instead of spinach (£7.50). And my golly is it a belter. The sharp punch of the hollandaise counteracts the unctuous orange of the ducks' yolks, whilst the broccoli retains its structure better than spinach does. With the demise of The Ambassador on Exmouth Market the search has been on for the best Eggs Florentine in London. And now, with the opening of Bishopsgate Kitchen, we've finally found it.

But in terms of my personal nomination for the grand title of Best Breakfast in London, it's not quite there, yet. The toast is cut so thick as to be oddly charred on the outside and still cold in the middle (like a steak served blue) and my beans taste tinned (which is probably why they're served in a little side dish, rather ostracised from the rest of the full English). So The Counter in Hackney Wick retains the top spot, but Bishopsgate Kitchen is certainly up there, and a welcome addition to the Spitalfields region. Go, before there's queues round the market.

www.bishopsgatekitchen.com

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Tom Jeffreys