22/05/26

Review of The Brush East London Grand Cafe

Hoxton for me at least has always been synonymous with the hipster, tech-startup scene. It conjures up images of edgy cafes, graffiti covered streets and bridges, wooden bench style coffee shops, beanie hats and laptop bags.

At first, the idea of a European style grand café feels somehow at odds with the vibe of this neighbourhood. Will “cool” lose out to “opulence”, will the Brush be just, …too shiny? We headed down to find out, and sample a few new items from their a-la-carte menu.

The Brush is possibly one of the easiest establishments to locate, occupying the ground floor of the impressive Art’otel, a 16 foot bronze paintbrush sits nicely near the entrance. The impressive sculpture - D’s little helper - is the work of iconic street artist D*Face whose colourful artwork permeates the entire building (and a lot of shoreditch if you look closely). It is the first indication that this establishment is exactly where it should be, my fears of overpolished opulence begin to fade away.

Inside, glass walls sweep around an impressive bar, flooding light on a D*Face mural. The ambience might be grand, but also local. The modern European menu is a familiar mix of small plates & mains such as steak dishes, fish ‘n’ chips and a new pizza menu. Dishes such as the butternut curry and Jerk Chicken stand out from the norm.

We lean towards some of the newer dishes on the menu, starting with the meatballs, which are richly flavoured and we eagerly mop up the sauce with a lightly crisp but equally soft stretched flatbread. An eggless Shakshuka provides a vegan option for the starters, the flavours of the peppers and coconut yogurt shine through.

For mains, an nduja pizza has wonderfully soft dough with slight crisp charring on the crust, it's spicy but not too overwhelming. There is an open pizza kitchen, so you can see the chef at work if you so desire.

A generous jerk chicken is served with beautifully crisp sweet potato fries it’s nicely flavoured although my jerk “punch” tolerance is slightly higher, so would have liked a little more heat.

Dessert is a super interesting Orange Rhum Baba, with Tonka Bean Ice Cream. As you dig through the dough, cream and ice cream, orange lurks underneath providing a tangy surprise. It’s a thumbs up.

All in all, The brush successfully manages to provide a more polished grand cafe environment which still nods to the arts and culture that underpins this area of London. Its art gallery, screening room, Banksy and of course D*Face artwork make it truly feel like it belongs. It feels like a place to come and be inspired over lunch, albeit with a paloma or negroni in-hand.

Book a table now at www.thebrushhoxton.co.uk

Address: 1-3 Rivington St, London, EC2A 3DT

Written by Rick Hartley

Food photography by Nyla Sammons

Interior photography courtesy of The Brush

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Review: Como Garden – Italian Tapas in the Heart of Kensington

May 13, 2021
2 min read

Updated: May 23, 2024

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t’s a strange feeling to be sat outside a restaurant, gazing in through it’s wide open doors to reveal an interior that feels unusually more al fresco than its exterior. The foliage that seems to creep up and engulf the ceiling, the occasional olive tree, the renaissance-esque statues all contribute to the feel of a Lombardy region botanical garden, and we wish we were inside.

Como Garden is the brainchild of Spanish duo Alberto and Arian Zandi. Inspired by the stunning scenery of Lake Como and the food of all of Italy’s regions, what you end up with is a quite wonderful fusion of great quality Italian flavours but designed to share, Tapas style. As you’d expect from a good Italian establishment, the menu isn’t fussy but each dish is founded on the finest quality ingredients. There is a recommendation of 2-3 dishes per person that can be chosen from across their Antipasti, meat and fish tapas, and of course their highly regarded fresh pasta dishes.

Eyes bulging and mouths watering we pushed the limits of this recommendation. From the Antipasti menu, the lightest Confit Artichokes had a subtle crunch but were so soft and not oily in the slightest. The Caponata had a real depth of flavour with a richness of low Fried Aubergines, sweet tomatoes, punctuated by capers & roasted pine nuts. A perfectly light Beef Carpaccio worked gloriously with pesto & parmesan drizzled over the top.

From the meats and seafood section we went for a firm favourite of grilled octopus, again perfectly light yet still meaty. Boasting their love for freshly cooked pasta, we had to select at least one dish from this menu.

Opting for the beef ragu. On some menus it is the tomato that is the leading component of a ragu but Como Garden has gotten this just right with the flavour of the slow cooked beef shining through. All dressed lovingly over the finest al-dente tagliatelle.

One surprise of the lunch was the quality of the dessert. Sometimes an afterthought at Italian eateries, Como Garden makes them an equal on the menu. We went for The Como Ferrero Roché, highly recommended by our waiter. It comprises of 2 indulgently giant chocolate and hazelnut balls, coated with a sprinkling of crushed hazelnut.

We also choose the Torta Di Mandorle is a heavenly moist slice of almond cake accompanied by a gelato then hasn’t just been introduced to pistachio, it is crunchy and rich with flavour.

Sitting back and savouring a glass of one of their range of italian reds, squinting, you can almost see the line of Vespa’s to complete this almost perfect Italian experience with a Spanish tapas twist. Whether a Romantic dinner, al fresco dining with friends, Como Gardens is the perfect place to share incredible food in the heart of Kensington. Address: Como Gardens, 37 Kensington High Street, London, W8 5ED

Website: https://comogarden.co.uk

Written by Rick Hartley

#Italian #comogarden #kensington #Italianrestaurant #kensingtonhighstreet