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
