
New brunch spot: Friends Of Ours, Hoxton
As Hoxton dwellers we’re bound to be biased, but for a while we’ve been of the thinking that the louder, ‘trendier’ and err, beardier Shoreditch becomes, the further East you have to look for true innovation.
Week by week, fantastic independent galleries, cafes, bars and restaurants continue to pop up beyond Kingsland Road’s gamut of Vietnamese restaurants.
Our latest discovery is Friends Of Ours, an Antipodean-style brunch & lunch spot set up by two ex-recruiters working from the ground up.
From ripping out the old menu boards of the one-time chicken shop to sanding and painting the seats, Anthony and Man have put real care into making this charming little place work. Chef Sebastian, trained at Jamie Oliver’s Fifteen, is always experimenting in the kitchen.
Ozone coffee and fresh juices are a great place to start (we sampled apple, mint and cucumber – perfect after morning exercise) while perusing the menu, fit to burst with colourful and fresh produce.
From the delicious sweet potato and courgette rostis we tried, piled high with poached eggs, avocado and smoked bacon (£8) to the ‘One Man, One Pan (a heavy skillet filled with sunny-side eggs, peppers, chorizo, peppers, feta and cherry tomatoes, £8) everything on the breakfast menu is tempting.
If you’re leaning towards something more substantial, the likes of buttermilk fried chicken with roast potato waffle, sticky BBQ pulled pork brioche and jerk crusted minute steak are of similar prices (around £8).
Our plus one plumped for crab, crayfish and poached eggs on a soft white muffin with streaky bacon, which was also excellent – but the show was stolen by the dessert offering.
The ‘Elvis Presley’, a deep-fried doughnut filled with salted caramel and strawberry jam, is pretty special, but chocolate-lovers need look no further than ‘Spring Forage’ – the most exquisite dessert we can remember enjoying.
A beautiful mess of frozen caramel, edible dirt, chocolate ganache, strawberries, and what else, but edible flowers and a hint of beetroot – we’ve already planned a return visit for round two. And did we mention they’re both £5.50?
If you’ve room (and you’ll wish you did), it’s impossible to ignore the doorstop-thick slices of fresh cake, homemade cookies and tarts when paying your bill at the counter. We reckon this might be the final nail in the coffin for Shoreditch – RIP.
Address: 61 Pitfield Street, Hoxton, London,
Website: Facebook.co.uk/thefriendsofours