Paradise Garage is the third restaurant from Robin Gill & co; the team behind acclaimed Clapham restaurants, The Dairy and The Manor. Their first East London venture is found at Arch 254 on the popular Paradise Row in Bethnal Green. Nearby to my favourite Sunday flower market at Columbia Road this eatery was the perfect pitstop for lunch a few weeks ago.
The staff are personable and quirky and quickly ushered us to a quiet corner table. The large dining room has a industrial feel, smartened up with the floral adorned tables. A feature bar takes centre stage and I’m sure many with visit just to try the accomplished cocktails on offer. I tried a Black & Stormy, a short strong drink made with Mount Gay BB rum, pineapple syrup, lime & ginger ice cube. It was perfectly balanced with a spicy kick from the melting flavoured ice and a rim of sugar granules.
Starving from our morning meandering we chose promptly from the tapas style menu…
Sourdough Bread with whiskey butter
Pork, Black Pepper & Apple Salumi £6.5
Grilled Sweetcorn, Hemp Seed&Savoury £5
Globe Artichokes, Padron Peppers, Fresh Curd, Herb & Chilli Salsa £8.5
Iberico Presa, Pig Head, Borlotti Beans, Anchovy &Lettuce £11.5
Caramelised White Chocolate, Strawberries, Raspberry & Lemon Verbena £7
The food was all innovative and delicious, similar in style to the sister restaurants. Head chef Simon Woodrow was previously with Michelin-starred Arbutus and his finesse with food shines through. Our favourites were the simple sweetcorn with nutty seeds and a contrasting yoghurty sauce and the rich and special Pork that almost felt healthy accompanied by creamy beans and refreshing grilled lettuce. The artichokes are a wonderful vegetarian option, a blissful combination of textures and tastes, including a particularly addictive herby salsa.
I felt this menu was proudly representing the season of summer, utilising all the ingredients you would hope to see in the warm summer months. Just when I thought the delicious food was over we were delivered a delectable dessert of caramelised white chocolate with vibrant red fruits and a tangy lemon hint. It was a wonderful palate cleanser and satisfied my sweet tooth.
Of the three Robin Gill & co restaurants my favourite is The Manor. That said Paradise Garage is hard to fault, and it is certainly nice to see another inventive eatery in the Bethnal Green area, which is fast becoming one of my favourite boroughs of London.
More information and book a table at Paradise Garage here.