No, Shoreditch’s appeal never goes away, but there’s definitely a resurgence in the air –
especially on Redchurch Street. Colloquially referred to as “the Bond Street of the east” by property dealers (it’s not for nothing Browns decided to open their first new bricks and mortar store in 20 years here, joining Versace Versus and APC), Redchurch Street is now the most sought after retail space in London this side of St Paul’s. With the fashion crowd well and truly bedded in, the hospitality crew has its eye back on it.
Smoking Goat is well established on Redchurch Street’s former strip club but chef and restaurateur Benjamin Chapman has now opened up the floor above to house Brat, ex-Kitty Fisher’s chef Tomos Parry’s first strike on a solo mission.
If you’re yet to venture all the way to Clapton to sample wellbeing through the concrete walls of super stylised BLOK, rejoice: they’ve opened a new fitness complex two minutes from Redchurch Street, at the base of the new Amazon HQ. Combining signature BLOK workouts with Malin & Goetz skincare, Essence Cuisine and photography exhibitions from co-founder Max Oppenheim, this is a sleek new offering for east London’s wellbeing scene.
And for another case of coming into the city, get to know Leroy, the new outpost from the team behind Hackney Central’s Michelin-starred Ellory. Like BLOK, they’re moving closer to the action, into a neighbourhood they’ve described as coming ‘full circle’. The new location, opening on 18th March, is set to be a bar first, restaurant second, in the former Edwin’s Wine Bar on Phipp Street. With head chef Sam Kamienko’s Parisian training, we’re expecting some Parisian cave à manger vibes, à la 40 Maltby Street and P Franco, with wines from Vignette Tardis, their winemaking project in Campania.
Oh, and did we mention reports of Nuno Mendes’ secret 14-seater Mãos in the former Hostem on Redchurch Street due in April? Watch this space, Shoreditch, there’s a reboot on the way…
