The Hoxton Grille, Shoreditch

The Hoxton Grille
81 Great Eastern Street
Shoreditch
EC2A 3HU
020 7739 9111
www.grillerestaurants.com
Monday - Friday: 7.00am - 11.00am
Saturday & Sunday: 8.00am - 3.30pm

by Koffee Annan

I’m not normally one to be swayed by the allure of the January sales, which are a retailer's chance to clear the stockroom of the poor quality, unfashionable or downright ugly items that we consumers have refused to buy all year. So when a restaurant offers ‘The great winter sale’ with 50% off the food portion of the bill, diners must book with trepidation. I imagined a chef’s hand groping around the back of the fridge and dragging out some of "last season's" mushrooms or some bacon still in its Bejam packaging.

Having accepted a free night’s stay at the Hoxton Hotel and been disappointed with the lack of satellite channels (not one internationally dubbed episode of Columbo to found), I bounded through the industrial-style corridors of the third floor down to the public restaurant, picking up a free newspaper on the way.

I was seated and my full English arrived. The first thing I noticed was that the double egg was displayed atop a toasted slice of Sunblest quality bread. If Mrs Annan had not had the foresight to book in advance, entering us into the 50% off agreement, I would have been heartily disappointed, but I ploughed on regardless. The ‘regional’ sausages alarmed me (I’m not aware of an abattoir in or around EC2) but were tasty nonetheless, the Portobello mushroom was this season's and the tomato proved a decent enough palette cleanser. If I were paying the full price of £8 not including drinks, I may have muttered a few cheap digs under my breath on leaving, but with the discount I think it makes a rather fetching bargain.

Recommended, but for a limited period only.