I have always been fond of East London\u2019s railway arches,the more now that restaurants, bars and even yoga studios are now making the most of these amazing urban features.
The Beagle occupies the arches underneath Hoxton Overground station, in Hackney. It is very elegant with a stylish industrial look made of bare-brick walls, cement floor, bare tables and iron candelabra \u2013 and so you never forget the station above, there\u2019s the regular rattle of the trains. There\u2019s also an outside pavement area with a retractable roof for sunny days (ideal for breakfast and brunch).
So far, ambiance agreeable and \u2013 as I discovered the food, from head chef James Ferguson, is delicious.
But the service was just this side of appalling. We ordered a bottle of white wine \u2013 there\u2019s a good selection between \u00a320 and \u00a330 but you can go much higher. This failed to arrive on time (and it took a good 15 minutes trying to catch the attention of our waiter before the bottle finally appeared, without a word of apology). Ordering food or asking for more water or bread was as painful an experience. We quickly realized that our waiter was not at all interested in our table during the whole time we were there.
Happily, the food is far better than the service! The menu is relatively brief; a small selection of modern British starters, mains and deserts, featuring seasonal ingredients used in sophisticated manner, with a chalkboard of daily-changing specials.
Starters are mostly from \u00a36.50 to \u00a39, main courses from \u00a314 to \u00a319 with vegetables \u00a34 or \u00a34.50. But there is an Express lunch menu at \u00a315 for two course and \u00a318 for three. Let\u2019s hope that Express diners get better waiter attention or they\u2019ll still be eating into the evening!<\/p>\n
My starter was a summery white peach with toasted almonds and perroche (goat milk cheese), while my companion went for Asparagus with lardo and walnuts, a seasonal classic, which was well executed.
We then both decided to go for the Black faced lamb accompanied by jersey royals and broad beans as a main. The dish was well balanced and the lamb was tender, cooked to perfection and really succulent. As we were eating we could see a few plates of grilled chicken coming out of the kitchen, which looked particularly appetizing as well. Be prepared for large portions, as all the mains are generously served.<\/p>\n
We decided to finish with the ginger loaf, served with homemade vanilla ice cream. The loaf turned out to be an absolute winner and I can\u2019t recommend it enough! It was again a very generous portion of really sweet and rich and sticky piece of cake so sharing is almost the only option! We thoroughly enjoyed eating it but I felt so full afterwards that I could barely walk home\u2026<\/p>\n
Verdict: a very pleasant evening with great food in a nice and unusual decor but disappointing service.<\/p>\n
Ginger loaf is a must (to share!).<\/p>\n
Beagle, 397-400 Geffrye Street, London E2 8HZ<\/p>\n
020 7613 2967<\/p>\n
Station: Hoxton (overground)<\/p>\n
Monday-Saturday: 12-3 pm, 6:30-10:30 pm; Sunday 11-5 pm<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
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