100 Shoreditch High St

"There’s something fishy about Goddard & Gibbs. Unsurprising, given it’s a seafood restaurant. But, also, not particularly welcome. The flashy restaurant is one of a couple in One Hundred Shoreditch—the enormous site that was formerly The Ace Hotel—and it’s somewhere that’s best avoided unless you’re floating about the area looking for a shiny sanctuary. The room is typically impressive in a Made In Chelsea relationship showdown-type way but the food is sadly all at sea. A sourdough crumpet is the pick of the bunch, though the flavour of the bread dominates the delicate cured mackerel, while the less said about flabby calamari and a Cornish fish stew that tastes of two parts tinned tomatoes and one part of tremendous under-seasoning, the better. That said, they mix a perfectly serviceable martini and we wonder how much one can cock-up fish and chips. Find out for yourself if you’re after a last resort, lifeboat type of restaurant." - Jake Missing

"The cool credentials of the Ace Hotel group (with properties in New York, Portland , Palm Springs, and Los Angeles ) show little sign of retreat. Even the unprepossessing exterior of this outpost—hidden within the shell of a former Crowne Plaza hotel in the heart of London’s burgeoning East End—hasn’t deterred the crowds. Young, friendly staff in Ace-branded baseball hats, drainpipe jeans, and Converse trainers welcome you upon arrival. Dotted around the lobby are vintage-style, fixed-gear Tokyobikes and a retro-inspired photo booth. Elsewhere, reclaimed furniture and polished concrete walls abound. A long, bench-style table sees freelancers hunched over Macs during the day, in a space that evolves to welcome a passing array of local mums and business types, before DJs take over and the downstairs bar starts shaking. Perhaps that’s where the brand’s success lies—in evolution—because despite creating a string of much-imitated hotels, no single one is the same. The Shoreditch addition is no exception, brandishing a unique, local character that still manages to play an Ace card."

"That Flower Shop, Shoreditch. A small shop wall to wall with colour and fragrance. This tiny haven in Shoreditch High Street has been a saviour on many a forgotten birthday! The florists here have a great eye for detail and can create bouquets perfect for any occasion."