BRAT Restaurant

"Since opening, Brat has established itself as one of London’s perma-hottest restaurants. That isn’t just because of its open-fire cooking approach, which produces the glorious blackened bread with burnt onion butter, that carefully basted, beastly whole turbot, or one of London’s finest burnt cheesecakes. But also because the windows rarely open and it gets quite toasty in there, up high on Redchurch Street. No, we kid. It’s because this is quite simply an elite restaurant. Full of natural atmosphere and simply done, fantastic Basque-inspired food." - heidi lauth beasley, jake missing, daisy meager

"Brat could easily have started with a Venn diagram made up of three circles containing the words: Shoreditch, simplicity, oak panels. Despite the feeling of contrived cool that comes with some restaurants in Shoreditch, there’s nothing showy-offy here and the mantra of “stick it on the grill”, especially when it comes to seafood, provides smoky revelations. There’s grilled, bubbly bread with anchovies draped on top and smoking langoustines, but the standout dishes are the whole fish which are cooked to tender perfection. The turbot in particular is lauded for good reason—it’s flaky, a little smoky, and sitting in its own vinegary juices and marinade.    " - rianne shlebak, jake missing

"Grilled bread with anchovy If there was a cover star for London’s anchovy dishes, then it may well be Brat’s flatbread. The bubbling pillow of dough topped with butter, chives, and three lazily bathing fish is more photogenic than a WAG in the mid-2000s. If there’s a better combination to start a meal at the seafood spot in Shoreditch, we’re yet to eat it." - jake missing, heidi lauth beasley

"Woodsmoke will be the first thing you smell when you climb the stairs to Shoreditch’s Brat, and for good reason: Almost every dish on chef Tomos Parry’s Michelin-starred menu, from ruddy langoustines to puffy, blistered flatbreads, benefits from a spell on the restaurant’s massive wood-fired grill."

"Nearest Irish exit: Haggerston Park (1.4km) Paul Mescal’s Gucci blue eyes are staring broodily in your direction. You’re hot, bubbling even, and a little shiny too. Who are you? An acclaimed female American singer-songwriter who titles songs in lowercase? No, not this time. This time, you’re an anchovy flatbread. Mescal’s main interest at this British-Basque grill restaurant in Shoreditch has long been its excellent bread and it should be yours too, whether you spot him here or not. " - heidi lauth beasley, jake missing