Corner Room

We had a set menus for an event. I tried both white and red wine. They were both nice. The starter was a selection of fresh vegetables with two types of dips. Chicken with butter beans was very soft and tasty. The waiter and waitress were very friendly and welcoming. The corner room is a great venue for a small dinner party.

Unbelievable value - £30 3 course meal and aperitif through OpenTable. We were expecting a smaller set menu and premixed cocktail...really surprised by how fantastic this deal was. The service at the Corner Room was perfect - very warm and friendly. The host could not have been more accommodating - allowed us to choose any drink included in the fixed price as well as the ability to mix and match courses. Really delicious food - steak was very good and the puddings were exceptional. We will definitely be back.

I would like and I could give a 5 star review, but not for yesterday. The place looks stunning, simple and unique with a clear identity. The lady who was serving us was super nice and made the experience as personal as it has to be. One of the reasons I am giving 3 starts is that 2 of the three the starter's lacked creativity and generosity in portions (from the salad with tomato, cucumber and pine nuts and the burata, courgetes, fried cheackpeas and green sauce I was expecting better). That said, what influenced my rating was the super slow service! We ordered bread and butter 3 times and all the three times it took them 15 minutes to bring. We ordered the last one whe the mains arrived and it came after we finished. Also the mains arrived soooo much later than the starters. We were super hungry and to he honest this is really something that can ruin your dinner. The mains were very tasty (I had the salmon) and the vegetables were unexpectedly delicious! The dessert as well, simple and great. The price was quite reasonable I must admit. If they have tried a bit harder with the starters and more importantly if they were not sooooo slow, I would give them 5/5! If you have plenty of time and you are patient, you should give it a try. It worths it.

Delicious sharing plates, every dish was unique and full of flavour. Interesting textures and dish selection. Little but good wine choices. The interior is beautiful, it’s full of plants by grace and thorn! The service is very nice and polite. Highly recommended! Will definitely be back.

This meal was just incredible. By the end I ended up trying all the dishes. The staff was very friendly and the space is beautifully designed. I look forward to the next time I can swing by here. If you are a meat eater, you will be very happy. Make room for dessert.

What an absolute beaut of a hidden gem. This restaurant, tucked away on the first floor of the Bethnal Green Town Hall Hotel. We tried a range of dishes which were absolute delightful. We were left to our devices a little bit, but our waiter was wonderfully cheery and knowledgable! Must make plans to go back.

Lovely setting, intimate and cosy with staff that aren't overbearing. We had a set menu that was reasonably priced for the quality of food. Will definitely return!

The best restaurant in east London - we went on Friday evening, ordered most of the dishes and an incredible bottle of wine. Easily one of the best food experiences you’ll get from London when considering quality and price.

Yummy!!! I stayed at the hotel and ate at this restaurant as well as da terra (not part of the hotel but connected) which were the highlights of my stay. I loved my meal- the flavors were perfect and I ate every drop. The menu is short and simple and you can tell it's one of those places which does everything well. The only downside is that I wish the portion size was bigger. I was one person and ate everything in the pictures attached- although I'm American and probably eat too much! The restaurant was kind enough to do a half size of the pasta to fill me up which was great to sample a bit of everything. It was al cooked perfectly and the spacing between dishes was great. The atmosphere is relaxing and super friendly. There were two huge groups of 10+ and the staff was quick to strike up conversations with their guests and to check in. I happened to have breakfast included and the nice thing was that you cook receive one cooked item from the menu which was so nice. The only downside was that you could not substitute a cooked item for a smoothie and the smoothie was the smallest thing ever with the biggest ice cubes so definitely not worth it. Otherwise, definitely check this place out!!

Again a five star experience here when I can with my parents. The waitress was so lovely, the food delicious and still my favourite restaurant. The only drawback this time was that the chefs didn't present their own dishes like last time. Still amazing experience though and can't wait to return!

Very good food but it was very noisy and the service was not ideal. I would still recommend dining here but not on a weekend evening.

I must get my hands on the recipe for the Portuguese "bread pudding". Oh my. Service is okay, but that's beside the point because the food is SO good. I think of it as Viajante-level cooking taken off steroids. Innovative combinations but faultlessly executed, not to mention at a fraction of the price. My favourites include grilled squid with romesco, seabass ceviche and most importantly the Iberico pork with "bread pudding". Words cannot describe how delicious the bread pudding is - I can only imagine that A TON of butter went into making it. Chunks of soft buttery bread stewed in a tangy tomato sauce. Ahhh. Go early if you don't want to queue, or make it a late lunch. Be sure to order the pork/bread pudding dish - you can thank me later.

We turned up at 1.10 to a totally empty dining room which is fine or actually even nice because we can be loud and unfunny without fear. But we were shepherded to our table which was right in front of the door, and the table was a table for four people which had been laid out for five. There was a small unlaid table next to us perfect to add on which we asked if we could do. The man paused, looked quizzical then explained in great detail that this was how they laid out a table for five people. Riiiggggght. But seeing as there is absolutely nobody here and the table is unlaid and literally ten inches away, maybe we could use it to spread out and feel a bit more comfortable? A mumble and then further explanation that this is the way they lay out for five people (two people each side and then they simply put another set one end where there clearly isn't room). We dropped it. Scene set. 10 minutes later he came back and set up the extra table for us of his own accord. I'd almost prefer it if he had stuck to his guns. It's hard to bring it back from that point and the waitress didn't even try. The menu is small. Three choices of starter and main. Each with something challenging in it. Tony D, the oink of the group, asked what a brandade of cod was. She looked at him like he was some sort of clown - he is but that's not for her to know - and said "it's a FISH!" When he explained he knew the cod bit but not the brandade bit she positively rejoiced in her total ignorance, screwing her face up and producing a shrug which could register on the richter scale which said "why the fuck should I know?". Well you should know cos it's your job to know and if you actually became interested in the food you might enjoy what you do a little more. Thankfully the afternoon got much better. Good wine flowed, the company was great fun as usual and the food was fantastic. Delicious, thoughtful and so smartly presented. Classic flavours but feeling quite modern in the way they were put together. I started with a dish of a cheddar gooey base topped with a foamy onion thing. It was lovely. Great flavours and textures. Simply presented. Followed it with sea bream which had a perfectly done crispy skin and succulent moist flesh underneath. It was accompanied by the deep taste of fennel and the salty freshness of samphire plus some crunchy veg for texture and held together in a sauce which didn't stay on the plate long enough for me to give any real detail. The dishes were perfectly portioned even for a greedy guts like me but I juuuuuust had room for a pudding. Brillat Savarin cheesecake with an orange sauce. A total triumph. I've tried making this cake before and it was a complete disaster. This was expertly executed. Salty cheese filling, bitter orange glaze, sweet base (although not nearly enough of it). I envy the skill and I wolfed the product. We were joined by only one other table but the room is small enough that it didn't feel like we were sitting in an empty cathedral. The place is certainly smart and nicely done but it feels slightly style over substance. A wall of trendy lamps at the back. A spiral staircase leading to a brick wall up front. The food felt effortless. The place felt a little try hard. The menu was £25 for three courses, £19 for two. Something of a bargain but you'll pay with silly service and affected surroundings.

Someone, please fly me back to London. Having done some homework on new restaurants in the city, I decided to make the trip to Bethnal Green to try and find the place. I think this is the sister restaurant to Viajante? Which apparently closed? Anyway, once at the town hall hotel, I had some trouble actually finding the restaurant and got myself twisted around a bit, even ending up in a linen closet. But, once I did get through the door the lunch I had there was totally worth it. I started off with the bream. Sort of like a delicate ceviche, it came topped with thread-like apple strips and perfectly crunchy salt, and dotted with a great, deep green finishing oil and hazelnut pieces. Then came the iberico pork on barley pilaf. This was excellent -- rustic and subtle. The pork comes pink, which gave me some pause, but I suppose if you're working with bespoke swine like they are, you're allowed some more freedom with the preparation. Smoky and marbled, it was like a perfectly medium-rare steak of pork. A real treat in a quieter part of the city, the Corner Room does a bang-up job and won't kill your budget either.

Amazing little place. It is so nicely decorated, that you don't want to leave once you've stepped through the threshold. It seems like the place has it's own story to tell. The interior is a combination of modern and urban styles. Maybe the most memorable thing about it are all the lights hanging from the ceiling on cords with different lengths. You can have a lovely launch here, and I think it is appropriate for meetings. Although the food isn't something really amazing, it's still quite satisfying. They take time to decorate your dishes making them really fancy and I felt guilty for devouring my good-looking meal. The staff are all very polite and welcoming. Overall another good restaurant in the area, that deserves a visit.

People often ask me why I don't visit London more often, since my brother lives there. My steadfast answer: London sucks when you don't have money!!! However, lunch at this restaurant made me rethink my answer. Absolutely FABULOUS!!!

A town hall converted to a posh hotel/restaurant? Inefficient public servants swept aside by the profit-driven private sector? This could be Cameron's favourite eatery if he ever denigrated himself to visit Hackney (ok, ok, it's really Tower Hamlets)! But, fortunately, Dave is completely oblivious to the Corner Room. Not surprising, given it's complete lack of internet presence. Or sign. Even knowing of its existence, we still had to ask for directions at the hotel reception. Four of us turned up around 7pm on a Friday and were seated immediately (there's no bookings, and it can get busy). We were warned of the 90-minute table policy, but never felt remotely pressured to finish up for the second seating. Service was swift and attentive throughout the evening. Servers were well informed, but never pompous or pretentious. Most importantly, the food was great. And genuinely interesting. My mackerel and gooseberry sorbet starter was fantastic, quite unlike anything else I've eaten recently. Mains (aged beef with pomegranate, pork and bread pudding, duck with something bonkers) veered towards the small side, but were very rich, leaving one feeling satisfied but not stuffed. Critically, they left room for desserts. Which were equally tasty. The bill ran to ~£130 for the four of us, but there wasn't much boozing going on. Still, for such a high quality three-course meal, that's good value in my book. Get yourself over there before people start queueing out the door.

All I can say is the ibérico pork was the best meal I can remember ever having. Ever. Anywhere in the world. And it was the price of a pub meal. And around the corner from my house. No words. Don't think, just go. Now. YUM. P.S. The hotel is pretty amazing as well.

Stylish, tasty, clever, and light food. Worth every (not very much) penny. Should have its own Michelin star... or maybe even two.

The Corner Room is a quality fine dining experience. We went on a quiet Thursday night and had the taster menu. It costs £75 with taster wine. £45 without. We had the wine. Everything was excellent. I can't fault a dish that was served. A particular favourite was the foamed goats cheese. But the lamb was good and perfectly cooked. I highly recommend this place if you want something a bit special, but without the intensity of some Michelin restaurants.

I can't get over the Corner Room. CANNOT. GET. OVER. When I sat down with a group of friends we were all suddenly a-twitter with thoughts like: "could one of us get married here?" "could we have an anniversary party here?" "is this a space that we could use for a birthday?" "can we come here monthly for book club?" I, honestly, have no idea about the answer to any of the questions above. But I can share this: the Corner Room is meticulously decorated and will make you feel good to eat there. Even before you get to the food. Evenings are walk-in, and lunch service offers reservations as well as a 2 and 3 course prix-fixe menu. I had cod atop a clam porridge. It felt gutsy to order, but extremely comforting to eat. Sweet cod, only slightly briney clams, warm porridge. The service was impeccable, and my lunch companions were also impressed with their choices of beef tartare, confit duck yolk and savoy cabbage, and beet salad. Food plating was beautiful. Yelp note: it would be a shame not to check out the rest of the hotel while you're there. Art installations everywhere! Kiwi water in the lobby! Beautiful building with some very careful design choices!

You can go to Viajante, or you can go upstairs and get 2 courses for £15 or 3 courses for £19 at the Corner Room. Free on-tap sparkling/still filtered water, lovely and good. Also, if they screw up, they'll comp you something. Which they did to me. Yesterday. Hence: house Red at lunch. And not bad olde worldy wine. Yum.

Charming place. Casual but nice setting. 1. Beef Heart starter - 3 stars - decent flavor but they should have kept the meat in larger pieces rather than cutting them up into too small pieces. I felt the smaller pieces didn't offer you a chance to get a true flavor and texture of delicious beef hearts 2. Pork Main - 4 stars - now this I enjoyed very much. Pork was perfectly cooked with amazing flavor 3. Can't recall what I got for dessert but of course 2 bottles of wine and a bottle of dessert wine later for 3 ppl and you can see why i can't remember....:) 4. Wine select was limited but we did enjoy what we chose Will definitely hit this place up again!

LOVE LOVE this place. I have recently moved to London and have asked a few locals where would a good place would be to go for a nice dinner, where I DON'T have to spend a ton of money? The Corner Room is it! Rumor has it, that this restaurant was started by a Michelin starred chef who wanted to scale down and cater to local people who would be trying out some of his new creations. I am not 100% sure if this is true or not, but the prospect alone was enough to get me in the door. We were immediately greeted and served upon our arrival. 2 courses for about £20 each. I had the aged steak and broccoli spears and they both could not have been more perfect. My only complain we're the desserts, they were just so far out there and intricate that they were hard to enjoy especially after a complex meal. Other than that, please do yourself a favor and visit this place, you won't regret it!

I really like the Corner Room - its a hidden gem in this part of East London! Tucked inside a former town hall, its quite a small restaurant. But the food is delicious. You might be disappointed when first reading the menu as it sounds so simply described, but the technique, creativity, and flavours are just phenomenal. Prices are also really very reasonable for the quality you're getting.

Another place in which I had such a great experience that I am hesitating back and forth whether to review or not. If the ambiance, food and service remain the same the next visit I will be adding the Corner Room to my list of favourite places in London (currently only has two items on it which should give you an indication of how much I liked my meal here). The interior is full of wooden detailing and little quirky things like the tiny fire escape ladder leading to a minuscule door close to the ceiling, or the multitude of mixed lamps hanging along the rear wall. It's a really relaxed atmosphere and I just couldn't believe how deserted it was on a Saturday afternoon. At the its busiest that morning less than half of the tables were taken. So what about food? Well, as much as I thoroughly enjoyed everything else there the food was the thing that really stands out in my memory. In fact, thinking of it now elicits a Pavlovian response in me. Starter first, the beginning of the meal to entice you, pull you in, leave you wanting more. All this it did and more. A seemingly simple dish of chorizo and poached eggs turned out to have sublime features to it, little angels tickling the taste buds. As with the other dishes at the Corner Room it was about the combination of flavours, harmonious and complementing. On to the mains which were the highlight of the experience. The lamb with salsa verde was a picture of ordered chaos, everything about it reinforcing the desire to devour. Not being from the UK I have a confession to make I am not a fan of the lamb + mint combination but this is the one and only time when I've seen the light and understood the connection, so well paired they were that I set all objections and scepticism aside and ingested it while barely sparing time for breathing. The other main was the masterpiece of this procession of pertinacious perambulations of palate perplexity, a palliative for the appetite, combinations I weren't expecting. A description of Iberico pork with Portuguese bread pudding was not preparing me for what I was served. I don't like using the word as I think it's wildly overused but the best description is 'divine'. After finishing it I would gladly have licked the plate if the waiter wouldn't have hovered around our table. The pork was so succulent and tender that it was only second to the one at Dinner by Heston that received a Kobe beef style treatment. The bread pudding was really tasty and I felt I could easily have had another portion consisting of nothing but this. Dessert materialised in the form of brownie with blueberries and custard. The thing you are imaging in your head reading this is different from actually having it. It was definitely one of the best brownies I've had and the custard as well. Go, go now. Run, don't walk.

Let me start by saying that I very much enjoyed the food. The warm eel and beet salad was perfectly seasoned and flavorful. And the partridge with cranberry sausage (no casing!) and parsnip was elevated beyond homey or nostalgic to something that would fit at a Michelin-starred restaurant. However, the service felt somewhat uneven (e.g., one of the servers went as far as to offer alternatives to my wine selection for the partridge dish, ultimately letting me choose, and the other acted like he was doing me a favor to put the food on the table). I did find myself a little hungry afterward, but that may just be the fact that I was quite hungry to begin with. Notwithstanding, I would recommend visiting the Corner Room (at least once); the food is great, and the prices are right. The service may become an afterthought.

Awful. I went here based on positive reviews on yelp. This is not in a particularly nice section of town, certainly the superior attitude of the people there was not warranted. I was looking for a nice place for Saturday lunch. Because the reviews were so good, I walked a long way to get here. As I entered the hotel, there was a restaurant with empty tables. I was informed, in a not very pleasant way, that they were fully booked for lunch. The maître d', I think, waved vaguely towards the back of the hotel and said there was a restaurant upstairs. Because he was not specific, I ended up walking up and down several flights of stairs finding dead ends at each stop. I finally realized that it must be at the end of the building. I eventually reached the main desk and asked for directions to the restaurant and was again waved vaguely upstairs. I should have taken the hint that they were not very interested in my business. At last, after wandering around upstairs, I finally found the completely empty restaurant. It was clean but nothing special. The hostess was prompt in showing me to a table. The menu was very limited and I settled on crabs Benedict. Not too difficult. I asked for brewed coffee and an orange juice. The Benedict arrived with warm toast, cool egg, lukewarm hollandaise, and icy cold crab. Very disappointing. At that point there was no one around and I was hungry so I ate it. At least I didn't get sick from it. That's about the best I can say. Forget this place. Not worth walking to nor making any effort because there people there certainly did not make any effort to treat me as a guest.

For a restaurant of this caliber, you would expect good service. No, I'd say you'd expect stellar service. And for a space this small you'd expect it would be easy to get someone's attention. Oh no, no, no. First of all the hostess should be fired for never even cracking a smile and for being so aloof and clueless. The waiter we had was a joke. Couldn't open a wine bottle, got the order wrong, and was just crap for what I would have expected. We joked that I should just trip them as they ran by us ignoring us in hopes of getting their attention. Now the food was great--generous bread basket and stuffed olives to start, lovely appetizers--chorizo, squid, tomatoes, beretta and strawberries (yum), and ceviche (which was excellent). Mains were good (albeit small). I loved the Portuguese pork and the lamb was tasty as well, but one of the guys I was with needed a second main to fill up. Desserts were disappointing--some kind of frozen turnip milk thing was voted yuck by the entire table. My dessert was so deconstructed that I didn't know what i had ordered--it was supposed to be goat cheese caramel, berries, brioche--but I couldn't recognize the ingredients. And oh, they don't serve coffees or teas. Now I know I sound negative, but I did like it very much. The room is great--intimate, casual and unique. The food was excellent!!!! Wines were under 35. The hotel is magnificent and of course you can have tasty drinks at the Viajante bar while waiting for your table. Come early and prepare to wait!!!! And please if you are reading this, address the service!

Food is fresh. Decor superb. Service friendly and discrete. Will come back. (Only thing is that 2pounds for bread albeit the 1 piece of breadI had was heavenly)

This is the second time I've been to Corner Room. The first time was excellent. To my regret, the second time was pretty average. Three dishes from their already small menu were not available. The service was sub-par, particularly for a restaurant affiliated with Viajante. There was a lot of slamming cutlery, bottles, dishes down; without any explanation or even acknowledgment that we were there. There was a 25 minute wait between courses. The dessert (pannacotta) was served as a melting slop on a plate.

love love love. i think i went here 3 times in almost as many weeks and loved it every time. its not a place you would easily find, unless you knew where you were going. another project of Nuno Mendes, he flawless creates this other world, tucked away in the top of the Bethnal Green Town Hall Hotel. simple decor, with a wall covered in hanging lights, a spiral staircase that leads to nowhere, everything makes sense and yet causes you to do a double take. and then smile, in observation. the dishes are works of art, and yet not so over the top as to not be accessible. the service is friendly and professional. and sweet. and kind. the type of service that half of me thinks 'aww..' but not in a condescending kind of way. in a way that makes you believe that they love what they do. small menu, that changes a bit often. reasonably priced. amazing food. done.

I'm already a huge fan of the Town Hall Hotel, so when I was asked to organise lunch in Bethnal Green, I immediately suggested the Corner Room. They do a fantastic deal for lunch 2 courses for £19 or 3 courses for £23, what a winner! Nuno Mendez is a genius creating interesting menus based around seasonal ingredients. I had the sea bass cerviche to start, which had the cutest baby carrots I have ever seen and an amazing crunchy stuff sprinkled all over it. For main I had the Iberico pork with clams and yeast. It was delish! The yeast was a thin crispy sheet which absorbed the beautiful sauce. Didn't have dessert as I was there wasn't time but I did spy another table's and they looked very pretty. Great little spot for a cosy lunch or a pit stop for a coffee/tea.

I was really impressed with the overall cooking quality at the Corner Room, very good usage of fine ingredients, good depth of flavours with a clean and contemporary presentation. Not to mention the price which was amazing value for money, a main course costing £12.50 at that kind of level is just something I wasn't expecting at all, we ended up paying not even £25 per person in total for a two course dinner. Service was also smart and easy going and I would highly recommend Corner Room if you are seeking a great quality dining experience in Bethnal Green without needing to spend a fortune.

Food was delicious and really beautifully presented, but the service was pretty terrible. I was attended to by three different waiters, one of whom was polite, friendly, and knowledgeable, but the other two were woeful.

My friend raved about this place, and I can see why. An inconspicuous eatery hidden in the Town Hall Hotel (the building used to be a functional town hall), the Corner Room offers a modern take of basic ingredients. A bit risky to go there for dinner as they do not take reservations after 7 PM and you might have to wait a while, but no worries, there is an adjacent dimly-lit waiting room filled with old books and wooden furniture -- I felt like I should have struck a conversation about literature. We waited about 30 minutes on a Saturday night. The dining room itself is small; it holds no more than 30 people. I like the setup of the dining room with its many lamps hung on one wall. The drinks and food selection are limited, which means you will most likely not get something you want off the menu. Case in point, my friend wanted a simple vodka martini, and the hostess said they do not have vermouth or the martini glass for the drink. Yet they have Carpano Antica Formula Vermouth, which I suppose they do not make martinis? Some of their special drinks they had that night were "Southern Lemonaid" made with rum and "Lychee Punch." The menu was simple but interesting. We started our meal with some grilled St. Jude cheese, which reminded me of Camembert. I had a scallop appetizer, which was cooked and seasoned nicely. We only had 2 options for main course: cod with sprouting broccoli and white pork with onions (there were other ingredients but I forgot). I opted for the cod, which was juicy and delicious. The modern twist to the dish was the cod skin fried like a crisp; it reminded me of the Asian shrimp chips but tasted much better. My friend enjoyed his pork main as well. We ended our course with the only 2 desserts available: compressed strawberries with burrata cheese and shortbread and hazelnut frozen panna cotta. The strawberry dish was definitely a food-play (is that a term?) on a caprese salad. It almost tasted like that. The frozen panna cotta was reminiscent of hazelnut ice cream; I like this dessert better. Overall, it was a fun foodie experience for a fair price (about £45 for 2 drinks, shared cheese, starter, main, and shared dessert).

So I think I may have found another hotspot to add to my London list of favourite eateries. I had my sister in town visiting, so I was determined to take her somewhere fabulous. But with most hip and happening places in London these days, it's a no reservations policy. And in the case of The Corner Room, there's also no website or telephone number, so you'll just have to take my word, that it's gooooooood. Housed in the Town Hall Hotel in Bethnal Green, The Corner Room is the more laid back, baby sister of the reputable Viajante run by Nuno Mendes; one of the hottest young chefs around. The space is simple, light and airy, yet stylish in design; with the back wall featuring an eye catching installation of vintage style hanging lamps. We arrived at 6.30pm on a Tuesday night and were given a 2 hour turnaround time. And with one of us late (as usual), I decided to order for the table to save some time. So we basically order all the entrees on the menu. All at £7 each, the highlight for me was the squid with jersey royals and fennel, followed by the mackerel with melon, pistachio and gooseberry granita. Both were seasoned to perfection while the mackerel dish was a creative and innovative combination that (surprisingly) worked very well The Iberico pork pluma with Portuguese bread pudding (£12) for mains was pretty specialit came out rare!! For a brief moment I thought there might have been a mix up with the lamb rump dish (£12) we ordered, but it was then confirmed by our charming waitress that this was in fact how pluma should be served. And with every forkful, we were convinced. Soft melt-in-the-mouth deliciousness of rare Iberico pork pluma seems to be the way forwardnot that I'd ever be brave enough to make this dish at home though. Dessert wise (all at £5), the dark chocolate and caramel with peanut butter ice cream was a clear winnerThink of it as a deconstructed Snickers bar. At £35 a head with a glass of wine each, the Corner Room is a great chance to experience some of Nuno's culinary delights at very affordable prices. And with a constantly changing seasonal menu, this is one place I definitely plan to frequent regularly. A restaurant within a hotel, and by no means a hotel restaurant nobody is putting this baby in the corner For full reviews and pictures, please go to http://www.gourmetbelly.wordpress.com x

loved everything: the amazing food, most of all, but also the innovative style/decor and attentive service.

A pair of skinny jeans does not thee a competent restaurateur make... I went with friends for dinner on a Saturday. No reservations possible but we arrived by 7 to get a table - two of our party were 30 minutes late, and in that time we were badgered three times about if and when they were coming, despite the fact there were three empty tables, which remained empty for at least the next 90 minutes. Starters arrived embarrassingly fast and were absolutely tiny. Nice, but slightly odd flavour combos. One dish totally forgotten and delivered 10 minutes after the plates. Mains took a further hour and a quarter to come. Again, absolutely tiny - in fact, the smallest portions I've ever been served in London. Friends who ordered pork were surprised to see it served rare - apparently that's ok these days, but I'd have thought it might be something you'd mention upon taking an order. Again, one dish totally forgotten arrived 10-15 minutes later. We were offered pudding, which we ordered. By now the restaurant had filled up - the waiter "invited" us to take our dessert in the town hall room, on the benches - hardly conducive to conversation - he thought we might be more comfortable there. I'm not sure it was our best interests he had at heart... Pudding wine arrived after pudding had been finished (the waiter seemed to think that was the right time to bring it...) Finally, the bill. We split it 5 ways or so on cards as is customary in London - it was to be £60 per head (quite pricey given we all left starving, but driven by the over-priced wine list, coupled with the hour's wait for mains when there was nothing to do but drink). We were clear on the allocations (it was simple maths, 2 at £120 and 3 at £60) yet incredibly the waiter charged me £70. Of course I didn't notice until the next day. Was it a mistake? Was it that he felt he deserved an extra tip? Was it that he thought I was insolent suggesting I might have preferred the pudding wine with the pudding?... Really charming room and some interesting cooking, but AVOID until they sort themselves out by hiring a professional to run the front of house.

What really suprised me about this place is that they didn't let me order a take away, so that really dissapointed me but overall the coffee itself wasn't too bad

A small part of me almost didn't review - just to keep this gem for myself. After getting a taste of Nuno Mendes style during London's restaurant festival - I knew we needed to make it over to Bethnal Green for the real deal meal. I decided to ease into it with the Corner Room, after finding a deal for 3 courses and an aperatif for 25 quid. I can say, by far, this is the best lunch I've had in London. We got there quite late in the day with our reservations so the pork and steak were gone - we settled on the sea bream and pigs head for appetisers and lamb and whatever the fish special was for our main course. None of the main courses sounded particularly appetising from the mere words on paper - but we were pleasently surprised. Both my partner and I are rather quick eaters - not to say we don't enjoy our food - but we have a tendency to go out to dinner and return home within the hour. Corner Room was in a league of it's own, though. We ended up tallying a bill of about 80 quid and spending 3 hours - slowly going through our courses, enjoying a wine pairing, and finishing off with limencello and coffee. It was one of the most enjoyable eating experiences I've had yet in London. The pairings of tastes are really unreal (don't miss the beetroot dessert!) As the menu changes infrequently - we will make the seasonal trek over - I look forward to trying the sister menu at Vijante.