Brat

Chef-patron Tomos Parry worked at restaurants including Kitty Fisher’s before he opened Brat above Smoking Goat in Shoreditch in 2018. He’s since gone on to turn a residency at Climpson’s Arch in Hackney – where he worked before Kitty Fishers – into a second site for the restaurant. 

In food terms, Parry is influenced both by the food of his native Wales with the wood-fired grilling culture of the Basque Country. A whole grilled turbot, the nickname for which lends the restaurant its name, is always a standout, as is the anchovy flatbread, and a beautiful aged Galician steak, with a beautiful and flavourful fat cap, is also delicious. Ask the waiting staff to select your wines if you’re stuck for ideas, or try the wine of the month, usually an interesting pour from a small producer.

The Shoreditch restaurant won a Michelin star in 2019, but despite that, there’s no hushed atmosphere or white tablecloths. The atmosphere is vibrant, and music and chatter fill the room, while the food made for sharing keeps things sociable and fun.