254 Paradise Row, London E2 9LE
Chef Robin Gill
September 2016

Paradise Garage, nestled along a row of converted railway arches in London’s “hipster central”, is the third offering from chef Robin Gill. Its eminently a la modé menu is based on seasonal produce with plenty of home curing, infusing and technical flair. So is this eatery all bark and no bite? Not at all, Paradise Garage delivered consistently high quality on all fronts, and, given its short distance from Bethnal Green station on the Central line, it’s an easy recommendation.

The details:

Food: 7 / 10

– Amuse-bouche –

Sweetcorn mousse, tomato chutney & oat biscuits
An interesting and completely moreish start to our meal. The sweetcorn mousse on its own was divine, light, airy and punchy with fresh flavour. The counterpoint of sweetness from the chutney was perfect, leaving one sorely tempted to lick the bowl clean.

Sourdough bread, smoked whiskey butter & salami
Reminiscent of the city, the smoked whisky butter is an intriguing concept – very easy to get wrong and a bellwether for the kitchen. Luckily for us, the butter was beautifully done; both the smokiness and the whiskey are muted, scintillating the tongue when paired with the sourdough bread. The salami didn’t come at the same time as the bread (we were not complaining as the oat biscuits on the amuse-bouche quickly ran out) and consisted of two varieties: black beer and fennel, both tasty but nothing that wouldn’t look amiss at any of the artisanal fairs around London.

– Starters –

Lamb heart, fennel kimchi & black pepper
A simple dish that was carried by the quality of the ingredients. The lamb heart was delicate with a great texture while the fennel kimchi was extremely well-executed and tasted fantastic.

Heritage tomatoes, barbecued cherries, tomato & elderflower consommé
The tomatoes were well chosen – more aromatic than sweet, which allowed the caramel of the cherries to pop alongside the elderflower. Delicious.

– Mains –

 Crispy pig head, radish, chicory & capers
This was easily the highlight of the meal. The pig head had a huge depth of flavour and a great texture. The chicory and the capers then took the plate to another level, not quite shiver down the spine good, but on the verge of it.

Bobby beans, smoked curd, sorrel & apple
A well put-together dish, but more aesthetically pleasing than gastronomically intriguing.

Willy’s charred mackerel, beetroot, cultured cream & mustard seeds
A classic dish that could have done with a lot more crispiness and char to the mackerel to bring it to centre stage. Instead the perfectly cooked beetroot stole the show.

Daphne’s Welsh lamb, smoked potato gratin, runner beans & snails
Another classic dish showing some cracks in the kitchen. As a whole it was good, but there were some niggles; a paucity of snails, the smokiness of the gratin being non-existent, a fifty:fifty fat to meat ratio on the lamb (not a problem for me but a deal breaker for some).

Norfolk quail, borlotti beans, apricots & almonds
The caramelised apricots, paired with the flaked almonds played well and accentuated the slight game flavour of the quail. The dish also came with a few leaves of swish chard that gave a wonderful earthy juxtaposition with the apricots.

– Sweets –

 Blueberries, yoghurt & amaranth
Simple, sweet and photogenic.

– Desserts –

English strawberries, smoked buttermilk & popcorn
After the delicate smokiness of the butter (and general all round excellent execution) the buttermilk came as a huge shock. Its taste was akin to eating a cigarette and completely decimated the dish, a shame as the strawberries and popcorn were excellent.

Hazelnut & Frangelico panna cotta, sweetcorn sorbet & corn bread
The panna cotta was brilliant; good texture, not too sweet and with a deep hazelnut flavour. Whether it works with the sweetcorn sorbet is another question. For me they didn’t gel properly, though they were both delicious on their own.

Service: 7 / 10

Friendly, accommodating (we managed to get a mix of the tasting menu and a la carte), and efficient.

Price point: A bit more than the high street, but worth it.

If your eyes are bigger than your belly, ordering many small dishes (as is recommended) will cause a painful dent to your wallet.

In conclusion: It’s great to find one more restaurant where you could get a great meal by picking dishes at random, doubly great for it to be in amongst the all style and no substance crowd.