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Lyle's

London, UK

The epitome of Modern British food in an historic location

The space: Originally built as a factory for Lipton, Lyle’s is housed in trendy Shoreditch’s Blitz-surviving Tea Building. Décor retains a mixture of utilitarianism – think ash and elm tables or reclaimed British oak and walnut given a new lease of life as wine shelves – and brutalist poured concrete floors. Chef James Lowe was adamant that bums should sit on the Windsor chair, a design classic; Lyle’s is also well equipped in the natural light department, with sunlight streaming in through enormous Crittal windows.

About the chef: After dining two consecutive nights at St. John and The Fat Duck as a 20-something graduate, Lowe was so blown away by the different experiences that he became convinced that he too should run a restaurant. Jacking in his dream of becoming a pilot and after notching up experience with Heston Blumenthal, Fergus Henderson at St. John and a longer stint at The River Café, Lowe then took the pop-up route with chef friends Ben Greeno and Isaac McHale under the ‘Young Turks’ moniker. Seven years ago, he opened up a permanent space in east London’s Shoreditch, aiming to identify British food in this day and age and the rest, as they say, is history.

On the Pass

James Lowe

On the menu: The short and sweet daily menu is micro-seasonal, showcasing what’s best on any given day in London and the UK; the wine list follows suit. Attention to detail starts at origin and working with producers is key: fish is couriered from Cornwall while every week in summer the Lyle’s team drives to the south coast to pick fruit. Lowe’s philosophy sports common sense, with dishes focusing on a particular moment in a particular season: during the shooting season, gamebird or venison is likely to be the main protein – think wild duck breast cooked at a low temperature in a wood oven, served with preserved wild mulberries and red cabbage. Monkfish, Pink Fir potatoes and preserved gooseberries is a true highlight. Lowe also enjoys challenging diners with oft-forgotten products such as mutton, cooked over the grill with beechwood charcoal. 

Other projects: In 2019, Lowe launched bread-focussed Flor in the heart of London’s Borough Market. After working out how to elevate a two-ton bread oven up a spiral staircase, it’s well worth checking out either for lunch, or to simply takeaway some of the inventive pastry work.

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