Lyle’s isn’t like other Michelin star restaurants. There are neither bells or whistles at this brazenly industrial warehouse space – not even tablecloths (though they will stretch to starched linen napkins). What you will find is utterly heroic British food.
Opened by James Lowe in 2014, the chef’s history as head chef at St John Bread & Wine seeps from every surface. Of course, the airy space recalls the white-washed walls of the iconic London restaurant, but you can also feel the pull of Fergus Henderson in the razorsharp dedication to sourcing the best-of-the-best seasonal produce and plating it up with less of a flourish, and more of a nonchalant shrug. Of course this diminutive quail is going to taste good, you can almost hear Lowe whisper, I caught it with my very own hands just this morning in the middle of Epping Forest.
A swirl of fresh summer vegetables seem plucked straight from a Beatrix Potter illustration
Many might attribute such blase brilliance to the influence of sleek, Nordic dining but it’s much more down to British modesty than Scandinavian sass. For our mid-week dinner, an eight course tasting menu (£119 a head), is delivered with charm and care but also an expectation that this is how everything could be if only people gave enough of a damn. First, of course, sourdough and cultured butter so creamy and salty it could almost be cheese, then a trio of beautiful, blissed-out starters. Pretty-pretty oysters with pink rosette apples assist a tangy tartare of Cornish tuna toast and a dollop of smoked cod’s roe served with a swirl of fresh summer vegetables that seem plucked straight from a Beatrix Potter illustration.
Then, a cucumber gazpacho with honeymoon melon and dotted with lemon verbena feels like a further, much-needed face plant into a Victorian walled garden. The fresh bounty doesn’t stop at the fish course, where meaty monkfish is delivered with a bloom of heritage tomatoes, then the tender, tiny quail, accessorised with fruity girolles and squidgy, baked peach.
Pudding today is a non-messy Eton mess style hunk of damson ice-cream with walnut and meringue, the perfect combination of sweet when it needs to be and savoury when it doesn’t. All of the edible English field is here from flora to fauna, on the ground floor of an old tea factory just off one of east London’s most hectic streets.
Lyle’s hyper-seasonal menu changes almost daily – which is why you can trust it. If the produce isn’t up to par, then a dish will simply be scrapped, or adjusted to incorporate whatever looks freshest and most fabulous. As an icon of the new wave of British dining greats, Lyle’s is very, very hard to beat.
The vibe Chic but industrial dining in an east London restaurant that’s held onto its Michelin star since 2015.
The food The very best of British, with seasonal, sustainable produce.
The drink There’s a deft wine pairing, but do make sure you try their house soft drinks, the mind-blowing fig leaf cream soda in particular.
Time Out tip If a full tasting menu seems a little steep financially, then lunch is a la carte and you can just order a couple of dishes.