Restaurants

This pub of two halves sports a spruced-up boozer on the ground floor and a charming dining room above. Tapas-sized snacks and Sunday lunches are served downstairs, which can get boisterous with after-work drinkers. Upstairs feels like another world: calm, relaxing, with attentive service and old-fashioned decor and soft lighting. There’s also a small terrace for summer dining – out here it’s hard to remember you’re in Shoreditch. The short, daily-changing menu makes tempting reading (as does the succinct wine list): grilled sardines on bruschetta with gremolata, or globe artichoke with shallot vinaigrette, say, followed by pan-fried sea bream with salsify, clams, and pea and broad bean broth, or poussin with asparagus and roast tomato. There’s cheese from La Fromagerie too. The execution is less reliable, however. We’ve had some fine feeds here, yet our most recent meal was a letdown, especially a rump steak with chips and béarnaise that looked great but was chewy. On the plus side, pan-fried halibut with lentils and salsa verde was OK, and baked cheesecake with passion-fruit sauce made a good finish. We’re hoping the steak was a blip, as we like the Fox’s style.

Time Out Eating & Drinking Guide 2009