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Great Eastern Dining Room

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54-56 Great Eastern Street, EC2A 3QR Full details & map

Restaurant: South-East Asia

Time Out says 1 Users say 3/5 Rate it

By Time Out Editors Posted: Oct 20 2011

When a place calls itself 'one of London's trendiest restaurants' on its website, it sets itself up for a fall before you've even sat down. This Will Ricker outpost occupies a prime corner of Shoreditch, it's true, but on a busy Thursday evening the clientele was more City workers and tourists than East End hipsters. It does have appeal, though.

The bar area is airy and stylishly outfitted; staff are chatty, inventive cocktails flow and the mood is decadently bohemian. It's a slicker story in the adjacent dining room, with the dark wood, chandeliers and pared-down presentation of so many pan-Asian spots.

Food is a well-considered mix of dim sum, sushi, tempura, curries and grills, all served with efficient charm. We ploughed through cod siu mai and black bean dumplings; a generous portion of vegetable tempura; a perfect example of sweet, nutty pad thai; and a chicken, coconut and peanut sambal that really needed a starchy accompaniment. All were thoroughly tasty and satisfying, but few dishes really excited on the same level as the cocktail menu next door.

It's a similar story at E&O and XO, Ricker venues in Notting Hill and Belsize Village, respectively. At their best, they're fun, smart and useful - with friendlier service than you might expect in such fashion-conscious places.

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Tags: Asian, South-East Asia, Business, Cocktails, Creative cooking, Groups, Hip factor, Late night, People watching, East, Shoreditch, Expensive, Bar, Restaurant

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Great Eastern Dining Room details

Address

Great Eastern Dining Room

54-56 Great Eastern Street EC2A 3QR

Transport Old Street tube/rail or bus 55

Telephone

020 7613 4545

Great Eastern Dining Room website

GG's Bar Open/meals served 8pm-12.30am Wed-Sat. Main courses £4.25-£8. Ground-floor bar Open/dim sum served noon-midnight Mon-Fri; 6pm-midnight Sat. Dim sum £5-£6.50. Set meal £8.50-£9.75 bento box. Restaurant Lunch served noon-3pm Mon-Fri. Dinner served 6-10.45pm Mon-Sat

Main courses £9-£17.50. Set meal (noon-3pm, 6-10.45pm) £13.50-£18.50 bento box

Credit cards AmEx, DC, MC, V

Facilities

Babies and children admitted, Booking advisable ( essential Fri, Sat ), Available for hire, Entertainment ( DJs 8.30pm Fri, Sat ), Takeaway service

Great Eastern Dining Room map

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Comments & ratings 3/5 (Average of 1 rating)

By PD - Dec 9 2011

3/5

It's good for atmosphere if your in a large group/big night out with the girls type of thing. Food is a bit sloppy. They have tried with food but its more show than really tasty meals. Last time I went in there with 5 other people, the timing for the food was pretty poor, four of us had finished eating by the time the fifth main arrived.