Albers’ sweet, airy and pine-clad corner space feels as if you’re in the neat studio of a particularly humble architect or maybe a Scandinavian school for gifted children. There’s even a dash of the minimal Quaker Meeting House about it. It’s this 1960s Montessori energy that makes you feel what’s about to happen will be effortlessly great, despite the fact quite a large amount of serious effort has been put in, from the deftly sourced fresh produce, to the welcoming, friendly team. Which is exactly what happens at our midweek dinner in the Dalston hinterlands.
Mains feel like they’ve been prepared by a kindly aunt
Opened in 2024 by former tree surgeon and artist Scott Pattinson, and named after his dog (who in turn was named after Bauhaus-trained painter and Black Mountain College teacher Joseph Albers), the fact Albers feels like a classroom is no surprise. A self-taught chef, Pattinson’s menu is guided by feel rather than rigorous structure. This makes for a confident but playful meal. Oysters come bobbing in peach vodka and horseradish, a touch wet maybe, but what’s more fun than fruity vodka running down your chin? The menu’s robust, clarified pina colada, maybe.
‘White miso-glazed turnip with pear and toasted milk’ sounds like something Beatrix Potter might whip up had she been a harried Hackney millennial, but is surprisingly charismatic, with lean wedges of pear balanced on squidgy turnips that have been coyly caramelised at the edges, then coated in a deeply umami and proudly beige dressing. A goat’s cheese mousse with pickled peach and drizzled with honey exists in the bardo between starter and pudding, a cool pannacotta-coded dip that couldn’t be more summery if it tried. We’re not overly keen on the comte cheese puffs, which manage to be somehow too cheesy and not cheesy enough, but a crisp crostini topped with stracciatella, a plump anchovy and orange rind shavings is the picture of masterful simplicity.
If you want to get romantic about it, mains feel like they’ve been prepared by a kindly aunt on an outdoor stove in a field strung with bunting. Pummelled pork schnitzel with a golden crumb straddles creamy and plump borlotti beans and is dolloped with a sticky fig mustard. Cavatelli with yellow courgette and lemon ragu gives the impression that the veg has been picked only seconds before hitting the pan. It’s all rather whimsical, but steers clear of extreme tweeness thanks to Albers’ unassuming surroundings. A great little place.
The vibe Friendly bistro dining in sleek De Beauvoir Town that wears its finesse lightly.
The food European-inspired dishes brimming with seasonal fruit and veg.
The drink A tidy wine list plus Venetian spritzes, spicy margs, negronis and vermouth on ice.
Time Out tip It’s not a vegetarian restaurant, but plant-eaters will be more than taken care of at Albers.