Our members often entertain clients and colleagues in the City. Coq d'Argent, Rhodes 24, Le Pont de la Tour and Club Gascon are the most popular ‘straight' restaurants, but when members want something different there are quirky restaurants within a few minutes of the Square Mile. Here are our restaurant team's top tips:
Les Trois Garcons and Loungelovers
1 Club Row, London E1 6JX
At Les Trois Garcons, anthropomorphic stuffed animals (a regal swan with a crown, a bulldog fairy godmother), clocks, handbags and large glittery chandeliers compete for attention amid the dark-wood furniture and crisp, white linen tablecloths. ‘It's the campest French restaurant I've ever been to. Fun, upbeat and a surreal atmosphere,' says our restaurant expert Hernan Castro Vidal. The food is rich and, like any good restaurant, Les Trois Garcons has a tasting menu that will guide you through the different flavours and textures it offers. Hernan says: ‘The cuisine is more traditional than the decor, with dishes such as foie gras terrine and coquilles Saint-Jacques.'
The Loungelovers bar (also owned by Les Trois Garcons) is behind the restaurant, off an alley. It's easy to miss if you're not looking for it, but persevere – it's the best spot to start and finish your night. The cocktails are phenomenal, say members, and the bar retains the restaurant's atmosphere. It also serves light dishes, such as sushi and canapés. We can book Loungelovers for private parties, so let us know if you're planning a big celebration.
Guide price: £45
Bistrotheque
23-27 Wadeson Street, Bethnal Green, London E2 9DR
Located in a warehouse on an unremarkable East End back street, this restaurant-cabaret venue attracts an arty, stylish crowd, though you won't feel out of place in a sharp suit and brogues. The main room has huge windows that let natural light flood into the white, open-plan space, while its minimalist décor and exposed rafters give it an almost industrial feel. ‘This is still a great a destination restaurant for the urban crowd, attracting celebs such as model Agyness Deyn,' Hernan says. ‘The food is good and well presented, but it's the atmosphere and the cabaret show that's the main event.' The menu is a hearty mixture of British and French classics: grilled lamb rump, fish and chips, moules mariniere and steak tartare.
Once you've dined you can choose to stay for the cabaret, which tends to attract a mixed crowd. (We can book tickets to the evening's entertainment when we reserve your table). There are various alternative acts, but the comedy performers and cabaret-style singers are a must-see, and members say the evening's entertainment is ‘glam and outrageous'.
We recommend you book the main area of the restaurant – there's a second room but it lacks the energy of the main dining room. This restaurant is also a good option for Sunday brunch.
Guide price: £25
Hoxton Pony
104-108 Curtain Road, Shoreditch, London EC2A 3AH
Hoxton Pony's owner Gerry Calabrese (son of reknowned mixologist and bar proprietor Salvatore) and his partner, award-winning mixologist Andy Pearson, have not disappointed with this new venture, which brings a West End feel to the middle of the East End. Hoxton Pony takes its cocktails seriously, and uses only ingredients that are seasonal, sustainable and organic. It also applies these principles to its contemporary British comfort food, cooked by head chef Renaud Marin, formerly of Angelus: think East End pie and mash shops with an eco-friendly twist. The decor is very futuristic and highly stylised, with black walls that contrast with bright red tables, while the warm wooden floor offsets the cool steel features. Tables can be reserved in advance.
If you decide to keep the night going, the venue has a nightclub downstairs that's open from 7pm to 2am, Wednesday to Saturday. It plays everything from electro to rock and reggae. Hoxton Pony opens daily from 12 noon to 2am.
Guide price: £15
Hoxton Apprentice
16 Hoxton Square, London N1 6NT
Hoxton Apprentice is run by charity Training For Life, which aims to teach people the skills necessary to find a job within the hospitality sector. It's located on the corner of Hoxton Square and has an outside area at the front of the restaurant that's good for people-watching over the summer. The interior is stylish with an urban touch – exposed brown brick, white walls, red curtains and dark wood furnishings – and the menu of modern eclectic food is small but offers good value. Members particularly recommend the herb-crusted hake and saddle of Kent rabbit. Hernan says: ‘It's a good local restaurant, definitely one of the nicest in the area, and it's also a great place to stop off for a relaxed lunch if you've been shopping on Columbia Road or want an easy-going dinner after work.' The restaurant also has a good selection of wines on offer, most of which are under £30 a bottle. Just don't mention Jamie Oliver.
Guide price: £20
Hawksmoor
157 Commercial St, London E1 6BJ
There's nothing quirky about Hawksmoor, but this buzzy Shoreditch steakhouse, which attracts a mix of Hoxton trendies and City suits, is highly recommended by members. The decor is unremarkable, and the tables are pushed fairly close together – which accounts for its vibrant atmosphere – but it's the food that's the draw here. All meat is sourced from award-winning butcher The Ginger Pig (visit its Borough Market stall if you like what you taste here) and the steaks are dry-aged for greater flavour. Try the triple-cooked chips (à la The Fat Duck) as an accompaniment, before finishing with a huge portion of sticky toffee pudding.
After dinner you can stroll down to nearby Loungelover or Lounge Bohemia for some great cocktails.
Guide price: £35
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