Other restaurants may shout louder, but Eyre Brothers continues to deliver top-notch, authentic Iberian food at the trendy end of the City.
After over a decade in existence, Eyre Brothers is a trusted local fixture, equally attractive to couples, Shoreditch’s young movers ’n’ shakers and suited City persons deep in lunchtime conversation.
The cool vibe is in keeping with the décor – low-ceilinged, dark-wood and leather design is subtly smart and stylish;
contemporary yet classic without flimsy trendiness, and skilfully provides both sheltered spaces and large tables suitable for groups. For further intimacy, there are some very comfortable spots near the long bar, where tapas are available all day long. Service is top-notch, alert and individual.
The menus, which now seem more solidly Iberian than globe-trotting, focus on punchy flavours and vigorous seasonings. David Eyre’s ‘wonderfully eclectic’ flavour combinations work brilliantly – Spanish goats’ curd with broad beans, baked beetroot, walnuts and mint, a perfectly balanced dish of hake and clams with parsley, peas and white wine, or acorn-fed ibérico pork – ‘beautifully spiced’ with paprika and served medium-rare with potatoes, peppers and onions.
Simple but winning desserts such as whisky-macerated cherries with whisky ice cream round off a ‘thoroughly enjoyable experience’. Full-on, gutsy flavours from the heart of the Spanish Pyrenees to the Atlantic coasts of South West Portugal; Eyre Brothers serves food true to its roots with a deft touch of sophistication. The pricey wine list is stacked with high-quality Spanish and (more unusual) Portuguese labels that go down rather too easily.
With its sophisticated cuisine and sumptuous wines, it’s easy to see why this first-rate Iberian restaurant is long established as Shoreditch’s business-lunch rendezvous par excellence. Some say it’s even better at night, when it metaphorically takes its tie off!
| 70 Leonard Street, London, EC2A 4QX | Transport: Old STreet tube/rail |
| Telephone: +44 020 7613 5346 | Opening Times: Lunch served 12:00-14:45 Mon-Fri. Dinner served 18:30-22:45 Mon-Fri; 19:00-23:00 Sat |
| Price: Main courses £15-£27.50 | Website |
