Hoxton Grill at The Hoxton Hotel

Continuing the Shoreditch theme – it’s a fast track route to my daughters good books (I think she feels it not only makes her cool by just being in the right post code, but also makes her corduroy wearing father slightly more acceptable), we headed for a quick bite to eat at the Hoxton Grill. We’d just been to see the Dennis Severs house on Fournier Street – so in return for a little culture, the kids get taken out to lunch. Very good it was too. My daughter, of course was desperate for a mojito. While she was in the loo, I arranged for the bartender to make her one without the rum, he was very understanding, she was none the wiser and I continued to look like a cool dad who bought her daughter drinks. We were in a slight hurry to get back to Twickenham so we skipped starters. I had a broccoli and Gorgonzola risotto – heavenly. The kids both went for burgers – which looked great and they were really happy. Nothing like a burger to keep them content. My wife, in an unusual fit of calorific lust, chose macaroni cheese with bacon. She was in raptures. We both had a baked New York cheesecake for dessert – delightful, while the kids had waffles with caramel sauce. Again, they really enjoyed it. I had a small lager to wash it all down with – something I don’t often drink but given the diner nature of the place, I thought it appropriate. The bill was on the high side of reasonable, but the food and service were both great, and I continue to be a cool dad. For now, at least.

While the venue does have it's charms – especially considering the urban surroundings of Shoreditch – the Hoxton Grill relies too heavily on its Soho Hotels Group DNA. Service is O.K. but not consistent and then there is what the food: meat dishes are a bit better, but steer clear of the fish which was on the verge of catastrophic.
All this is a shame as this part of London would need a place like the Hoxton Grill aims to be. I suggest a drink at the Hoxton Hotel's bar instead – dinner definitively elsewhere.