Eline

Hoxton is rather shinier and more approachable since the completion of various new developments. Opinions about the encroachment of gentrification aside, that has resulted in one definite positive in the subsequent arrival of Eline - a sleek little neighbourhood bistro and wine shop that sits just around the corner from the overground station.

Restaurant co-founders Alex Reynolds and Maria Viviani have come most recently from much-loved East London bakery Pophams, which evolved into a fine bistro and pasta restaurant itself later in life. The pair bring much of the same pared-back, ingredient-focused cooking to Eline, as well as a carefully-curated wine list which focuses on old world bottles from smaller wineries.

Inside the restaurant has a calming, Scandi vibe - we love the mottled plaster walls and gentle light that plays off the smart pale wood tabletops and chairs. A banquette on one side of the restaurant is scattered liberally with cushions, and tucked away in the entrance you’ll find a cosy little snug, complete with a couple of armchairs.

It’s a peaceful space, made all the nicer by some balanced cooking that does justice to seasonal ingredients. Where some of London’s fancier restaurants feel the need to innovate with bread, Eline just serves great sourdough and great butter - perhaps not a surprise given their baking background. Embrace the urge to order the whipped chicken liver parfait too, and spread it generously with a dab of grape and pear chutney.

That sets the tone for some thoughtful, elegant dishes. A duck boudin blanc comes with delicate slices of pickled beetroot and orange segments - a clever take on duck a l’orange which provides sharp and sweet notes to cut through the rich fat of the sausage. A cutlet of hogget is a perfect rosy pink, and comes with a golden wedge of potato rosti and pickled onions. Desserts delve into the considerable pastry repertoire with a gorgeous, thin-crusted almond tart, and a chocolate-glazed orange cake.

The wine list is suitably graceful too - there are only a handful of wines available by the glass but there are plenty of bottles under the £30 mark. Hoxton isn't short of good restaurants, and Eline makes this corner of East London an even more alluring dinner destination.

Tucked away behind Hoxton’s railway arches and right around the corner from the station, Eline is a modern European restaurant serving seasonal French-inspired dishes alongside easy drinking natural wines. Eline is part of the Shoreditch Exchange development, and operates as a neighbourhood restaurant and also a wine shop.

Co-founders Maria Viviani and Alex Reynolds most recently worked at Pophams in East London, but Viviani has also spent time at the now-closed Restaurant 108 in Copenhagen and Mostrador Santa Teresita with renowned Argentinian chef Fernando Trocca, whilst Reynolds has spent the past decade at restaurants like Hide, Seven Park Place and Fenchurch.

Eline is named after Reynolds’ grandmother, and the restaurant cooks up seasonally-focused dinner dishes on a menu, which can be ordered as two or three courses with snacks and cheese courses as optional add ons. Ingredients are sourced as locally as possible, and the team prides itself on making everything in house. Alongside snacks like black Nocellara olives, the restaurant also cures its own meats.

Starters and mains includes dishes like pea and fresh mozzarella tart, mackerel tartare with pickled apple and gooseberries, walnut gnocchi with courgette dressing, and John Dory with plum tomato, Jersey Royals and sauce vierge. Desserts at the time of writing include a pistachio tart, and white chocolate and raspberry arlettes. 

The wine offering, meanwhile, is extremely adaptable, offering a three-course flexible wine pairing where wines are matched by the glass to your courses. Eline also has an impressive collection of wines by the bottle and delves largely into smaller continental wineries to pull out some lesser known gems. Expect an extensive list of low-intervention and natural pours from the Old World, with over 100 wines on its roster. If you come across a bottle you love, you can pop your head into Kimchi’s Wine Shop - named after Alex and Maria’s dog - and pick up a few bottles for yourself.