Hoi Polloi

100 Shoreditch High St 

London 

E1 6JQ

Hoi Polloi is in the Ace Hotel in Shoreditch - I meant to see if I wrote about this the first time around (my birthday last year) but I am too lazy and this meal was amazing enough to write about it again anyway. This time it was A's birthday and he was excited to come back - we had some fabulous cocktails to start, along with a few oysters, and then jumped into giant main courses. My duck breast with a pearl barley risotto was so full of duck flavors - I think every bit of the risotto tasted of duck as well, I almost risked licking the plate clean. A went with a special - the enormous rib eye you see above, which was superbly cooked and juicy as hell. He just about got through it though it was not looking possible for a little while - I had to help him out (poor me). I still love the ambiance of this place - perfect for a slightly special occasion. It may become our go-to celebration spot.

Lounge Bohemia

1E Great Eastern Street
London EC2A 3EJ

Haven't been here in a while but decided to visit again since we had guests. Still love the dimly lit alcoves and 50s decor and the drinks list is as interesting as ever. Had a lovely drink called "Tea for Two" in a teapot (pictured) along with a Gypsytini, full of rosemary flavors, and a Tree Sap, which incorporated oak syrup into a drink served in what looked like a tree trunk with another piece of bark wrapped around the straw. After that round of drinks, we tried a Lab Test, which was six test tubes filled with their "sweet" shot, which tasted like chocolate orange and was accompanied by six slices of actual chocolate orange. Also had the Parisian absinthe which came with the coolest looking water drip vessel - we were instructed to let water drip on a sugar cube suspended on a slotted spoon over the glass of absinthe until the sugar was completely dissolved. Too bad I hate licorice flavors.
They also give you a little dish of four free canapes - they were pretty bizarre though and I chose poorly, ending up with overly salty anchovy and manchego cheese in my mouth which was thoroughly unpleasant. Certainly would not pay for these (they're on the menu).