If you’re the type who likes playing the odds, might we suggest placing bets on the London-based Grind group? What began as a dual concept bar in Shoreditch back in 2011 – espresso by day, cocktails by night – has burgeoned into a fully-fledged entertainment empire that includes nine cafes, bars and restaurants, including, of all things, a recording studio.
The latest venture, Clerkenwell Grind, sees the group return to the East End. Long-time collaborator Melbourne-based studio Biasol has stepped up again for design honours, this time converting a 1870s Grade II-listed warehouse into a plushly textured two-storey restaurant and bar.
The four zones – dining room, two cocktail bars, and private room – are a visual treat as floorboards have been restored and paired with herringboned oak, and pink terrazzo stone tiles, while timber panels, and Carrera marble are nicely set off by swatches of deep royal blue wall fabric and ovaloid mirrors.
In his basement kitchen, executive chef Kyle Boyce – ex-Soho House – turns out an all-day menu that parses British, Italian and Australian influences, such as sweet potato harissa cakes with a poached duck egg, and black truffle tagliolini by night. The coffee, of course, is first-rate. Last summer, the group opened a roaster in Shoreditch – the resulting fragrant grind is then shipped out to all the outlets.
ADDRESS
2-4 Old Street
London EC1V 9AA
-
Wild beauties: high jewellery dripping with dramaThe latest high jewellery collections are fantastic and flamboyant, drawing on a wealth of influences, from a Chopin composition and César Ritz to crocodiles and colour refraction
-
This Sydney house is a family's stylish seaside sanctuaryThis Sydney house is a young family's suburban dream come true thanks to Alexandra Kidd Interior Design and Rich Carr Architects
-
This remodelled San Francisco family home by MEMarchitecture and Studio Volpe is a masterpiece of soothing modernityA sensitive and coherent approach by the San Francisco-based architects and designers has resulted in a home of tactile beauty, character and comfort
-
London’s Covent Garden makes the perfect cosmopolitan backdrop for new British-French bistro, HenriBritish chef Jackson Boxer and French designer Dorothée Meilichzon reunite for Henri, a restaurant located inside darling hotel, Henrietta
-
Step inside Cowley Manor, a refreshed 300-plus-year-old spa hotel in the CotswoldsExperience bucolic bliss at Cowley Manor, recently renovated by architects De Matos Ryan and interior designer Dorothée Meilichzon
-
Seven London late-night restaurants worth staying up forOur food critic picks the best late-night restaurants London has to offer, dishing up excellent food in stylish surroundings after midnight
-
Café Petiole is a pastel-hued, plant-based haven within Somerset HouseDesigned by female-led studio Duelle, Café Petiole’s romantic interiors complement a vibrant vegetarian menu by chef Rishim Sachdeva, at Somerset House in London
-
Cabaret, martinis and Yorkshire puddings: The Cockatoo by Bistrotheque has it allThe Cockatoo, a bar, restaurant and performance space designed by Nice Projects, adds spice and rhythm to storied east London venue Bistrotheque
-
Recharge at Praktyka, the glamping spot all creatives should knowArchitectural cabins and art workshops await at Praktyka, a creative retreat on the wild North Devon coast
-
Tollington’s is the new Spanish-inspired fish bar making a splash in north LondonTollington’s in Finsbury Park is a new opening from the team behind The Plimpsoll, championing Spanish-style dining and interiors
-
The Orangery at Kensington Palace offers high tea and verdant vistas in a royal London settingThe Orangery at Kensington Palace Gardens is the perfect green setting for a sunny day treat of afternoon tea and more
