Our Dan heads down to Dalston to see what an ex GQ cover model now turned head chef has been upto. Verdict? A lot of the kind of food you might get in a ‘fancy’ restaurant but with none of the pretension (and yes, this is East London). Cosy :3
Rating
Cuisine:
Modern European
Appeals to:
The cool and slick, the mature and wise, natives and polygots alike.
Established in 2012, the owners identified a gap in the market for authentic European cuisine. Floyd’s is a friendly restaurant tucked away from some of the hectic spots in Dalston.
In a word:
Cosy
Who’s Floyd?
Jack: What happens when an ex GQ cover model decides to become a chef and open a restaurant in Dalston? Floyd’s does. In 2012, Konrad Lindholm (said model now turned head chef) and his business partner Nathan Miller set up shop in lovely Dalston, and it appears they haven’t looked back since. Floyd’s is, at least in appearance, exactly what you would expect of Dalston’s ‘shabby chic’ aesthetic ambiance (though these days I guess it’s heading more towards ‘chic’ and less towards ‘shabby’).
The interior is small, minimalistic and wooden (with a little tiling) – light colours pervade the place, and every candle lit table is set with flowers. Them ‘Faux-Scandinavian romantic evening in East London’ vibes. I’ve heard a few people complain about the lack of cushions on chairs here, BUT CUSHIONS ARE FOR THE WEAK. The place definitely looks like it used to be a shopfront, perhaps an antiques store or something similarly short lived and trendy.
About 5-10minutes away from the clamour and traffic of Stoke Newington Road, Floyd’s can be found on a quiet spot next to a sprawling and somewhat formidable looking school called The Petchey Academy. All of this contributes to a unique ambiance that is hard to describe but also quite refreshing. The food is modern European, and to be fair – punching well above its weight in terms of price and my expectations (and I should not have expectations by this point).
Modern European on the main part, the stuff we ended up with is the kind of food you may expect to find on your plate in a far more central (and more expensive) London location. ‘Contemporary’ would be one word for it, I guess – and, like lots of good restaurants, it is very seasonal (you can smell the ink on the menu…and by menu I mean a piece of A4 paper with the food written on it). Also worth mentioning is that Floyd’s is a splendid spot for vegetarians, there’s lots of non meat and non fish options.
There’s a pretty reasonable selection of drinks – the classic cocktails are well represented (along with a few of their own), and they source a nice (though not immense) selection of wine from their next door neighbour, wine merchant Aleksic & Mortimer…
Starters: Stilton, Pickled wild Mushroom and Almond Salad, Parmesan and black pepper Biscotti
Dan: Deciding on a starter is always tricky; it sets the precedence for the rest of the night, as a bad one may have you questioning the rest of the menu. Reading it plainly, cheese, nuts, mushrooms, salad, and a biscuit are some of my favourite things. But together can it really work? With so many flavours, it’s in danger of being a complete mess.
Thankfully this starter did no such thing and only had me questioning why such an unusual mix works well. The mushroom and salad provides the base, with the almonds and stilton decorating the rest of the plate with the biscotti resting on top. The crunchy textures of the almonds are immediately offset by the texture of the wild mushrooms, whilst the softness of the stilton meshes nicely on the pallet.
Oh and there’s the biscotti, which is left until last. It’s okay, a bit tough but when it’s broken up it can be used to wipe up the debris left on the plate.
The Wine: Fatalone Primitivo 2014
With a list of unfamiliar wines and being a bit clueless when choosing a good bottle, we asked our waitress from Chicago for some suggestions; with the Primitivo sounding like the most apt for our upcoming dishes. Grown in southern Italy, the primitivo vine is known to ripen quicker than other grapes in this particular area of the country.
Now, with all that considered, it gives the 2014 bottle a fruity, rich smell with a full bodied, silky taste that lingers long on the tongue and warms the soul on a cold night. It’s a reasonable price too. Perfect.
The Main: Pheasant Breast, Cauliflower Puree, grilled Cep mushroom, cavelo nero, smoked bacon, jus
We’re settled now, the wine is flowing, the chatter is getting louder and the place is getting busier, it’s time for the mains. It’s all appealing but the Pheasant breast dish screams out to me. Why you ask? Well, pheasant isn’t something that I’d usually eat; it’s something of a novelty. And it’s a real test of a chef’s ability, when pheasant or any white meat for that matter is cooked for too long, it becomes tough and difficult to consume.
You’ve impressed me already with that bangin’ starter, let’s see what you can do with this…!
Beautifully presented on a bed of cauliflower puree, with the cavelo nero and pheasant breasts placed on top. My eyes glaze over in a Homer Simpsonesque manner, the food tastes magnifique. The cauliflower puree is seasoned and made so well that I actually mistook it for mash potatoes (the wine had kicked in by now).
The pheasant is perfect, tender and succulent; subtly marinated without taking away from the natural taste and texture. The cavelo nero, is not something that’s often seen in the UK, and a taste that I am new to. Known as the ‘Tuscan kale’, it’s rich in taste and combines beautifully with the pheasant and smoked bacon; giving this meal a further stamp of Italian authenticity.
The Dessert: Chocolate Soufflé Cake, Almonds, Chantily Cream
There’s always room for cake, or am I just being greedy? The plate is decorated with chocolate sprinkles, with the cream and almonds sitting on top of the cake. It’s a little bit on the dry side, and there could have been more cream to go with the cake; but that’s me really nitpicking.
Taste wise it allows me to indulge in my sweet tooth and to enjoy one last hearty serving of almonds. Having said all of that I’d still get it again, because, well it’s chocolate!
The Verdict
Dalston reflects the ever changing face of East London – an area that embraces creativity, freedom and diversity; Floyd’s is a microcosm of the vibrant East. Appealing to all, the subtle reggae grooves adds to the ambiance that remains intimate in the hustle and bustle of London.
Even so, it still gets busy to the extent that some customers ended up looking longingly through the window, so it’s of importance to arrive early. Check them out:
The Details
89 Shackwell Lane E8 2EB
020 792 37714
http://www.floydsonthelane.co.uk/