How do #Teamcoco like to chill after a day of work in the city? Experiential food and great cocktails in a convenient, stylish setting is no bad suggestion. So when we heard that Treves & Hyde had opened up near Aldgate, not too far from where our writer, Rachael Lindsay, is based, we sent her to check it out…

For me, the location of Treves & Hyde is perfect – not too far from Aldgate station and within walking distance of Brick Lane and the City. Sometimes it can be tricky to find good places to eat after work in this area so a new opening with George Tannock heading up the kitchen sounded like a promising proposition.

The design of the first floor restaurant is refreshing. Airy with large windows welcoming in the evening sun, fun with mustard yellow chairs and pot plants, but also very simple with a bare spiral staircase and half painted concrete. Not too hipster or in-your-face, leaving the food centre-stage.

George Tannock, who lists some impressive establishments like The Fat Duck, Zuma and The Dorchester on Park Lane on his CV, heads up the kitchen. His ethos is responsibly sourced food, simple ingredients and passionate people. The service staff are incredibly knowledgeable and enthusiastic about every dish, showing that Treves & Hyde genuinely employ people who share his mission.

What about the drink? Well, the cocktails are expertly mixed by Stefano Campigli and I enjoy a Sloe Gin Fizz prepared with home-made syrup, contrasting foamy egg white with sherbet sweetness. The wine, picked out by our waiter based on our menu choices, is a Picpoul which complemented but never overpowered the gentle flavours of the food.

And the dishes? We choose little appetisers like red pesto arancini and peppers with cod brandade and saffron aioli and fresh starters including seared tuna with edamame and seaweed crisp, and diver scallop with chestnut and pickled cabbage. The flavours are delicate and expertly paired; the creamy cod filled peppers particularly mouth-watering and the tuna and scallop clearly of the freshest quality.

The starters are light, leaving us hungry for the main event, where we choose beef brisket with bacon pudding and cod with cockles and kale. The dishes are well-matched with playful side dishes such as sweet potato with tahini and pomegranate or tenderstem broccoli topped with eerily moving fish scales of katsuoboshi.

I would recommend the cod, a fish whose flavour is usually obscured by batter or sauce, but which is here cooked to perfection and enhanced rather than smothered by its accompaniments of polenta, creamy cockles and beer pickled shallots. The beef is tender and rich, although we find the bacon pudding, a recipe apparently handed down from the chef’s grandmother, to be a little starchy.

We try both desserts on the menu, a butterscotch creme caramel with salted popcorn and a dark Valhrona chocolate slice with pistachio. The smaller creme caramel is ideal if you are feeling full and the Valhrona is devilish and divine if you want a serious chocolate hit to end the evening.

Approachable and adventurous, that is how I would describe Treves & Hyde. George Tannock is experimenting gently, without doing anything superficial or superfluous, and always keeps the original ingredient front of mind. The prices are affordable considering the location and quality of the dishes, making this a lovely spot for an after-work treat. A big thumbs up from #TeamCoco, and keep an eye on Chef George Tannock for exciting things to come.

Rachael dined at Treves & Hyde, 15-17 Leman Street, London E1 8EN. For more information, visit www.trevesandhyde.com.

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