Dalston may, of late, have stolen many of Shoreditch’s hipsters, leading them up Kingsland Road like the Pied Piper of Hamlyn (with a dubstep beat), but now it seems the ‘Ditch is fighting back.
Balls Pond Road stalwart and CAMRA favourite The Duke of Wellington is set to send a cultural envoy to Bethnal Green Road, opening Mason and Taylor early next month at the top of Brick Lane in the husk where Green and Red once stood (a theme which seems to be permeating the area at the moment).
If you dance to their tune instead (and you probably will - Ed (Mason) also manages Wild Beasts) you can expect locally sourced specialities served tapas style (£3-5.50 and perfect for the indecisive) such as cured loin of venison, Cumberland sauce & redcurrants, caramelised pear, walnut & Cropwell Bishop salad, pickled ox tongue with blackberries, hazelnuts & rosemary oil, scotched quails eggs, and an intriguingly titled “plate of chocolate” (£7 for two). All this can be washed down with some of London’s best brews too, from Kernel beer to Sipsmith gin, and offerings from Camden Brewery, as well as a rare opportunity to quaff Brooklyn Lager.
So what’s next? Is this a cultural version of Tit For Tat? Or has Shoreditch High Street got too much of both?
Follow their progress as they change the bar from TexMex to Tapas on @MasonTaylorE1 and via their website.
Mason and Taylor, 51-55 Bethnal Green Road, E1 6LA, opens on 10 December.
