The Brickhouse

Continuing the theme of restaurants found in out of the way places, the Brickhouse is certainly a venue that doesn't keep in touch with its surroundings. It's in Banglatown, that warren of streets east of Bishopsgate that includes Brick Lane. Among the curry houses and sub-continental supermarkets sits the Truman Brewery, an exhibition space that also shelters natty pubs, a South African barbecue joint and the Brickhouse.

It is a combination nightclub, cabaret and restaurant. The entrance is whitewashed walls and formica counter, but once you get through the plain white door, there's a dance floor, mood lighting, an interesting bar, and wait staff dressed all in black. The booths on the second floor are great for viewing the little stage, where anything from jazz to Cirque du Soleil style mid-air acrobatics is staged.

I visited while on a stag night. There were 6 of us and we took a booth on the second floor. If you're seated on the edge of the booth though, like I was, it's a little difficult to see the performance. It's a startlingly intimate venue; we witnessed a cabaret show, where the androgynous performer twirled on a rope a'la Cirque du Soleil at second floor level. She would have smacked the watching diners in the head if she had extended her foot just a little further.

The Brickhouse

152c Brick Lane

London E1 6RU

+44 (0) 20 7247 0005

The food is served as a set menu of three courses. I started with tomato consomme, which was probably the most innovative dish I've eaten outside the Fat Duck so far. The idea of a tomato consomme is unusual enough in itself - it's the distillation of essence of tomato into a pale pink clear broth. The chef (the kitchen is headed by Matthew Reuther) had paired it with diced cucumber and a scoop of goat's cheese sorbet topped with a deep-fried, crispy basil leaf. The flavours went very well together, refreshing and unusual (if slightly unattractive in appearance after the sorbet melted).

I then had lamb done 2 ways - roasted chops encrusted with bacon bits and breadcrumbs, and poached pieces of what tasted like the rib eye on samphire. Accompanying these were semolina dumplings, a single roast cherry tomato, and a balsamic reduction of jus. The chops were perfectly done and perfectly enjoyable, but the samphire seemed to be a tad overcooked. But just a tad.

At this point I was starting to get more than a little annoyed at the service. We had waited about an hour for our main course, and told our waiter so. He apologised and was kind enough to put the side dishes (mash, roast carrots and green beans) as well as another round of drinks on the house. So we decided to order our desserts.

For dessert, I was very interested in the Eccles cake with Stilton ice cream, but as it took too long I decided to opt for the cappucino creme brulee instead. It came in a cappucino cup, milk foam sprinkled with cocoa powder overlaying a coffee-flavoured creme brulee. The sugar shell was nice and thick the way I like it, but I think overall it was too sweet. I would probably have preferred the Eccles cakes.

The hens then joined the stags after dessert, and everyone went down to the dance floor. Round about midnight, they had cleared away the tables from the dance floor, switching from restaurant to nightclub. The music was a mixture of contemporary hip-hop and dance, not quite to my taste, and anyway the Pretty Lady was waiting at home, so I said goodbye to both groom- and bride-to-be, and left.

Would I go back? Yes - for the tomato consomme alone, if nothing else. The chef is talented and creative, and I enjoyed his food very much. I think the Pretty Lady would too.

Scores:

16 July 2008: TFQ = 26, CS = 27, S = 10, AD = 8, VfM = 6. Total = 77 points.

*but only because of the poor service.

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