Bones review: ‘Remarkably understated and un-gimmicky for Shoreditch’

Burrata with basil oil, chili flakes and sourdough bread. Photograph courtesy of Bones

Shoreditch has an excellent new eating and drinking hole to wrap your chops round.

You won’t find fussy dishes with overbearing flavours here. As the name suggests, the menu is stripped back to good quality meat, fish and vegetables gently seasoned and put together with light touch and an artist’s eye.

The pigeon salad is outstanding. Delicate slices of meat teamed with hazelnuts and vegetable crisps on bright green leaves. It’s short and sweet, with a perfectly judged combination of textures and flavours. I could happily have eaten it all evening.

Then there’s a plump chunk of burrata to tear sumptuous little mouthfuls off. The creamy mozzarella-like cheese would be beautiful on its own, but the splash of basil oil and scattering of chilli flakes and wafer of sourdough elevates it to glory.

Keeping it nice and light, we tried a lovely plate of sautéed baby squid thrown around in a pan with potatoes and cherry tomatoes. The chilli warms without burning and the lemon brightens each bite, pulling all the flavours neatly together.

At the heart of the menu is the ‘Bones’ section, offering everything from sirloin to salmon and including a stew from Provence made with pearl barley and chicken that sounded wonderful.

We went with a rack of lamb in a fragile herb crust with some braised baby gem that was great and the garlicky bowl of rosemary roast potatoes that came with it were even better.

Another highlight is the aubergine, thinly sliced and gently roasted, then topped with bright blood-red sequins of pomegranate seeds. Another well-judged dressing, this time with chilli and tahini, which adds a nutty layer of flavour and is topped off with a scattering of feta that cuts cleanly across the palate.

Remarkably understated and un- gimmicky for Shoreditch, Bones combines great food with an potent cocktails and is the perfect night out for dates, mates and lates.

Bones 52 Kingsland Road, London E2 8DP 020 7033 9008