Restaurant of the Week: Nest in Shoreditch

Nest Restaurant has recently moved to Shoreditch, after six years in an intimate space on Morning Lane to more capacious premises in Old Street, housed in a characterful Victorian building, just next to Shoreditch Town Hall. 

What’s the idea behind Nest Restaurant Shoreditch? 

Nest Food Group, which Nest Restaurant is part of, was set up by three friends Johnnie Crowe (head chef), Luke Wasserman & Toby Neill. Crowe earned a Michelin Star for Barts in Smithfield, where he was most recently. Nest’s new home feels cosy, eclectic and already lived-in, with wooden furniture scattered around a large horseshoe bar as the centrepiece, a chef’s counter and an open kitchen. The Nest culinary concept endures, priding itself on using only one meat in the kitchen at any time, meaning you are likely to find some rare breeds on the menu, such as Yorkshire’s Otterburn Mangalitza Pork or Welsh Wagyu, sourced from small scale farmers and conservationists. Wine enthusiasts can either opt for the curated wine pairing or choose from the extensive wine list. The list centres on low-interventionist production methods and offers a “one-region” wine pairing, with lesser-known discoveries from the same region.  

What’s on the menu at Nest Restaurant Shoreditch? 

If you are game for a full-on tasting experience, we enjoyed the nine-course set Game Menu, testament to the restaurant’s seasonal approach, with some ingredients sourced as locally as Hackney Marshes. The kitchen has combined flavours and gentle twists to create a rich and distinctive menu. The standout dish of the evening for myself and my guest was the umami Yorkshire Grouse, paired with a squash porridge and a melt-in-the-mouth potato confit. Beef-lovers can now get excited about the new beef menu, offered until 23 December (a reasonable £65/head), ranging from beef tartare and seaweed tartlet to BBQ Beef and Black Garlic. 

Those who don’t want the full-blown set menu experience can opt for Nest Cellar, the walk-in wine bar with wooden benches and high tables and a Cellar menu of small plates and of course the carefully curated wine list. 

Shoreditch is not short of great (and not so great) places to eat and drink, but Nest’s inventiveness and resourcefulness means this restaurant, with a real commitment to sustainability, is set to become a dining fixture. The experience is made memorable by the attention to detail, from the deep knowledge and enthusiasm front-of-house of the produce and pairings to the presentation of the special wax-sealed menu. This informs you, without needing to make any choices, what you are about to receive. For this you will be truly thankful.  

Nestfood.co.uk 374-378 Old Street, Shoreditch EC1V 9LT 07769 196972 @nest_food