Bite of the Week: Monikers Hoxton Square

There’s been a spate of new openings in the Shoreditch area recently, but we've got to give a special mention to a venue that pulled us back multiple times, the splendid Monikers in Hoxton Square. We visited no fewer than three times in its opening week, and I’m going to tell you why.

Firstly the décor is a tongue-in-cheek reference to the venue’s history, which used to be part of the neighbouring church’s school. There’s an assortment of science beakers, a giant rolling chalkboard where they scribble specials and an old cloakroom bench is transformed into seating. A mezzanine level is fronted as a bus and there’ll be diner style booths upstairs when it’s finished. This could all trigger dark memories of terrible school dinners but with big bright windows leading onto a terrace and a pretty bar area it feels more like The Breakfast Club but set in Britain: a little naughty and full of potential.

On our first visit the barman made us a killer Bloody Mary and a delicious rhubarb concoction called the Greta Garbo. The English Patient with elderflower, apple and blueberries was a little sweet for my taste but still very nice. Later I dipped into their selection of reds, which were pleasant but I couldn't convince my companion to splurge on my favourite, Montepulciano, which they only sell by the bottle. A good shout for the meatier end of the menu is the Kernel Porter – very robust with roasted malts and a hint of chocolate that would go well with a game option.

The food is a sort of British tapas / modern European deal. I won’t talk you through the whole menu - top line is I've worked my way through most of it and it's all pretty good - but the stand-out dishes include honey mustard chorizo, grilled leeks, scallops and the chips. The bacon chop was perfectly cooked with a satisfying saltiness and actually could’ve done as a main on its own if you’re not into sharing. The buttermilk chicken was probably the only plate I didn't rate so highly as I prefer my fried chicken with a little kick but my friend liked the unusual pairing with tartare sauce.

Similarly on the dessert menu the buttermilk pudding was a little overwhelmed by the citrusy rhubarb however the chocolate marquise was outstanding. A velvety mousse on a thin sponge base topped with honeycomb. One of the best desserts I've had in a while. Well worth the calories and a smooth salted caramel ice-cream to accompany it. My only regret was sharing it.

So, a fun atmosphere, distinctive menu and great drinks: all in all, Monikers could distract us long enough from kissing boys behind the bike shed to teach us a thing or two about running a decent restaurant.


Good for – boozy brunch, casual date, friendly catch up, informal business
Bad for – Dating the principal
£ - about £25/head

Find them at 16 Hoxton Square, Hoxton, London, N1 6NT

Opening Hours:
Tues to Thurs 6:00pm – 11:00pm
Fri to Sat 10:00am – 12:00am
Sun 10:00am – 4:00pm

Book on 020 7042 7720 and follow @MonikersHSQ for updates.

Bite Of The Week

I'm doing things sightly differently this week. Due to a nice dose of man flu, crossed with something else disgusting, I have basically been living off of soup. (I paint quite a picture, I'm sure.) This means, I've hardly left the house. Sad times.

Whenever I feel a bit crap, I turn to vegetable soup and there has been a recipe that has been floating around for years, which came from my Mum. Every time I visit Malta (the family are from there) I make sure I get my hands on some Minstra, so Mum's original recipe has been twisted/added/removed from based on the bits I like from my travels. (Just take a moment.....)

** Please note, Mama Renda's soup is top notch as it is**

You will need:

Glug of olive oil - about a dessert spoonful.

1 small onion - finely chopped.

1-2 garlic cloves (2 smalish ones if you're a garlic fiend like me)  - peeled, sliced or left whole.

Fresh red chilli (This bit is your call, but I go for 1 whole one) - finely sliced.

1 teaspoon of oregano - I normally use dried, but fresh is even better.

2 cubes of vegetable stock, or fresh vegetable stock if you have it.

Tomato paste (a couple of squeezes!)

1 x tin of good quality tomatoes (optional, Minestra isn't traditionally very tomatoey so it's up to you if you want to add these.)

1 x courgette

1 quarter of a cauliflower.

2 x sticks of celery.

250g of butternut squash.

250g of turnip.

2 x carrots.

1-2 small potatoes.

4 savoy cabbage leaves - chopped.
Half a can of beans - butter or kidney are my preference.
Handful of rice or conchigliette.

(I haven't indicated how the vegetables should be cut as Minestra normally has vegetables that are cut very finely or down to a small size, I prefer mine a bit more chunky, so it's up to you!)

Method:

Put a large soup pan on a low to medium heat, add the olive oil, onion, garlic and chilli and let that cook away for a few minutes.

Add all of your vegetables except the cabbage, cauliflower and potato and allow them to sweat for 5-8 minutes.

Next, drop in your stock cubes and your oregano and coat the vegetables. (Some freshly ground black pepper popped in here too.)

Then fill the pan as close to the top as you can (but with room to allow it to boil) with water. Bring to the boil and then add tomato paste (a couple of squeezes) and your tinned tomatoes (if you want it a bit more tomatoey!) Let this simmer for another 30-40 minutes.

Then add your beans, cauliflower, cabbage, potatoes and rice or pasta and give it another 10-15 minutes.

I then normally turn it off and leave it stand over night in the fridge. The next day, you can boil it up and add more vegetable stock or tomato paste or whatever it feels a bit light on.

I serve mine with ciabatta (or Maltese bread if you're lucky enough to have some!) and pop some freshly ground black pepper on top, a little drizzle of extra virgin olive oil and fresh parmesan.