Master & Servant: One Good Reason to Visit East London

_MG_1999
London’s restaurant scene is changing so quickly we can barely keep up. Chefs seem to be playing musical chairs and inspired new eateries are popping up faster than we can say “feed me”. Master & Servant, which opened its doors less than a month ago, is next on our list of list of must-trys.

This is the first solo venture for Matt Edwards (credentials include the St John Hotel and Hix Soho) and he has hired Luke Cleghorn, formerly of St John Bread & Wine andthe St John Hotel, where the two met, to head up the kitchen. The menu revolves around their charcoal grill, but the real selling point is that they smoke their own meats and serve homemade charcuterie. The bespoke cocktail list is the result of a creative collaboration with neighbour and uber-cool basement bar Happiness Forgets. Your regular, old run-of-the-mill East London eatery this is not.

Exposed brick walls, distressed oak floors, reclaimed dairy lights and teak block wood tables are eerily reminiscent of a lower Manhattan haunt, and that isn’t by accident. “Named after my favourite Depeche Mode song, Master & Servant gives the cool British treatment to Manhattan-style dining,” says Edwards. And while East London is sometimes a bit too hip for our liking, Master & Servant certainly makes a strong case for heading to Hoxton, perhaps just on a weekday night.

Master & Servant
8/9 Hoxton Square,
London
N1 6NU
www.mastersandservant.co.uk