Popolo Shoreditch
Shoreditch, London
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Rough-hewn brickwork and bare café tables indicate an approach that suits Shoreditch down to the ground at Jon Lawson's small but jumping joint off Old Street. There's a Moorish, as well as moreish, air to some of the dishes, backed up by rock-solid Italian credentials founded on pasta made fresh in-house each day. Upstairs is a more conventional restaurant setting, but the counter seating on the ground floor, with chefs in the thick of it right before your eyes, is where the beating heart of the action is. Nduja cod with borlotti beans and agretti could hardly be more up-to-the-minute, nor its possible tablemate of octopus with Roseval potatoes, pickled radish and smoked paprika. High-rollers might opt for a whole roasted Dover sole in capers and white wine, but try not to miss the pasta – perhaps agnolotti with pork cheek and porcini butter. Finish with flourless chocolate cake or zestful Amalfi lemon tart. The short wine list includes the expected clutch of skin-contact whites and a bevy of high-octane Italian reds.
