Silo
Hackney, London
CONTINUE READING
Already a member? Log in here
Subscribe to our newsletter to gain access to limited free articles, reviews, news and our weekly newsletter.
The Good Food Guide Membership: Save £100s at Britain's best restaurants - try for free for 30 days
Just a three-minute walk from Hackney Wick station, Douglas McMaster’s zero-waste restaurant is to be found on the first floor of a warehouse overlooking the River Lee Navigation canal. With overground trains trundling in the near distance, it’s urban grit at its most gritty: the unmarked opening in a graffitied brick wall is easy to walk past, while ascending the external metal staircase to the first floor requires a leap of faith – signage is minimal. But for such an unassuming place – the spacious, double-height dining room is done out in a spare contemporary style – Silo packs a major punch. Some say the best seats are at the counter looking straight onto the open kitchen, but if high stools don’t appeal, there is more conventional dining too. What’s on offer is a tasting menu (a ‘short list’ is available early evening and at lunch on Saturday), and while 'low waste' may be the statement of belief, the food is all about sharply delineated flavours with bite from pickled ingredients and combinations that spark the imagination. Umami is the lodestar: a snack of ‘quavers’ made with koji tapioca and spread with a vegetable treacle and goat's cheese set the tone and went very well with a glass of Sylvain Pataille 2021 Bourgogne Aligoté, while a potent hit from inky-black cuttlefish garum offset the delicate sweetness of pencil leeks in leek oil. For the main event, two thick, juicy slices of mutton (the superb flavour enhanced by a hint of wood-smoked char) arrived minimally garnished to enhance the sheer quality of the meat – just a few tiny dots of wild garlic 'capers' and a fabulously rich caramelised cream. Elsewhere, the kitchen mills its own grain for their deliciously nutty Siloaf, while knowledgeable staff are chatty and relaxed. To drink, there are unusual cocktails, house-made soft libations and beers from Crate brewery, plus the option of a curated drinks pairing or something from the short list of 'responsible' and biodynamic wines.
