The Culpeper
Whitechapel, London
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Nicholas Culpeper was a 17th-century botanist, physician and astrologer – and the Whitechapel pub that bears his name is equally adept at playing many roles. Starting from the top, there's a vegetable garden on the roof, with produce growing in the shadow of City spires and skyscrapers; the second floor offers a few sparsely stylish guest rooms, while the first floor houses the kitchen and an airy dining space. But the heart of the operation is the ground floor, where post-work drinkers and diners gravitate to a horseshoe bar, and where the aesthetics gracefully balance hipsterdom and Victorian heritage with giant windows, scuffed parquet floors and dangling light fittings. The small menu magpie-picks from contemporary European influences: starters might include the likes of lightly battered fritto misto with a generous dollop of preserved lemon aïoli or a warming Jerusalem artichoke orzotto with rosemary pesto and pickled onion. Mains are characterised by hearty and homespun choices – think rustic cassoulet swimming with confit duck leg, Toulouse sausage and pork belly (the star of our inspection meal) or a Mitteleuropean medley of spätzle with squash, chanterelles and chestnuts, speckled with crispy cavolo nero. Dense chocolate and hazelnut brownie is a fitting way to conclude; otherwise, the blackboard trumpets suppliers behind the exclusively francophone cheeseboard. Drinks cover all bases, from real ales and cocktails to Old World wines (including skin-contact varieties).
