Mamie's Food

Sunday evenings are not normally for eating out, but the lamb sweetbreads at BRAT Restaurant in London Fields were a surprising treat worth trekking to East London for. Snuggled away under an archway and above a train line, long wooden tables, plastic chairs and a marquee which acted as covered outside seating gave it a rustic yet unpretentious feel.

Buzzing with atmosphere, the first thing we saw was the huge wood-fired oven and open kitchen, which was, admittedly, too hot, but I did spot a chef handling some enormous live crabs. One of two restaurants- the other of which is on Redchurch Street- BRAT keeps space for walk-ins at their long bar area and has a daily blackboard menu you can take a photo of and peruse at the entrance when you arrive.

The menu was astounding, so creative I had no idea what some of it was, but boy did it deliver. Anyone know what Hake Pil Pil with Kokotxas is?

Consisting of tapas-style small and large plates, we ordered a feast: Grilled Bread with Anchovy, Mackerel with Green Sauce, Fritto Misto with Anchovy Butter, Lamb Sweetbreads with Salsa Criolla, Mauve Aubergine with Burnt Honey and Sheeps Milk, Wood Fired Plaice and Smoked Potatoes as a side.

Everything was delicious and fresh. I’d never tried sweetbreads before, and, with the texture of scallops and the flavour of lamb, they stood out as a memorable dish. The addition of crispy kale and salsa on top gave the sweetbreads a satisfying crunch, and between five of us, they didn’t last longer than five minutes.

The aubergine was soft and juicy with no hint of bitterness and was scattered with toasted almonds and herbs for a hit of freshness. Impressively puffed up, the bread looked like Turkish Lavas puff bread, the anchovies and chives almost like a garnish on top.

Luckily I wasn’t the one who had to fillet the plaice nor the mackerel, which were both cooked near enough perfectly and were surprisingly filling. We only just finished them.

As if we had more space left in our bellies, we ordered the Burnt Cheesecake with Nectarine, the Creme Caramel and an Affogato for pudding, just so we could be really, really full. The cheesecake was the best, silky smooth with the nectarine giving it a slight sourness and the Affogato- well you can’t really go wrong with Affogato. Although it looked amazing, the Creme Caramel was too burnt for me (more burnt than the Burnt Cheesecake) and overpowered the taste of the caramel, which was slightly disappointing.

Despite that, BRAT delivered. Not just with taking my sweetbread virginity but also with the unusual food combinations and creative zest that this restaurant has. And of course, the delicious food. Would highly recommend.

BRAT Restaurant, Climpsons Arch, 374 Helmsley Place, Hackney, E8 3SB
Link here: https://bratrestaurant.co.uk/climpsons-arch/