TT ROOFTOP RESTAURANT, SHOREDITCH: REVIEW
The Kingsland Road area of Shoreditch heading into Dalston, close to the iron railway bridge, might not be the most salubrious part of town, but it means the higher-end establishments like my venue this evening – TT Restaurant & Rooftop – stand out and resonate even more.
It marks the latest transformation of this enterprise – formerly an unassuming bottle shop called TT Liquor – into the multi-layered experience it represents today, from the subterranean TT Cellar Bar through the 52-seat vintage independent cinema to the gorgeous top-floor terrace space that’s my destination tonight, with an old friend celebrating his birthday in tow.
Originally opened in 2017, TT occupies what used to be a Victorian-era police station and retains that air of historicity inside with the classic exposed brick look with stark hardwood contrasts, until you reach the highest floor, which opens out onto the rooftop terrace invisible to the street below, and suddenly you’re in a much smarter restaurant setting with rattan lightshades, verdant foliage and inviting booths in which to ensconce while the city skyline shimmers behind you.
So far so good! The proof is always in the pudding, though, or in this case the starter and mains too. The young head chef at the helm here, Sam Lone, has created a menu predicated on seasonal tapas-style small plates and sharing dishes of inventive items that have been smoked, pickled or cooked on coals. My friend and I went for two vegetable plates to start with – burnt aubergine with brown butter yoghurt, pomegranate and almond; then grilled cauliflower with ricotta and pumpkin seed pesto – both very effectively combining the softer texture of the charred vegetable with the crunch of the nuts and seeds.
These were followed by two superlative meat dishes in the form of smoked ox cheek croquettes and lamb koftes, which we paired with an exemplary Mercurey pinot noir from the extensive wine list (the focus on cocktails is strong here too, and you can also pop down to the bottle shop for any beer or wine that caught your eye from the fridge or shelves if you prefer).
The pièce de resistance of our meal arrived at its conclusion: an indulgent dessert of ‘tequila baba’ served with strawberries and sweet labneh, which we shared and devoured with a pair of dessert spoons, clanging them both onto the table after the last mouthful with a final flourish!
My only complaint, if I had to think of one, was that there was no coffee available to offset that concluding doughy richness, and I can’t remember if it was simply a temporary matter of a broken or switched-off coffee machine or if they just don’t serve coffee at that late hour (we were the last ones to leave so could well have been a ruse, in which case well-played!). The service had been charming either way so we didn’t mind too much.
However it did put paid to our original plan of descending to the Cellar Bar for a post-prandial nightcap, electing instead to find somewhere for coffee (we went down to check out the bar anyway, and resolved to return another night, having clocked its atmospheric wood-and-brick character in keeping with the rest of the venue, not to mention the impressive array of whiskies on offer.)
All in all, we were gratified enough at experiencing what is surely one of Shoreditch and north-central London’s best-kept secrets: that rooftop restaurant at least, which also has a retractable roof I discovered, making it fit for all seasons, rain or shine.
With its top-drawer selection of food and wine (and cocktails and whiskies), giving it real substance to match its style, I can’t imagine TT will remain a secret for much longer at all.
17 Kingsland Rd, London E2 8AA. www.tt-london.co.uk
