Sunday 27 April 2008

Bar Kick


127 Shoreditch High Street
Shoreditch
London E1 6JE
Tel: 020 7739 8700
www.cafekick.co.uk

Find Bar Kick on Google Maps.

Every time I pass this place while taking the bus home on a Friday or Saturday night it's packed to capacity, with hip twenty-somethings quaffing bottled Peroni beer and spilling out onto the pavement. It never really looked like the kind of place I would enjoy; I never gave a passing thought to crossing the threshold of this establishment. That is until a friend told me that they actually do some decent food that's prepared on the premises. Sounds like a mission for East End Eats, thought I!

So with my assignment in hand I decided to give it a try for a casual Sunday brunch, to avoid the aforementioned crowds. And what a pleasant surprise it was to find a really unique bar that has good food.

Cafe Kick's main room is spacious and festooned with flags from many nations. Mellow hip hop and electronica music at a reasonable volume set the vibe here. The main draw for the young crowd is the table football - of which there are three games on the ground level and a few more downstairs.

Food is definitely not the main reason people come here. But despite this, it is surprisingly good and interesting.

I had the cream of asparagus soup with polenta dumplings (£4) and my dining companion and I both had the gnocchi with cherry tomatoes, mozzarella and sage (£8).

The soup was thick and filling enough to be a meal on its own. It was a smooth and subtle soup, as it should be. But the polenta dumplings needed a little more cooking as they seemed to be pretty much raw.

The gnocchi dish, a hearty and large portion, was lemony, buttery and garnished with fresh spicy rocket. The cherry tomatoes provided nice bursts of sweet succulence throughout.

All the dishes that passed by our table on their way to other diners looked as good as what we had; and all the plates returned to the kitchen empty - always a good sign. I look forward to returning and trying more things here - maybe even a game of baby foot next time!


Bar open:
Mon – Weds: 12 noon – 11pm
Thurs – Sat: 12 noon – Midnight
Sun: 12 noon – 10.30pm
Kitchen open:
Mon - Fri 12-3 and 6pm-10pm
Sat: 12 noon – Midnight
Sun: 12 noon – 10.30pm

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