As much as I love wine and dine restaurants, getting back to well executed simple classics is something that you just can't beat. Sometimes your Friday night doesn't need to be heels and a fancy restaurant, and when you just want a simple delicious dinner in London Fields, Wringer + Mangle should more than satisfy that craving.
I have to say, I don't go to East London nearly enough - for me it's a totally undiscovered foodie scene that I've got to be more aware of. Since neither Christina, my dinner date for the evening, or I didn't know the area, we opted to have a pre-dinner tipple at W + M's bar.
Friday night, even a casual one, calls for cocktails if you ask me!
I opted for a delicious gin based cocktail with champagne froth that was just what I needed to take the edge off and help me relax.
Christina and I are at college together, but we actually know each other all the way from home! It was quite the surprise to see each other on day 1 in London, so it was great to catch up with her and hear all about what she's been up to since we last saw each other.
Of course that celebration required a bottle of wine...
We enjoyed a glass at the bar before moving to our table. Wringer + Mangle has a really cool interior; very simple, clean and rustic. Think beautiful wooden tables, comfortable banquettes and a lot of cool metal.
After a lengthy review of the menu (okay, fine, we were chatting - a lot) we finally decided what we were going to order.
Christina opted for the British duck and pork sausage rolls which were a real triumph. Beautiful, crisp pastry with tender, flavoursome meat. Almost as good as mine!
For me, it was a classic steak tartar. I always think you can take a measure of a restaurant by some of its more simple dishes, and I couldn't resist ordering this simple favourite of mine on this occasion.
Wringer + Mangle serve their steak tartar as small chunks of delicious beef with capers and a perfect yellow egg yolk, with a side of wholegrain bread.
A perfect egg ooze can't be beaten if you ask me. I really enjoyed the dish but I would have preferred it with smaller, cut up capers as I found them a little salty when they were whole and with larger chunks of meat.
As we were sharing university stories and travel adventures we saw our main courses arrive. Again, Christina ordered a classic British staple: fillet steak served with a side salad and chunky chips.
The meat was delicious: perfectly tender and cooked as she had asked for it.
Having had enough of a meat fix for one evening, I opted for the Dover Sole cooked in brown butter, again served with a side salad and chunky chips. I much prefer fish that is cooked on the bone but I'm always a little wary of the little bones!
There were no issues at all: the fish fell straight off the bone and was perfectly cooked. The dish wasn't overly buttery and was a delicious, light main course.
And well, you can't go wrong with steaming hot, crisp on the outside and soft on the inside chips.
Whilst catching up over proper British classics, Christina fed my wanderlust with her adventures in Peru, Mexico and Cuba. I'm still planning my holiday this summer so I was eager to hear all her recommendations.
We thought we were done... But when your waitress (who had been fabulous the entire evening) says that you have to try the tiramisu because the chef is Italian and it's a perfect dish, who were we to say no?
And I'm so glad that we didn't resist. Light, full of flavour and so comforting, it was a delicious end to a Friday night meal.
All too soon we realised it was probably time to go home as our carriage would probably have turned into a pumpkin!
If you're in London Fields then this is one venue that's definitely worth a visit. If you're looking for a pop up, Wringer has you covered too: if you're a dog love then their pup-friendly cinema on 3rd April has your name all over it. Or if you're more of a foodie, they're running an incredible series of pop ups with some really exciting guest chefs including Rosie Birkett (Hackney based food writer, cook and stylist) and Uyen Luu (the well-known chef famed for her Vietnamese supper clubs). All details and tickets, starting in April, can be found here.
Wringer and Mangle
Sidworth St,
E8 3SD
Our meal was complimentary but we paid for our drinks.
