Albion Review

Shoreditch is regularly changing, with new coffee shops and bars popping up all of the time, of course that does mean more places to visit, so it isn’t all bad… With constant change, constant establishments soon become..well, the establishment. At 10 years old, Albion, located on the ground floor of Boundary, has been a stalwart of the Shoreditch cafe scene now for sometime. We have been hooked on their indulgent almond croissants and morning coffee for sometime now, so were delighted to sample their lunch menu on Saturday afternoon.

Walking through the attached grocery, featuring freshly baked goods, locally sourced vegetables and specialist goods, you reach the restaurant and bar. The vibe is a stylish cafe, with white brick and the feeling you are lucky to get a seat due to the full, bustling yet relaxed atmosphere. The open kitchen and adjoining grocery puts you at ease that the food you are about to eat is fresh. 

Perusing the menu, we opted for dishes from the meat based to the plant based section (it is veganuary after all). The plant based menu should be approached with caution for pure vegans and vegetarians (some containing eggs and fish), but all dishes can be negotiated with the friendly staff who are more than happy to remove or replace any ingredients.

For starters, I tried the Roasted Pink Fir Potato Salad. A sweet and crunchy, delightfully coloured medley of thinly sliced potato and fine beans. Sweet pear and candied walnuts balance the earthiness, and a slightly bitter chicory plays the mediator to the flavours. All in all a well balanced and light starter, 

My dinning partner had the butternut squash and carrot soup, it was thick, velvety, perfectly salted, and was glazed with an indulgent slick of seasoning that helped the flavours linger delightfully in your throat. 

For mains…sticking with the plant based theme, I opted for the three ever so slightly charred logs of sweet potato, with almost caramelised skins, floated upon a raft of creamy avocado and macadamia “feta”. Almost a contender to challenge salted caramel and popcorn in the sweet & savoury awards ceremony.

To finish off, we indulged in slices of carrot cake and lemon drizzle which proved that cake can be delicious, naughty, yet light at the same time. 

Before leaving, realising that we had a gift to buy before heading home, our host pointed us in the right direction of a local liquor store to pick up a bottle for the recipient in mind. Off we went, delighted by the food we had, enamoured with the table service (and picked up an extra almond croissant for the road home..well, it would be rude not too).

Website: https://boundary.london/albion

Address: 2-4 Boundary Street, Shoreditch, London, E2 7DD

Written by Rick Hartley