Lyle’s at the Tea Building in Shoreditch is singularly my current favourite place to eat in London. I love its bright, airy dining space, its efficient & very friendly staff, and its fabulously tasty food. Casual, fun, with amazing food that sends one’s palate into raptures.
What we had at lunch last Thursday:
#1 Grilled razor clams and sea purslane The texture of this dish was simply irresistible to me: crunchy fresh razor clam-meat - best in the world, and oh what generous portions. And the sea purslane - perfect foil. The salty flavours were wondrous, like we’re feeding off a coast of plenty. So this is now a lotus-eater feels like.
#2 Beetroot and cured Old Gloucester Spot ham I had something like this years ago at Alice Waters’ Chez Panisse in Berkeley. But the one here is generous to a fault, larger portioned, fresher, less pretentious and austere compared to Alice Waters’ rendition.
#3 Smoked eel, potatoes and sea aster My fave dish for this meal - smoky deliciousness, one of those taste pleasures that you never want to end. Foodgasm!!
#4 Grilled peach, Guinea fowl liver and summer beans Perhaps the weakest link in this afternoon’s chain of gourmet delights. But even then, the sweetness of the peaches, the delicious snap & crunch of the summer beans, and the earthy deliciousness of the guinea fowl liver - all made this dish a veritable taste memory.
I floated out of the dining room, already plotting my comeback visit. Some places just hit all the right buttons for me. 
Address
Lyle’s
Tea Building, 56 Shoreditch High Street, London E1 6JJ, UK
Tel: +44 20 3011 5911
Opening hours:
Mon-Fri 8am-11pm, Sat 12noon-11pm, Closed on Sunday
