We noticed the Disappearing Dining Club a while back, and when they announced a permanent home on Brick Lane we thought we’d go along and see what all the fuss was about. Located in the back of clothes shop, behind a velvet curtain is a vintage styled dining space which almost feels like a speakeasy. The tables are shared, there are various retro ornaments and candles dotted around which create a lovely atmosphere.
We visited on a Wednesday evening which is a ‘Dinner Club’ when diners eat on shared tables. The meal started with a Grey Goose Le Fizz cocktail and homemade bread and butter. Starters were a selection of glass jars filled with Shoreditch smoked salmon and lemon crème fresh, (smoked in their very own smoke house), ham hock with grain mustard and pickled beetroot and apple with Tymsboro goats cheese accompanied by a slab of Chicken Liver Parfait. Suitably quirky and bursting with flavour, each one held their own and also acted as a great conversation starter.
Slow Roast Pork Shoulder served with Salsa Verde was the meaty main option and arrived on a slab of wood piled up high and topped with a cluster of fresh crackling. The pork was juicy and tender and the crackling perfectly crisped with enough softness to ensure you didn’t lose a tooth. Accompanied by a jersey royal and asparagus salad with lemon and truffle dressing, this was hands down our favourite course of the night.
A dessert of Orange & Black pepper Panna Cotta with Poached Rhubarb was a little too hard for our liking but on the whole a very enjoyable meal. If group dining isn’t your thing then you’ll be pleased to know the restaurant is open on Friday and Saturday for bookings with 2 courses coming in at £25 and £30 for three and Sunday’s for big roasts!
A great place to impress a date or take the mistress given it’s dark with no windows? Just a thought!
Ante, 224 Brick Lane, E1
www.disappearingdiningclub.co.uk
