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Harden's survey result
Summary
No journalistic round-up of East End restaurants is complete without mention of this unassuming-looking Hackney eight-year-old (est 2015), which has been a darling of London’s fooderati ever since winning (and quickly losing) a Michelin star in the years after its opening. But feedback in our annual diners’ poll – while positive – was, surprisingly, too limited this year for a reliable rating on its experimental tasting menu of funky small plates.
Summary
One of Hackney’s better-known culinary destinations, this unassuming little spot wins high marks from everyone who reports on it for our annual diners’ survey, on the basis of its “lovely tasting menu”. On the downside, “the space is small so feels crammed” and – given all the excitement that’s been whipped up over the years – the odd reporters find it “very good, but a mite underwhelming compared to the rave reviews”.
Summary
“A beautiful little spot in a tucked away part of Hackney” – this ‘unassuming neighbourhood restaurant’ won particular renown a couple of years after its opening in 2015 when it won a Michelin star. The tyre men removed it again the next year, but – whatever the changes of mind in Clermont-Ferrand – our reporters consistently acclaim its “fresh, thoughtful and well-executed tasting menu, which, with the pairing wines, are a real treat”. Also, it was a godsend for many during lockdown thanks to its “consistently high-quality At Home service”.
Summary
“I don’t know how they do it, but every week there is a new, exciting and delicious menu that never seems to be repeated” at this genius foodie-mecca in Hackney, which has rightly won renown on account of its “uniquely delicious, complex-without-being-baroque” cuisine. “It has a Michelin star and, after a few mouthfuls, it’s clear to see why: the food is always innovative, mixing bold ranges of flavour and ingredients, focused on seasonal produce, all served up with a ‘too-cool-for-skool’ vibe”, by staff who “move around the incredibly-tightly-packed dining room with a balletic poise”. “The wine list is short but excellently curated”, but the major win is the value: “in Mayfair it would cost double”. On the downside, one or two regulars feel that the food has been “more hit-and-miss” in recent times, and the self-consciousness of the enterprise is a big turn-off for some folks: “a mixture of over-earnest staff intoning the menu without smiles, and sombre presentation of food as something sacred left us underwhelmed, on both visits”. “I think I prefer food to be more unobtrusive, so you can spend the evening enjoying it alongside friends and conversation, rather than having each dish explained and having to come up with the requisite ‘ooh, that sounds lovely, thank you’ with every course…”
For 33 years we've been curating reviews of the UK's most notable restaurant. In a typical year, diners submit over 50,000 reviews to create the most authoritative restaurant guide in the UK. Each year, the guide is re-written from scratch based on this survey (although for the 2021 edition, reviews are little changed from 2020 as no survey could run for that year).
Have you eaten at Pidgin?
52 Wilton Way, London, E8 1BG
Restaurant details
Prices
| Availability | 2 courses | 3 courses |  |
 |
 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Always | £49.00 |  |
|
|
Traditional European menu
| Main | Pudding |
|---|---|
| £49.00 | £9.50 |
| Drinks |
|
|---|---|
| Wine per bottle | £35.00 |
| Filter Coffee | £5.00 |
| Extras |
|
|---|---|
| Bread | £3.50 |
| Service | 12.50% |
52 Wilton Way, London, E8 1BG
Opening hours
| Monday | CLOSED |
| Tuesday | CLOSED |
| Wednesday | 6 pm‑11 pm |
| Thursday | 6 pm‑11 pm |
| Friday | 6 pm‑11 pm |
| Saturday | 12:30 pm‑11 pm |
| Sunday | 12:30 pm‑11 pm |
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