One Club Row

One Club Row, the dining room above the revitalised Knave of Clubs in Shoreditch, is a restaurant at the height of its powers. Unless you pounce early (reservations open eight weeks ahead), you may be stuck with 5.30pm or 9.45pm. We choose early and find we’re not even the first there, the evening buzz building with every martini shaken and served. New York meets Paris in a classic bistro setting, characterised by colourful posters, white tablecloths, bentwood chairs, and a piano player at the weekend.

Chef Patrick Powell (previously at Allegra and the Midland Grand Dining Room) looks more towards New York for his menu. The burger, with ‘au poivre’ sauce for dipping, is a signature, along with excellent Caesar salad, sirloin steak, and lobster and country ham croquettes. It’s not the weather for tomato and peach gazpacho at inspection but we can still admire the flavour (even if the peachy sweetness is near absent) and the addition of goats’ curd and red pepper is a nice touch.

Steak tartare is pleasingly coarse-cut, arriving ready dressed and spicy. Pork schnitzel with sauce moutarde and Gorgonzola is as rich as it sounds but is well fried and not oily. Side orders – including nicely snappy green beans – prove necessary for balance. Desserts are uninspiring though respectable: the New York cheesecake fits the theme.

The Francophile wine list opens at £35 and keeps mostly under £100. Prices are fair across the board; One Club Row feels like a restaurant that genuinely hopes to see you again. N.B. Walk-ins are often available; an illuminated ‘walk-in seats available’ sign at street-level lets you know if so.