East London’s Trendiest Avant-Garde Eatery

Get lost in the Bethnal Green‘s Town Hall Hotel and Apartments, and you could end up in any number of places.

A warmly furnished vintage hallway out of Remains of the Day. A piece of high-concept installation art. Or perhaps one of the buzziest London restaurants to hit the east in the last decade.

At Typing Room, Head Chef Lee Westcott and chief backer Jason Atherton bring diners fresh, seasonal ingredients that are curated into impressive, often perplexing creations.

Typing Room balances flavors with the true spirit of culinary innovation — Photo courtesy of Typing Room

A la carte items vary season to season, and they can include items from pig trotter to brioche, sheep’s yoghurt to gin consommé. The raw beef, turnip, oyster and moss dish is worth a close examination before diving in, as is Typing Room’s “yeasted “cauliflower with raisins, capers and mint – all part of the 7-part tasting menu at £29 per head.

Then there’s the wine list: a cacophonous collection primarily from Spain, France and Italy, but with appearances from as far afield as Croatia and Lebanon.

Try the Chateau Musar, Gaston Hochar – Ghazir from 1991 for £138 (if it’s worth the bragging rights). Or, for a more sensible option, try a classic Bordeaux like Chateau Lanessan – Haut-Medoc for £60.

Or go for a very sensibly priced glass of Fino sherry for a fiver.

Typing Room has a soothing ambience, best for taking in the steez of your inevitably hip dinner companions — Photo courtesy of Typing Room

Typing Room fits perfectly into Town Hall’s fashion-citadel vibe: Art Deco sconces, almost futuristic rooms and sexily lit cocktail bars demarcate the stylish mishmash of aesthetics and tastes that culminate in the hotel’s je ne sais quoi.

But Typing Room is able to stand alone amid its neighboring distractions, and has the buzz to prove it.

Westcott’s position as London’s culinary It boy has been hard earned: he comes from Per Se and Noma, and he honed his skills in Hong Kong and alongside celebrity chef (and Michellin-starred) Tom Aikens. 

We recommend following the restaurant on social media to stay abreast of new additions to their a la carte menu and high-profile guest chef residencies like Guillermo Gonzalez Beristain, who bring their own vision to the premises while keeping the relatively young team behind Typing Room on their culinary toes.

Typing Room is a hip, calm environ with surprises around every corner, daring its diners to be as adventurous as they are polished – the perfect compliment to London’s larger sense of culinary artistry and finesse. 

Finish off your evening by letting your hair down at the Bethnal Green Working Men’s Club or with a wine-fueled dance session at Miranda. 

Lee Westcott has brought his credentials out east — Photo courtesy of Typing Room