Eat & Drink
Originally published on Thursday, 1st December 2011
Mishkin’s
A perfect fifth from Russell Norman
25 Catherine Street, WC2
020 7240 2078 (reservations taken!)
Location
For his fifth opening, the energetic and inspired empire builder has stayed in Covent Garden, near to where his last joint da Polpo opened what seems like only days ago. The ‘kind of’ Jewish deli with cocktails is next door to the Opera Tavern, but if you’re thinking that the bar there might be a handy back-up if the Mishkin queue is too long, you can stop right there. You shouldn’t need a back-up, because here, unlike others in the Polpo family, you can book in the evening. Yes!
Vibe
Mishkin’s might be geographically close to its Italian-inspired sibling, but it’s more akin to Spuntino’s New York state of mind. Think equal parts diner and speakeasy, with a dash of Bethnal Green caff. But it’s altogether more clean-cut than Spuntino. There, it feels almost obligatory to drink cocktails, preferably with someone you shouldn’t be with, in mid afternoon. Here you won’t feel a spoilsport for ordering a malted milkshake at dinner. The soundtrack is uplifting funk; staff are extremely friendly and obliging, with not a trace of the insouciance you can find over in Soho, and, for the first time in Norman’s empire, there is proper space for groups within its fifty seats. So, it’s slightly less cool and more eager to please than its siblings - but that makes it all the more lovable.
Flavours
A mix of the old and the Jew-ish. So there’s the Norman signature dish, meatballs, and refined-carb favourites from Spuntino such as mac and cheese, alongside chicken matzo ball soup, chopped liver, vast salt beef sandwiches and an ‘all pork Big Apple dog’. Yes, pork – Mishkin’s ain’t kosher. Neither is it the place to get your five-a-day, unless fried green tomatoes count, nor eat modestly: this is high-calibre comfort food. Be warned: sliders and meatballs aside, this isn’t small plate territory, and we over-ordered to the point where we couldn’t contemplate pudding (we would have chosen warm choc chip cookie and ice cream). The beverage list is wonderfully random - London Pride Bitter, Red Stripe, Lilt, milkshakes - and the cocktails, which come in tumblers, are all gin based. Our waiter guided us towards one containing artichoke extract and Prosecco, which got more delicious the more we drank it.
Décor
As good looking as the rest of the family. The ceiling is white, the floor laid in chequered tiles, and beaten-up floorboards from the site’s previous incarnation, Taste of India, have been ingeneously recycled on the walls. Near the door is the bar, which seats twelve, and the rest of the room is divided into red leather booths, laden with plastic baskets of greasy spoon condiments, and tables for two – including, at the back, the most coveted, in a splendid old sound booth recovered from the BBC in White City.
Upshot
Nothing to kvetch about with Russell Norman’s new Jewish deli. And - did we mention? - you can book.
