Despite the name, Coin Laundry is actually a great place to grab a bite.
Ever taken a wander around Exmouth Market? We’ve already given you multiple reasons for a visit, but you can add one more to the list. Having shaken off their 1970s hangover (the menu once featured the likes of prawn cocktails), Coin Laundry has relaunched as a chilled neighbourhood restaurant and bar. And a darn good one, at that. Although it actually has very little to do with coins or laundry, just FYI.
We went along to try out their new menu, and found ourselves pretty well satisfied with the lot. Coin Laundry hangs their hat on a mixture of small and large plates, all adhering to the principal of seasonal British cooking. The standout dish was, happily enough, the first one we tried. Lamb scrumpets with wild garlic mayonnaise were simply divine, and it was an effort to stop ourselves ordering more. And only part of that is due to how much we enjoyed saying “scrumpets”. Courgette fritters with yoghurt and tomato salsa also earn an honourable mention from the starters menu. All washed down with a punchy espresso martini, just as it should be.
For the main course, a fragrant cauliflower and okra curry proved to be a hit, particularly with the addition of Dalston-made flatbread. Meanwhile, a cheeseburger topped with pork belly and red onions made for a hearty meal. Perhaps too hearty, because we then committed the one sin no food reviewer/self-respecting foodie should ever make: we didn’t leave room for dessert. An egregious oversight, to be sure. Had we the space to sample them, the dark chocolate fondant with honeycomb, and the Alphonso mango and Montenegro fool would definitely have made the list.
Aside from the evening meal, Coin Laundry also offer a bottomless brunch on Saturdays. This is the place to get your steak and eggs, or eggy bread, served with bacon, maple syrup, and caramelised bananas. For £22, you can add bottomless cocktails, including Bloody Marys or the Hound Dog, which mixes whisky, Aperol, and grapefruit juice. Sundays see roast dinners make an appearance, including the tantalising beetroot and mushroom Wellington, sure to satisfy vegan tastes.
Oh, and if you ever tire of the restaurant, head downstairs to Coin Laundry’s basement. The neon-lit space is a laidback way to spend an evening, particularly if you take a spin on their retro pinball machine, or partake in a competitive game of scrabble. Much more fun than laundry, for sure.
Location: Nearest station is Farringdon. See it on Google Maps.
Opening hours: 11am-11pm (Sunday to Wednesday), 11am-1am (Thursdays and Fridays), 10am-1am (Saturday).
Price: Small plates start from £5, large plates from £11, and desserts from £4.50. Cocktails are £9.
More information: on their website.