If you’ve been to any of temper’s locations already, you’ve no doubt spent all your time fondly recalling the meal, and telling all your friends about it. And if you’ve had a friend go to temper (without you? How rude!) you’ve no doubt heard all about it from them, time and time again. (Heck, we’ve written in glowing terms already about their epic barbecue brunch). The smokehouse restaurants are the stuff of legend. And now they’re bringing their smoky mezcal cocktails, tacos, rare-breed steaks, and more to the streets of East London.
Kick-starting back in 2016, temper has slowly grown to four locations around London. From the original site in Soho – which quickly became one of London’s most exciting new restaurants – the group expanded to City and Covent Garden locations. And now they’ve headed East, as they opened up their Shoreditch venue earlier this month on October 1.
What’s on the menu?
Now, temper is a barbecue restaurant. They describe their food, rather too humbly, as simply meat on bread. But it’s also so much more than that. There’s an emphasis on Latin American flavours under the watchful guise of Chef Director, David Lagonell, paying homage to his Venezuelan heritage. Steaks and cuts are butchered on-site from whole beasts, using only rare-breed cattle and often making use of unusual cuts. And when it comes to preparing the meats, it’s all about amplifying the flavour – mostly through fire and smoke. As they say themselves: “In other words it’s all f##ing delicious.”
Expect smoked brisket tacos, whole-duck carnitas served up on parathas, sharing platters of smoked beef-rib with a sweet and sour Korean barbecue sauce, and much more. Temper Shoreditch will also join the Soho location in offering up the legendary Sunday Roasts. The menu rotates based on availability, but has in the past included smoked pork belly, beef-fat roast potatoes, 16-hour gravy, and Three Beast Feast, which includes smoked and pulled lamb shoulder, roast aged beef and roast pork. There’s plenty of veg as well, of course, but that’s not the decision you’ll be mulling over.
Bottomless Brunch at temper Shoreditch
Oh, yeah, we’re not done yet. The opening of temper Shoreditch also signals the launch of an all-new bottomless brunch menu. You’ll get 90 minutes of bottomless drinks, choosing from a variety of wines, beer, and a selection of cocktails including Red Gin Fizz or Lychilli Margarita. And to line the stomach there’ll be a proper feast of meat-y delights: Coal-roasted, dry-aged Belted Galloway beef, house-made smoked beef sausages, pork burnt ends, Andean yellow potatoes with gochujang butter, fried eggs, charred ramiro peppers & red onions, bourbon-pickled chillis, paratha, and chimichurri. And you’ll only pay £45 per person. Is there a better bottomless brunch deal in London?
And to cap it all off, the new Shoreditch location is also the first temper location to house a temper cocktail bar. There, DJs will keep the vibes going into the night as you sip at mezcal, tequilas, and signature cocktails. You’ll definitely want to try out the Smoked Pineapple & Shiso Smash, which takes the classic julep and amps up the flavours with shisho leaf and house-made spiced smoked pineapple jam. The bar takes up the ground floor entrance area of the location, while diners hide away downstairs from the hustle and bustle of London, trying out temper favourites alongside experimental plates unique to the Shoreditch location.
Head to the website now to grab a booking for one of Shoreditch’s most exciting new restaurants. Or, you know, any of their other sites – you’re in for a treat either way.