What do we need to know about Elis?
Elis is the much-anticipated new opening from Rafael Cagali, who is also behind the two Michelin-starred Da Terra restaurant in Bethnal Green at the Town Hall Hotel. It's billed as a more relaxed kind of restaurant serving up dishes inspired by his Brazilian-Italian heritage. Running the kitchen day to day is head chef Joe Holness.
Where is it?
You'll find it, like Da Terra, inside the Town Hall hotel. It's taken over the space where the Corner Room restaurant used to be. It's worth noting that the best entrance to use isn't the front one on Cambridge Heath Road where Da Terra is. Instead, head down Patriot Square and go in the main hotel entrance and you'll find Elis up on the first floor. The nearest tube is Bethnal Green, while Cambridge Heath is a handy train station too.
Where should we meet friends for a drink first?
There are plenty of options in the area, from Coupette around the corner on Bethnal Green Road, and Sager + Wild on Paradise Row. There's also Satan's Whiskers right opposite the hotel. Or you could pop into the hotel's own Silk Weaver Bar.
What kind of food is it?
Split into snacks, small plates and then larger options of pasta, fish and meat this was one of those menus where you know your problem is going to be not what to eat, but what to leave out.
Here's what we had:
Room for dessert?
Amazingly we did. There are a few options here like a pistachio affogato (£8) or coconut yoghurt ice cream and roasted pineapple (£10) but we still think that these should be the ones to go for.
What about the wine?
The wine list here is supplied by Keeling & Co, who are tied in with Noble Rot. We had a glass of the house white (Chin Chin) and Red (a Tempranillo) both of which came in under the £8 mark.
Overall thoughts:
We're big fans of Da Terra so we couldn't wait to see what Rafael and his team were going to do with the old Corner Room site. Turns out that a Brazilian Italian fusion is a perfect match for the small plates concept. The restaurant's been given a light refurb (the banquette section at the back's particularly nice) and was already nicely buzzing when we went down in week one. It's a cosy spot with a lovely menu - what more could you want?
More about Elis
Where is it? Town Hall Hotel, Patriot Square, London E2 9NF
How to book: Book online
Find out more: Visit the website or follow them on Instagram @elis.ldn.
Hot Dinners dined as guests of Elis. Prices are correct at time of publication.
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