More All-Day (and Night) Dining Is Coming to Spitalfields

Coffee shop owners, DJ’s, and scotch egg slingers Dominic Hamdy and Oliver Hiam will launch their third full-time venture, in Spitalfields, next month: Crispin, a new all-day-and-night cafe, will also, somewhat naturally given the east London surrounds, trade in “low intervention wines and classic cocktails,” as well as music, merchandise, and ceramics.

Here are the key details:

• Open from Monday 20 August
• It is located in a purpose-built zinc and glass pavilion on White’s Row, near Liverpool Street station. A further description states a “geometric pavilion that resembles an origami-folded kite or bird; creating an impressive, visual juxtaposition” (see above)
• Open daily from 7.30am, offering takeaway coffee, bacon sandwiches, and ‘egg and soldiers’
• It offers 40-covers inside the pavilion and a further 30 on the outdoor terrace
• The duo are also behind Scotchtails, the Borough Market-based scotch egg company and Lundenwic — a speciality coffee shop on Aldwych, near Somerset House.

The Food
“Ingredient-driven and change seasonally.” Local produce will be sought for “honest dishes” — such as Dusty Knuckle bread, Secret Smokehouse salmon and Clapton Park honey.

Lunch
The menu will feature a daily salad, soup, and sandwich, plus distinctly modern and trend-aware “hot toastie” options, including cheddar, hispi cabbage and chilli jam, and ‘nduja, Ogleshield (cheese) and jalapeno.

Brunch
The weekend brunch menu will offer sweet and savoury options, such as merguez sausage, daal, green sauce, and egg and waffle with poached apricots, thyme, candied pecans, and milk ice cream.

A neat sort-of-‘happy hour’
From 5pm, Tuesday to Saturday, Crispin will offer a nightly dinner plate, and a glass of wine for £10. This will feature alongside a bar snack menu, craft beers, and classic cocktails. No mention of those classics being given a twist, but lets see.

Music and a listening bar
Hiam, who some will know from Elephant & Castle’s Corsica Studios (and who runs the record label Tessellate) will curate the playlist at Crispin’s “listening bar” — a space “which will allow customers to listen to his record collection through one of seven pairs of headphones.”

Merch
Next to the listening bar, the duo will instate a retail unit, selling merchandise, magazines, restaurant cookbooks, limited edition prints, and handmade ceramics from the likes of Skye Corewijn, who is responsible for some of the handsome earthenware used at Bright in London Fields, among others.