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A new all-day seafood restaurant will land on the site formerly occupied by Hoi Polloi, perhaps Shoreditch’s most stylish dining room, a venue suddenly closed when the Ace Hotel in which it was located shut down after a period of sustained uncertainty in the first months of the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020.
Goddard and Gibbs — whose logo features two crossed fish with crowns, will be helmed by chef Tom Moore, most recently a senior sous chef at Ormer in Mayfair — is scheduled to open in February 2022. It is just one of a number of new restaurant and bars arriving in what will be known as One Hundred Shoreditch, the Ace Hotel’s replacement. A new coffee bar in the lobby and a rooftop bar will be joined by a downstairs cocktail bar from celebrated mixologist Ryan Chetiyawardana (aka Mr Lyan).
“Inspired by the fishing villages and seaside towns along the East coast of England, Goddard and Gibbs will specialise in British seafood with a focus on ethical sourcing and local suppliers from around the country,” a statement shared with Eater said. It has aims on becoming “Shoreditch’s new go to destination for seafood,” which in fairness is not an eminently achievable goal in a neighbour not known for its seafood restaurants. Its offering will include fish and chips during the day, while more ambitious creations will take their place at the table in the evening. In the restaurant’s own words: “a menu that is open and accessible, with crowd pleasing classics and an extensive raw bar.” There will be oysters aplenty.
A new wine bar called the Wine Bar will open at the restaurant’s front, overlooking Shoreditch High Street, while another smaller location within the venue called the Hatch will serve “fun takes on dishes that evoke childhood memories of trips to the seaside.” Scampi, cockles, ice cream?
More soon.