There’s no point in holding back, I’m going to tell you now – The Gun is Shoreditch has it all! Slick cool decor, amazing staff, punchy cocktails and delicious small plates. Quite honestly I was just expecting a pub when we arrived, but The Gun is so much more than that. It’s big and airy inside, industrial, has a big focus on beer & cocktails and a charm that I just can’t put my finger on. Impressive really, given the size of the venue. Did I mention they also have live music?
We took a seat towards the back of the venue which is my opinion, the best part. You pass the bar, the indoor living tree and red-draped curtains which add a little theatrical seclusion. It was boiling outside when we dined (that freakishly hot Bank Holiday weekend) and so this was the perfect (and very well air-conditioned) haven.
Seat taken, we did what everyone visiting here should do – order a cocktail. A classic Old Fashioned for him, and for me The Gun’s signature (well one of) cocktails – Bandito Negroni. A wonderfully smokey mix of Mezcal Verde Momento, Campari, Cinzano 1757 Rosso and ginger. The smoky element is rather powerful in this Negroni so be warned, but personally the more smoke the better.
As for the food, it’s all about the small plates. As well as some great value lunch offers during the week and at the weekends, both Saturday brunch and Saturday lunch. My favourite dish of this entire meal and which will go down in my 2019 favourites were these lamb croquettes. We took one bite of these golden crispy bites and simply couldn’t get over just how good they were. Filled with succulent lamb and Montgomery cheddar, it is served with the most amazing dip of curried coconut yoghurt.
I did have my eye on The Gun’s Cheeseburger (something I’ll have to come back and try), but instead we went for the rib-eye with chimichurri. The meat is served cold and although I’d have enjoyed this as a warm dish, it still worked. The rib-eye was lovely and smokey, had a decent amount of flavour and not an ounce of sinew in sight. The chimichurri was excellent too with a nice amount of acidity to leave you salivating after each dip.
The side of crispy Jersey royals are another must. Though hardly a side, more like a small plate in its own right. Perfectly cooked, full of flavour and served on a bed of sweet Romanesco sauce and sprinkling of rosemary salt. Gosh it was good.
All of the small plates are excellent here, but if there was one that perhaps needed a little tweaking it was this seared tuna tataki. The seared tuna and pickled cucumber was excellent. The chilli & sesame crust on the salmon was also excellent and looking back I can’t quite tell you what needed to be improved with dish, but it was just missing that certain special something.
I’m still dreaming about this plate of fried chicken, which if you have room (and I doubt it after the generous portions) order two plates. Just because they’re that good. Juicy morsels of chicken, crispy crunchy coating and sprinkling of Togarachi spices, micro coriander and pickled chillies. This dish is pure heaven and made even better when dipped into the sriracha mayonnaise.
I’m sure as you can probably tell, I really loved The Gun and in an area I’m not that familiar with, this place feels like it does everything I could want from an afternoon/evening out. Delicious food which can be enjoyed as quickly or as slowly as you like, excellent cocktails mixed up with confidence and I’m told live music come the weekend or special evenings. It’s not a question of would we return, but instead when. Soon I hope.
I want all of those small plates! Sounds fabulous!