Dead Dolls House Islington | Grub London Pop Up | Restaurant Review

A few weeks ago I visited The Dead Dolls House in Islington with one of my oldest friends Martin to review the Grub London pop up which is currently in residence every other Wednesday. 

A few years ago I hosted a birthday meal at The Dead Dolls House's former site in Hoxton and wasn't too impressed, so when the team asked me to visit their new Islington location I was looking forward to giving it a second shot, and I'm glad I did.

  Set in a quirky three-storey Victorian townhouse we were told Grub London's pop-up offers nomadic dinning, however we found the experience more traditionally British. After a few rather strong cocktails we tucked into our starters. 

  

Cured sea bass with smoked yogurt, radishes and orange (£9.75) was a great start to our meal as it was light, fresh and something a little different from the ordinary.

The crispy fried brisket & aioli (£8.50) was a real talking point - we'd never had deep fried beef before - it was salty and slightly addictive and would make the ultimate bar snack. 

A rather pretty dish of broad beans on toast with fresh curd and preserved lemon (£6.50) was lifted with a hint of mint which was right up my street. So far... so good! 

 

The skirt steak, oven dried tomatoes peas and anchovy (£16.50) was cooked to perfection and is the dish I would recommend most, however I think the price was pretty steep for the cut of meat. 

Next we tucked into salt baked sea trout, jersey royals, whey and onions (£15.80). The sauce was divine and the onions gave the dish a welcoming sweetness, however again I thought the dish was expensive for the amount that was served (maybe1/4 of a fillet flaked around the plate). 

We finished with a charred asparagus salad with Caesar dressing and Berkswell (£6.95), loaded with croutons and piled high with lots of cheese. The rich orange egg gave a luxurious feel to the salad which shouldn't be overlooked.

All in all, the food was good and the cocktails were boozy, however I noticed the service can be hit and miss (amazingly our service tripled in quality once they realised I was there for a review). I wouldn't recommend visiting for a meal as even though we shared one of everything from the menu we didn't leave full and it would have been a pretty expensive evening (around £200), however for a cocktail and snack this quirky setting is perfect if you're already in the area.