Boneyard: Where meat rules the roost
Words: Patrick
I’m going to start with a rather embarrassing admission: I’ve lived in London for well over a year now and I can count the number of evening’s out I’ve had in Shoreditch on the fingers of a blunt stick. Whether I’ve subconsciously avoided the area like the plague due to the fact that I own nothing even remotely ‘edgy’ or due to simple ignorance I can’t be sure, but I’m as familiar with the inner city district as I am with Jupiter’s third moon.
Last week, however, I plunged through the back of my wardrobe into Narnia. I instantly recognised the error of my ways – every street was bursting with vivacity as inviting rhythms floated above the noise of sighing engines and horns. Now, I’m not for one minute going to assume that others need to be informed of Shoreditch’s allure (I appreciate that I’m in an atom-sized bubble when it comes to this lack of capital wanderlust), however I do need to give you another reason to return.
To get to the point, last week I ate a burger – a bone marrow burger to be more precise – that was as near to palate perfection as a carnivore can ever hope to come. The Boneyard, part of PUMP Shoreditch – East London’s biggest street food market – is not a place for vegetarians. Opened earlier this year by restaurateur and entrepreneur Robert Newmark, this new establishment, formerly a petrol station, is a hub for meat lovers, those with a yearning for serious burgers, mouth-watering ribs and succulent chicken, and a selection of the right sides.
The vibe, as you’d expect from this dynamic corner of the city, is as inviting as the food itself, open to the small hours of the morning, bursting with real soul and run by energetic, warm staff. The US-inspired interior and lean-to seating area mixes timber and high design – the only drawback at present is the lack of a drinking licence indoors, meaning that the majority of diners are crammed into the outdoor space, complete with swinging saloon doors and cacti. This only adds to the experience however – beer and burgers amongst busy, lively hubbub (they are hoping to obtain this licence soon). But you don’t come to Boneyard for the beer – in fact, I highly recommend you give the vodka fruit slushies a try; or mulled wine, which is served brilliantly early on in the year – because it is the food that takes main stage.
The St Louis ribs, hickory smoked for 24 hours, melt in your mouth, and the chicken, double dipped in buttermilk, follows suit with an ease that’ll see you wandering dangerously close to a food-induced coma before you have time to slow down. But the jewel in this eclectic, intoxicating crown is the bone marrow burger. Take my word for it, it’ll be up there with one of the best you’ve ever had, and at £8, perhaps one of the cheapest to be found within a stone’s throw of the City’s high-rises.
If, like me, Shoreditch has remained something of an enigma to your fickle preconceptions, have a serious rethink. If you’re a regular, or perhaps a local, make a detour to 168 Shoreditch High St – you will not be disappointed.
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