Hoi Polloi is an English modern brasserie in Ace Hotel Shoreditch. We had brunch at Hoi Polloi last year and loved it, so were keen on dinner at Hoi Polloi. But, for whatever reason, Hoi Polloi languished on our dinner list, until a very good friend wanted to join us for dinner last weekend. Hoi Polloi seemed the perfect choice. 

Hoi Polloi is beautiful, and perfectly blends elegant, modern, and casual. There’s also live music on occasion, although not while we were there for dinner. The service is friendly and prompt. Now, the food…

Snacks

This isn’t on the menu. Our waiter was nice enough to offer this from Ace Hotel because they were out of croquettes. It was juicy, well seasoned, and lightly fried. 

Starters

Simple but delicious. Fresh scallops, perfectly grilled. 

Mains

Our friend and I each ordered this, and it was decent. It wasn’t particularly sweet, spicy or rich. Just simply seasoned and excellently cooked. Very good portion too. 

Shiima ordered the steak and didn’t enjoy it. I had a slice, and thought it was okay. The steak itself was oddly thin and lacked that depth of flavour, and I expected the bone marrow jus to be richer. 

Great! One of the best pies I’ve ever had. The pastry was buttery and delicious, and the confit rabbit was succulent and full of flavour – forgive me, but it tasted like chicken 😂😁. 

Every element of the dish was okay, but we expected more – more cheesy, more flavour, more indulgent. It lacked that mac & cheese oomph.

Dessert

This was a highlight when we had brunch, and it was a highlight again. Although I seemed to be the only one that had room for it 😂. Warm, insanely rich, and well sweet. 

Verdict

We had a blast at Hoi Polloi, but that might have more to do with the company. The restaurant is elegant and relaxed in that cool-Shoreditch way, but the food leaves a bit to be desired. We recommend for dates, certain special occasions, brunch, and fun meal with friends, family, or colleagues. Hoi Polloi is moderately expensive. 

Cuisine: English
Dress Code: Casual
Shiima’s Star Dish: Squid
Amen’s Star Dish: Confit Rabbit Pie
Friend’s Star Dish: Confit Rabbit Pie
Price: £30-40pp
Rating: 3.7 out 5

Hoi Polloi
Ace Hotel
100 Shoreditch High Street,
London E1 6JQ
Reserve a table through OpenTable,
Or call 020 8880 6100