A diamond in the rough. In an area filled with kebab shops spanning one of the ugliest roundabouts in London, the Princess of Shoreditch stands proud with an elegant grace.

The Venue
The Princess of Shoreditch is tucked just out of the way from the main thoroughfare of Old Street. The attractive frontage, cloaked behind a large black canopy with its name emblazoned across it in stylish calligraphy stands out starkly against the rough around the edges locale in which it resides. Sat on a corner, two walls of windows allow glimpses of the attractive pub inside.

Two entryways lead into a traditional pub with a stylish edge. A large wooden bar with shelves filled with wine bottles behind takes up the whole back wall, and the floor space in front is filled with wooden tables and chairs, crammed into every nook and cranny, not leaving much standing room. The muted green walls are lifted by attractive light fittings hanging low over the bar, a spot-lit ceiling and large pictures depicting various princesses in black and white with splashes of vibrant colour to add depth and interest. It works well as a comforting yet laid back traditional pub space.

In the corner resides an intriguing metallic black winding staircase, leading to the dining room upstairs. Only wide enough for one person at a time, it may not be the most practical of stairways, but it’s certainly stylish and fits in well with the overall aesthetic. At the top, you’ll find a more sophisticated space filled with white tablecloth bedecked tables with gleaming glassware. The colour scheme is the same mute green as below with more princess pictures. Red granny lamps and a chandelier style light fitting in the corner cast a dim light over the room, lifted by candles on each table. Ceiling fans spin almost hypnotically on the ceiling and a marble fireplace with a mirror above and several bottles of fine wine and cognac atop it lifts the sophisticated feel of the room. It’s not large, but you don’t feel sandwiched into place with enough room between tables to be comfortable.

The Atmosphere
The ambience in the main pub is upbeat and bustling without being rowdy. You’re as likely to find suits swinging by for a pint after work as you are the skinny jean brigade, although there’s definitely a trendy media skew to the crowd.

Upstairs, there’s a mellower edge to the atmosphere and conversations are held in hushed tones. That said, there’s still a relaxed undertone – this is a pub, after all, regardless of how nicely they dress it up. This feeling is further perpetuated by the mix of jazz and easy listening tunes that play in the background. The staff are professional and friendly, chatting to punters, offering their opinions of the menu and observing all the nuances of fine dining etiquette.

The Food
The food at the Princess of Shoreditch has been divided in two, with a separate menu available upstairs and down. In the pub, you can order a selection of traditional pub dishes, albeit with an upmarket twist. Starters (£5.50-£9) include dishes like oysters, foie gras and ham hock terrine whilst mains (£10-£16.50) include beer battered line caught hake, hand cut chips and tartar sauce, and butternut squash risotto with sage parmesan cream.

In the main dining room, the menu is slightly more expensive with mains costing £12.50-£17.50 with more dishes coming in at the higher end of the price scale. For starters, the king scallops, caramelised salsify and wild mushrooms is one of the pricier dishes at £9.50, but its quality is undeniable. Three plump, well textured, slightly sweet scallops work well with the rich salsify and earthy, fresh mushrooms for a light yet satisfying starter.

Alternatively, the butternut squash panna cotta, parmesan tuile, sage and roasted pine nut dressing (£6.50) is a stunningly presented, unusual dish. The perfectly round, vibrant yellow panna cotta is the perfect consistency and tastes more like a savoury desert with a slight underlying sweetness that confuses the tastebuds. The roasted pine nuts in the dressing add a much needed textural crunch to lift the soft consistency of the panna cotta, offering a roasted almost smoky undertone to each mouthful.

For mains, the pan fried red mullet with carrot and courgette tagliatelle, braised baby gem lettuce, bouillabaisse and saffron jus (£16) is a pleasant, light dish with a good balance of flavour. The mullet is light with a crisp, colourful skin and its fresh flavours aren’t overpowered by the accompaniments. The tagliatelle is unusual with a strong flavour of carrot and courgette and adds a vibrant swathe of colour to the dish and is well textured. The braised baby gem lettuce interrupts the beautiful presentation, appearing lank and unappetising. The bouillabaisse and saffron jus is surprisingly light, acting to enhance the flavours of the ingredients rather than hide them.

Alternatively, the rump of West Devon lamb, white beans, pak choi, chantenay carrots, tomato, thyme and chorizo dressing with jus (£16.50) is a delight. The lamb, best cooked medium rare, arrives perfectly pink and delightfully tender with a delicate sweetness that works perfectly with the meaty spiced chorizo. The jus is subtle and brings out the incredible flavours of the fresh lamb and the vegetable accompaniments add a swathe of colour and crunch that works well with the juicy, tender texture of the lamb. Recommended sides (£3) include a creamy but not heavy mashed potato and crunchy, fresh mixed greens.

If you have the room then the desserts are worth trying, even if you just order one to share. The apple and plum crumble with vanilla custard (£6) is well presented with a small pot of golden crumble and a jug of custard. The crunch of the crumble topping counteracts the soft stewed fruit that balances an almost sickly sweetness with a tart edge. Also good is the espresso cheesecake with chocolate and Amaretto cream. The beautifully presented cheesecake has a pleasant coffee undertone that balances its rich creaminess and underlying sweetness well. However, the Amaretto is lost in the chocolate sauce that accompanies it and all you get is the dark hit of the chocolate.

The Drink
This is where the Princess of Shoreditch really comes into its own. It could easily have concentrated purely on food, letting its beer selection fall by the wayside; however, they have instead gone for an excellent selection of ale and lager on draught. Ales on tap include Side Pocket for a Toad, Meantime London Pale Ale and Wandle Ale (all £3.50 a pint). Draught lagers number two popular premium brands Peroni and Amstel as well as Guinness, whilst the selection is bolstered by Budvar, San Miguel, Sol, Hoegaarden and Leffe Blonde in the bottle.

If you’re dining or you just prefer the grape to the grain then there’s an excellent wine list on offer, with a large choice of Champagne (£24.95-£230), a lengthy list of white and red (£15.95-£79.95) and a good selection of rose, dessert wine and port. Highly recommended is the Chateau Moureau 2007, Minervois, France (£22.50) a supple, spicy wine that works well as a drinking wine or paired with food and isn’t too strong for fish and vegetarian dishes.

A nice touch is that, instead of bottled water, they offer their own filtered water in glass bottles that cost £1 each with all of the money going to charity. A nice idea in these times of carbon footprint awareness.

The Last Word
The Princess of Shoreditch brings some regal sophistication to an area ever more inundated with hen parties and rowdy clubbers.

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