
Les Trois Garcons
Don't be fooled by the unremarkable Victorian exterior, inside the old drinking hole is a restaurant with décor as surreal as that dream I had after eating all that cheese: Les Trois Garcons. Since opening in 2000, this has been a favourite in Shoreditch and the popularity appears to be as much as alive as the taxidermy zoo inside once was.
Motionless animals - some expired, some crafted – adorn the interior, as do chandeliers crumbling with crystals and vintage handbags hung high above our heads.
Giraffes with necklaces, an alligator with a crown, ceramic Dalmatians – all patiently frozen until they jump to life to continue their eternal party after the last guest leaves.
Head chef Michael Chan has created a delectable selection of traditional French cuisine and the waiters and serving staff are subtly attentive. The Chateaubriand was tender and served with a creamy and rich Béarnaise sauce in an individual miniature copper pan. The high quality and skillfully crafted combinations show that carefully selected produce and talent are timeless.
There are four menus on offer: A La Carte, Lunch, a six-course tasting menu and Prestige. Ranging from £17.50 for two courses on the lunch menu to £75 a head with £45 wine pairing for the Prestige, it doesn't have to be an extravagant dinner; as always, it depends what you drink.
If the giddy excitement of interrupting a ferral soirée makes your wallet feel heavy, then skip round to Loungelovers, a bar by the same trio, to continue the surrealism.