With a slightly gritty exterior, The Lion & Lamb sums up East London’s penchant for turning industrial-style buildings into curated spaces. This time the results are a white-walled room with regular exhibitions and gigs – a lively gastro pub with more to it than just a decent menu.
That’s not to say the food isn’t good though, with a solid line-up of Italian classics (and a few international favourites) on offer. To start, antipasti kicks things off for the perfect sharing plate setup to enjoy with friends. Think bowls of olives, pleates of bread and oil, or creamy burrata with sweet grilled veggies. Mains include the house signature: The Lion & Lamb steak sandwich. Served with skin-on fries, this mega sarnie is packed with grilled sirloin steak, chimichurri mayo, caramelised onion, and rocket. Elsewhere there’s pizza fritta, a chicken Caesar salad and pan-fried seabass with seasonal vegetables. Sides include salads, chips and deep-fried halloumi – hello, heaven.
If you’re of the opinion that no meal is complete without something sweet at the end (which is a school of thought, we very much subscribe to ourselves) there’s a short selection of puds that includes a traditional tiramisu and a cannolo.
During warmer months there’s a sweet little balcony where you can enjoy food and drinks outside, taking full advantage of the friendly hospitality. Drinks-wise the bar offers all the usual billings – with a full wine list, plenty of beer options, softs and a good range of sprits and cocktails too.
Aside from the food there’s also a regular fun line-up of events to keep guests entertained. Typical evenings include jazz nights where a live band will take to the stage to keep the atmosphere fun and lively. Should you wish your meal to go on long into the night you can take advantage of the in-house dancefloor.