It looks as if they’ve just set up in a semi derelict butcher’s shop but with clever lighting and designed distress – it feels as if I’ve just stepped into a lower east side bar. Why it’s even got a zinc ceiling.

The word has got round because you have to get here early to get a seat and by early I mean 5pm. If you don’t mind standing around the bar waiting for a seat, then this is a great place for a drink and a bite any time of day or evening. There’s no telephone, no reservation and no online menu – they think they’re a bit special and if the food is as good as the vibe then I’ll have to agree. We started with stuffed fried olives, buttermilk fried chicken and a Hendricks Martini. Not much of a fried chicken fan and the addition of buttermilk didn’t sway my opinion. The stuffed fried olives though were not like any olives I’ve ever tried before and I still can’t decide if I liked them or not. I did like the very smooth Hendricks gin martini served with a slice of cucumber in a delightfully retro style glass. Then we had a margarita accompanied by a couple of sliders and string fries. The sliders are like half size burgers in a bun with the option of beef, pork, lamb or salmon. We ordered the ground beef with bone marrow and the pulled pork with pickled apple which were exceptional and I could so easily have ordered more. But we had yet to try their mains, so we went for mac and cheese with a crispy crumbly breadcrumb cheese topping done to perfection and, with a nod to something more in keeping with my on off Atkins diet, a strip steak salad which was mouthwateringly refreshing. The margarita was nicely soured and to be savoured – still one more for the road and sadly we had to leave. The seats at the back facing the window are best, where you can watch Soho life or just enjoy the backdrop of Soho’s neon lights, which from here is like a snapshot of old Soho – strip bars and peep shows.

Spuntino
61 Rupert Street
London W1D 7PW