Hoxley and Porter

4 Reviews on “Hoxley and Porter”

• Emma Battagello

  Lovely cosy restaurant that has seemed to slip under the radar under the shadow of surrounding pubs. Unfortunately so! Unlike some of the other pubs on upper st, we were welcomed in and seated immediately and presented with a menu generous with options. I could describe the meal as a really tasty home cooked roast dinner, with an edge of fancy. But doesn’t sacrifice quantity for quality! Really delicious roast pork, accompanied by a 1.50 Bloody Mary! Great to see a veg friendly roast option. The panna cotta for dessert was silky and delicious. Great bustling atmosphere without being too noisy or busy to be served.

  August 2, 2016, 5:05 am

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• B Hilbourne

  I went to Hoxley and Porter for an evening this week and loved the decor. The food and drink is good though a little expensive for what it is! Cocktails were around 10 and weren’t the largest ; food was very standard in presentation and ingredients. The prawns to start were delicious but there weren’t many! Then the salmon fillet was nicely cooked on a bed on tartly dressed salad- it could have done with a little more sweetness. There was a set menu of two courses for 16 which isnt bad but the portions need to be larger!

  January 18, 2016, 2:45 pm

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• Gingle Lists Everything

  On occasion me and my friends like to play at being adults by doing the whole ‘Come Dine With Me’ thing, which is how you must refer to throwing dinner parties since its advent.It was my friend who lives in Highbury’s turn so to give her some time to prep after work, Stephen and I went for an ‘aperitif’ at Hoxley and Porter which I had been hearing so much about.I can’t remember what was there before, either because it was a pretty forgettable place to begin with or possible because what H & P have done with the place is so stunning it has obliterated any memory of its former guise.The room is gorgeous – you walk down a long corridor to get in, giving you a chance to admire the dining area and then you basically walk into the set of Murder on the Orient Express crossed with Death on the Nile (without the murders), or at least that is what I was it felt like to me. It was definitely reminiscent of a grand train carriage and the decor and foliage were all very exotic 20-40s. There should have been girls slinking about with cigarettes in holders and if they don’t host a 20s night they are missing a trick.We had a seat by the bar and while Stephen finished his wine, I perused the menu and started to order something rum based with honey and bubbly. The bartender, however, had other ideas, assuring me that they had better cocktails if I wanted bubbles. Well, who am I to argue with the expert? I had a belize bellini which was very nice. Obviously I can’t say if it was better than the one I originally wanted, as I didn’t have it.Sitting at the bar totally paid off as we got to chat to the bartender a bit and see what he was creating for the other people at the bar. The couple next to us had an amazing concoction that looked like a trifle in a glass and apparently tasted like boozy cake. And it had red wine in it! Must see if I can try that next time. We were also treated to a sample of their housemade falernum – a lightly spiced lime syrup that reminded Stephen and I of lebkuchen, those German spiced cookies. The combination of flavours tasted better in drink than in biscuit form. The cocktail menu is short, but they’re really happy to make anything off menu if you give them an idea of what you like, including, of course, the classics. For my second cocktail I had an old fashioned, again, at their recommendation. They told me it was made with ‘awesomeness’ so I couldn’t refuse. They make theirs with 12 year old El Dorado rum instead of whiskey and let me try the rum before I agreed to try their kerazy take on the old fashioned. I like rum but I wouldn’t pretend to be an aficionado. However, it was definitely quite a sweet rum and it definitely had notes of coffee. It is so naturally sweet in fact, that H & P only use half a teaspoon of white sugar (not the more intense darker stuff). I could have easily sipped it neat.Stephen went for the Baron’s Tipple which was a fruity little number of overproof rum, lime, apricot jam and guava juice. You might think all this fruitiness would leave you with an overly sweet cocktail but it wasn’t at all. It didn’t exactly wow us either, but it was still pleasantly sippable. Even if I hadn’t liked the cocktails I think I would be tempted to go back simply for the setting, but the fact that the staff were ever so friendly and that the cocktails were made with care and attention means a second trip has already been lined up for a few weeks’ time. I might sample the food they have on offer next time as well – both bar menu and a la carte had some very tasty-sounding options! jaminaward.wixsite.com

  July 22, 2014, 1:07 pm

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• Social Concierge

  The VibeThere are three handy things about Hoxley and Porter that make it ideal for dating. One, its on Upper Street in Islington, a road where young singletons can be found perpetually toasting the week with a drink, spilling onto the streets to smirt and conscientiously checking everyone out. Two, its a themed cocktail bar (sparkled up Victoriana) so novel enough to make the date memorable, in the absence of your own glitter. Three, you enter through a tunnel of well-lit mirrors so, if you hadnt checked yourself out before you left work, now is the time for last minute adjustments. As well as copious mirrors and 19th century touches, decadent armchairs, glass lampshades and exotic foliage, theres a very long wooden bar that churns out extraordinarily strong cocktails. H&P has the personality of a Victorian explorer who has returned safely from Africas heart of darkness with booty and now decided to fill his home with it. The interiors are by Kai Design, the excellent team behind Opium and Power Keg Diplomacy, so the train carriage touches, roughly textured wood, gilt edges, turquoise licks and leaded glass work really well, managing to be more tasteful than gimmicky. But then a conductor offers to take you to your table and playtime in Upper Street is restored.The OrderAlthough it serves decent food cheese from Neals Yard, fine cuts of meat lets just focus on the drinks menu tonight. Like nearby House of Wolf, theyre reasonably experimental with their drinks list, down to the absinthe-coated edible scorpions accompanying their whatever doesnt kill you cocktail. Work your way through the list.The GameUpper Street dating follows a pretty simple formula. Buy all the rounds, drink way too much, stumble and fumble.The FaultsItll be lary on a Saturday night, 69 Colebroke could be a more low key cocktail option.Sex Factor4. More sex, less romance. socialconcierge.co.uk

  June 6, 2014, 5:46 pm

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