Parts & Labour

3 Reviews on “Parts & Labour”

• Lisa

  I love Whitechapel for its cultural diversity and the fact that its easy to get an amazing curry on the way home from work when I really cant be bothered to cook. However, my family arent quite the Indian food fans that I am and so when they come to visit I really feel the lack of places I can take them. I wish Id known about Parts and Labour restaurant when my mum and sister recently visited me. It ticks all of the boxes modern British cooking, a cool space but not too trendy or hipster and most importantly, only a short walk from my flat.Its a hidden gem truly worth of the name. Located within the Qbic Hotel right next to the Altab Ali park its somewhere Ive walked past almost every day on my way to and from work but theres nothing from the outside to indicate that theres a restaurant in the hotel and it doesnt benefit from a separate entrance so you really do have to be in the know.Last weekend I was invited to try it out and on a beautiful spring day I abandoned my coat for the first time and strolled along with my boyfriend to try out their menu. Upon entering the hotel the design element is clear and Parts and Labour continues that with subway tiles on the walls, low hanging lighting over the tables and quirky design elements.We settled down at a table by the window to consider the menu and, while we were deciding, ordered drinks. In honour of World Malbec Day, which had been the day before, we chose a Malbec rose from their fairly extensive drinks menu together with some tap water. In the spirit of an M&S advert, this wasnt just any tap water, this was their own fruit infused water (orange and lemon the day we went) served from a vat on the bar. It was a really nice touch and something that immediately set the place apart from just any old hotel restaurant.The all day menu consists of sandwiches and salads, small plates and large plates. The small plates section covers a variety of dishes ranging from light choices such as soups and smoked salmon to heavier options like ribs. Although not strictly a starter as such, we chose to share the grilled flatbread and hummus garnished with pickled red onion and toasted seeds. Generously portioned, the hummus was almost too rich for us to finish, although we made a very good dint in it.For a main, my boyfriend opted for the seared sea trout. The delicate trout was beautifully cooked and presented on a bed of barbecued cucumber and wasabi creme fraiche, set off against the patterned blue crockery (which made me question my recent crockery purchase).I chose the lemon and thyme spatchcock chicken. Drizzled in butter and served with a lemon to squeeze over it, it was beautifully tender. I was later told that it was cooked on a Big Green Egg (a ceramic charcoal barbecue cooker which is now used by a lot of top chefs). We accompanied our dishes with a portion of chips for me and purple sprouting broccoli for him.Parts and Labour was quiet at lunch when we visited, with a few others enjoying a drink or just a bit of down time. We were told that it usually gets busier in the evening as not only was it a beautiful day that day but, understandably, patrons from the hotel normally head out into London for the day, returning in the evening. It made for a nice chilled out atmosphere and we enjoyed the chance to have an unhurried lunch.We were spoilt for choice when it came to dessert. I was tempted by pretty much everything and almost chose the apple tart with green apple sorbet and butterscotch sauce but then got swayed by the recommendation of the milk chocolate and salted caramel tart with vanilla mascarpone. It was a good choice. The thin layer of salted caramel sandwiched between the chocolate and base was the perfect set-off to the chocolate.My boyfriend chose the pear almond tart which was accompanied by almond ice cream. Light but not too sweet, we avoided food envy by sharing the two dishes between us.Having spent a few months living in hotels for work, I have my reservations about hotel restaurants. With mostly passing trade, all too often the restaurant is overlooked. That isnt the case with Parts and Labour. The Scandinavian influenced design and melee of furniture make it somewhere Id be happy to settle down for the afternoon and yet would also be happy to take friends or family. Service was lovely and attentive and the food is delicious, reasonably priced and we were assured that the menu will be evolving as the restaurant matures.Parts and Labour certainly deserves more attention than its had since opening at the end of last year and itll be getting more attention from us. Im looking forward to returning at some point to try out some of the other dishes (I have my eye on their BBQ pork ribs) and maybe even a cocktail or two from their drinks menu. notquiteenough.co.uk

  August 18, 2015, 4:32 am

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• Alice Gee

  A cool quirky space with a mish mash of midcentury style scandi furniture. The little bowler hat shaped lamps hanging above the tables were too cute. Wasn’t crazy about being able to watch Bayern Munchen vs Barca with my dinner, but its a big space so next time I will ask to be seated further from the TV screen. Service was impeccable and charming. Music was at a nice background volume you could so you could still have a conversation without shouting. A really pleasant atmosphere all round. Not packed, despite the soft launch offer. Some bearded hipsters, some young couples, a few solo diners who were probably guests of the attached hotel. Decent wifi signal and electrical sockets under the banquettes for the solo diners with laptops and tablets.I hate paying a lot for wine, and I am not that fussy, so I was glad to see they had a couple of bottles under 22. The tempranillo, though nothing special, was pleasant and quaffable.For starters we had croquettes and duck salad. My companion’s lamb shoulder croquettes with mint mayonnaise were a generous portion, pleasant, but under seasoned. Even the mint mayo could have been punchier. My salad of duck confit, frissee, pomegranate, orange and walnuts was a beautiful range of textures. It tasted good, but just a few tweaks to heighten the contrasting flavors would have made it truly spectacular. The crunchy sweetness of pomegranate and thinly sliced orange segments was great. However, the duck confit lacked salt, the leaves could have been more acidic and peppery, and the walnuts should have been toasted.My companion’s main of gnocchi, wild mushrooms, garlic leaves, lemon and parmesan was a beautifully balanced dish. The gnocchi were lovely light pillows that had been sauteed after boiling. Tasty selection of pan fried wild mushrooms and garlic leaves. It came with a large helping of parmesan shavings on the side and had a subtle undercurrent of lemon. I would really recommend this dish. My own main of glazed beef short ribs with fennel and radish slaw was pretty good. The ribs were served off the bone, which was really luxurious. I also liked the fact that it was only slightly sweet. The accompanying slaw was a little over seasoned (probably because I commented about under seasoning of the starters to our agreeable waiter) and there was rather too much of the rich mayonnaise based dressing. Happily some plain watercress was a clean sharp foil to the rich slaw.We attended the half price soft launch. I would be happy to return to Parts & Labour, and pay full price. Although next time I will probably order less adventurously here and stick to steak, chips and bearnaise if I don’t go for the gnocchi.

  August 13, 2015, 2:51 am

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• Sunny In London

  I cant even imagine what the coffee is like in this restaurant! When I visited Parts and Labour with my husband, we didnt really know what to expect. The menu isnt fully available on the website yet. The dcor is quirky and resembles a university study centre/dining hall. However, when we visited for dinner we ordered what they recommended as popular items. Everything we had was fabulous. We each ordered starters, main courses and dessert. My blog, Sunny in London, features all the pictures, food items and other details. (If you love salmon, I suggest you order it at any time of the day. Its beyond amazing!) After such a great meal, we cant believe that its actually coffee that they call their key focus item. My meal there made a fantastic impression because of the outstanding food and service. I hope you have the same experience. sunnyinlondon.com

  July 28, 2015, 2:58 am

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