When in Europe Shoreditch…

Dog friendly restaurant review: Crispin

If you’re looking for something quick and dirty, you should probably give Crispin a miss…

But if you’re looking for something a bit more special and a bit more seasonal, you should check out this dog friendly restaurant. It specialises in modern European dishes, served on small plates that you’re, well, ‘supposed’ to share.

Environment

Crispin is located just a few minutes’ walk from Liverpool Street station, Aldgate East station and Shoreditch High Street station. Tucked away down one of the back roads, this small, triangular building that looks more like an art gallery than a restaurant. The cool, standalone structure seats 40 diners inside. There’s a heated outdoor terrace too, which seats an additional 20.

The decor is as modern as the food. Pairing cool-toned concrete floors with warm natural wood, the setting is simple and elegant. The plants and dried flowers give it a scandi feel, while the candles and dimmed lights create an intimate setting in the evening. Most of the tables are set for groups of 2 or 4, but they can be pulled together for larger groups. However, it’s quite snug in there, so I’d keep that in mind if you have a larger or more reactive dog.

Price

Crispin specialises in small plates of modern European food, created using seasonal ingredients. The appetisers are around £5, while the average price of a small plate is around £15. If you’re looking for something a bit more substantial, they have a couple of mains on the menu for between £16 and £24. Because of the ‘small plate’ approach, they recommend that you get 2-3 small plates per person. As a result, it can get pretty spenny, but…

*HACK* Crispin is often featured on First Tables. This is an app that offers 50% off food at selected restaurants if you book one of their first or last tables of the day. Unlike Tastecard, this app works with independents, not chains, so it’s a great way to try new restaurants in your area. It’s definitely worth checking out.

Taste

The dishes here are picture perfect and I love the use of seasonal ingredients. But I do think they could dial up the flavour. From the dishes we’ve tried, I’d definitely recommend the Dusty Knuckle Bread with Brown Butter to start. Dusty Knuckle Sourdough is always a winner, so I’m not surprised it’s a regular feature on the menu. If any of your local cafes or delis sell Dusty Knuckle loaves, grab one. When it comes to the small plates and the mains, these are constantly changing, so it’s pretty much a given that you’ll be able to try something new every time you visit.

Service

But enough about the grub. What about our goodest boys and girls? Crispin is very dog friendly and the staff always gush over the pups that come in. As I mentioned earlier, if you’re worried about it being a bit of a tight squeeze for your dog, you can always opt for a table on the terrace. However, there was plenty of room for our small sausage.

So, what’s the PETS (Price, Environment, Taste and Service) rating for Crispin?

• Price: 3.4/5
• Environment: 4.1/5
• Taste: 3.3/5
• Service: 4/5

Overall, this dog friendly restaurant scores 3.7 out of 5. It would be higher if the dishes packed more of a punch.

But if ‘Europe’-n to sharing, Crispin is definitely worth a try. 

Check out their website here.