The background

Crispin opened at the start of 2019 just off the main drag of Spitalfields – enough that it’s a local favourite, a bit of a hidden gem and a destination restaurant to those in the know. During the day, it offers superb coffee and groceries, great lunches and opens as a dinner and wine bar in the evening. Small menus, from which diners are encouraged to try everything, have always been part of the Crispin experience, as well as refined cooking and exciting flavours. Crispin regularly changes its menu to celebrate a theme or collaborate with a chef or restaurant so many diners end up returning again and again. 

The space

In a small square just off Spitalfields, Crispin feels like a hidden gem. It is set in a gorgeously unique building – a glass and zinc pavilion with a sharply slanted roof that seats 40 inside, plus another 30 in the covetable covered terrace at the rear of the restaurant. The inside is adorned with graphic posters and illustrated prints – many of which have been created by Crispin to mark collaborations or special events. It’s a space that is at once comforting, familiar and completely original.

The food and drink

The team of chefs at Crispin are led by the hugely talented Lewis de Haas, formerly of Petersham Nurseries and The Shed, in producing a daily tightly formed menu of deliciousness. Sourcing the finest ingredients from local, independent, small-scale producers is at the heart of Crispin’s cooking – using the absolute best produce in its ever-changing dishes.

The menu changes regularly according to the seasons, and the desires of the kitchen, but when Brummell visited we tried crispy and moreish gorgonzola croquettes with pickled walnut ketchup and parmesan; a collection of tangy house pickles; a courgette and fennel salad with lemon and ricotta that was as beautiful to look at as to eat; a fabulously fresh crab pasta with chilli, fennel and samphire; a perfectly flaky pollock, with tomatoes, rich aioli and fennel; and one of the most delicious dishes in London: exceptionally fresh burrata with roasted peaches, basil and basil oil. Each item is designed to share so you can experience some of each delicious dish. To finish we shared a perfectly sweet and tart combination of poached nectarine, yoghurt, lemon curd and pistachio and an indulgent fig leaf pannacotta, strawberries and meringue.

Crispin is known for its selection of mostly European low-intervention wines from smaller producers that focus on indigenous and rare grape varieties. We drank a deliciously fresh Niepoort, Voyeur Projectos, from Douro, Portugal, which is fermented in clay amphoras to add earthy depth to its orange and violet notes. Crispin’s list also boasts an exciting collection from Loire, Beaujolais, and Savoie as well as interesting bottles from Piemonte, Burgenland in Austria, and Greece. 

The bill

Dinner for two with a bottle of wine, around £130.

The verdict

Crispin is a truly remarkable place in every aspect: design, cooking, wine list, service. It’s somewhere that once you’ve been, you’ll want to return over and over again to experience the special menus and collaborations. Endlessly ambitious and precise, it’s one of the capital’s continually exciting places to eat. 

crispinlondon.com