Harden's survey result
Summary
“Never failing to deliver extraordinary food” – James Lowe’s famous (among foodies) canteen, at the foot of Shoreditch’s well-known ‘Tea Building’, “is so consistent in delivering seemingly simple, but actually quite intricate flavour combinations”. These are offered as small plates at lunch and in the evening as a tasting menu. Originally he was inspired by a stint working at St John, but his own cuisine is nowadays something of a benchmark in its own right for modern seasonal British cooking, with “a menu that changes all the time”.
Summary
“Led by fantastic British ingredients, the cooking seems simple but it’s not” at James Lowe’s acclaimed canteen, at the foot of Shoreditch’s well-known landmark, the Tea Building. His “superb combinations” deliver “amazing and unexpected flavours” – “it’s easy to see why this restaurant is so highly rated” and fans still consider the cuisine “some of the best in London”. (In February 2020, co-founder John Ogier stepped away from the business).
Summary
“Notwithstanding the hipster canteen vibe, this is the real thing!”. James Lowe’s “brilliantly executed”, seasonal British small plates – “fresh and light, yet sturdy and filling when required” (and often “using a wood-fired oven to give that extra tang of flavour”) – are complemented by “delicious bread” and “a proper list of natural wines”, and have rightly won renown for his venerated foodie champion: a light-filled space at the foot of Shoreditch’s iconic Tea Building. Its ratings are not quite as beyond-stellar as when the venue first opened, however, and it’s no criticism to say that its No. 2 ranking in the UK according to the World’s 50 Best has less to do with its “sublime” cooking, and more to do with the in-crowd criteria of the fooderati who vote for it. Top Tip – “the Lyle’s Guest Chef Series programme is great”.
Summary
“Notwithstanding the hipster canteen vibe, this is the real thing!”. James Lowe’s “brilliantly executed”, seasonal British small plates – “fresh and light, yet sturdy and filling when required” (and often “using a wood-fired oven to give that extra tang of flavour”) – are complemented by “delicious bread” and “a proper list of natural wines”, and have rightly won renown for his venerated foodie champion: a light-filled space at the foot of Shoreditch’s iconic Tea Building. Its ratings are not quite as beyond-stellar as when the venue first opened, however, and it’s no criticism to say that its No. 2 ranking in the UK according to the World’s 50 Best has less to do with its “sublime” cooking, and more to do with the in-crowd criteria of the fooderati who vote for it. Top Tip – “the Lyle’s Guest Chef Series programme is great”.
For 32 years we've been curating reviews of the UK's most notable restaurant. In a typical year, diners submit over 50,000 reviews to create the most authoritative restaurant guide in the UK. Each year, the guide is re-written from scratch based on this survey (although for the 2021 edition, reviews are little changed from 2020 as no survey could run for that year).
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Restaurant details
Lyle's Restaurant Diner Reviews
"Excellent first lunch here. It was a strike day so perhaps less busy than usual but it is still a buzzy and hence VERY noisy place. Hard surfaces make it a chat hard. Service is perfect with as much information as you want and a clear love of the place. You do not think they are temps! Amazing wine glasses with the slimmest stems possible! Lunch is shared dishes - fun but you may have trouble in a larger group as sharing out can be hard. We had a fish meal - wonderful Scottish grilled razor clams in a tasty broth -no shells in sight; squid strips sitting on a lovely vegetable medley ; Turbot on a vegetable base . Superb puddings... "
"Quite expensive when you add up several sharing plates but the quality was outstanding. "
"A wonderful meal. Five plates that were all both interesting and delicious. Mussels with a smoked butter sauce was exceptional. Smoked eel was similarly divine. Goose leg was unctuous. A lovely simple space where everything is about the food."
Prices
| Availability | 2 courses | 3 courses |  |
 |
 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dinner | £95.00 |  |
 |
|
Traditional European menu
| Pudding |
|---|
| £0.00 |
| Drinks |
|
|---|---|
| Wine per bottle | £38.00 |
| Filter Coffee | £0.00 |
| Extras |
|
|---|---|
| Bread | £0.00 |
| Service | 10.00% |
The Tea Building, 56 Shoreditch High Street, London, E1 6JJ
Opening hours
| Monday | CLOSED |
| Tuesday | 12 pm‑2:15 pm, 6 pm‑9 pm |
| Wednesday | 12 pm‑2:15 pm, 6 pm‑9 pm |
| Thursday | 12 pm‑2:15 pm, 6 pm‑9 pm |
| Friday | 12 pm‑2:15 pm, 6 pm‑9 pm |
| Saturday | 12 pm‑2:15 pm, 6 pm‑9 pm |
| Sunday | CLOSED |
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