Merchants Tavern
The legend on the front of this Hoxton restaurant reads "Merchants of Good Fortune," which neatly sums up the exceptional, smart-casual dining experience you'll encounter within. Seasonal, veg-focused hits from France, Italy, and Britain emerge from the open-counter kitchen housed in a former Victorian warehouse and onetime apothecary. The rare-pink venison with braised red cabbage, Alsace bacon, and celeriac is sublime, as are other dishes like roast lamb with "forgotten" carrots, quail with foie gras, or wild partridge with sage polenta. Enjoy the vanilla panna cotta with unstoned damsons, and note the £20 two-course set lunch.
