Tramshed

Tramshed Restaurant Review:

Mark Hix appears to have done it again with his ninth restaurant, located in the now-fashionable area of Shoreditch. The Tramshed is housed in an early twentieth-century industrial building, Grade II-listed, which means you can’t go too wild on the architectural changes. It’s been stripped back but pretty well left as it was: a huge room with a lofty ceiling, hard floor and tiling. It’s noisy as a result, but that adds to the buzz. Light floods in through big windows and there are mezzanine levels. Center stage is Damien Hirst’s formaldehyde-filled tank with a preserved cow and cockerel inside (named “Cock and Bull”). As you can infer, this is not for the faint-hearted. Rather, it is a bold venture, which extends to the menu. Diners may choose from beef or chicken: precisely cooked steak or a whole free-range roast chicken, large enough to share. Starters (which are bar snacks) offer variety: devilled chicken hearts on toast, Yorkshire pudding with whipped livers. Desserts might be fresh strawberries and cream, or apple pie and custard. There’s a separate bar for those nibbles, as well as a gallery/exhibition space.