Shoreditch

The Small Square Cafe at 6 Ravey Street EC2 is a new venture by Kamila and Tom in the creative heart of Shoreditch, at the sticky end of Ben Adams Architects’ Nobu Hotel and serving the oddly harsh pocket park that the hotel appears either eager to expand into or left behind as the result of some catastrophic damage.
 
When he’s not opening cafés, Tom runs Builders4you (he should really go into brand names) and the fit-out of the newly opened Small Square exhibits the simple no-fuss craftsmanship that we so frequently enjoy in our home and studios.
 
We visited on opening day and, with the offer of a free lunch (which so rarely comes without an obligation), enjoyed it tremendously.  Kamila's mix of dishes is finely balanced to cater for the mix of creatives that cruise these Shoreditch streets, the range of coffees suit their well-versed palates, and the fridge is stocked with plenty of those all-too-cleverly monikered soft drinks.  In the Small Square space there’s a taste of Indian, Italian, Polish and Thai, and the two dishes we chose were both perfectly rounded and perfectly sized.

As the name suggests we imagine you will be lucky to find a seat on a wet lunchtime, but of those that have been squeezed in, and in a nod to the local clientele, the stools and accompanying shelf have been carefully and somewhat unusually related to ensure lunch can be enjoyed while the ever-essential mobile can be used hands-off without shouting.
 
Creative questions and the singular teething problem (no iced coffee until tomorrow!) are each dealt with in Tom’s usual charming and unflappable manner. The portions are perfect and the tastes excellent.

Go soon and go early, this is a venture well worth supporting.

03 August 2022