Latest opening: Goodbye Horses
What: A decidedly quirky multi-faceted launch in Hackney’s De Beauvoir area that comprises a forward-thinking natural wine bar, restaurant and coffee shop. Goodbye Horses has an unusual operational setup with its day time-only coffee shop Day Trip being repurposed as a kitchen come the evening. Another thing that sets the project apart is that it is located in the midst of a largely residential area.
Who: Goodbye Horses is the debut restaurant project from entrepreneur Alex Young and front of house professional George de Vos. The pair met while the latter was helping to launch the Greyhound Inn in Suffolk and realised they “were very much aligned in terms of what we wanted to do and what a great hospitality venue and space looks like”. Young has a background in technology while George de Vos - who is originally from the Netherlands - has a CV that includes working for Nuno Mendes at Taberna do Mercado in Spitalfields, and Dalston’s Brilliant Corners. The kitchen at Goodbye Horses is headed by Jack Coggins, whose CV includes Papi, Planque, The Baring and Hot 4 U, while the wine programme is overseen by Nathalie Nelles, who was previously at Noble Fine Liquor and Wright’s Wine.
The food: Coggins has created a distinctive menu of modern European small plates. Intended for ad hoc snacking as well as full meals, the selection includes sardines on home-made milk bread; raw beef and mushroom rye crackers; and a cracking cheese toastie. More substantial dishes include oxtail ragout rice; Dorset clams and courgettes; and courgette flowers stuffed with a delicate langoustine mousse served in a warm tartare sauce.
To drink: The wine list promises to ‘go beyond just the natural’ celebrating producers that are at ‘least organic, if not biodynamic, and where possible prioritising soil health’. Though there are some funky numbers in her expansive cellar Nelles has in general sought out cleaner styles of natural wine for her list, which features some of the biggest names in natural wine. Given the quality of the wine, by the glass prices are reasonable starting at £7 for still wines. There is also a selection of niche sour beers that mimic the flavour profile of natural wines. Day Trip, meanwhile, sources its beans carefully from a range of roasters in the UK and beyond and is focused on pour over.
The vibe: Located on the corner of Halliford Street and Elizabeth Avenue in a former pub, the 55-cover venue has been designed in collaboration with Swiss architect Leopold Banchini and Young and de Vos’ recently established design consultancy Ltd Ltd. The space has a distinctive, rustic look with an oak bar, a floor made of compacted mud and clay, rough cast walls, a cork ceiling and a striking linen mural designed by artist Lucy Stein, who is inspired by British mythology and folklore. Her drawings also appear on the curtains, which create ‘a womb-like’ effect when drawn. As one might expect given Goodbye Horses takes it name from a cult synth pop track by Q Lazzarus, Young and de Vos have invested heavily into their new venture's music programme amassing a collection of over 4,000 records and installing a serious hifi system that comprises of eight tube amplifiers and four refurbished Lancaster speakers which work together to create a warm, quadraphonic sound.
And another thing: Goodbye Horses’ ingenious-entitled ice cream parlour The Dreamery is expected to launch next month in a former retail unit across the road.
21 Halliford Street, London N1 3HB
www.goodbyehorses.london
