Last Updated on January 4, 2026
One Club Row Brings New York Glamour to Shoreditch
5.0 out of 5.0 starsShoreditch, with its endless appetite for the next big thing, has been thrown a new bauble in the form of One Club Row, a handsome restaurant set above the Knave of Clubs pub. It opened in March 2025, promising a marriage of New York gloss and British gastropub charm. Whether it’s a happy union remains to be seen, but for now, it’s striding out confidently. You’ll find the entrance tucked away on a graffiti daubed side road a stone’s throw from Shoreditch High Street Station and, as you walk up the stairs, you’ll be greeted by the sound of what I can only describe as ‘proper jazz’ rather than the piped musak that often masquerades under that name.
The lineup behind One Club Row is auspicious: James Dye of The Camberwell Arms, Benjy Leibowitz, late of JKS Restaurants and New York’s NoMad, and Patrick Powell, the Culinary Director with stints at Allegra and the Midland Grand Dining Room under his apron. This lot knows exactly what they’re doing.
The dining room at One Club Row is a lesson in how to let history breathe without choking the life out of the place. It seats 45, with another 10 spots at the bar. There’s original 19th-century panelling and a Victorian fireplace, and the room is crowned with ornate cornicing and lit with Victorian-style ceiling and wall lights. White-linen draped tables with bentwood chairs surround the central bar. On the walls, bright, swaggering artworks by London’s Joy Yamusangie inject a needed bolt of modern energy.
It’s our restaurant of the month for April – our pick of the new openings. We spotted the critics out in force so if we’ve got this one wrong, so has everyone else.
This is the kind of place where you should enjoy a cocktail or two, and that’s just what my companion did. The cocktail menu is divided into Sharpeners, Martinis, and Not Martinis – she picked two from the last section. The Paloma (Olmeca Blancho Tequila, lime juice and grapefruit soda was served in a lovely tall glass with a fat slice of grapefruit, dangerously refreshing, sherbet-y.
The Hemingway Daiquiri (Havana 3yo, lime, grapefruit juice, Maraschino liqueur) was a more dangerous choice – where the Paloma was long and light, this was a short, sharp shock, slightly medicinal and nice and strong.
I try my best to stick to wine when I’m out and ordered a glass of the NV Jean Charles Boisset, Cremant de Bourgogne No 21, Chardonnay and Pinot Noir. Served in a pretty coupe glass, it’s a fizz that could easily pass for Champagne, the Pinot Noir just adds rounds out the drink a little.
We shared three plates from the snacks and starters sections of the menu.
House sourdough, salted butter had a bouncy middle, with crunchy almost honeyed crust. My companion fretted that we hadn’t been given enough butter to cover the three great hunks of bread we’d been presented with. We ate all of it, excellent for mopping up all the juices from our other dishes!
Cantabrian anchovies with marinated red peppers was beautifully presented, the sweetest of red peppers lined up and contrasted with super salty anchovies, a good flavour combination.
But, the stand out dish was a plate of barbecued asparagus, labneh, hazelnut and lemon. Full of flavour and a well balanced dish with tahini coming through the labneh, small chunks of lemon giving a citrus tang to the whole plate and asparagus charred to just the right point all topped with toasted hazelnuts. I fantasised for a while about trying to recreate this at home for an upcoming dinner party.
For her main course at One Club Row, my companion picked the curried moules with frites, spring onion and curry leaf. The word frite on the menu did not do any justice to what was to appear: an exciting new chip variety: huge, crunchy and potatoey. The guests at the neighbouring table leaned over and enquired about them, presuming it was panisse. The jury is out – we thought it was a reformed deep-fried mashed potato…
The mussels were plump and juicy and married well with the Thai-inspired curried broth rich with lime.
For me, what I was hoping would be a ‘healthyish’ option – lamb meatballs, harissa, chickpeas and cucumber yoghurt. It turned out to be a very robust dish, the lamb was beautifully tender, with a deep and rich sauce; vegetal, laced with Moroccan spices and juicy with loads of tomato. This could have been the healthy option if it were half the size, and would be a great dish for sharing (on a future visit). Too much for one person – but I coped and even ate most of the French fries with a powerful garlicky aioli I’d ordered as a side.
We shared a huge plate of purple sprouting broccoli with manchego, which we thought was rather overwhelmed by the broccoli.
While my companion enjoyed her Hemingway Daiquiri, I sipped on a glass of 2021 Fattoria di Rodano, Castellina in Chianti, Tuscany, Sangiovese – an excellent match for the lamb, though I was slightly envious of the cocktails, and next time I visit One Club Row, I’ll definitely be trying one.
On to desserts. My companion was obsessed with the idea of Dutch baby (pancakes) with chantilly cream, blueberries, smoked bacon and maple. Presented with three pieces of cutlery to tackle it, she remarked that this dessert was misnamed “baby” when size-wise it was more of a toddler. A substantial dessert, she still managed to devour it!
Meanwhile, after tackling the lamb, I was unfit for anything more but opted for pistachio ice cream with lemon ice. It hit the spot perfectly, looking pretty but light and laced with pistachio dust and lemon zest to elevate it into something very special.
One Club Row does have a bit of a retro feel, and our Americanos came with those amaretti biscuits wrapped in paper. We both hail from the era when, after a meal with friends, we’d all roll our amaretti papers and light them. If they hit the ceiling, your wish would come true. My companion was most disappointed that the paper no longer flies into the air when set alight – I’m sure that the owners of One Club Row are both relieved that we didn’t try and delighted that it doesn’t.
We loved this place, and the three hours we spent at the table felt more like a third of the time. There was lots of jollity and serious eating with some serious Martini drinking going on in the room. The service was immaculate and the vibe was Shoreditch cool without feeling exclusive.
Both of us want to go back to One Club Row. At weekends, a house pianist sets up camp, and once a month, the place leans fully into its jazz club ambitions, with late-night sessions that prove Shoreditch can still do soulful after dark. And, there are private rooms upstairs – this could be my perfect party venue!
One Club Row
Shoreditch
London
E1 6JX
Want more recommendations? Check our selection of the best new restaurants in London for 2025
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