Penny Squares – Review

Last Updated on January 16, 2025

A Beautiful Homage to the East End: 

Sometimes good food is found in the most unlikely of places; even in hotel restaurants. Forgive the snobbery, but usually hotel restaurants don’t really manage to transcend ‘I’ll go if it’s there’. Thankfully, Penny Squares at Hilton’s Canopy, in Aldgate, does just that. With an enticing menu inspired by London’s East End and exceptionally well plated food, dining at Penny Squares feels like a naughty, but well-deserved little treat.

Just a five-minute walk from Aldgate Tube Station, Penny Squares is tucked inside the very swanky Hilton Canopy. For the first five minutes of your arrival, you have the exciting option of cosplaying as a London Hilton guest. Activities can include: languishing in the plush hotel lobby, flicking through trendy magazines, making eyes at the folks sipping from martini glasses at the bar, it’s all very suave, sophisticated, and excitingly provocative. But in the end, loitering is hungry work, and you’ll soon be enticed by the scent of beef fillet, fresh pitta bread, and the promise of a crisp and cold glass of wine.

Climbing the steps up to Penny Squares proper, you’re struck by the restaurant’s minimalist beauty. Bulbs without shades are attached to exposed gold pipes that hang from the restaurant’s exposed ceiling, giving Penny Squares that trendy edge without completely stripping it of its class. The tables help out with the overall look, they’re all beautifully laid, complete with twinkling candles, and beautifully folded napkins. Penny Squares is all greys, golds and rusty reds, making the interior almost as beautiful as its food. Almost.

We kicked off the meal with that delightfully crisp glass of white wine mentioned above. Recommended by the lovely and eager-to-please waiter, we went for a bottle of the 2021 Castel Firmian Pinot Grigio. Balanced on the tongue, floral, and appetisingly dry, it went exceptionally well with Penny Squares’ bread and dip appetisers. Usually, I associate bread and dips with the more casual kind of dinner party, but trust me when I say these guys have turned the humble dip into an art form. Fuchsia-coloured Beetroot Labneh, with cooling cucumber and mint, was paired with pastel green spinach pitta bread. Tangy and refreshing, it certainly got the taste buds engaged.

Starting off with the ‘Little Crockery’ section of the Penny Squares menu, or in colloquial English, the starters, we decided to go for the Beef Fillet, and on a suggestion of the waiter, The Soft Shell Crab. Both were utterly delightful. The Beef Fillet was served with a salty charred kale puree, tender stem broccoli, and finely chopped smoked tomato. Deep and fresh, everything worked extremely well together, forming a perfect unison on the tongue. The Spiced Soft-Shell Crab was as equally delicious, though felt slightly clumsy in the presence of Penny Squares’ aesthetic. I promise this is nit-picking though, the crab was extremely well cooked, delicately spiced, and paired beautifully with coriander mayonnaise.

In the ultimate attempt to make the meal last longer, we ordered another dip and breads. Sinful I know! This time, we were captivated by the Lemon, Garlic and Tahini dip, served with good old-fashioned warm pitta bread. Earthy, zingy, and topped with olive oil, it was a lovely dish to mull things over on, although perhaps there can occasionally be too much of a good thing.

With only three dishes on their ‘Main Crockery’ menu, Penny Squares are not hedging their bets on what people enjoy (don’t take your vegan friends here, or, to be honest, your broke friends either), but neither of us was disappointed with our mains. The Crusted rack of Lamb was served alongside a small oasis of lamb sauce, surrounded by pipetted pea mash and edible flowers. Rarely do you see this commitment to exceptional presentation! Beautifully balanced flavours were a clear theme throughout our meal, and the vegetarian option, the Tamarind Glazed Aubergine, surrounded by tahini and date puree and topped with feta and pomegranate seeds, was a complete culinary adventure.

By the end of the mains, we were beginning to feel far, far too full. Again, the Lemon, Garlic and Tahini dip was just indulgence, but I’ll go to my grave convinced we did the right thing. With heavy tummies, we opted to share a dessert – the Mango Chocolate Mousse. Despite my previous remark, I could have eaten about ten of these. Mango and chocolate are a combination that never ceases to get my appetite whirring. Needless to say, the dessert was also exceptionally well plated, with a crackable chocolate coating and mini meringues accompanying the mango puree. There are some desserts worth pausing exceptional conversation for, and this was undoubtedly one of them.