Lunch at Gloria, Shoreditch - Review

For those of you familiar with Shoreditch, you are probably already aware of Gloria. Even if you haven’t heard of it, you will almost certainly have stopped and admired the plant-endowed establishment sitting at the junction of Great Eastern Street and Charlotte road and thought “I must try that place”. Gloria looks as if it has been sliced right out of Italy’s Campania region and pasted into the urban landscape of East London, making it an inviting prospect, so we headed down one lunchtime to move the eye-catching Trattoria out of our “must-try” list.

If the exterior gives you Southern Italian dining vibes, the interior takes it up a notch, with all of those Amalfi feels. Marbled floors support rounded banquette seating adorned with striped fabrics. Greenery drapes from the ceilings in an environment that feels like a maximalist garden yet also calming and serene. We get right into the Italian spirit by asking for an Aperol Spritz whilst we peruse the menu, we are however, expertly guided by our fantastic host to try the Albicocca Spritz instead. A much more mellow drink made with apricot brandy, elderflower, lemon juice, soda and Prosecco. Now they have gained our trust we open ourselves up to suggestions from the menu.

Gloria is known for its burrata, and who are we to ignore this. Their Burrata E Frigitelli is a silky soft ball of heaven laid upon a bed of sun-dried tomato and almond pesto, and frigitelli peppers, it’s warm but not fiery.

One of our surprise favourites of the day is the quirkily titled “Honey I truffled the Crochetta”, the most delightful crisp balls with a gooey provola cheese centre and an earthy sweetness provided by a truffle honey finish. We accompany this with silky thin slices of 40 day cured beef leg. The flavour is deep and only a touch of olive oil and lime zest is needed to finish.

We obviously had to sample one of the menu’s Napolitan pizzas, and persisting with the advice of our host we opt for the Dancing Queen. A typical mozzarella and tomato base oozes on top of a super soft dough, topped with prosciutto and rocket. It’s surprisingly fresh. Our Italian feast ends with an insanely delicious chocolate tart with salted caramel and coffee praline. Now this dessert is rich with a capital R, but with that kind of quality that keeps you digging in your spoon, mopping up the bed of whipped cream underneath. Gloria is a place to impress. Not just for the incredible surroundings, for the slice of Italian riviera, but also for the impeccable food, and with a reasonably priced menu, Gloria is Capri without the price tag. So if you know of the restaurant covered in plants, it’s about time you knew it for what’s inside. Go book a table and check out the menu on the Gloria website - https://www.bigmammagroup.com/en/trattorias/gloria

Address: 54-56 Great Eastern St, London EC2A 3QR

Written by Rick Hartley

Photography by Joann Pai and Jérôme Galland