Dinerama London – Shoreditch Street Food [permanently closed]
[UPDATE: Dinerama is now permanently closed]
I was long overdue a visit to Dinerama – unbelievably, I’d never actually been to this Shoreditch food market until very recently!
Offering the best Shoreditch street food, Dinerama is one of the four markets that make up Street Feast London. It’s home to ten street food stalls and nine bars, across two levels. The former truck yard is decorated with colourful street art, and has a shabby urban chic kinda vibe – a perfect fit for the area.
Communal seating is order of the day here – the big tables tend to get filled up pretty quickly by groups, but we found a spot outside to tuck into our street food eats. I was quite surprised by how busy Dinerama was at 4pm – but then again, it *was* a slightly sunny Saturday afternoon.
Kebabs from Babek Brothers
Did you know that Babek is kebab spelt backwards? MIND BLOWN. There’s nothing backward about the way Babek Brothers are making their wraps, though – this is a true Turkish delight. Kebabs might be considered by the British as the territory of 2am mistakes, but what Babek Brothers are offering is a far cry from the drunken high street on a Saturday night.
The Babek Brothers menu is inspired by their travels around the world, from the street food of Istanbul to Indian bread and Peckham beers. They’re a punny pair too – the dishes are named after celebs – think Kim Koftashian, Lambuel L Jackson and Tikka Turner.
The latter two are available in their Dinerama pop up, as well as the Ron Cheeseley (!) (£8), which combines two of my favourite things – Harry Potter and halloumi. The Cypriot halloumi was perfectly cooked with just the right amount of squeak, teamed with fig jam, tomatoes, shredded cabbage, garlic yoghurt and pickled onions. The combination of veggies and seasonings whisked me away to lively street markets on the other side of Europe as the punchy garlic sauce dripped onto my shoes. Messy food forever.
Jerk Fries from White Men Can’t Jerk
What’s a kebab without some chips? I’m currently practising some flexitarianism and living on the veggie side, but wanted to get a taste of White Men Can’t Jerk, which I’d heard some pretty great things about. So we ordered a tray of their Jerk Fries (£4) – crisp, thin chips with a sprinkling of Jerk salt, a generous splash of Jerk mayonnaise and a couple of chopped chillis and spring onions atop the mountain of potato-based goodness.
Honestly, they might just be some of the best chips I’ve ever put in my mouth. It’s easier than you’d think to get a chip wrong, but White Men Can’t Jerk got them *so* right it’s criminal. A manageable level of heat added to the flavour; and scooping up the crumbs of the Jerk salt at the end of the portion was a glorious guilty pleasure.
So good, I might just have to try the chicken next time…
Pandan Killer Cone from Chin Chin Labs
How to make a foodie afternoon out even better? Dessert, obvs. Especially when it’s this good.
Chin Chin Labs do awesome things with ice cream – not a Mr Whippy in sight. They’ve been described as ‘the best ice cream parlour in England’ by The Times, so my hopes were pretty high.
We both chose the Pandan Killer Cone (£5), which I actually misread as Panda Killer to begin with and had all sorts of questions. What even is pandan, yoy ask? It’s a tropical plant used in a lot of South and Southeast Asian cooking, that the clever people at Chin Chin have managed to turn into a tasty ice cream treat.
The pandan ice cream (which is vegan!) is made to order using liquid nitrogen, which not only looks super cool, but also means it’s amazingly fresh and light. The pandan offers a light, fragrant and natural sweet taste – totally different from your sugar packed scoops.
Craft Beers at German Sex Dungeon
I’m not writing the name again for fear of my search results, but GSD offers up a v. impressive selection of craft beers in a v. small space.
I had one of my favourites, the Tiny Rebel Frambuzi, a sour raspberry beer that’s sharp and tangy and everything I want from a sour; and a Berliner Weisse called Sour Suzy, which…was pretty much nothing I wanted from a sour. It’s basically a sour for people who don’t like sour beers much. Good job there are plenty more beers to choose from, eh?
Shoreditch Street Food: What else is on offer at Dinerama?
Club Mexicana
I’ve actually had a burrito from Club Mexicana and can confirm they’re delicious! Your favourite Mexican tastes, made vegan!
Fundi
Wood-fired Neapolitan style thin crust pizza – the sample menu includes Margherita, Pepperoni, Funghi (mushrooms), Napoli (anchovies and capers) and ‘Njuda (spicy).
Thunderbird
Crispy fried chicken wings (BBQ and Chipuffalo), Buns (Thunderbun, Chipuffalo) and Cajun spiced fries.
Tucka Burger
Classic American and Australian burger favourites, with lots of messy sauce. Choose from the Mark Tuckaberg (bacon burger), the Tom Tucka (classic hamburger), What The Tuck (halloumi burger)
Up in My Grill
Steak, Argentinian style, served with shoestring Oregano fries and some Beef Shin nuggets to start.
Yum Bun
Taiwanese steamed buns with various fillings, including Hoi Sin Pork Belly, Crispy Tofu and Fried Chicken.
Yumplings
From the team at Yum Bun, give these spicy steamed dumplings a go. Choose from Pork and Chive, Mushroom or Crispy Gyoza (duck and hoi sin or veggie).
Bars at Dinerama
Big Bar (giant cocktails, slushies, beers); Can Hatch (canned craft beer); Dick’s Magic Tiki Bar (cosy alpine lodge with tiki style cocktails); FünkenPümper (vodka + energy); Gin Kitchen (gin and tonic); Pioneer (outdoor, draft beer); Winerama (wine); Zephyr (unique & classic cocktails).
Dinerama Shoreditch
19 Great Eastern St, Hackney, London EC2A 3EJ
Nearest tube: Shoreditch High Street (Overground)/Liverpool Street
Dinerama is open Wednesday – Saturday from 5pm-midnight.
Entry is free before 7pm, £3 after.
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