Review: Cornerstone, Hackney

I’ve been wanting to get to Cornerstone for a while, but it’s in Hackney. And I’m south of the river. Pretty much always have been. For those who don’t know, there really do seem to be two worlds in London and you either belong to one or t’other. I can tell you all about Clapham, Richmond, Balham, Wimbledon, Brixton, Battersea and Bermondsey. But I’d struggle to stick a pin in Highbury, Finchley, Hackney or Walthamstow on a map. So it felt very daring to jump on an Overground train and go for an Adventure In The North.

Glad I did, though. Cornerstone is as wonderful as everyone says. We were absolutely treated to a feast of British seafood over 8 courses for the princely sum of £60.

Can I tell you about the pickled oyster with a dressing of horseradish and dill? The texture was perfect and the flavours completely knock-out. But then I could say the same of the sea bream tartare with a gooey egg yolk perched on top, dressed in soy with nutty notes of sesame.

Things became more beautiful with the cured gurnard in ajo blanco (beautifully chilled garlicky almond soup, apparently this year’s must-have dish). This plate was every bit as satisfying to eat as it was jewel-like to behold. Gurnard is already a favourite fish of mine, but the delicate cure here amplified the strong flavour of the fish to a new level. Besotted, I drifted on to a wickedly good crumpet covered in a brown crab salad dressed with a throwback marie rose sauce. Crumpet and marie rose sauce are a great combination that I intend to explore at home!

The main course just had us grinning ear-to-ear. A beautifully crisp, brown kiev cracked at the pressure of a fork to reveal cloudy white hake and then unleash a gooey puddle of curried brown shrimp butter. Ha! Be envious! This was even better than it sounds!

There was a nice Lancashire savoury course and a simple choux bun dessert to finish us off. We enjoyed their wines by the glass, an interesting selection and decent value. Cornerstone is an absolute belter of a restaurant, and anyone who makes the pilgrimage to Hackney will not be disappointed.