Shoreditch has a new late-night darling. Il Bambini Club, tucked inside The Hoxton hotel, arrives with a confident pulse – you hear it before you see it. A resident DJ spins soulful house, the kind that makes you sway in your seat, yet miraculously doesn’t drown out conversation. It’s a clever trick: the sound system is tuned just right, setting the tempo for the night while letting diners still hear each other’s gossip.
Inside, it’s Soho House meets dolce vita – patterned fabric, cushy curved booths, stylish but not try-hard. It has that “let’s stay for another drink” energy. The menu is satisfyingly concise yet broad enough to please everyone. Staff glide between tables with smiles and zero attitude, clearly enjoying the party themselves.
We started things off the right way: a delicate gin martini, cold and unapologetically strong. Snacks arrived – light-as-air zucchini fritti, kissed with tempura batter and perfect for dipping into the garlic mayo, followed by truffle ricotta mushroom arancini, which split open to reveal molten mozzarella and earthy mushroom.
Next, the beef tagliata – rosy slices of sirloin draped in a rich, savoury sauce and the pan-seared tuna on caponata, silky inside and a whisper of crispness on the outside, lounging on sweet-sour Sicilian vegetables. A side of perfect roast new potatoes were devoured in no time, and the spinach, artichoke leaf and parmesan salad was a welcome balance to the richer dishes.
Desserts are built for sharing – and showing off on Instagram. The tiramisu arrives in a generous dish, lush and boozy, enough for two (but you won’t want to share). Then there are the bombini bambini – standout mini custard-stuffed doughnuts, warm and impossibly light, served with a rich chocolate dipping sauce. Again, meant for two, but disappear faster than you’d expect.
It’s bellissimo from us – a good-time all round at Il Bambini – an Italian restaurant with groove.
Il Bambini restaurant, 81 Great Eastern Street, London EC2A 3HU
bambini-restaurant.com
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