Beard to Tail
Well the last few months wait from the makers of the successful Callooh Callay on Rivington Street, Shoreditch, was most certainly worth it. Back at the start of this year @Ohmands and I fell under the spell of the Jubjub at CC, after waltzing our way through the wardrobe into the back room for numerous cocktails and small plates. It was here we marvelled at the meticulous detail of the creators of the concept, from their ikea menus to their secret room upstairs for chosen ‘members’ only, and expert cocktail masterclasses.
Eagerly anticipating their next project I managed to wangle two seats at the much sought after Beard to Tail soft launch, and am now lying rather momentarily obese on my goose feathers, too gorged to even climb under the covers.
As you can see from the image left, a few finishing touches are yet to be applied, however we were greeted whole heartedly into a site set for great things; 77 Curtain Road.
Being only a hop, skip and a wiggle away from its cocktail-centric sibling, Beard to Tail focuses mainly on meats and whisky based cocktails. A simplistic environment, dark with intrigue, lit up with service smiles and warm welcomes and the same attention to detail on the menus that had won our admiration in CC.
As the only one drinking I felt it my duty to delve into the cocktails, the Derby Pie being a waitress recommendation. Based on a southern pie, this was cleverly devised with woodford reserve, laird’s apple jack 100, fresh lemon juice, maple syrup and other naughty but balanced ingredients, with egg white on top. Beautiful. Refreshing, slightly sharp yet distinct. I’d order it again.
On the menu we had too many things to try and not enough of us to pretend we weren’t greedy, so we settled on four starters and one main to share with a couple of sides that simply couldn’t be ignored.
The highlight for Amanda was Doreen’s black pudding salad with a deep fried hen’s egg, whose golden yolk erupted in slow motion across the dish. No idea who Doreen is but a must try for those lucky enough to visit.
Another surprising taste sensation was the pig’s trotters stuffed with bacon, sage and onion alongside pickled red cabbage and a homemade apple sauce.
With pickles having a strong presence on these plates, a good sharer was the Beard to Tail steak tartare, complete with cute quail’s egg- still in the shell circled in the midst. Too much of one flavour to have on its own.
My standout starter was the half rack of bourbon BBQ ribs and grilled corn on the cob, although next time I will have it as a main as to be frank I needed to eat more of it. (Nb. Not to be shared as a starter)
How could one follow such a glorious opening? Another cocktail was the answer.
This time it took the form of a Rye Smile; a Pikesville rye, southern comfort, Japanese plum wine (obviously?) and rhubarb liqueur, shaken with lemon juice, egg white and Abbot’s bitters. It tasted like a ‘Lush’ soap shop smells. Full of intricate flavours, all of which need a second to absorb to note, but enjoyable nonetheless.
We continued with our one main, shedding the gluttonous over-ordering, and opted for braised pork cheeks with ginger and dill pickle. A few side orders completed this round; jalapeno garlic bagels, sweet potato wedges and a Beard to Tail twist on the classic bubble and squeak.
Not quite ready to give in, and no it wasn’t our birthdays, we decided to give desserts a bash. Who could turn down a menu with the word cheesecake not once, but twice in a list of six dishes. 
Items chosen; the two dishes with the words ‘cheesecake’ included. Done.
Mine curiously named the Sundae Bible, was a stunning mix of gingernut cheesecake, milk ice-cream and one of my favourite tipples; ‘southern comfort’ syrup. Divine.
Amanda’s was just simply cheesecake. Again, divine. And we were happy.
After thanking our eager-to-please, new-to-London waitress we settled up, and sighed at the thought of leaving what could become a hibernation spot, for the amount we stomached could have certainly kept us through these prevailing winter months. We are now ready for winter. And more importantly ready for the opening of Beard to Tail next Monday. Book your seat.
Whose Boots Are Those Shoes? 
Overall the Beard to Tail is on par with, if not better than St. Johns. In my view the dishes are more interesting and they are a lot cheaper. I also preferred the ambience, as it is more relaxed. The only thing to watch out for is the service, which was patchy, although this could just be down to it being new staff in a new restaurant and will probably improve over time. I just hope they stop cutting your food up.London food blog