Brat x Climpson's Arch

The Verdict

Brat x Climpson's Arch is the kind of restaurant that earns its reputation through the food rather than the setting. The whole grilled turbot runs around £150 and feeds four comfortably, which makes it one of London's more honest group-meal calculations. The natural wine list holds a Star Wine List award for 2026, and the Basque-inflected cooking from Tomos Parry has enough depth to justify the trip to Hackney for anyone serious about wood-fire technique and well-sourced fish. Book it for groups of two to four who want cooking with a clear point of view, a lively courtyard atmosphere, and a drinks list that genuinely supports the food. If you want linen tablecloths and formal service, look elsewhere.

The Restaurant

Tomos Parry first ran a residency at Climpson's Arch, a coffee roastery near London Fields, back in 2013. He returned after the pandemic-era pause and has stayed, which tells you something: this is not a pop-up that outstayed its welcome but a format that works. The setup is split between a covered courtyard with tables close to the wood-fired grill and the railway arch interior, where trains pass overhead often enough to become part of the rhythm of the meal. The visual anchors here are industrial and purposeful: exposed brickwork, open flames, blackboard menus. You photograph the board on your phone; that is how you order. Service is perfunctory in a way that is either charming or annoying depending on your expectations, but it moves quickly and the staff know the menu well.

The Basque Country shapes the cooking in ways that go beyond the now-fashionable burnt cheesecake. Parry's affinity with the region shows in the fish preparation: hake collar with aïoli, and a traditional hake pil-pil with kokotxas (cheeks) served with large, creamy beans. These are not London interpretations of Basque dishes so much as direct references to them, executed with the kind of precision that the fritto misto of Flourish Farm produce also demonstrates. The batter on that fritto, which includes mint leaves, asparagus, broccoli, and whole red chilli depending on what the farm delivers, is lacy and grease-free in a way that takes real technique to achieve consistently. The grilled whole turbot draws the most attention and deserves it, but first-timers would be wrong to skip the lighter plates: grilled peas in the pod, salted pollock crudo, and young leeks with fresh cheese all show how much the kitchen can do without the grill dominating every note.

The drinks deserve specific attention. The Star Wine List recognition for 2026 is not an honorary mention: the natural wine selection is curated to match the food's register rather than to fill a list. Cold Estrella Galicia on draught grounds the whole thing in something approachable, and the espresso martinis use Climpson's own coffee, which gives them a sharper, more specific flavour profile than the category average. This is a drinks program built around the food rather than alongside it, and that alignment is what makes the pairing decisions easier for guests who are not deep wine readers. For wine-focused diners, the list rewards exploration without requiring it. Compared to the formal, extensively annotated wine programs at venues like CORE by Clare Smyth or The Ledbury, Climpson's Arch takes a leaner, more instinctive approach that suits the setting and the price point.

On a busy service, the courtyard and arch fill quickly and the noise level rises. This is a good place for food-focused conversation early in the evening; it becomes harder to manage as the night progresses. Booking is direct relative to comparable London destinations, and the East London location is accessible from London Fields and Hackney Central. The address at 374 Helmsley Place, E8, puts it close enough to the broader London restaurant scene to combine with other Hackney plans, but far enough from central London that it is worth making a specific trip for. It rewards that effort.

How to Book

Booking is relatively easy compared to the venue's profile. Reservations can be made online and availability is generally accessible with reasonable advance notice. For the grilled turbot, which is the central dish for groups, planning to share it across four people keeps the per-head spend manageable. Arrive with a clear photo of the blackboard menu and the intention to order widely across the lighter plates as well as the main proteins. The Basque burnt cheesecake with vanilla sauce and rhubarb compote is worth ordering ahead of time if you are a full table, as kitchen timing on desserts can compress at the end of a busy service.

How It Compares

See the comparison section below for how Brat x Climpson's Arch sits against London's broader fine and modern dining options, including Dinner by Heston Blumenthal, Sketch, The Lecture Room and Library, and Restaurant Gordon Ramsay. For those travelling further afield, the kind of wood-fire-led cooking Parry practices also connects to what The Fat Duck in Bray, L'Enclume in Cartmel, and Moor Hall in Aughton are doing with British produce, though the register and formality differ significantly. For fish-focused cooking in a transatlantic comparison, Le Bernardin in New York City operates in a different price tier and formality level entirely. Explore more through our full London restaurants guide, London bars guide, London hotels guide, London wineries guide, and London experiences guide.