A Little Slice of Heaven in East London
Dinerama
Address: Shoreditch Yard, 19 Great Eastern Street EC2A 3EJ London
Price: £3, free before 7pm
Hours: Thurs-Sun, 12:00PM-Midnight
The London street food revolution is not just a different type of dining experience but has also transformed the city's nightlife scene. Giant pop-up sites made out of shipping containers with built in diners have been appearing all over East London and have become huge successes due to their killer combination of street-food, craft cocktails and music. Street Feast’s Shoreditch foodie mecca is back for the summer and their new pop-up Dinerama in Shoreditch Yard is to die for.
Dinerama is perfectly situated right in the middle of East London’s foodie heart, a short walk from Liverpool Street tube station and Shoreditch High Street overground station. Dinerama is a two-story site that features 15 food vendors, ten different bars along with benches and open floor space that can hold up to 1,000 hungry visitors.
It is summertime, and we have yet to be a single day with more than ten minutes of sunshine, but the prospect of eating outdoors does seem enticing. The open roof bar on the second story offers an eclectic view of Shoreditch along with a beautiful wine bar (Winerama), which looks down on the people below that lets face it- are queuing for the food stalls. The space is very rustic with eclectic décor and has smaller private spaces upstairs that can be booked for private functions.
The view from the second level.
If you’re thinking this is yet another weekend magnet for hipsters, think again. This properly structured, al-fresco food extravaganza attracts youngsters including dapper businessmen from Bankside to people South of the Thames, all sprinkled in amongst the rugged, stylish hipsters of the East side.
Even the tip jars are cheeky
Whether you are keen on heading downstairs to the German Sex Dungeon serving up craft cans of beer (watch out for the dildos hanging from the ceiling), or staying upstairs at the Tiki Bar, there is definitely something for every 20-something Londoner.
I kicked things off at the Tiki Bar myself where I tried a double Pina Colada served up in a fresh pineapple for £15 but my friend got a single, which was served in a more reasonable sized pink-striped paper cup for £7. If you prefer being downstairs and are with a group, the main Big Bar is where you can order three tequila shots for £12, which all come with drops of Tabasco hot sauce for an extra kick.
Later on, we caved in to the aromas from below on the ground floor and began our journey through the food stalls. Serving up some killer snacks are traders such as Fundi Pizza, Yum Bum, Smokestack, B.O.B.’s Lobster, Kimchinary, BBQ Lab, You! Donut and Breddos Tacos.
Always a sucker for chicken wings, my first stop was BBQ Lab. The prompt staff wearing white lab coats put in work as they tactfully run a blowtorch over the final product providing for a perfect crunch as you bite into the tender chicken. A very reasonable £5 for five of their fan favorite “Chipuffalo Wings,” that came served with a cheeky smirk from the wing doctors. I also recommend that you add the chipuffalo sauce to other items such as their carefully battered to perfection mozzarella sticks or their cheesy chips, which all pair perfectly with their special house recipe bleu cheese. Really good. I can see why they are the WingFest Champions, 2015.
So good, they're snapchat worthy
I also highly recommend Breddos- their 3 tacos for £9 is a must. Fundi Pizza also offers a delicious assortment of wood fire pizzas. I tried the Fungi Pizza, which was a steal for £7 and the (optional) truffle oil on top was almost murderous it was so good. Before your food coma settles in, try and make your way across to You! Doughnut where you can indulge in fresh, hot doughnut bites that come served with vanilla ice cream for an affordable £5.
The challenge for the stallholders will be to keep the quality of service high in swift delivery when the hordes arrive. My top tip is to get there before seven for free entry and claim a table, especially on a Friday or Saturday evening. Getting there early will allow you more time to enjoy the experience. Dinerama might not be the most affordable of experiences but this gem in the hip East end of London, it is with gratification to their foodie fans that they aren’t charging more.
Looking for me? I’ll be in the BBQ Lab queue with a beer in each hand.