Little Duck – The Picklery

For their third venture, the team behind Soho’s Duck Soup took their idea of raw-focussed dining, brined it, let it ferment, and finally unveiled the result: a picklery.

The Dalston space is airy and welcoming, and feels a little like a big country kitchen. You’ll sit up at the kitchen table; a large stone island right in front of the hobs and ovens, beneath herbs hanging from the ceiling and surrounded by shelving stacked with ingredients, and daily specials scrawled on blackboards.

The Picklery, unsurprisingly, focuses on the art of brining. They make all their pickles, ferments, and drinking vinegars on site, where they’re both available to buy (by the gram or the jar), and incorporated into the menu.

And, in fact, you can too – because workshops are an equally important part of this branch’s offering. Every month they draft in a host of expert guests who’ll induct you into the crafts of pasta making, fermenting, foraging and dumpling making.

When you’re not busy self-improving, you’ll have a chance to take in their all-day menu. It runs from lunch (with breakfast on weekends) till close, serving up toasts, cereals and eggs for the former (all spiced up with ferments, of course), to heartier dishes come the evening; including a daily slow-roasted dish inspired by Mediterranean flavours that comes out of the oven at 7pm. Mondays, however, are offal. Which we mean in the best possible sense, because it’s the night they bring out a special dish designed to make the most of the lesser-used parts of animals.

And to drink? If you fancy something a little naughtier than their healthy elixirs, they’ll be happy to put a dash of booze in your cup…

Just be kefir not to overdo it.

NOTE: Little Duck – The Picklery is open for lunch Thurs-Sun (12-16.30) and dinner Tues-Sun (6-10pm), with a handful of pavement tables available to book now. You can find out more, make a booking or check their upcoming workshops on their site HERE.

Little Duck The Picklery | 68 Dalston Lane, E8 3AH

Looking for a nightcap spot? Check out these great Dalston pubs…