Mad Cats

"Mad Cats is a Shoreditch hi-fi bar that’s full of boxy white t-shirt-wearers snacking on Japanese-leaning small plates and chatting underneath handsome, mahogany subwoofers. Something about being this close to so much vinyl will make you feel 70% cooler, even if your own record collection doesn’t extend beyond the ‘evermore’ album. The lighting, which is power cut-levels of dark, sets the scene for intimate catch-ups at the bar—our favourite place to sit so you can watch sochu spritzes being made and DJs leafing through record sleeves. The food mostly falls under the category of serviceable, with some standouts like the tender beef short rib and refreshing cauliflower salad. But it’s plenty good enough to pick at while listening to some music, or your friend’s blow by blow recap of their week. photo credit: Aleksandra Boruch photo credit: Aleksandra Boruch photo credit: Aleksandra Boruch photo credit: Aleksandra Boruch photo credit: Aleksandra Boruch Food Rundown photo credit: Sinéad Cranna Chicken Skewers The sweet, sticky kecap manis glaze on these is nice. The chicken is nice. It’s all just… fine. But there are better things going on elsewhere on the menu and we forgot about these once we were a few small plates down. photo credit: Sinéad Cranna Cauliflower Salad You know you’ve reached adulthood when you say things like, “the textures in this dish are great”. But they really are. The kohlrabi is fresh and crunchy, the avocado creamy, and we like the scattering of chopped almonds and seeds as well. photo credit: Aleksandra Boruch Beef Short Rib A hunk of gelatinous beef, so dark with rich, earthy mole that it’s almost black, comes on top of a circle of sweet, nutty cauliflower purée. It looks impressive and it tastes even better. photo credit: Aleksandra Boruch Chocolate Mousse There is a lot of olive oil and a lot of flaky salt on this chocolate mousse. It has been taken right to the edge of the acceptable amount of those things. It manages to stay on the right side, just, thanks to the hefty portion of smooth, indulgent mousse." - Sinéad Cranna