Two Lights
Permanently Closed
American bistro with New England-inspired dishes and snacks
American bistro with New England-inspired dishes and snacks
"The problem with algorithms is that they always go stale. There are only so many series similar to The OC you want to watch. And only so many ceramic peeler-like products you’re truly interested in. Two Lights is a restaurant that feels like its component parts have been come from an east London restaurant algorithm. It’s got the snacks you want ten of. It’s got the pretty-looking sharing plates. It’s got the monochrome aesthetic. Yet, all together, it doesn’t quite add up. Two Lights is under a bridge and opposite a bus stop in Shoreditch. A decade ago this would have been quite edgy, but these days the area is more James Blunt than Dean Blunt. The menu is designed with your neurones in mind: colourful and full of words like schnitzel and yuzu, and meat loaf and sandwich. Things to get your brain intrigued and excited. Usually that excitement starts in your head and increases as more and more food arrives. Only at Two Lights, it doesn’t always work like that. Initially, you’re likely to be seduced by this place. We certainly were. Whether it’s the crab on a chip-cum-confit potato, or the caesar lettuce wedge, something will get you. Both of these are silent-nodding-ly delicious. They fall into that classic menu snack section that leaves you humming More, More, More. But soon, you’ll want the opposite. That’s because things like a sardine katsu sandwich, or the custard tart with caramel, read better on the pink pastel menu, or sit nicer on the yellow ceramic plate, than anywhere else. photo credit: Giulia Verdinelli Making something out of a combination of things that people like is a risky game. It can be jarring, like Pasta Hut. Or it can be ingenious, like Two Light’s chocolate fondant with Guinness ice cream. Or their roasted carrots with slices of lardo on top. Unfortunately these winning combinations aren’t consistent enough. The longer you spend here - eating brisket rigatoni alla fridge leftovers, or a pretty but so-so tasting schnitzel - the more you’ll find yourself looking longingly at the bus stop directly outside. That said, Two Lights remains a good restaurant. Especially considering you can easily share a meal for two here for twenty odd quid a head. The problem is that it just isn’t quite as good as it makes you think it will be. It lures you in with a crabby chip, and then lets you down by only giving you one. Which is okay if that’s all you’ve come for. But if an algorithm has directed you towards Two Lights for a celebratory dinner, or a classy lunch, then let us tell you: there are better restaurants to head to in Shoreditch. Food Rundown photo credit: Giulia Verdinelli Crab On Beef Fat Chip This is a cruel, flirtatious, sexy wink of a snack. It’s £3.50 for a spoon of dressed crab on a perfectly crisp confit potato. A delicious tease. photo credit: Giulia Verdinelli Caesar Lettuce Wedge, Black Pepper, Grana Padano A slab of iceberg lettuce smothered in a salty caesar sauce and covered in croutons and cheese for good measure. This is our kind of salad. Carrots And Lardo This is a cruel combination if you’re a vegetarian but a happy one if you’re not. Short Rib, Beetroots, And Walnut A charred and melt in your mouth bit of meat. If it’s on the menu, order it. Rigatoni With Brisket Ragu And Chard You know when you get in, open the fridge, and see a lot of bits of old meals that you think will work but invariably don’t? This is that. photo credit: Giulia Verdinelli Meatloaf, Cheddar And Jalapeno Sandwich A fine B+ of a sandwich. The ratio of meatloaf needs to be increased, but the combination of melted cheese, crispy onions, and jalapeno sauce is a winner. photo credit: Giulia Verdinelli Fried Chicken Schnitzel, Radish, And Yuzu This looks like something Colonel would make if he was on LSD. Unfortunately it tastes a bit gloopy. Chocolate Cake And Guinness Ice Cream This is the pretty and tasty dessert. photo credit: Giulia Verdinelli Vanilla Custard Tart With Bourbon Caramel This is the pretty but not so tasty dessert." - Jake Missing
"Positioned as a sister restaurant to The Clove Club, I found that Two Lights, helmed by Chase Lovecky, has closed permanently; opened in autumn 2018 as one of London’s early “modern American” venues, its progressive menu blended Lovecky’s New England roots, time at Momofuku Ko, and experience under Clove Club’s Isaac McHale — highlights at launch included a grouse sausage dish and a standout crab and beef-fat chip snack." - Eater Staff
"Launched with high hopes but ultimately closed permanently in November 2020, this small restaurant struggled to translate glowing early reviews into steady footfall. It underwent a modest reinvention with a refreshed makeover and menu in late 2019 but, as a compact site, became unfeasible under pandemic social-distancing rules. The founding chef issued an emotional farewell, calling the workspace a “tin can of a kitchen,” and fans are hopeful that signature snacks such as a crab and beef-fat chip offering might reappear in some form as the chef returns to London." - Adam Coghlan
"Opened in autumn 2018 as one of London's early 'modern American' venues and led by chef Chase Lovecky, this small, seating-reliant restaurant married New England influences with techniques learned at Momofuku Ko and under Isaac McHale. Early highlights included a grouse sausage that nodded to McHale and a crab-and-beef-fat chip snack that quickly became a standout; after reopening post-lockdown the menu shifted toward American classics such as seafood boils, lobster rolls, oysters and fried chicken. Despite glowing initial reviews and a lockdown delivery offering described as a runaway success, the venue struggled to gain sustained momentum amid perceptions of parsimony, attempted a late-year makeover and menu adjustment, but ultimately announced permanent closure via Instagram citing curfews, tier restrictions and a second national lockdown as making continuation untenable." - Adam Coghlan
"Newly awarded a 2020 Bib Gourmand, our distinction highlighting 'good quality, good value cooking' at £30 or under for three courses; also noted as a new addition to the Guide." - The MICHELIN Guide UK Editorial Team
