Red Rooster Shoreditch is the English outpost of acclaimed chef and restaurateur Marcus Samuelsson’s Red Rooster Harlem. Samuelsson is known for serving as guest chef for President Barack Obama’s first state dinner and for multiple television appearances, including Chopped. At 24, he became head chef of New York’s Aquavit and he opened Red Rooster Harlem in December 2010.

The London restaurant is located in the new The Curtain Hotel, in the über-cool Shoreditch neighborhood. On a recent stay at the property a friend and I enjoyed a pre-theater dinner. The décor is very New York, and the cuisine is American, so the meal offered a taste of home while we were away. The menu includes many of the favorites from the Harlem restaurant, with a few new dishes added. A Sunday Gospel Brunch is also offered.

To start, we enjoyed the cornbread, served with honey butter and tomato jam. Unfortunately, we were limited on time, so we couldn’t sample all the dishes that looked appetizing — including Helga’s meatballs, the roasted cauliflower, loaded popcorn or the Bird Royale Feast. We did, however, sample the delicious biscuits included with the feast.

My dining companion ordered the Sammy’s Chicken ‘n Waffles, with Harlem-style fried chicken, pickles, smoked maple syrup and Rooster sauce, and the Mac & Greens, with Cheddar cheese and collards. I opted for the herb-roasted chicken, with sunchoke, carrot, wild mushroom and chimichurri, paired with the Madame Baker, one of the signature cocktails featuring Grey Goose Limon, Suze, St. Germain, Chablis, bitters and soda. We didn’t have room — or much time — for dessert, but I want to return on a future visit when I have the opportunity to enjoy the cuisine and the vibe. My visit also inspired me to find time to visit the Harlem version as well.

Red Rooster Shoreditch

45 Curtain Road
London EC2A 3PT
England
tel 44 20 3146 4545