Meet Ellory: Netil House’s Newest (and Sleekest) Bistro

Chef Matthew Young and Sommelier Jack Lewens Join Forces to Present Wine-Focused, Painterly Bistro in Hackney

Ellory, a 48-seater bistro on the ground floor of the Netil House in London Fields, is a must visit for both food and design aficionados. Headed by Matthew Young and Jack Lewens as a joint venture, the chef and sommelier have produced a relaxed and cosy dining experience where the attention to detail is present in both the space and the sensory presentation of Ellory’s seasonally inspired dishes. Simple and playful dishes featuring wholesome ingredients sourced from the UK and continental Europe will be available in list format for the quick lunch and additionally as a reasonably priced 5 course set menu that changes daily. Some of the highlights include scallops, citrus and anise; turbot, chestnuts and pumpkin; chicken, chicory and carrot; and caramelized citrus with ginger ice cream for dessert.

Young, once the head chef of the now-closed Mayfields, and Lewens, who previously worked at the Spring and River Cafe, met while working for London Wine Sessions where the pair collaborated for a food and wine matching event. Lewens’ prior experience in front of house management and his 20-year-old involvement as a wine buyer and sommelier made him an obvious choice for Young. Meanwhile Young’s strong sense of visual language and placemaking, inherited from his art school training as a process-based painter, set the stage for the interior design, which reflects the building’s origins through a minimalistic and exposed aesthetic.

Surprisingly, it also sets the aesthetic for the plates. Painting and preparing dishes are not without their overlaps, says Young, especially with the type of cooking that is championed at Ellory: four-or-five ingredient dishes, simple preparation and an elegant presentation that is undeniably painterly. Young’s fascination with process is one of the reasons that Ellory sets itself apart from the rest of the restaurant buzz in London fields. Simply put, he’s able to envision way, way more than just what’s on the plate. From the understated menu to the mysteriously simplistic website (no menus or photos to be found here) to the muted interiors and presence of staff, Young is all about the little details and processes that go into crafting ambience.

Both also recognized a shared desire to embark on a new self-led project as opposed to another job within a previously established restaurant. They saw the challenges and creative opportunities in imagining and designing a bistro from the ground up as a perfect next step in their careers. Young didn’t enter the industry until his 30s and even then, it was through the backdoor: by working at Neal’s Yard Dairy, also known as “London’s foremost cheese store” – so he’s been in touch with great producers for a long time. Lewens is on the same page when it comes to wine: his taste has been shaped by long-term relationships with international winemakers. When it comes to deciding the features upon the 50 or 60 label strong menu at Ellory, he considers this selection process a very personal one which sets the focus of the restaurant at large.

Sand blasted pottery boards serving as table tops, a polished and hand-poured concrete floor, globe lights, and a brass bar with a marble counter– finished by local interior design company Areti–  constitute the  visually thought out elements of Ellory’s dishes. The wine selection, which is set to include over 50 labels and highlight French, Spanish, and Italian selections, is curated by sommelier Jack Lewens who gravitates towards natural wines made by small producers he knows personally. It is clear that Ellory is a personal project for these former restaurant workers and highlights elements of a classic upscale dining experience while staying true to the men’s individual preferences.

Ultimately, the two have set out to create a space that is at once accessible and intimate, thoughtful and novel, with warm, soft lighting and a relaxed atmosphere. The call for minimalism and purity can be traced from the interior design, to the menu and the dishes, and even through to the ambience, the decorum of the waiters, bartenders, and cooks, as well as their working uniforms and demeanor. It ties a unifying thread throughout Ellory, a relaxed and muted free-flow that characterizes the whole experience of the space, where hours melt away through drawn-out conversation and tasting, into the bottom of your dimly-lit wine glass.