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Restaurant Review: Dirty Bones - Soho, London

Burger based fever pitch has reached the pinnacle. Kingly Court requests your attention.

By Paul NewmanPublished 4 years ago 2 min read
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Crispy Lamb Fries

Buried deep inside the assiduous streets of Soho, London, is an area so rife with life that it makes Times Square in NYC seem like a funeral wake. Together with raucous noise and ambience, the streets are littered with the cool kids from every corner of the globe, sauntering through the back streets of a once seedy part of cultural hell. Since those days, of course, the area has undergone significant change, bringing in the vibrancy of innocent youth, as opposed to the 70s underbelly of the punk era. Both retail and food have long since moved in, offering up a hub for social and touristic enterprise. In the heart of it all, a relatively new centre has been created: Kingly Court.

Walking through the narrow alley, leading into the brightly lit, indoor centre, you'd be forgiven for thinking you were being funnelled into the doorway of yet another GAP retail store, in amongst a plethora of other high street chains, but this is not the case. What awaits, is 3 stories of independent restaurant heaven, some of which have been raised on a shoe string budget; the next, corporate level, to the street food phenomena. This is where fever pitch is reached, navigating your way through the intensity of the crowds, steeped with hipster buttons and beards that would put ZZ Top to shame, you'll find some of the very best in casual dining. Pizza Pilgrims is a particular favourite of mine, mastering the art of the no-frills, sour dough pizza sends a never ending tirade of heart emojis to my belly.

Further up, on the 2nd floor, we finally get to our destination, Dirty Bones. On a Saturday night, indeed on most nights, you'll find a queue to get a table. This isn't coincidence, the very essence of Dirty Bones is loud and brash... it's everything that inhabits the restaurant scene of London 2019. Open brick work, seemingly haphazard styling (but very much styled by a keen eyed professional!) and loud LOUD music to keep the energy levels high...there's even live dance music at certain times of the week, for reasons I can't quite come to terms with. I'm not sure I want to be heckled the entire time by the decks of a local DJ, whilst eating. The staff look just like their clientele, beards, moustaches, piercings galore... but this, by no means, suggests a lack of skill or attention. It's a fast paced environment, no doubt, and as such, waiting for a table is not too much of a chore. We were sat within 10 minutes and our order taken a few minutes later.

Let's be clear here, you're not likely to find this place to be breaking the mould. The ethos and delivery of this establishment is on par with many that have come before it. The likes of MEATliquor have since cemented the "burger joint" as a bonafide evening destination and Dirty Bones serves up no surprises. Good quality burger patties, served in fresh buns with fresh toppings, leads to a familiar feeling of contentment. Fries are straying away from the basic, deep fried, salted fare and instead form the base of a more complex dish, such as the pictured spicy crispy lamb. Overall, if you like the neon signs illuminating the dark spaces, vintage, industrialist decor and loud music... as well as, of course, the great American burger... you can't go wrong with Dirty Bones. But for sure, Kingly Court will demand that you return to test your metal against some of the many other, seraphic establishments, baying for your cash.

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About the Creator

Paul Newman

Spend most of my time eating or thinking of eating. Ex-Restaurateur and Film graduate and a screenwriter...

I have 7 screenplays, unfinished, because that's what life is like as a screenwriter.

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