Mark and Keiran Clancy (better known to most twenty-somethings as, The Krankbrothers) have recently opened Beagle – a British based bar, restaurant and coffee shop in Hoxton. After popping in during their ‘soft launch’ on Friday evening I’m sad to say I left feeling rather (and may I add, regrettably) underwhelmed. With the restaurant headed up by ex Rochelle Canteen chef James Furgason, a promising food policy inspired by seasonal produce combined with young dynamic ownership I expected Beagle to be on the money – unfortunately it fell surprisingly short.
Situated beneath Hoxton station, Beagle occupies three of the original railway arches and a spacious outdoor terrace. The interior is fitted out to be urban yet sleek – think Bauhaus minimalism. Clean brick walls, wooden floors and black steal fixtures give off a cool underground vibe that isn’t too try-hard. We arrive to a bustling bar area filled with a typically young East-London crowd (beards and blonds) and the atmosphere is promising – unlike the menu however. The options presented were pretty uninspiring and frankly borderline dull – sardines and quail were the only standout starters and the kitchen didn’t have enough to serve our table so a monk’s beard and brown shrimp salad was reluctantly ordered. The sardines were fresh and flavoursome, the monk’s beard well seasoned but had minimal shrimp content, and the quail was perfectly cooked but presented clumsily. The roasted bird arrived whole plonked on the plate accompanied by an ugly dollop of paprika sauce and a un-appetisising wedge of lemon. I’m undecided on whether this was simply lazy presentation or ironically lazy presentation – either way it failed to impress. The onglet steak we ordered for main was an pleasantly fatty cut which ensured it was sufficiently tender yet tasty, the triple cooked chips were crisp and fluffy – this for me was the best dish, simple but well executed. Meatballs on a bed of lentils had a deep smoky flavour but failed to wow. Cocktails didn’t live up to expectations either, despite ordering three very different martinis, all tasted the same. We unsurprisingly decided to pass on desert.
I hate to say it but the food at Beagle wouldn’t have felt out of place in a run-of-the-mill gastropub – not necessarily a bad comparison, however not what I expected from a talented chef and enterprising owners. An inattentive and incompetent waitress who turned her nose up to a request for mayonnaise placed another nail in the coffin. I really wanted to like this place, the décor is beautiful, the branding is the best I’ve seen for a while and the location is ideal, however Beagle fell at the last (and most important) hurdle – the food. My opinion aside, I have full confidence that it no doubt be a success. It has all the makings of a hipster honey trap for Hoxton locals and I predict, come summer the terrace will be filled with fixie bike riders, sipping on craft beers enjoying the Funktion-One. I came with high expectations – perhaps too high and I can’t help feel with the London food scene at an all-time peak, Beagle failed to raise the bar to the standards necessary to stand out. Perhaps the KrankBros should stick throwing parties in future…
(Apologies on poor quality of photos – it was dark, I was drunk)
fashionforfood 
Very surprised