A recent meal at the Rochelle Canteen—where The Secret Garden meets modern British cuisine—reminded me how fortunate I am that London is my home. Located in Shoreditch, the heart of East London, and owned by famed caterers Arnold & Henderson (Melanie and Margot, wives of Jon Spiteri and Fergus Henderson of St. John's fame), the Rochelle Canteen is located on the campus of Rochelle School; a school in centuries past and now a thriving center of creative studios. For more information, go to Arnold and Henderson.
Above: The Rochelle School was built in 1899 for the children of Bethnal Green's Boundary Estate.
Above: The original entryway; to gain admittance, push the buzzer labeled "Canteen."
Above: A refuge from the busy streetscape of Shoreditch: a path leads you through the grassy courtyard to the restaurant.
Above: The restaurant itself is located in a converted bike shed with folding glass doors.
Above: The 30-seat dining room features whitewashed walls and an open industrial kitchen.
Above: A whitewashed brick wall is outfitted with Shaker pegs for coat and hat hanging.
Above: Rows of vintage Ercol chairs; my personal favorite iconic midcentury piece. Photo via Eggbeater.
Above: The Alvar Aalto-designed dining tables from Artek are topped with white laminate.
Above: The offerings include simple, classic English fare (see today's menu).
Above: A vintage earthenware bowl holds books of matches.
Above: The vintage stacking chairs were designed by Ercol in 1957.
Above: Garden blooms arranged in vintage pewter tankards.
Photos via Flickr and Rochelle Canteen.
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