| Cuisine : | Jewish, Sandwiches |
|---|---|
| Open for : | dinner, lunch |
| Type : | restaurant |
| Tags : | separate bar |
| Menu types : | a-la-carte |
| Reservations : | reservations accepted |
| Average price : | Main course £8. |
| Website : | http://www.mishkins.co.uk/ |
| Short URL : | http://iate.at/mishkins |
Mishkin's in Covent Garden takes its inspiration from the Jewish delis found in New York's Lower East Side and the cafés of East London. Food served is a modern take on popular Jewish dishes - such as oxtail cholent (stew) with barley, beer and beans (£9); chicken matzo ball soup (£5); meatloaf complete with a hidden soft-boiled egg (£8); and a classic Reuben sandwich of pastrami, sauerkraut, Swiss cheese and Russian dressing served on rye bread (£9).
Cocktails, largely gin-based, are also on offer with inspiration for these coming from the 1930's and 1940's.
Mishkin's opens for lunch and dinner, seven days a week. Reservations will be accepted for the main restaurant (around 40 covers) but not for the bar area (12 seats).
Mishkin's is the fifth London restaurant belonging to restaurateurs Russell Norman & Richard Beatty (others including Spuntino and Polpo, both in nearby Soho). Mishkin's opened on 25th November 2011.
Note: the sign on the front of the restaurant reads "E. Mishkin" rather than "Mishkin's". Customers should note, the food at Mishkin's is not Kosher.
Review left on 27/02/2012 by Joey (1 review)
Where is the meat?
Two wafer-thin slices of meat – and you're calling this a Reuben.
It's more sauerkraut than meat. And it's more bread than anything else.
If I wanted a loaf of bread, I would have gone to a bakery.
Are you joking?
Marks and Spencer makes pre-packed Ham sandwiches with more meat than this thing!
I've never seen such a stingy sandwich, let alone a Reuben.
A place like this would be laughed out of existence in New York, New Jersey – or any state in America for that matter.
Shame on you Mishkin's
What a let down... I will never return again.
Review left on 17/01/2012 by dave (99 reviews)
I visited Mishkin's for lunch recently. First impressions were good, a friendly welcome at the door and a nice feel to the place. There's plenty of choice on the Jewish-inspired menu, although it's slightly confusing that some dishes are small plates others are main course sized - our waiter new his way around the menu though and offered advice.
I started my meal with a ground beef and green peppercorn slider. The beef is cooked by steaming it over a bed of onions, so there's not the usual caramelisation you'd expect on a 'burger'. I also really enjoyed the cod cheek popcorn; lightly battered and served with fiery rings of green chilli and a wedge of lime - it's the kind of dish you could chain eat.
The highlight of the meal though was the Ruben sandwich. I know £9 sounds like a lot for a sandwich (and it is) - but this is worth it for this one. It's a monster - even cut in half, it's a two handed job to eat. Inside the toasted rye bread there is a huge wodge of thinly sliced pastrami, gooey melted Swiss cheese, delicately pickled sauerkraut and Russian dressing. The generous portion size is good, but it's the balance that makes this sandwich so good.
I've only only two minor complaints. Firstly, £2 for a can of diet coke seems excessive - it's one of those things where the difference is really noticeable because it's exactly the same can I could buy for 60p down the road - might not have noticed if it had been post mix - silly really. Second, the tables for two are really close together - even the skinniest person (so not me then) would have to move them to get to the seats along the wall. We had eaten by the time it got really busy, so it wasn't a problem for us - but I suspect when it's really busy it could be a bit cramped. The booths looked a bit more spacious. Oh actually, there is a third complaint - there was a 12.5% "discretionary" service charge added to the bill. This is increasingly common these days, but not a practice I'm a fan of - I'd have preferred to choose the size of the tip myself.
Despite the niggles, I'll certainly be returning to Mishkin's as soon as I can to try more of the menu (Meatloaf for one), and for another of those Ruben sandwiches...
Review left on 08/12/2011 by steph (142 reviews)
I really enjoyed my meal at Mishkins yesterday. I started with some cod cheek popcorn which was fantastic. They were lightly battered and deep fried with sliced green chilli on top.
I then opted for one of their hot dogs 'dragged through a garden'. The presentation of this was very impressive with a massive, wonderfully tasting sausage. It had a real wow factor when it was presented.
The restaurant was really nice inside, it was simply decorated (presumably a lot of effort into the simplicity) but I thought the tables were just too close together. The tables for two along the wall had to be pulled out for the person sitting against the wall to get in. This was just a bit uncomfortable when it came to getting out and there was someone else sitting alongside you.
The staff were very friendly and welcoming. They were also always around if you needed something.