Getting Personal At Gigi’s, Hoxton

I’m not going to lie, as a kid from the suburbs and currently a visitor to my own country (I currently live most of my time in Ohio, USA), I’m a bit intimidated by Hoxton.  Back in my marketing career days I ventured this way a few times, usually to something hosted by an ad agency.  I remember exiting Old Street tube station and becoming self-conscious, hoping my M&S cardigan and librarian-chic hair do might be considered ironic in the manner of the guys passing me with bushy beards wearing tweed suits.  *I suspect they were not even noticed.

But anyway, in my advancing years I’m finding a joy in conquering those quests that sit just outside of my comfort zone.  Hey Jackie!  How about going to a lovely restaurant… in a cool place…with live music?  Think you can deal with such hardship?  Oh go on then. 

And yes, my evening at Gigi’s, as trips outside the comfort zone go, was pretty damn good.  Yes, deep down I could hear that internal outsider voice was telling me this was too cool for me, but by the time the main course was served, she had shut right up and I was having a ball. 

The official descriptions of Gigi’s include things like “industrial”, feminist themed murals, long bar topped with Wasabi stone and zinc top tables.  I’m fresh off the boat from 2 years of family eating in places like Buffalo Wild Wings, so I’m going to leave this here.  Safe to say, I spent a good while just soaking it all up.  My position at our table gave me a view of statue of a metal horse. I’m not going to lie, I was visualising the “comedy” selfies I could take with it.  I will always be 12 inside.  *You can take the Brit girl out of Ohio, but…”

Once settled, we got acquainted with our lovely waitress.  Early on there was a moment when she told me I reminded her of someone.  There was a pregnant pause and a heart sinking moment when she revealed that to be DANNY DYER!  “But… that’s a man!” I said.  “No, his daughter,” she laughed.  Phew.  Of course I searched “Danny Dyer’s daughter” and discovered Dani Dyer.  She is young and pretty.  I am old and not so much.  So, I confirm I am very happy with the lookalike reference and know 100% that in its obscurity must have been meant sincerely.  Where else could that have come from?  YESSS!  But I guess the reason I’m telling you this is to emphasis the relaxed, friendly and fun nature of Gigi’s.

Food-wise Gigi’s was a delight, especially for a pescatarian such as myself.  I always call a meal out a win if meat-eating friends get food envy.  Being something of a food non-expert food appreciator, I tend towards picking dishes with 2+ declared ingredients that I really like.  My choices were thus Beetroot Carpaccio to start (excited about the beetroot and coconut tofu) and Pan Fried Sea Bream (rosemary and lemon potatoes and pineapple).  These dishes sounded wonderful and tasted heavenly, delicious, different and surprising in such excellent ways. My dinner guest had Chicory Salad and Gunpowder Chicken.  She also loved her choices, in spite of secretly wanting mine.

After the meal, our waitress suggested bespoke cocktails.  All we had to do was to mention a few things we liked and our mood and she would assemble the beverage remedy. It’s almost like she’d read my menu-reading mind and offered up the perfect response in a drink format.  Having had Prosecco with dinner, my mood was bubbly and fruity and by goodness, that’s what arrived in my glass.  It was divine and uniquely mine (full recipe is of course to be forever secret).  I’m naming it the “Jackie Dyer”, my and Danny’s cockney cocktail love child.

Somewhere between starter and main, live music had started in the bar area.  This was lovely, unobtrusive, accessibly cool and uplifting and that I think sums up my Gigi’s experience. I feel this is a perfect place to take London/food/music/fun loving friends and I definitely have some lovely Americans I plan to take.  Most of all though, for me, this was an exercise in understanding that cool is in the eye of the beholder we define that.  I ate delicious food, was likened to a pretty, younger girl, had a cocktail made especially for me and completely resisted taking a selfie with a horse statue… in Hoxton. 

That’s cool enough for me.