Test Driving Hoppers Shoreditch, reinventing itself with a new South Indian twist to the menu

The new Hoppers Shoreditch, looking very different from its days as Lyle's. Grab one of the booth tables down the middle of the restaurant, if you can. 

What can you tell us about Hoppers Shoreditch?

This is the fourth Hoppers restaurant, which originally started as a compact, walk-in-only restaurant in Soho 10 years ago. Until now, all the restaurants have specialised in Sri Lankan cuisine, with the titular hoppers among some of the signature dishes. However, this new Shoreditch outpost is doing things a little differently. Founder Karan Gokani has been working with his chefs to broaden the restaurant's repertoire and add some brand new South-Indian-inspired dishes. 

Where is it?

Hoppers is part of the JKS group, which includes restaurants like Gymkhana, Brigadiers and BAO. Until recently, there was also the Michelin-starred Lyle's, which closed last year. Hoppers stepped in to take over that space, and they've radically transformed it.

In the Lyle's days, it was known for its white, stripped-back look and that's all changed. Now the restaurant takes in some of the designs of previous Hoppers restaurants, adds some specific South Indian influences, and has installed a particularly striking ceiling. On top of that, the bar space has moved and the rest of the seating layout completely changed. If you've been to Lyle's, you'll find a striking difference between the two restaurants, with Hoppers already feeling quite at home in the space. 

As for getting there, Shoreditch High Street station is your best option - that's almost opposite the restaurant. 

Where should we meet for a drink first?

There is a small bar at Hoppers itself, but we'd say a much easier place to meet is The Knave of Clubs (downstairs from One Club Row). The relatively new pub remains one of the best new drinking spots in the area and it's only a few steps away from Hoppers. 

The classic egg hopper. Even if you're going for the new dishes, you'll need one of these (it goes very well with the salmon below). 

So what's on the menu? 

While there is a new South Indian focus, that's not to say that the Sri Lankan dishes have been pushed to the side. If you're already a fan of Hoppers and really want to try some of their classic dishes, then you will find them all here. If you're new to Hoppers, then must-trys are the fantastic bone marrow varuval curry, the mutton rolls, the Sri Lankan Buryanis or any of the karis. Frankly, it's hard to go wrong with the menu, which is why they've remained popular over the years. 

That said, we were here specifically to try the new dishes - and we ended up trying them all. So if you're looking to try something new, here's what you need to aim for:

Fried chicken chop in a chilli and curry leaf crumb (£10) - Keralan-inspired, this is an extremely crunchy, spicy piece of chicken.

Bangalore-style buttery benne dosa filled with a pulled lamb shoulder masala and pickled onions (£19) - Karan Gokani had seen these becoming a big thing in India and wanted to bring them to London. We're also struck by just how fantastic this looks on the plate. Do not miss this. 

Crispy paniyaram balls filled with masala prawns and a Chettinad rasa dip (£11) - one to get messy with. 

Madurai-inspired crab curry omelette with a flaky thread parotta, podi-coated soft shell crab and crab gravy (£19) - not something that photographs well, to be honest, but this is bringing together three dishes from Madurai. So it may not be pretty, but it all pulls together wonderfully. 

Salmon fillet cooked in a banana leaf, served sizzling with a Kerala-style curry (£14) - this is our main recommendation as the must-order dish. Delivered to the table in an almost excessively sizzling fashion, it makes a real statement when arriving, and that curry sauce is absolutely spectacular. 

Dindigul-style beef short rib biryani with a tarka fried egg, onion raita and lime pickle (£26) - a South Indian style biryani which uses a short-grain rice. And if you're wondering where the meat is, there's a whole slow-cooked short rib hiding under that mound of rice. 

What about desserts?

The desserts haven't changed and there's just a choice of two, so we went for both:

The chocolate biscuit pudding and a seasonal trifle. In this case, the seasonal fruit was plum - if that's still on when you visit, we strongly recommend it. 

And drinks? 

Wines, (including wines made specifically for Hoppers in Provence), start at £37 a bottle, which is fairly standard for Shoreditch these days. Their own Toddy Ale from Harbour Brewery is worth ordering and there's a strong line of zero alcohol cocktails, homebrews, milks and coolers so it's good for anyone who might be swerving the booze. We did try one of the newer cocktails and that's an easy recommendation: 

Rose and milk punch (£10.50) - we just like having cocktails in crockery, frankly. 

Overall thoughts

We've been fans of Hoppers since the very first opening, and judging by our visit, it's still firing on all cylinders. The completely re-worked space works very well for them, and every one of the new dishes is worth trying with the benne dosa and the salmon edging out in front. Good food, lovely room and a great vibe - it's very easy to recommend.