I feel like one of the privileged few to have dined in Back in 5 Minutes. Tucked away behind a velvet curtain at the back of a rather minimal, monochromatic shop on Brick Lane, this little hidden gem is the polar opposite to it’s stark exterior. Once we were through the curtain we were enveloped in an indulgent little room full of vintage trinkets, books and amazing artwork that instantly created a warming atmosphere.
We were greeted at the door and showed to our table in the corner that we shared with three other couples. At first I thought this was a bit strange but, nothing on the table matched at all. The plates, cutlery and glassware were sitting there as happily different as the company so it added an extra welcomed quirk to the experience.
The waitress went through the menu and explained that it was the first night they were serving Woodford Old Fashioned cocktails as part of a month partnership too. Having carefully selected what we wanted from the seasonal menu (with the thought of a warming Woodford Old Fashioned to finish), the evening just kept getting better.
Whilst waiting on our starters to arrive we got into a conversation with one of the couples sitting next to us. They were a bit older and were in London for a holiday away from their three kids in Germany. They simply couldn’t believe that people knew about the place, I couldn’t either quite frankly as it’s so unassuming. They were a really pleasant couple and the gentleman explained that he found out about Back in 5 Minutes by reading a magazine on eye disease in his hometown. Obviously I found this both hilarious and ridiculous, but again, it felt normal considering everything we were experiencing.
We had smoked duck and a seafood ceviche to start. Both were displayed beautifully on the plate and tasted delicious, leaving us wanting for more. We washed everything down with the most amazing merlot. Every sip washed away our busy days and made us hungry for the main course of pan fried sea bream with prawns samphire, new potatoes and horseradish hollandaise and roast lamb rump, confit potatoes, grilled vegetables and snail butter. The main even by the mere sound of it doesn’t disappoint. I could definitely eat the whole thing all over again. I’m actually salivating at the thought.
So, main course over, time for desert. We ordered the elderflower eton mess and the lime and white chocolate cheesecake with raspberry chilli compote. If I’m honest, this is the one part of the evening that didn’t tick all of my boxes. The cheesecake was a quenelle of cheesecake mix with a tiny shortcake biscuit in the top. I was really looking forward to the crunchy base of a cheesecake and found the creamy mixture a little too much without it. The eton mess was nice, however again perhaps a little too creamy for my taste. We couldn’t finish the deserts so moved swiftly on the the Woodford Reserve old fashioned cocktail. 
The smell of the girl preparing them at the bar was unbelievable. This was the desert we were looking for. Rich, warm burnt orange lingered in the air as she blended the bourbon with ice, sugar syrup and 3 dashes of angostura bitters. As she walked over to the table the orange aroma got noticeably stronger. The zesty smell mixed with the sweet caramel coloured bourbon evoked fond memories of Christmas. The arrival of the old fashioned also marked a change in proceedings as both glasses matched. I feel a bit silly for mentioning this but the weight of the glass was really nice. It actually felt comforting as we sipped and rolled the liqueur over the ice. The old fashioned definitely made up for any points the desert may have lost.
Would I go back to Back in 5 Minutes? Answer in shot – In a heartbeat.
