Last month, I was lucky enough to head down to Wringer and Mangle Spitalfields and preview their new menu. Upon arrival, one of the waiters greeted me with an orange short welcome drink-‘Local’s only.’ This is Wringer and Mangle’s take on an Aperol Spritz; in this short glass Stoli Vodka, Aperol, Montenegro, Cinzano 1757 Sweet Vermouth, Segura Viudas Brut Reserva was used poured over some ice. The month of September was relatively still warm, so the Local’s only was a great cocktail to have in my hand. After the long day of work I had, I was definitely in need of something refreshing to sip on. So how is this different from an average Aperol Spritz? I would say that the Local’s only is sweeter and has more fizz than the average Aperol Spritz. I almost find Aperol spritz to normally be quite bitter but Wringer and Mangle have nailed this, although I was not expecting anything less from their award-winning mixologists. Our table was not quite ready yet, so I enjoyed my drink and mingled in conversation. The table was finally ready and all guests were seated, once seated I found in front of me a beautiful handwritten place card. This was a nice touch and I felt as if an old friend had invited me to dinner, this definitely gave a great first impression. Wringer and Mangle pride themselves of having a home-cooked style, which I can agree with, as freshly baked bread arrived in a Brown paper bag as a sharing starter. Tearing the paper bag I felt the warm residue of steam hit my hand whilst releasing the aroma of the sweet smelling bread. I have to say that this is probably one of the yummiest bread I have ever eaten. The top layer is crusty and hard on the outside with the centre being very dewy, soft and sweet. Mixed with olive oil and sun-dried tomatoes this was the business. My main starter was the crispy pigs head croquette in tartar sauce with apples and radishes. I always love to try something different and pig’s head sounded like something I should choose, so why not. With a crispy surface, this once bitten into meets the shredded pig’s head centre, which was well seasoned and went down a treat, especially when smothered in the tartar sauce. I regrettably did not choose the 50-degree cooked salmon but was able to sneak a bite from my friend. Divine! Just divine, cooked at 50 degrees the salmon retains a dewy and moist texture and appearance but tastes like cooked salmon. This is a must try and is the highlight of the menu. For my main, I decided to take the Merlot braised beef cheeks with red cabbage and celeriac. The Merlot in the beef really aided in adding flavour and making the beef rich in taste. The beef was well cooked and effortlessly melted in my mouth, I just wish there was some mash or potatoes that would have accompanied the beef as it was not too filling. The main was paired with house red wine, but I am a white wine lover, so I opted for Pinot Grigio house white wine which was on the sweeter side but was paired well with the dinner options. For dessert, I chose the red and black fruits, elderflower curd, chia granola. To be honest, I am not really a dessert kind of girl, so I didn’t end up finishing the dessert but it was refreshing and had a sweet infused taste of fruit followed by a sour taste of the curd and crunchy texture of the granola. Overall, I enjoyed my dining experience at Wringer and Mangle, they achieved the laid back and home-style cooking feel which they were trying to convey, and the food tasted very natural and not too saturated. Price: ££ What to wear: Casual (I just wore a jumper and jeans) Ambience: Home-style cooking with a laid-back style