Mama Shelter, Shoreditch: Seventies-Style Sociable Dining

I'm not sure if the understated dark charcoal-painted brick exterior of Mama Shelter​ on the Hackney Road was designed to surprise guests with the contrast as they enter, but it does. My friend, Mel and I walked past it twice before we found it (but we were chatting and can no longer multi-task, so it might not be entirely the hotel’s fault). 

However, inside, it's another story. The meticulous and cluttered layering of different eras and fabrics in various colours, from monochrome houndstooth rugs to 50s-style emerald-green sofas with mustard cushions, creates a busy and homey feel. Unless your home is like Patrick Bateman's apartment in American Psycho, that is.

Mismatched 70s tasselled lampshades speak to the wicker furniture, while the blackboard-style ceiling covered in chalk graffiti feels more 80s. I've not yet stayed the night, but the soundproofed bedrooms upstairs look cosy (and incredibly cheap by any standards, starting at around £89). The overall style encourages a relaxed attitude to drinking and dining. There's a pinball table, DJs, good Wi-Fi and a mainly young clientele and staff.

The Paris-born hotel brand chose to open its first London outpost between Shoreditch and Bethnal Green, close to Broadway Market, in an area that is almost stereotypically - often irritatingly - hailed as cool and hip. It's not surprising the youth-focused hotel brand chose to open in Hackney and not in a borough like Kensington. The location suits the style.

There to eat on a Saturday night with my friend Mel, it didn't feel like we were in a hotel, just a very social space. The service is fittingly friendly yet informal​. We clinked glasses of 'bubbles,' ordered in celebration of the weekend and checked out the menu, which features a selection of international favourites such as burgers, steaks, and chicken wings, man with with Asian flavours.

We got off to a good start by sharing a festive-looking and flavoursome charred broccoli dish with crispy kale, a smokey aubergine emulsion, scattered with pine nuts and pickled red chillies. Every dish was served on pretty blue or pink and white China (if you come and like the look, there’s plenty of merch available online, from plates to toiletries).

My sea bass was crispy skinned (essential) with a scattering of salty samphire and Provençal-style potatoes roasted with tomatoes, garlic, olives, and olive oil (middle pic); Mel's pork belly (left) came covered in a rick thick brown sauce along with roasted potatoes, sliced stir-fried cabbage and sweet apple purée. The portions are generous, which I liked, and the dishes aren't bad at all, just not of a standard to rave about in a city famed for its variety of restaurants.

I might be wrong, but it's as though the brand feels there's no need for the restaurant to compete with the volume of places to eat in the area when the interiors and vibe are enough. For an affordable celebration in a fun-filled atmosphere in East London, it’s hard to beat.

*437 Hackney Road, London E2 8PP, mamashelter.com