Not even two weeks of 2024 have passed, but your reviewer can already say with confidence that Origin City is a good candidate to feature in his best restaurants of the year. Every venue should aspire to be like this, with a clear story, a sustainability angle and damn tasty food.
To describe yourself as a “nose to tail” restaurant and to open so close to the original exponent of this style of cuisine speaks to boldness on the part of the owners of Origin City. The clue both to their rationale and the differentiation of the restaurant lies in their accompanying caption – not just from nose to tail, but also from “pasture to plate.” Almost everything carnivorous that ends up on diners’ plates comes from a farm situated on the shores of Loch Striven (in Argyll) owned by the family. On 600 acres of Scottish pastureland, cows, pigs and sheep are reared. All the farming is sustainable and organic. No GMOs are used and no pesticides or artificial fertilisers feature on the land. Similar principles apply at the vineyard owned by the family in the Provence, which provides many of the restaurant’s wines.
With such a strong emphasis on provenance, cooking takes centre stage at Origin City. This is not to say that the dining room lacks atmosphere – it is an ample space, designed simply and classically – just that the food will be the key thing you will remember. Head Chef, Graham Chatham (ex-Rules and The Langham) combines British classics with a Provencal twist.
While there is a well-priced set lunch menu (£29 for two courses, or £34 for three) both my dining comrade and I foraged among the a la carte options. There are around ten each of starters and mains, with the former ranging from £10-24 and the latter sitting in a £22-42 bracket – comparable pricing to other nearby venues. I began with a black pig and game terrine. It was tender and flavoursome with much of the genius lying in the decision to add pistachio into the pâté and accompany the dish with quince and chicory, both of which served as lovely foils to the more fatty meat. For mains, we both opted for the Texel lamb, pimped on this occasion for pending Burns Night. It was accompanied by salt baked neeps, haggis and a wonderful mash with mince. Overall, the composition was executed superbly with a subtle harmony flowing across the constituent parts. Rarely for your reviewer, he partook in dessert too – a decadent dark chocolate delice. Again, the genius lay in the pairing, with the blackberry compote and bay leaf ice cream acting as foils to the rich 82% chocolate. No complaints either about the wine (a Cab Sauv – Syrah blend with nine years of age). Word to the wise: when visiting, beyond Origin City, the owners also have a nearby wine bar – 16 West Smithfield – so drop in there too and make a full evening of it.