In an alternative world, imagine the London dining scene without JKS. The restaurant chain developed by the Sethi siblings has gifted the city with the likes of Gymkhana, Trishna, Brigadiers, BiBi, Hoppers and more. Diners’ knowledge of the cuisine of the Indian subcontinent would be much the poorer without their outlets. Despite its pretentious name, Ambassadors Clubhouse is a valuable addition to their suite of restaurants. In many ways, it represents the JKS team going back to its roots.
It is roughly three miles from Belsize Park, a comfortably wealthy north London suburb, to Mayfair. Or step out of one of the grand houses close to the euphemistic ‘Belsize Village’ square and you will find Mimi. More than a neighbourhood local, Mimi felt to this reviewer that it would be much happier in W1 than NW3. If glitz and glamour is what you want – without the central London hike – then Mimi is for you.
Few may have heard of Thomas Cubitt, but many may have visited the mini pub chain that is named in his honour. For the unaware, the gentleman in question was a British master builder, renowned for developing much of the late Georgian and early Victorian architecture that defines London. Wind the clock on to the 21st Century and many of his buildings have been reincarnated as up-market pubs.
The dove is often associated with peace and love. The backers of this newly opened on-trend Notting Hill venue perhaps hoped to inspire both with their restaurant. Your reviewer felt neither when visiting last week, even if its potential was evident.
The first thing diners notice when they step into Silva is the light. There’s a feeling of tranquillity. Maybe it’s akin to being in a forest glade, which would not be accidental since ‘silva’ is the Latin word for forest. Readers should get the impression then that aesthetics are a big thing at Silva. The food isn’t at all shabby either. Think of this restaurant as a combination of the refined and the relaxed.
When it comes to restaurants it seems as if the JKS Group, pioneers of Gymkhana, Hoppers, Bao and many more, has a Midas touch. Despite their venues representing cuisines from a range of different Asian countries, there is no let up in quality. Each combines great food and ambience; a winning combination for sure, if you can achieve it. Plaza represents their take on Thai. It is very good.
Rarely has the City been a destination for diners. Sure, it’s convenient for workers whose offices are nearby, but to make a journey there specifically for lunch or dinner and the venue would have to be pretty special. Ekte is not. It’s meant to be a showcase for Nordic food and has credibility in being backed by the owners of nearby stalwart 1 Lombard, but much like Scandinavia in general, your reviewer was left feeling cold by the whole experience.
A neighbourhood restaurant in Covent Garden sounds like an oxymoron. Crowds of tourists are likely to deter even the most hardened Londoner from having to visit this part of town – unless there is good reason. A trip to the 10 Cases would be one such excuse. Since its founding just over a decade ago, the restaurant has stuck to its knitting and gained a justifiably loyal set of followers.
Vivek Singh, for many, is a household name when it comes to the world of Indian cooking. His flagship venture, The Cinnamon Club is now over 20 years old, he is a regular on BBC cooking programmes and has published 8 cookbooks. With such an esteemed background, Singh does not need to prove anything. Cinnamon Bazaar, his latest venture, is testament to this: it’s a fun and informal take on India’s culinary heritage. The menu sees Singh go to town happily with no shortage of experimentation.
For those unaware, ‘bubala’ is a Yiddish term of endearment, roughly translated as darling. No surprise then that the restaurant is a homage to Levantine food, located appropriately in east London’s former Jewish quarter, yards from Petticoat Lane. Such has been the success of Bubala that its backers have recently opened a second outlet in Soho. Securing a table here is almost impossible currently, but the original venue provides a wonderful insight into what can be expected.
Think of Manteca as the love child of St John and Boca di Lupo. Take Fergus Henderson’s nose-to-tail approach, apply it to Italian cuisine and you have Manteca. After the success of its pop-up ventures, Manteca has moved on to bigger and better, opening a permanent venue in Shoreditch earlier this year. Such has been its success that diners are packed in almost cheek by jowl, but they come for a clear reason: the whole experience is very good.
Diners in search of good food when visiting Brighton are not short of options. However, the Coal Shed should feature as a must-visit. Such has been its success that the venue’s backers have opened a second outlet in London which has been similarly praised. The Coal Shed represents a textbook study in simplicity combined with super execution.
The British have always had a love affair with beef. Think of William Hogarth’s famous painting in the Tate, “The Gate of Calais”, also known as “The Roast Beef of Old England.” It shows a man valiantly defending a side of beef from the perfidious French. In more recent years, the likes of Hawksmoor and Goodman have raised the stakes (no pun intended) in terms of what diners can expect from a good cut of meat. Into the fray has sprung Flat Iron, a mini-chain on a distinct mission – to bring steak to the masses. It mostly succeeds.
Your author has been travelling to Portugal for over 20 years. It’s one of his favourite countries: great weather, places to visit, people to hang out with and food to eat. Even if London can’t quite deliver a Portuguese climate with any consistency, the good news is that Nuno Mendes has created in Lisboeta a venue that pays homage to the food in his home country.
Restaurant reviewers by their very nature tend to be a sceptical bunch, with high expectations and hard to please. Just as goalkeepers are often remembered for the bloopers they concede rather than the saves they make, truly bad service always trumps cooking of whatever standard. Even with such a jaundiced world view, Gourmand Gunno can confidently state that his curry at Manthan was one of the best he has enjoyed recently.
Vibrant, charming, chaotic. Just some of the adjectives that might be used to describe Brazil. Your reviewer speaks from experience, having visited the country over half a dozen times. The words also constitute a perfect representation for the experience at Tia Maria, a Brazilian restaurant located in South London.
“Excellent cooking, worth a detour” – the Michelin Guide’s criteria for the awarding of two stars – does Lalique a disservice. If there are good restaurants and then exceptional ones, Lalique comfortably falls into the latter category. Our group of six thought we had done well on a recent jaunt to the Bordeaux region having endured the prior hardships of two different private dining experiences at top Chateaux (Beychevelle and Palmer) – both of which would be worth a detour – but Lalique took things to a whole new level.
Hello, it’s 2022. Maybe Chutney Mary hasn’t realised. Maybe it’s stuck in time, still in the era when it had premises in Chelsea rather than now in St James. But back in 2015, there was this thing called the… er, internet. Yes, Chutney Mary does have a website, but it has to be one of the most clunky your reviewer has seen for some time. It doesn’t even show the restaurant’s current menu. This disappointment represents an appropriate metaphor for a recent evening spent at the venue. Chutney Mary has much to do if it wants to stay relevant.
Every neighbourhood needs one. The eponymous Vins has created a gem of a community restaurant, which – appropriately enough – has a superbly composed wine list as well as a kitchen that serves up solid grub. One thing the pandemic has taught us all to value is our local area. Why bother going in to central London if you live in Canonbury, when you can simply visit Vins?
Gourmand Gunno has eaten a lot of steak in his life. Despite being married to a vegetarian, there remains something deeply satisfying – primeval even – about tucking into a bit of cow. While diners do not lack options for such an experience in London, it was a pleasure recently to return to Goodman for the first time since before the pandemic. The cooking remains on top form, albeit that you are paying elevated Mayfair prices.
Curry may be the country’s national dish, but that message hasn’t reached the Maida Vale district of London. Despite your reviewer having lived locally for over 20 years, not a single Indian restaurant has either thrived or survived over this period. Chakra, a mini London chain, recently chose to open its fourth outlet in the area. It’s a brave restaurateur that seeks to succeed where others have failed. Based on a recent visit, Chakra may not endure.
When visiting a part of England not known to your reviewer, the natural response is to do some research beforehand. On this occasion, it involved asking several friends and colleagues who hailed from/ had visited the area. All were unequivocal in their approbation of the Gunton Arms, a view echoed by the local taxi driver who drove us to this destination. Fortunately, the advice paid off. If on the north Norfolk coast near Cromer, then this is the place to go.
When I first visited Coya, shortly after its opening close on a decade ago, I really did not like it. I thought it too bling, more style than substance. Bigger, bolder and brasher (think Sexy Fish, Amazonico) have come onto the London scene since. At the same time, Coya seems to have matured, with a much greater emphasis on honing both cooking and service. A recent visit served to demonstrate just how good the venue is.
