Vegetarian review:
My Experience:
I entered on a Monday at 12 (opening time) and while it wasn't too busy immediately the place quickly filled up.
Service: 5/5
Our server immediately offered us complementary still or sparkling water. Which is rare in London
Drinks:
Kept it simple with water and tea this round. The mint tea was very nice and came in a lovely ceramic cup with fresh mint leaves
Food: 4.5/5
The first course, babaganoush and Labnch, confit garlic, za'atar were very nice. The confit garlic on the lebneh was a stylish touch. Although there was not enough Laffa served with this dish.
The Charred oyster mushroom skewer, tamari, coriander seed, agave was a real star, umami and Smokey flavor seeped out of this skewer
The Chinese cabbage, preserved lime & cardamom skewer was fantastic, such a beautiful char on the cabbage
The smacked cucumbers, tahini, chilli crunch was spicy, but the tahini did a good job of cutting the spice level.
The Halloumi, chamomile & fennel honey treated halloumi with the delicacy that a chef respectful of the cheese ought to. Carefully seasoned and well done
The Confit potato latkes, toum, Aleppo chilli we're okay, I was hoping for a bit better crunch on the potato and perhaps more flavor in between the slices but it was a bit bland, and the sauce that accompanied it, while great, was minimal
The Radicchio, castelfranco, kumquat & basil is really what cost this restaurant it's 5th star. This dish needs to be completely reworked, the only flavor coming through here was bitterness. And radicchio can be tricky to work with, but there needs to be something to complement the bitterness like an acid or spice.
Overall, the restaurant has a lovely vibe, a clear theme, great service and some quality dishes. Some dishes need a bit of improvement and better proportions and some need to be reworked completely, but a lot of potential here! read more