With it still quiet, I ask the chef about the black magic we’ve just experienced. It turns out the tomato is dressed in its own tomato water vinaigrette, with smoked taramasalata seeping into bread toasted on the griddle… READ MORE
All tagged Seasonal
The Rabbit
A pile of creamy, sweet white crab meat on top of an English muffin, floating on a cloud-like toffee-buttery hollandaise and topped with the ‘sour fizz’ of pickled lemon and lightly bitter salinity from sea rosemary and sea purslane. It must be their biggest crowd-pleaser.… READ MORE
Riverine Rabbit
Chakalaka is every bit as good as it sounds; beans in a softly spiced and lightly sweet tomato sauce. A swirl of whipped goats cheese offers the perfect earthy tart limelight to meltingly moist lamb combining with crispy shards and a lick of hay smoke… READ MORE
Brat x Climpson's Arch
The hake collar is the meaty, fatty bit of a fish at the pectoral fins, behind the gills and when grilled over hot charcoal, the skin gets all crispy. With no hidden little bones, they’re perfect for dipping in the dreamy accompanying custard-like aioli, topped with burnt onion dust and chives… READ MORE
Upstairs at Grace + James
A supermodel-gorgeous, rotund slab of porchetta with golden crunchy crackling around fatty, succulent belly and lean loin in equal measure, stuffed, rolled and slow roasted. It’s sweet and savoury flavours amplified by the fresh zing of gremolata loaded with peppery parsley, garlic, lemon and grassy olive oil… READ MORE
Cork and Cage
The hot, meaty spread of ‘nduja on ‘grilled bread’, more like crunchy, oil soaked, fried stale bread is throwing new light on the tomato and mild cheese combo. It’s the dream stage for creamy slabs of mozzarella and allows fresh, sweet datterini tomatoes and pickled chillies to combine for tongue tingling pleasure... READ MORE
Bright
A plate of thin slices of raw grey mullet, covered in a briny seaweed laden oil, tempered by lemon zest provides a boost to the fresh delicacy of fish. It’s gone quicker than a tray of free Jägerbombs in Fresher’s week, but I refuse to entertain even a glimmer of disappointment and order another straight away.… READ MORE
Caneat
It’s a thick and rich, meat-laden stew, with different textures from the softness of pork belly, seared crusts and the sheer comfort of braised meats all making themselves known. A lightly truffled mash is an immaculate companion, with the sweetness of fried onions and peppery tingle of spring onion oil … READ MORE
Fox Hampton Lane
My envy is over within two forkfuls of a perfectly cooked slab of seared hake, sitting on a bed of sweet cauliflower puree, encircled by nutty, roasted cauliflower florets. It sits in a bath of Grenobloise; clarified butter with capers, parsley and lemon, butter soaked ‘croutons’ and flecks of seaweed… READ MORE
Salon
The ‘nduja croquettes are perfectly crisp on the outside, filled with parmesan-laden, creamy potato and then the almost molten, crack hit of spicy pork, sat on an aioli base and topped with pickled cucumber. These are mouthfuls of my kind of heaven, with devilish heat in the mix too… READ MORE