The summer’s on its way and London’s restaurants just keep getting better. Here are our tips for a great summer’s evening, dining at one of these unmissable spots.
RESTAURANT OURS, KENSINGTON SW3
Tom Sellers, best known for the hugely successful Restaurant Story, is opening a second restaurant in Kensington. He’ll be overseeing the menus – promised to have seasonal European and British highlights, showcased in both traditional and contemporary dishes.
This Brixton restaurant is the place to go for ‘natural’ wine and perfectly matched small plates. Beside plump steamed mussels in bonito butter are other classic small plates such as fatty duck rillettes, or a simple salad of black tomatoes topped with shavings of salted ricotta.
This brand new Farringdon restaurant is brought to us by chef Mark Jarvis, who previously has worked in the esteemed kitchens of Blueprint Café, Zuma and Le Manoir. The menu is billed as accessible modern British fine dining, with weekly changing dishes.
SIX PORTLAND ROAD, HOLLAND PARK W11
Head to Holland Park for a small neighbourhood restaurant with around 80 wines from growers working with a gentle hand, with respect to the grape and the land. The menu is seasonal, simply prepared and absolutely delicious.
Newly opened Kricket is a pint-sized set-up, located with other fledgling food and drink businesses in the pile-up of converted shipping containers that is Pop Brixton. It serves up British-Indian small plates – stylish and seasonal spins on street food from the hand of Will Bowlby, a former chef at big-hitting modern Indian The Cinnamon Club in Westminster.
Thanks to a partnership with leading wine importer, Les Caves de Pyrène, the Terroirs group has pioneered the natural wine movement in London. Soif, the third of its four venues (so far), has the perfectly pitched, quirkily cool ambience of a British take on the ideal Parisian bistro.
THE CRYSTAL PALACE MARKET – CRYSTAL PALACE SE19
This bustling all-day restaurant, not to be confused with Crystal Palace Food Market, has become part of the critical mass that is turning Crystal Palace into a food destination (others notable venues include the branch of the Blackbird Bakery, and the upmarket cheese, wine and beer shop Good Taste Food & Drink.
Have you got any recommendations for us? Tweet @createfood and let us know!