Top 5: Things You Need to Eat in London This WeekBy Alicia Grimshaw
If it’s delicious and worth your money – we know about it. From a new rooftop pop-up to gourmet kebabs, here’s what you should be eating in the capital this week. Have a good one, people:
1. For a New Pop-Up: Shotgun x The Gardening Society
What: Shotgun BBQ has ventured from their Kingly Street home to The Gardening Society, set atop John Lewis’ iconic Oxford Street store for their August residency. The exclusive summer menu will feature a sample of Shotgun’s hometown favourites alongside brand new dishes devised by Mississippi-born Head Chef, Brad McDonald. Expect meat, meat and more meat.
Why: Slow-smoked over wood, rather than chips or pellets, Shotgun’s acclaimed Carolina pulled pork, Iberico baby back ribs and USDA beef brisket are an irrefutable Deep South staple, whilst the addition of the slow-smoked goat burger and pickled shrimp will delight even the most seasoned ‘cue-heads. The low and slow menu will be perfectly paired with delicious summertime cocktails from Background Bars, the mixologists behind the award-winning Night Tales. Perfect for the summer, soft serve ice cream and a brownie sundae complete the menu.
Where: The Gardening Society – 5th Floor, John Lewis, 300 Oxford Street, London W1C 1DX
2. For a New Opening: Clipstone
What: Clipstone is London’s new neighbourhood restaurant by the young and passionate team behind the critically acclaimed Portland restaurant (fyi – one of 2015’s hottest openings). Bringing a more casual, but no less flavourful dining experience to the area, Clipstone will serve up an inviting list of cold cuts, summer plates, sourdough flatbreads and larger sharing dishes.
Why: Portland’s fun sister site will rework simple and seasonal ingredients in a satisfying but innovative way, and will offer a selection of quality wines on tap alongside refreshing alcohol-free alternatives. Peppered with global influences, the menu is a collaborative effort between Merlin, the creative chef who at only 24 shot Portland to Michelin-starred fame, and his chefs. Open for lunch, dinner, and serving brunch on Saturdays with outdoor seating available, Clipstone is a London local that will offer an accessible approach to everyday dining.
Where: 5 Clipstone Street, London W1W 6BB
What: These guys at Le Bab are cooking up fantastically fresh and scrumptious food like it’s no big deal. They also host Development Sunday Sessions, where they showcase new menu items and knock off 50% from the bill. Bargains galore.
Why: We cannot truthfully say we’ve ever had a sober kebab. 3am outside Rowans in Finsbury Park strikes us as the only acceptable time and place to devour scrotum masquerading as cheap meat. Thankfully, Le Bab (newly christened Le Babe, by the AT team), has dedicated itself to a kebab renaissance (aka they serve delicious kebabs made with locally sourced, seasonal and sustainable ingredients). And believe us, they don’t come with a drunk prerequisite. Far from it, this brigade is formerly of Le Gavrouche, so they know what they’re doing. The latest addition to the menu is a BBQ lobster bab served with smoked corn mayo and fresh tomatoes. It’s sublime. Along with just about everything else on the menu. We won’t even begin to describe the fondue chips…
Where: Top Floor, Kingly Court, Carnaby St, London W1B 5PW
4. For a New Celebratory Menu: Skylon
What: To celebrate the return of Southbank Centre’s Festival of Love, Skylon has created a five course tasting menu, available throughout August. Festival of Love explores all forms of love with a packed programme of music, art, dance and performances. With this as his inspiration, Head Chef Tom Cook has designed a five course tasting menu to celebrate all things romantic. Ooh la la.
Why: Each course is based around aphrodisiac ingredients, including chilli and cucumber in sea bream carpaccio, cucumber, fennel, lime, chilli; pomegranate in roasted duck breast, pickled kohlrabi, pomegranate, where duck is also the Chinese symbol for love; and chocolate and cherries in dark chocolate and cherry mousse with cherry sorbet for dessert.
Where: Royal Festival Hall, London SE1 8XX
5. For New Russian Cuisine: Zima
What: In a Grade II listed Soho townhouse, right next door to the legendary Ronnie Scott’s, is a little bar which combines Russian street food with homemade vodka infusions. Nostrovia.
Why: In recent years the capital has been happily bombarded with small plates of every persuasion – Middle Eastern, Mediterranean, Japanese – and this place offers one more to the roster on offer. Russian. Zima has a chilled café-bar vibe which serves up authentic Russian street food and drinks, so if you’re looking to shake up your Soho small plate habit, check this place out.
Where: 45 Frith Street, London, W1D 45D
One for luck…
6. For a New Site: Bone Daddies Old Street
What: Bringing its classic ramens and snacks to East London for the first time, the menu at Bone Daddies Old Street showcases a range of dishes exclusive to the site.
Why: With their latest outpost just opened in Old Street and another one on it’s way in Shoreditch this summer, these guys are spawning like rabbits. And for good reason. Where else will you find little jars crammed full of hairbands sitting alongside the standard ramen accoutrements of garlic, sesame seeds, vinegar and chilli oil? How thoughtful. Because this place requires you to get down and slurpy, so tie your hair back and wade through a glorious bowl of rich, steaming, sexy bone broth.
Where: The Bower, 211 Old St, London EC1V
We’re feeling super lucky..
For a New Menu: No 11 Pimlico Road
What: Created by artisans of interiors, food and drink, No 11 Pimlico Road, No 32 The Old Town, No 1 Duke Street, and No 197 Chiswick Fire Station have unveiled a carefully curated summer menu of cocktail infusions and seasonal dishes made from locally sourced produce.
Why: The menus throughout the day offer something for everyone, from a breakfast of crushed avocado and feta to a coconut poached chicken salad at lunch, a summer roast on a Sunday evening topped off with one of the many yummy puds including eton mess with a twist. Brand new summer infusions include gooseberry cobbler, cherry balsamic cobbler, watermelon sour and rose sour not to mention a hand picked selection of over 30 wines and craft beers including Notting Hill Blonde and Five Points Pale.
Where: For more information on the locations and menu visit No. 1 Duke Street, No.11 Pimlico Road, No. 32 The Old Town and No. 197 Chiswick Fire Station.
