Words Helen Brown
Keep your finger on the pulse of the latest launches causing a buzz on London’s culinary scene. From Bengali dinners and Swedish fusion, to Taiwanese street food and California brunch; you’re spoilt for supper choice in this city. Here are a few of the best new restaurants openings splashing around on the foodie scene this summer.
POMONA’S
This brand new Californian-style eatery has uplifted the W2 neighbourhood with something out-of-the-box. Gareth Sanderson – formerly of Hamshire’s The Thomas Lord and Le Butcher Group – fronts the kitchen. His awe-inspiring menu takes inspiration from his travels in the West Coast of America. The lightness and brightness doesn’t stop at the food. Sundae Design Studio have designed the sunny space, inspired by David Hockney’s Malibu period of the 70s.
XU
Fans of Bao rejoice for the opening of the team’s latest venture this week. Xu (pronounced ‘shu’) will deliver a broader range of Taiwanese cuisine from the heart of Soho. Sprawling over two floors, the venue boasts a restaurant, cocktail bar, Taiwanese tea bar and private dining space. Begin your Taiwanese feast with xiao tsa – bar snacks – before moving onto larger dishes such as crab with chilli egg drop sauce and Mangalitza rib rice. There are also Taiwanese street food dishes. Try pan-fried soup dumplings or pancakes filled with 40-day aged beef short rib, roast marrow and pickles.
RED ROOSTER
Marcus Samuelsson opened the original Red Rooster in Harlem, New York, to tremendous success. Now, the legendary yardbird fried chicken and Helga’s meatballs are making it over here too. This Shoreditch outpost is an American comfort food restaurant, live music venue and taqueria. The menu delivers an Ethiopian-American-Swedish fusion. Dishes include devilled eggs with sea urchin mayo and candied bacon and duck kitfo.
HENRIETTA
This is the latest venture from Ollie Dabbous, located in The Henrietta Hotel, Covent Garden. It’s a collaboration between Dabbous and the people behind The Experimental Cocktail Club. Food is simple, seasonal and flaunts French influence. You’ll find un-fussy, ingredient-led dishes that exhibit impressive technical cooking.
CALCUTTA STREET BRIXTON
Following the success of her Fitzrovia pop-ups, Shrimoyee Chakraborty is making the jump south of the river to Brixton this June. Calcutta Street Brixton will match the same Bengali home cooking as its Soho sister venue. The setting though, designed to evoke the spirit of Park Street in Calcutta, is more dramatic. The place will be decked out in murals, posters of Satyajit Ray’s films, ostrich and peacock feathers along with other curiosities. Plus, there are a couple of new additions to the menu, like Biryani and Chicken Chaap, slow-cooked in creamy poppy seed and cashew nut sauce.
