FOOD: RE VIEW NORTH SOHO
DAVID HUDSON REVIEWS 52°NORTH BAR & KITCHEN 21-22 POLAND STREET, LONDON, W1F 8QG 020 7287 1661
Any regular drinkers at the Kings Arms in Soho will probably have noticed that the bar’s immediate neighbour has changed hands. Champagne bar Amuse Bouche recently departed and has been replaced by 52°North Bar & Kitchen. It’s an entirely new creation from the Alula Leisure stable – the company behind the Penny Black in Chelsea. Whereas the latter establishment is aimed more at the Kensington and Chelsea set, 52°North is an altogether more funky and bohemian offering, aimed very much at those who prefer a night out in W1 than a trip down to Sloane Square. Visiting on a chilly Tuesday
evening in early March, we found the interior bathed in a warm, amber glow, courtesy of
hundreds of old-fashioned little lightbulbs in rows across the ceiling. The décor is suitably warm and welcoming, with exposed brickwork, wood panels around the pillars (like roof tiles) and wood parquet flooring. A minimal aesthetic runs throughout the design, and although traditional in tone, the feel remains contemporary – aided by some modern wooden seating alongside the traditional Chesterfield leather sofas. An expansive, black and white mural of typography dominates one wall, with floor-to-ceiling windows overlooking Poland Street. At the moment, the British-
inspired menu offers ten different ‘snacks’ and ten main courses. We started with Prawns Pill Pill (£8) and Confit of Duck salad with puy lentils,
caraway carrots, celeriac and sherry vinegar (£7) from the aforementioned ‘snacks’ menu. My ‘Pill Pill’ dish was three king prawns cooked with oil, garlic and chilli, and served with a bowl of rocket leaves. It was a perfectly-flavoured dish, if a little messy – with some nice, doughy bread to mop up the juices. My friend’s duck was a more substantial offering, which looked a little heavy on the lentils, but which nevertheless received an unqualified thumbs-up. We followed this with a
slow-cooked ham hock stew (£14) – yet another bowl of warming flavours, with a thick, herby liquid offering up chunky, marbled spearheads of ham. My companion went for the 9oz Scottish sirloin steak, which was cooked to order and topped
Momo
REGENT STREET OASIS Now that the clocks have gone forward and we can look forward to lighter evenings and warmer days, the idea of al fresco dining becomes increasingly attractive. Unlike Italy or Spain, London is not overrun with gorgeous outdoor cafés so we were delighted to be alerted to the beautiful outdoor space at North African restaurant Momo. Evoking the feel of North African souks, and decked out in rich fabrics, intricately-carved screens and beautiful Moroccan glass lamps, you could easily forget that you are actually down a quiet alleyway adjoining Regent Street. Momo Restaurant Familial, 23-25 Heddon Street, W1B 4BH.
www.momoresto.com
with mushrooms and a side order of hand-cut chips and Caesar salad (£18). Unfortunately, there is currently no dessert menu, but the staff informed us that this will be added at a later date. 52°North is more of a bar destination than a restaurant. In fact, it seems that many people are still unaware that it is a food destination and we appeared to be the only diners on the evening of our visit – although the venue was busy with drinkers. Background music is fairly loud, so it won’t be the dining room of choice for anyone wanting a quiet one-to- one, but for groups of friends or rowdier gatherings, it should appeal to the same crowd that frequent such nearby establishments as Barrio Central or Alphabet Bar.
SPICING UP SOHO Brand new for W1 is Cinnamon Soho, a third venue from executive chef Vivel Singh (of Cinnamon Kitchen fame). Out In The City attended the launch party of this new Kingly Street venue (off Carnaby Street), to admire the stylish two-floor establishment and enjoy some tasty canapés. The menu includes such delights as sticky desi pork back ribs, seared sea bass with aubergine-potato crush, and vindaloo of ox cheek. East-west fusion can be found in a Roganjosh shepherd’s pie and a crab cake and Bangla-Scotch egg! On offer are set lunch, pre- and post-theatre plus a late-night supper menu. Cinnamon Soho, 5 Kingly Street, London, W1B 5PF.
www.cinnamonsoho.com
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