From Brunswick House to Barge East, here are the best things the CODE team ate this week

Akoko

While the Sanderson hotel sits empty for the moment (it’s coming back to life shortly) located opposite on Berners Street sits a fairly unassuming entrance to a restaurant called Akoko, a place which had passed me by until I joined a friend for dinner there on Thursday evening. The West African only has a 5 or 9 course menu at night and we sat at the counter watching the chef’s prepare and deliver course after course of what has to be some of the best food I’ve eaten in a while. The wine pairing was beautifully matched and the pace of the meal was a testament to a kitchen that clearly listens to its front of house. A real gem in Fitzrovia that is definitely worth a visit.
Adam Hyman, founder

Junsei

One of my most memorable meals was stumbling into a tiny yakitori restaurant in a back street in Kyoto where the 10-seater spot was filled with a heady combination of cigarette smoke and smoke from the grill. We pointed at parts of a hand drawn picture of a chicken to order while we sipped on ice-cold beers – good times. Junsei is a new yakitori restaurant that’s opened at the Marylebone Road end of Seymour Place and while the language barrier isn’t quite the same and there’s a noticeable lack of cigarette smoke, sitting at their chef’s counter sipping on sake and having sticks of different chicken parts handed to you, reminded me of being in Japan. I’m so glad proper yakitori is becoming a thing in London now.
Adam Hyman, founder

Brunswick House

Amongst the skyscrapers and busy highways of Vauxhall you’ll find a twinkling gem in the form of Brunswick House. A trove of low-hanging chandeliers and antique furniture, the seemingly out of place Georgian mansion is a superb spot to while away the hours over long, lazy lunch. Starting with the grilled potato bread with green garlic butter is non-negotiable and I followed this with Brixham crab noodles which are a strong contender for another must order. To round off things off it was the Pedro Ximénez tart with banana sorbet – a silky, delicious dessert that is excellent alongside a strong espresso.
Molly Wade, memberships manager

Homeslice

It’s that question you always get asked – where’s your favourite place for pizza in London? Like a true diplomat, I refuse to have favourites but I’m a big fan of Homeslice. Ever since brothers Mark and Alan Wogan opened their first Homeslice in Neal’s Yard, it’s hard to beat one of their 20-inch pizzas with a half-half topping, washed down with a nice bottle of red. Although they have some funkier toppings like spiced lamb with sumac yoghurt or chorizo with corn, I always order the same thing – half margherita and half salami, rocket and parmesan.
Adam Hyman, founder

Hām

I’ve been wanting to visit Hām since the first lockdown. It has such allure. A warm and friendly neighbourhood restaurant with an imaginative menu, clever cooking using quality suppliers and a banging cocktail list. With a new head chef in the kitchens (Spyros Koufalakis, formerly of NOPI & Barrafina), our food was colourful and vibrant with Mediterranean twists throughout. We started with a wonderful nduja croquette with a creamy herby mayo followed by a gorgeous courgette dish, with labneh, preserved lemon and sourdough (Hām source their bread from Margot’s bakery, around the corner). We also shared beautiful plates of heritage beetroot and pan-fried Stone bass. For dessert we had white peach, custard and fig leaf oil – the perfect end to dinner at this gem of a restaurant.
Tom Pilgrim, accounts manager

Barge East

After raising more than triple their crowdfund target to survive lockdown 1.0 last year, Barge East used some of the excess funds to set up a large kitchen garden by the Hackney Wick towpath. They grow such a variety now that the guys from neighbouring SILO use it too! It’s also a lovely setting for al fresco drinks and more casual eats, whilst dining on the Dutch barge itself is more refined. Plates included a tomato and tofu cigar amuse bouche, set pea custard with rhubarb granita and a celery leaf parfait with lemon verbena, strawberry and walnuts.
Sam Selwood, accounts manager

Kudu Grill

Husband and wife team Amy Corbin and Patrick Williams continue to take over their local area of Peckham with the newest addition to their mini empire, Kudu Grill. Housed in a former pub in the area of Nunhead, this space with it’s moody interiors, low Champagne-coloured lighting and dark wooden Venetian blinds (you could be in Minetta Tavern) is a local’s dream. Couples can perch at the counter and enjoy the Braai (a South African grill) with dishes such as grilled potato flatbread with lardo and wild garlic, grilled prawns with peri peri butter and a Braai whole black bream to stuff into zhug butter roti. Be sure to leave room for the Peppermint crisp chocolate – a play on a famous South African chocolate bar.
Adam Hyman, founder

Afternoon Tea at The Biltmore

Grosvenor Square isn’t our usual spot on a Saturday afternoon, but as it was a bank holiday and the weather was insistently Autumnal, we settled into the Biltmore to sample their luxurious afternoon tea. We started with a selection of sandwiches (cucumber, black truffle and crème fraiche anyone?) which was followed by a selection of warm scones accompanied with a generous glass of champagne. I’m a sucker for anything with chocolate in, so when a selection of sweets including a delectable peach apricot & elderflower tart and a silky chocolate mousse appeared I questioned why I wasn’t having afternoon tea every week. With charming and warm service, this was a fantastic experience.
Tom Pilgrim, accounts manager

Café Deco

I’d been meaning to visit Cafe Deco, chef Anna Tobias’s solo restaurant in Bloomsbury, a few times but the small matter of lockdowns kept getting in the way. Now we’re back to some level of normality, I needed somewhere for lunch in the area and Cafe Deco certainly came into its own. Perched at the low counter in the window overlooking Store Street with a perfectly chilled glass of Bandol rosé, a starter of green beans with tomatoes and bottarga dressing followed by pot-roast chicken with sweetcorn and wild mushrooms managed to fill an empty stomach but without leaving you needing an afternoon nap. The downstairs part of the restaurant that overlooks the kitchen opens soon – even more of a reason to return.
Adam Hyman, founder

To read more reviews from the CODE team, click here