From Decimo to Danclair’s, here are the best things the CODE team ate this week

Lunar

The train from London to Lunar is less than two hours, which really does make the restaurant by Niall Keating on the Wedgwood Estate in Staffordshire an ideal day trip destination. Not only is the food worth the journey (more on that later) but it’s worth leaving some time to have a tour around the World of Wedgwood. Josiah Wedgwood, whose grandson was a certain Charles Darwin, was a visionary and his business continues today with handmade ceramics ranging from entry level prices to certain items fetching tens of thousands of pounds. However, it was Lunar that I was really here for. Since leaving Whatley Manor, Niall Keating has set up home in the former canteen space and, even though I never ate at Whatley Manor, his food here is more relaxed. There is a clearly an Asian influence in his cooking with dishes such as crab chawanmushi along with herb congee, kimchi, black pudding and quail egg. The mains of Staffordshire clay-baked chicken with treasured rice and dry aged local beef would have usually been my go to dishes but it was the roasted day boat turbot with creamed leeks and caviar that came out on top. A spiced pineapple tart tatin and a toasted rice doughnut to finish meant hunger didn’t kick in on the train back south. Needless to say, they have nice crockery too.
Adam Hyman, founder
CODE was a guest of Lunar

Pastaio

At Pastaio on Monday, Stevie Parle and team piled plates high with lobster linguine. Whole natives were roasted and served on top of noodles cooked with tomato, white wine, garlic, and chilli. Before that was rosemary focaccia, anchovies in vin santo and orange zest, and asparagus cacio e pepe, an uncommon method of serving the vegetable, so justifiably interesting. Speck with smashed broad beans, and aubergine caponata also made their way onto our plates. Incidentally, Pastaio remains one of London’s better options for a classic and generous slice of tiramisu.
Josh Barrie, editor
CODE was a guest of Pastaio

Decimo

The following evening saw a starry guestlist descend on Decimo at The Standard for the GQ Food & Drink Awards. After croquetas de jamon and three charcoal-grilled slices of butter-soft beef swimming in a thick, mole-like sauce, manchego tartlets were bandied around – the cheese aerated until a wispy, silken mousse, the pastry thin and crisp. One landed on my left suede desert boot and the remnants have been difficult to clean off. Regrettable? Sure. But I don’t mind acting the mousse receptacle when there’s so much champagne around. It’s not too taxing to say that few events offer such edible canapés.
Josh Barrie, editor

Masala Zone

Off to Ranjit Mathrani’s Masala Zone I went last Friday night. I have seen these spots around London so was intrigued to try the food. We kicked things off with a selection of dishes from their new grazing menu. Highlights included the Goan crispy fried prawns, gol guppa pops and samosa chaat. Remarkably we found an extra room to enjoy their signature butter chicken and a biriyani – both very well balanced in flavour. I was dining with my friend who is from Mumbai and so was the real judge. “I feel like I’m home,” she said. The highest accolade methinks.
Henry Southan, social media manager
CODE was a guest of Masala Zone

Danclair’s

Danclair’s has been on my hitlist for quite some time but until recently it was only open two days a week and I was never organised enough to book a visit in my diary. Finally last Friday I got there. Kicking things off with a very punchy rum punch, we then went for Brian’s recommendations – Brian being Brian Danclair: owner, overseer and superbly friendly host – and expectations were certainly lived up to. Each dish was as complex and intriguing as the last with flavours and sensations I haven’t experienced before. Sweet, gauva-glazed wings, mouth numbing pepper prawns and fluffy cod fritters with gingery aioli were hastily consumed because of their deliciousness and the executive decision to round things off with yet more rum was a very wise one.
Molly Wade, memberships manager

Fu:Dizm at The King’s Head

We were invited along to try the menu at chef Jon Villar’s pop-up at the King’s Head members’ club in Hoxton – a fantastically bizarre venue decorated with all kinds of Victoriana and more taxidermy than I think I’ve seen anywhere in London. Formerly head chef at Peter Gordon’s Kopapa, Jon continues the modern fusion small plates formula here. We tried pierogi with Szechuan pepper harissa, miso cod with imam biyaldi aubergine and finished with a banoffee and jackfruit borek.
Sam Selwood, accounts manager
CODE was a guest of Fu:Dizm at The King’s Head

Sustainable supper club at Gaucho, Charlotte Street

II joined the inaugural sustainable supper club at Gaucho on Charlotte Street. With a goal to be net-zero carbon emissions by 2030, each month Gaucho will host an evening focused on sustainability. Menu highlights included the grilled ox heart fazoletti with artichoke puree, spring herbs and browned butter, and the main event, entrana beef with chimichurri and fried pomme anna. A pairing of Argentinian wines and cocktails washed everything down nicely. They have since announced that all their restaurants now exclusively serve carbon-neutral beef. A fun evening if you want to learn more about sustainable and ethical dining with live music from local musicians.
Henry Southan, social media manager
CODE was a guest of Gaucho, Charlotte Street

INO Gastrobar

This Monday we hosted our first CODE Committee meeting at the Greek restaurant INO Gastrobar in Carnaby. It’s a sweet little spot that you might pass by unless you are in the know. Don’t be put off by the name ‘gastrobar’ – its sister restaurant in Athens, Funky Gourmet, holds two Michelin stars – and the food at INO is truly delicious. Our canapés consisted of swirly dollops of taramasalta on crisp crackers, bowls of zesty ceviche, spanakopita, souvlaki skewers and Greek salad with the best feta I’ve ever eaten. We were set up in back room but there’s a counter with views of the chefs at work over the grill that I’ll request to sit at when I go back.
Molly Wade, memberships manager

Warehouse

On Wednesday we weaved our way through Covent Garden to Warehouse for a cocktail making masterclass. Behind the bar we went to shake up a maritime margarita which uses sea buckthorn juice instead of the usual lime, and an oyster martini.  For the latter, cleaned, baked and ground oyster shells are distilled into the vermouth and the drink is garnished with a mysterious, dusty-green ‘oyster leaf’ that tastes uncannily like the real thing. We got to take home a rhubarb negroni which I’ll be whipping up to enjoy this weekend.
Molly Wade, memberships manager
CODE was a guest of Warehouse

Read more reviews from the CODE team here