Mushroom pizza, Birtelli's
Rockshrimp tempura, ROKA
Mixed grill, Kebab Queen
Fried eggs with chilli sage butter, Towpath Cafe
From Marylebone to Mercer Walk. Here are the best things the CODE team ate this week.
Kol
In a year when new openings are a rarity, there was widespread cheer at the launch of KOL, a three-year labour of love for chef Santiago Lastra. I’d first eaten his food in the woods at Wilderness, then in a tent in his garden in Acton, so it was a joy to sit in the very ritzy west end premises. There has already been lots of Insta love for this dish of langoustine tacos but it really tastes as good as it looks, and the claypot with confit pork cheek with crackling is bliss. Save space for the squash sorbet with rattlesnake chilli, with a hit of mescal on the side! And can I lay claim to a nickname for the chef, thanks to the langoustine dish – SantiClaws…
Lisa Markwell, editor
Mushroom pizza, Birtelli's
Birtelli’s
It’s difficult to recreate restaurant-standard pizza at home, but stone baked pizza delivery start-up Birtelli’s helps you to achieve just that. The dough is extra light, the ingredients carefully sourced from British producers and most importantly, the chance of messing it up is very, very slim. With 11 pizzas to choose from, we enjoyed one smoked chicken and one wild mushroom, and both were deliciously crispy and flavour-packed. Be sure to order before 12pm to take advantage of next day delivery.
Harriet Prior, editorial assistant
Rockshrimp tempura, ROKA
ROKA
ROKA has always been one of my all time favourite spots and despite it’s slightly quirky location, I’ve always been a fan of the Aldwych one. And what with currently working from 180 Strand these days, it’s now my new office local. It’s hard to go wrong with some rockshrimp tempura, lamb chops and a couple of cold Asahi beers.
Adam Hyman, founder
Roka is now back on the CODE app. To become a member, please click here
Mixed grill, Kebab Queen
Kebab Queen
I’ve wanted to come here ever since Marina O’Loughlin’s rave review ages ago and Kebab Queen, the hidden chef’s table experience below Maison Bab in Covent Garden, does not (as they say) disappoint. Chef Manu Canales takes all the elements of our late-night favourites and elevates them but if this sounds familiar, prepare to be surprised. Dishes served straight onto a heated counter, no cutlery, drinks pairings that start with Sauternes and go via lager to port and round the outer reaches of the wine world… it’s truly a trip. Pictured here is the mixed grill, just to give you an idea of the creativity at work but it’s no gimmick. Very fairly priced for this level of skill, too.
Lisa Markwell, editor
Fried eggs with chilli sage butter, Towpath Cafe
Towpath Cafe
There’s nowhere in London I’d rather be on a sunny morning than the Towpath Cafe. Basking in the rays watching joggers, cyclists and dog walkers dodge each other along the canal path. The coffee is excellent and the short chalk-board menu is even better. Simple, seasonal and always completely delicious.
Chloë Hamilton, head of partners & memberships
Noble Rot Soho
It probably wasn’t in any doubt that a new Dan Keeling and Mark Andrew project would be good – their original restaurant, magazine, wine company and book are all stellar. But something about sitting down to dinner on a banquette in the new Soho outpost has the rare skill of marrying the comfort of a historic favourite with the effervescence of something new. With Alex Jackson in the kitchen too, it takes just one bite of the snacks (eggs casino and chicken liver parfait choux bun) to feel utterly content – on my night there, Ewen Venters, Kate Hawkings and Will Bowlby were also in, all looking pretty happy too.
Lisa Markwell, editor
Eggs casino and chicken parfait choux bun, Noble Rot
To read more of the best things the CODE team ate this week, click here
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