Toasted – London SE22

Seasonal & inspired, delicious small dishes – if there is one reason to go to East Dulwich, this is it.

After spending close to an hour, using varying modes of transport, to get to SE22, Alsi and I were looking forward to a decent meal. Thankfully, we were far from disappointed. We chose to sit in the semi-open-air cafe like area, which sits adjacent to the main dining room (pictured), so we were able to enjoy the last of the warm summer air.

We both studied the menu at some length, but eventually gave up on ordering – it all sounded too good to miss – so we asked our waitress to bring the 7 best dishes of the dozen or so on offer. We did order the wine; a carafe of the ‘Cinsault 2012′ (£10.7), a light and very drinkable rosé housed in one of the enormous tanks that sit proudly along the edge of the cafe, and a good choice. But no sooner had we toasted our long overdue catch-up dinner, then the dishes started to arrive.

A small bowl of sliced ‘Saucisse Seche‘ (£4.5) was served with hefty slices of bread – the sausage was packed with spice and flavour and served as a promising start.

Two dishes, the ‘Beetroot, Smoked Soured Cream, Purslane‘ (£6.5) and ‘Broad Bean, Grain, Onion‘ (£8) arrived next; the two of us eating half, before swapping. The sweet amd smokey beetroot had a charred flavour to it, the skin taking on a bark-like texture; unusual but so delicious. The dish of broad beans was akin to risotto but far better than any risotto I’ve ever tasted: fresh and light with a gooey, cheesy yummyness that threatened to have us licking the bowl..
 
Thankfully we resisted and awaited the next course: ‘Wild Mushroom, Yolk, Garlic Flower‘ (£7) and ‘Lamb, Fennel, Liquorice, Anchovy‘ (£15). The first consisted of a fabulous variety of different mushrooms I couldn’t come close to naming, but what I do know is that they were all completely and utterly overshadowed by the lamb: rich and roasty, sweet, salty, meaty heaven on a plate. I had no qualms about the combination of fennel, liquorice and anchovy but for those who might, I can assure you that you that the combination creates a plate of loveliness, devoid of any overpowering, objectionable flavours.
 
We finished with ‘Fig, Fresh Honeycomb, Sheep’s Milk Blue‘ (£8) and a ‘Lingot de St Nicholas‘ (£7) (the latter brought at our request). The soft blue cheese was finely grated over the figs; not usually a blue fan, I was very pleasantly surprised at the subtle flavour and magical partnership with fig and honeycomb. The second cheese was much less special but an enjoyable finale nonetheless.
 
It was Nicholas Balfe, the chef behind Salon Brixton (Read Full Review), who first told me about this lovely little restaurant in East Dulwich. And I am truly grateful for the recommendation. It’s cute and romantic with a neighbourhood charm and the menu is packed with creativity, imagination and flair. It’s well worth the trip.

Dinner for two: £60
Drinks: Bottle of wine from £12.9, Carafe of wine from £8.6
toastdulwich.co.uk
Follow @toastdulwich

You might also like: Salon Brixton – London SW9 (Read Full Review)

Agent Restauranter

Salon Brixton – London SW9

This quirky yet intimate dining room, above a Brixton Market cheese shop, serves a super, seasonal set menu.

I don’t think there are many restaurants in London where I would happily sit, on my own, for 45 minutes, waiting for my date. I can now safely say that Salon Brixton is one of them…….

This summer Salon Brixton is doing a series of one off collaborations. The usual 4 course menu is being revamped and extended to 7 courses, using the same seasonal British produce and imaginative cooking techniques. I bagged myself two tickets to Salon x Niall Davidson and thought I would treat my father to the delights of Brixton. Unfortunately Heathrow chaos caused an unavoidable delay, so I found myself sitting in this tiny attic restaurant listening to buzzy beats coming from the open kitchen’s laptop speakers, clatters from the kitchen and welcoming chit chat from the staff, for close to an hour. And I felt entirely an ease.

A refreshing Elderflower Collins or two later, my father finally arrived, and our meal began.

We started with ‘Cured Scallop, Sourdough, Buttermilk’ – the scallops, silky and tender contrasted beautifully with the crunch of the toasted sourdough, all brought together with the flavoursome buttermilk. A very good start indeed! The ‘Monkfish Liver, Rhubarb, Salted Strawberries, Elderflower‘ that followed was less convincing as a dish for me personally as the unusual combination wasn’t quite to my palette, however, each component was fabulously well cooked and the elegant presentation could not have been faulted.

A meaty, meaty ‘Bone Marrow Broth’ arrived next, with pickled dulse (a seaweed) lurking in the bottom of the bowl – I gleefully scooped it out, very much enjoying the ever so slightly slimy texture of the seawater plant.
 
A pleasantly surprisingly meaty dish of ‘Cod Wing, Nettles, Gooseberries, Roe’ which followed the delectable ‘Raw Longhorn’ served on a toasted kale leaf, was my dish of the evening, until the arrival of the piece de resistance – ‘Longhorn Forequarter, Sour Cream, Nasturtiums’. Served on what one assumes must have been a cow’s hip bone, were several generous slices of soft, tender, perfectly cooked, incredibly tasty Longhorn Forequarter. I am not someone who is often inclined to order steak as a main meal however were it always to be of this caliber, I might well revise my preference. The light, fresh sour cream which was served on the side, only added to the dish although was by no means necessary to complete it.

After such a cacophony of different flavours, the beautifully fresh ‘Raw Milk Curds, Berries, Honey’ was a perfectly satisfying end; the intense sweetness of the fresh honey injecting a sparkle into the subtly flavoured summer dessert.

Salon x Niall Davidson was a one off pairing that worked a charm. Despite the, at times quite uncomfortable heat (it was the hottest day of the year!!) and the ever increasing noise from the packed little tables, (a clear sign that everyone else was having as good a time as we were) the meal really was all about the food. Each dish was entirely unique – there was no silly theme with a constantly reappearing ingredient, as there so often is with long set menus – and each dish delivered something quite wonderful and different. This was not an evening for those looking for a quiet, romantic meal of comfort food, but you can go anywhere for that. This was a night to enjoy great food and great wine with great company, in a basic, buzzing attic joint – so if that sounds like your cup of tea, put Salon Brixton on your to do list. And don’t worry if your guest is tardy, just sit back, relax, and enjoy the wait.

Salon Brixton will be playing host to several other similar evenings this summer, but the bar has now been set so I only hope what follows can stand up to the test.

Acknowledgements: thanks to both Nicholas Balfe, Niall Davidson and the Brixton Salon team for such a wonderful evening, and to Dad, for finally turning up.

Dinner for two: £90 (7 course tasting menu)
Drinks: Bottle of wine from £12 or matching wines for £30 per head.
salonbrixton.co.uk
Follow @Salon_Brixton

Nearby bars: Seven at Brixton – London SW9
You might also like: The Clove Club – London EC1V (Read Full Review), Toasted – London SE22 (Read Full Review)

Agent Restauranteur