If you’re still under the illusion that British food means fish and chips or a chicken tikka marsala, think again. We Brits have so much more going for us than soggy batter and neon-bright masala. British food is all about the ingredients: while some cuisines like Indian or French opt for layer upon layer of complex flavours, others such as Japanese and British keep things simple. That lets the ingredients not just speak for themselves, but sing.
At its heart, British food is beautiful fresh produce straight from local farms that’s cooked to perfection and presented with understated flair. It is so good that the industry is currently celebrating the “British food fortnight”. So it’s a great time to seek out some of London’s brightest British restaurants.
Fine Dining – Northbank
No doubt about it, Northbank is swank. But while some fancy restaurants are intimidating, Northbank has a touch of West Country charm rather than any hauteur.
This Thames-side restaurant’s ingredients come from Falmouth and there’s a daily delivery of fresh fish caught off the Cornish coast.
It might seem a long way to go for a portion of plaice but a mouthful of Northbank’s catch of the day will show why it’s all worthwhile.
The meat is just as fresh and succulent. There’s mouthwatering duck, falling-apart lamb and perfectly pink beef. Northbank’s small selection always contains a veggie option that arguably outshines every other dish – the giant truffle gnocchi is a showstopper. The only let down is also Northbank’s best feature – the menu constantly changes so you can’t get too attached to any dish. You will just have to keep coming back for more.
Celebrate Cornwall’s quality ingredients by tucking into Northbank’s seared venison with cepes, roast pheasant with damson or monkfish with seaweed and clam butter. To top it all off, Northbank is part of Tastecard, so book in advance and much of the menu is half price. If there’s anything Brits love better than food, it’s a bargain.
Small Plates – Plot
Plot is a petite kitchen that packs a whopping punch. It’s hidden away in Tooting’s Broadway Market and you’d be forgiven for walking straight past it. It’s just a handful of bar stools around a busy and brimming kitchen counter but don’t let that fool you – simplicity is British food’s greatest ally.
Plot’s chefs make the most of fresh ingredients and showcase them on small, shareable plates. It’s one of life’s great pleasures to say “we’ll have one of everything” and Plot’s the perfect place to try it out.
What makes Plot stand out is the fact that all of its produce is seasonal. Only the finest ingredients at their peak will find their way to your plate. Everything here has a time and place – once an ingredient is gone you’ll have to wait for next year to enjoy it again. Frankly, it’s how food should be.
The menu is refreshed with the seasons but samples include porcini mushroom tart, Norfolk horn lamb rump and crushed garden peas with rosary goats cheese. If you’re lucky you can polish it all off with either cherry ripple ice cream or grilled peaches with mascarpone, hazelnuts, honey and mint. If you’re daring, you can do both.
Old School – Rules
Rules has one of the greatest claim to fame of all London’s eateries: it’s the oldest restaurant in the capital. Rules opened its doors in 1798, so it’s almost 20 years past its own bicentenary.
Eating here is a true British experience – it’s not often the menu has to warn people about bullets in their meal. Rules specialises in British game that may or may not contain the odd lead pellet, namely deer, pheasant, duck, grouse, hare and partridge.
The restaurant owns an estate in the High Pennines where staff are trained in game management to keep an eye on how the animals are treated and ensure quality.
Rules started out simply as a British pie, porter and oyster shack but soon gained an elite folowing, with writers spreading fame of the “rakes, dandies and superior intelligences who comprise its clientele”. Rules still serves the same pies, oysters and British puddings to a similar sort of crowd – for a rather higher price. If you’re brave enough, there are three different kinds of British oysters to try or you can go straight to the wild boar pie with red wine.
If you hadn’t guessed, Rules is not a friend to vegetarians – the restaurant stays true to the old British ways of meat, mash and a host of molluscs. For carnivores and fish lovers, this Covent Garden great is as brilliantly old-time British as it gets.
by Jo Davey
The post Food: Finding London’s Brilliant British Cuisine appeared first on Felix Magazine.
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