The best restaurants to try this spring
12th May 2023 Food Heroes
6 min read
Spring is sprung! Now that we’re firmly out of hibernation season, it’s time to venture out into the tasty streets of London. Here are the best restaurants to try this season.
Maresco
Hiding in plain sight, Maresco has the feel of a much-beloved neighbourhood restaurant, despite sitting on the eternally bustling corner of Berwick Street in Soho.
Maresco is a conjugation of two Spanish words, meaning Scottish Sea, and symbolising the Scottish and Spanish menu. This might seem an unlikely marriage, but head chef Pablo Rodriguez is some kind of magician, making the combination seem fated.
Granted, the menu reads more Spanish than Scottish, and it seems the Scots’ contribution is largely the sparklingly fresh seafood itself. But you can definitely see influences: The bomba maresco appears as a giant scotch egg, with a heavenly crispy exterior, but instead of meat and egg, it’s rammed full of whole, perfectly seasoned mussels, sitting atop a tart yet creamy bed of romesco sauce.
"The Basque cheesecake is simple- you don’t mess with a classic like that- but it is possibly the creamiest cheesecake I have ever tasted"
But you can best experience Rodriguez’ wizardry in his invention. The txistorra de mar is a sausage made of seabass which, eyes closed, I’d swear down was chorizo, except fresher and more tender. The halibut with black rice will have people divided, but if you love umami, salty rice with little gems of squid and octopus nestled in, topped with soft flaky halibut, this is most definitely for you all the live long day.
The Basque cheesecake is simple- you don’t mess with a classic like that- but it is possibly the creamiest cheesecake I have ever tasted.
Not only is the food genuinely special, but the restaurant itself manages to retain a casual, easy-going air, perfect for nervous first dates or a catch up with an old friend. Sit at the bar top for a meal and a show, because watching the kitchen prepare your food is a glorious pleasure in itself.
Carmel
The hispi cabbage is slippery-soft with a good crunch, smoky and covered in toasted macadamia nuts
Created from the same team behind Hackney’s Berber and Q, Carmel shares the same love of Middle Eastern flavours and moody lighting. But the exterior feels less East London edgy cool, more intimate and elegant, and the menu honours the vegetable a touch more than the smoky meats of its sister.
I feel slightly guilty telling you about Carmel, because Queen’s Park locals are no doubt already struggling to get a booking. But it’s important to share the good word.
"The creamy stracciatella with soft, salty anchovies, zaatar and olive oil is perfect in its simplicity"
There is no wrong move with this concise, flavour-packed menu. You’re recommended to order three or four dishes to share, but it’s an impossible choice. The creamy stracciatella with soft, salty anchovies, zaatar and olive oil is perfect in its simplicity, the charred hispi cabbage with labneh and ras el hanout is slippery-soft while still retaining a crunch, topped with lovingly toasted macadamia nuts. And this is a bold statement, but the lamb kofteh is perhaps the best we’ve ever had, juicy and rich with herbs and spices.
If you’re just looking for a simple but filling lunch, you could happily stick to a fluffy, slightly charred flatbread, perhaps topped with smooth butternut squash, juicy prawns and coriander-flecked crème fraiche, or smoky spiced lamb with Aleppo chilli and sumac yoghurt. Oh I could go on.
The dessert menu only has three offerings but don’t skip it if you still have room.
El Norte
The Spanish menu is simple, carefully constructed and delicious
When you order a bruschetta at El Norte, the server doesn’t simply plonk a plate down with a soggy piece of tomato-covered bread. No no, instead you are presented with a perfect piece of toast, glistening with the best olive oil, upon which a clove of garlic is carefully rubbed over in front of your very eyes by your server, the crushed tomatoes gently spooned on, and another generous glug of fragrant olive oil doused o’er top. And in case you’re a garlic enthusiast, you’re also left with a soft caramelised head to use at your whim, along with extra tomato, oil and Maldon salt.
Everything is served with great ceremony and respect for the ingredients. The dishes themselves are simple but delicious.
With one bottle of wine listed at over £1500, El Norte is not a casual affair. But until 28 May, in honour of their new menu you can enjoy such lavishness for a whopping 30 per cent off! And if you can sneak away for lunch you can get two starters and a main course for £40 per person.
Bubala
The halloumi is sweet, salty, fatty, smoky and spicy
Another bold statement but it’s just true: Bubala is the best vegetarian restaurant in London. Fight me.
This feels very much of the Ottolenghi school, except this is not simply a restaurant catering to vegetarians, this is a manifesto preaching vegetarian food for all. Even if you couldn’t possibly fathom a meal without meat, I guarantee you will not miss it on this menu.
Middle Eastern flavours slap you in the face with every small plate: cardamom, za’atar, sumac, preserved lime, lashings of garlic and jewels of pomegranate swirl through the menu, creating rich, morish dishes that leave you mopping up the plate with every last morsel of fluffy laffa bread or toasted, almost sweet doorstops of challah.
"Whoever thought of adding a pool of dark biscuity melted butter to a bowl of creamy humous deserves a Nobel prize"
I cannot stop thinking about their burnt butter humous, it haunts my dreams. Whoever thought of adding a pool of dark biscuity melted butter to a bowl of creamy humous deserves a Nobel prize.
If you're craving something meaty and unctuous, try the charred oyster mushroom skewers. I don’t know how they’ve done it, but the mushrooms have been transformed into something sticky, intensely savoury and meaty.
Oh and the halloumi. Good lord, the halloumi! Served with a chamomile and fennel honey, this hits every note: sweet, salty, fatty, smoky, a little bit spicy.
And when you are at absolute capacity, a near-to-explode Mr. Creosote, treat yourself to one last bite of the soft, creamy coconut and tahini fudge. Just make sure to wear elasticated trousers.
Audrey’s
A take on a classic panzanella includes heritage tomatoes, sourdough croutons and nectarine
London Bridge is not short on culinary offerings. You’ve got the eternal queues for Padella, Gunpowder and Tapas Brindisa as well as the rest of the swarming Borough Market, and oftentimes, it’s a bit much. Audrey’s is a haven from all that chaos. Tucked only a stone’s throw away, but somehow feeling a million miles from the throngs, you can enjoy unfussy, reasonably priced food and delicious cocktails (only £7 before 7pm!) while still peering out at the rush of crowds beyond.
The menu is a delightful mishmash of European, Asian and British influences, ultimately offering whatever head chef Vincent Hiss thinks is tasty, and it suits us just fine. With Borough market on their doorstep, all the ingredients are morning-fresh which allows the food its lack of affectation. Their take on a classic panzanella includes multi-coloured heritage tomatoes, chunky sourdough croutons and honey-sweet nectarines. The line-caught bass, artfully decorated with razor-thin potato slices, flakes off in tender chunks, and the nose-to-tail rabbit (a special on the day of our visit) is earthy and juicy. The accompanying sauces are buttery and sharp, clearly made with love and attention.
If you want simple, delicious food without the tiresome fanfare that so often accompanies London’s food scene, Audrey’s is the place to go.
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