'Simple and accessible': London's rise of affordable gourmet dining. Photo / Getty Images
London’s dining scene has transformed in recent years as chefs and restaurants work to serve delicious food without charging sky-high prices. Tamara Hinson checks out spots where fantastic food doesn’t come with a side order of bill shock.
Don’t get me wrong. I love a spot of fine dining, whether it’s the starched perfection of a crisp white tablecloth, the arrival of amuse-bouches before I’ve even got a sniff of my starter, or the presence of a sommelier to point out that no, the French sauvignon blanc I had my eye on absolutely doesn’t pair well with the cheese board.
What I don’t love so much is the price tag or the occasional hints of stuffiness. The good news? In Britain, feasting on fantastic food no longer entails enduring either. Yes, restaurants and chefs in London have amassed a rather spectacular selection of Michelin stars over the years, but it turns out its haul of Michelin Bib Gourmands – awarded to restaurants serving fantastic food for wallet-friendly prices – is even more impressive. With 42, London has more than any other European city, far ahead of Paris, in second place with 34.
Current recipients range from what is regarded by many as London’s top Indian restaurant (more on that later) to bistros such as July, where the focus is on delicacies from France’s Alsace region. And then there’s the Plaquemine Lock, a north London pub where Creole and Cajun dishes include supersized po’boys and a fragrant jambalaya.
The specialty at Borough Market’s Agora is souvla – skewers of meat roasted over a charcoal barbecue. At this pared-down pitstop – think bare wooden tables, cosy booths, and exposed air conditioning vents that scream “industrial chic” without intending to – the focus is firmly on the food. For me, the highlights aren’t just the skewers, although the lamb kebab with sumac ($10.20) is to die for. The flatbreads, which are baked in a wood-fired oven and start from around $20, are divine. I recommend the one with wild garlic butter and metsovone ($21).
David Carter, Agora’s founder, believes London’s abundance of Bib Gourmand restaurants is partly down to the growing number of chefs and restaurant owners willing to aim beyond Michelin stars or Insta appeal.
“I think it’s due to a strong desire to create places we actually want to eat in ourselves,” says Carter. “And what we crave most is usually simplicity and accessibility. This often means a simple menu of food with big, bold, confident flavours, a price point which is far from intimidating, and being in a room where you feel welcome.”
Solynka Dumas is co-founder of Soho’s July, a Bib Gourmand restaurant famous for its sharer plates of seasonal cuisine. Current delights on offer include a chicken terrine with anchoïade ($22) and rye bread with horseradish butter and pickled cucumber ($20). Dumas believes the provenance of London’s Bib Gourmand restaurants could be a silver lining to the city’s high rental costs, although healthy competition has also helped. “In London, the standard is now so high that an average restaurant here would still be considered prime in most cities,” says Dumas. “And then there’s the fact that rent is so incredibly high here – you can’t afford to be anything less than great if you want to survive.”
Those eye-watering rental costs might explain why some of London’s best Bib Gourmand restaurants are on the small side. At nearby The Palomar, where dishes are inspired by southern Spain, North Africa and the Levant, the majority of the seats surround a counter facing an open kitchen. No, it might not be London’s roomiest restaurant, but do huge dining rooms and private booths make the food taste any better? I order the seabream with kohlrabi and amba slaw (at a wallet-friendly $74, it’s one of the most expensive dishes on the menu) for my main course and watch with fascination as a chef gets to work, before he asks me if I’d like the head removed before it’s served. I say yes, then immediately wonder why. It dawns on me that it’s easy to feel disconnected from your food when it’s prepared in a kitchen far, far away, with no opportunity to appreciate the processes involved. Perhaps bigger isn’t necessarily better, after all.
Innovation and a passion for British ingredients are other staples of London’s Bib Gourmand scene. Gunpowder, which has three locations throughout London (Spitalfields, Soho and Tower Bridge), was founded by Harneet Baweja and Devina Seth. Their childhoods in Calcutta inspired many of the dishes, which combine authentic Indian flavours with innovative touches. Take the delicious rasam ke bomb V ($10), a modern take on masala dosa. These delicious crispy shells are filled with curried potato and served atop a shot of spicy liquid (best downed in one, according to my waiter). Equally moreish is the Gunpowder chaat – Norfolk potatoes topped with tamarind, yoghurt and black chickpeas – and the soft shell crab. In fact, there’s not a single dish I wouldn’t eat again. The best bit? I can actually afford to do so. The most expensive dish on the menu, a mixed grill platter, comes in at $139 (but serves two), while the set menu costs $49.
Harneet believes Londoners’ openness to new concepts is key to its haul of Bib Gourmand certifications. “Londoners are happy to give something new a try, and to start their love affair with it,” he says. “As a city, it’s inclusive – you can express yourselves freely here, and that’s a big factor when it comes to restaurateurs and chefs who want to open independent businesses, and to take that plunge. It also helps that you can get any ingredient in the world here in London.” Then again, if Gunpowder’s dishes are anything to go by, Calcutta sounds like a pretty tasty destination, too.
The writer was hosted by Palomar, Gunpowder and Agora.