We need to tell you about an incredibly exciting new residency from two super talented chefs, Remi and Aaron, who together make up Smoke & Salt. You’ll want to book now to ensure bragging rights because this is one HOT table.
The boys have an impressive CV, having met working in the kitchens of the eponymous Notting Hill restaurant, The Shed and Aaron worked at Heston’s Dinner before that.
Luckily for us they’re now situated above The Chapel Bar until the end of the year, complete with tables both inside and out and twinkly candle light dotted throughout. So far, so romantic.
A new set menu is offered each month, and for the exceptional value of £38 a head you can expect to enjoy five (and then some) inventive courses that Heston would be proud of.
First up we were treated to homemade (and still warm) Guinness glazed pretzel-style bread buns with olive oil whipped butter. A delicious start and an indication of the level of food to come. ‘Table Treats’ consisted of chunky chickpea ‘chips’ with a creamy mayo, a generous bowl of smoky popcorn & thin slices of beef jerky. Ideal bar snacks to accompany the small but perfectly formed cocktail menu provided by the team downstairs. The Shy Pear was so well balanced that we’d knocked it back in no time.
However it was the arrival of our starter where things really got exciting! An onion broth, laced with asparagus shavings was presented with an actual egg. We were instructed to crack the egg right into the middle of our bowl, and as if by magic a perfectly coddled egg emerged. SO much fun and delicious to boot.
Lamb is sourced from a very small farm so the chefs get creative with various cuts, depending on what’s delivered – tonight we were treated to lamb, two ways. Served with a vibrant green garlic sauce, a thick slice of grilled pink lamb was served alongside sunchoke, whilst a fantastically seasoned lamb kofta paired perfectly with the pickled okra.
Dessert centred around pink grapefruit, again, so beautifully presented you’d be forgiven for thinking you were paying a lot more then you are. We polished this off in a matter of seconds, each mouthful offering different variations on the fruit with pink grapefruit curd, elderflower yoghurt and dense cake, refraining from being sour as expected.
The night comes to an end with a plate of freshly made Petit-Fours, our Banana Madeleines still hot from the oven!
Get in now and see the chefs at their most creative, often bringing out the plates themselves, before they undoubtedly move on to open a restaurant of their own.
Smoke & Salt is open for dinner only, Sunday to Thursday, with a brunch offering available all day Sunday.
