With the weather getting warmer, London’s outside spaces are becoming hot property. All the better then, if you manage to find one that no-one else knows about right?
Sister restaurant to 108 Garage, Southam Street sprawls across three floors, a rabbit warren of dining options where it takes about 20 minutes to find the nearest toilet (but when you do, you’ll find the most fabulous flamingo wallpaper). On the roof you’ll find their newly spruced up al fresco space, which has been covered in green palm print cushions. A great place to have a pre-dinner Aperol Spritz for sure, but the interior is so pretty it would be a shame to stay up there all night. Expect a millennium friendly combo of marble, velvet and exposed brick white walls – a stark contrast to this rather grey corner of Golborne Road.
Although the website doesn’t give much away, Southam Street is home to both a Robata Grill and a more Asian-influenced Raw bar with you able to order from either section, whichever floor you’re on. We began with a few things to share – a generously sized bao bun stuffed with Korean spiced fried chicken, the light but tasty soft shell crab wrapped in a translucent summer roll with crunchy veg which our waitress recommended and a green salad to give the illusion of balance. Yellowtail tartare with yuzu truffle sauce was an ok bite but a little grey around the gills, served as it was on a black cracker, whilst the sushi rolls could have been a little neater in presentation but were tasty enough for us to polish of the lot. The Chu-Toro Tataki gave a little theatre to the night with our waiter taking of a glass dome for the smoke to unfurl.
Best of all though was undoubtedly dessert. A classic chocolate cake with perfectly molten insides was served with homemade matcha ice-cream but the fresh strawberry ‘chawan mushi’ took the best dish of the night spot. Similar to a big bowl of Panna Cotta, it’s served with a slick layer of strawberry sauce and fresh fruit, alongside cashew and sesame fingers for extra crunchy dippers. Looks like breakfast, tastes like heaven.
This Notting Hill hangout is sure to be popular with its glamorous locals, especially given it’s 108 connection and the rooftop space is a good one to remember next time the sun makes an appearance.
