Innovative and delicious tasting menus in London to book now
By Abbie Schofield
Tasting menus are a combination of set courses, usually more than five, that have been specially curated by a restaurant’s culinary team. Not only do they allow you to try lots of different dishes, but there is no need to fret over what to order, as everything arrives at your table in perfect timing. Normally starting with amuse-bouches all the way through to dessert, each course is unique yet in harmony with the rest of the meal, making for a terrific dining experience. Some tasting menus also offer wine pairings for the full effect.
While usually associated with glamorous fine dining, tasting menus don’t have to be expensive. A number of more casual London restaurants have entered the tasting menu scene with a more modern take, offering guests an incredibly good value meal. We’ve selected five of the best, catering to all budgets. Whether it’s a special occasion or you simply want a more luxurious meal out, here are some exquisite tasting menus to try in London.
London Restaurants with Amazing Tasting Menus
Pied à Terre, Fitzrovia
Pied à Terre’s tasting menu consists of new recipes invented over lockdown as well as the restaurant’s classic dishes like head chef Asimakis Chaniotis’ signature of smoked quail, celeriac, piedmont hazelnut, Naxos cheese and honey winter truffle. Vegans and vegetarians can also order a tasting menu for the same price, plus a wine pairing can be added for £95. If you’re feeling extra fancy, try the chef’s tasting menu. You have to book with 48 hours notice, but you’ll have a table to yourself upstairs while Asimakis cooks right in front of you.
£95 per person, Che’s Discovery menu £135 per person, pied-a-terre.co.uk
Naifs, Peckham
Naifs serves a six-course vegan/vegetarian set menu on Friday and Saturday evenings for an amazing price. Championing seasonal, British produce, sample dishes include Cornish artichokes with spinach, girolles, kombu and sweetcorn polenta, cooked in the homely restaurant’s open kitchen. They also serve a number of inventive cocktails and delicious wines at an additional cost.
£27 per person, naifs.co.uk
Six By Nico, Fitzrovia
With a new six-course tasting menu every six weeks, this Fitzrovia’s restaurant is
revolutionising the dining experience. The opening menu, entitled ‘The Chippie’, was
based on Nico Simeone’s Scottish-Italian heritage with dishes such as steak pie, fish
supper, and yes, even a deep-fried Mars bar. This month it’s all about ‘Childhood’ with classic British dishes sure to set you in a nostalgic spin. Wine pairings can be added for £35.
£35 per person, sixbynico.co.uk
Coal Rooms, Peckham
Every Wednesday to Saturday, Coal Rooms offers a beautifully presented tasting menu created by Adrian Hernandez Farina (most recently at Temper and Breddos Tacos) and Liam Walker (formerly at The Ritz). Dishes include torched halibut with Japanese emulsion, grape and squash velouté and BBQ venison haunch with wild ceps, puffed grains and elderberries, plus yuzu mousse for dessert. A wine pairing is available for an extra £27 per person.
£50 per person or £40 for the vegetarian option, coalroomspeckham.com
Hot Stone, Islington
Japanese restaurant Hot Stone has a tasting menu with a twist. The 14-course menu, available only on Mondays, is an Omokase experience. Meaning, ‘I’ll leave it to you’ in Japanese, Omokase is when the chef creates a special menu for the guests. At Hot Stone, this is only available to four diners per week who will enjoy a sensational 90-minute foodie experience with the freshest seafood, fish and Japanese kobe beef paired with an array of seasonal ingredients.
£150 per person, hotstonelondon.com
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