This cosy, dimly-lit, romantic neighbourhood restaurant is adorned with thick pink velvet curtains to keep the outside world out and the delicious food firmly in. But beginners should start at the original Kudu, situated on Peckham’s Queen’s Road.Īs soon as you walk in, you’ll forget all about the main road behind you. Kudu isn’t just a restaurant, but actually a collective, consisting of two restaurants (Kudu and Kudu Grill), a cocktail bar (Smokey Kudu), and a private dining room/gallery (Curious Kudu). Price: Between £100 and £250, season and wine pairing dependent.ġ77-179 Morning Lane, London, E9 .uk Standout romantic feature: The cosy space and luxurious wine pairing. Good for: Really, really delicious, seasonal food. Table choice: Nestled in the corner at the bar.
10 courses and four glasses of wine? Not a bad way to impress your date. To top it all off, you can opt for a wine pairing, consisting of four glasses, each chosen to complement the evening’s menu. There’s no need to offer advice on what to order (we might have mentioned you have no choice) – but, rest assured, if there’s anything on the seasonal menu that you’re unsure about, it’s part of the fun to dive into the unknown. Crowe is expert at making every item on the plate – even the seemingly simple ingredients – so flavourful, appetising, and moreish that you’ll leave wishing he could choose every meal for you going forward. The kitchen is headed up by co-owner Johnnie Crowe – who started Nest with his friends Luke and Toby – the former chef at Fulham’s Michelin-starred The Harwood Arms.
The menu is often built around one type of meat as a sustainable way of managing consumption – though there are veg and seafood seasons, too, as well as year-round vegetarian options available. Hidden on a corner between Hackney and Homerton, the 10-course tasting menu is all decided for you, based on what’s seasonal at the time – and if you’re going to trust anyone to do it, you can trust Nest. If the prospect of not having to pick each course delights you, then Nest is the place for you. Price: A treat, particularly if you’re taking advantage of the wine.ĥ1 Lamb’s Conduit Street, London, WC1N. Standout romantic feature: Did we mention the wine list? Good for: Its lengthy and impressive wine list. Table choice: A candlelit table for two on one of the ends. What’s more, if you really want to impress your date, you can use this fact to wow them with your wine knowledge: noble rot is actually a beneficial form of fungus that grows on ripe wine grapes. It’ll be hard to choose from the mains – sweet, soft Cornish hake, juicy duck, and tender pork loin – but the Noble Rot staff are always on hand to offer eager and informed advice. Kick off with Colchester Rock Oysters – to compliment your first glass of wine – before digging into Noble Rot’s impressive array of European starters, from Iberico de bellota ham to snails to smoked eel. The ever-changing menu of luxurious small plates might set you back a fair bit, but it’s worth it. But, while you may go for the wine, you’ll stay for the cosy setting, candlelit ambience, and – of course – the food. The Bloomsbury wine bar and restaurant offers a Bible of wine choices for diners, starting at the very reasonable price of just £5 for a glass. If you and your date are as interested in the wine as the food, then Noble Rot is the place to go.