Former Texture head chef Ollie Dabbous' eponymous restaurant serves up light Modern European food in an industrial setting. Emma McAlpine reviews.
The press release for Dabbous describes its food as “elegant yet restrained” which couldn’t be more different from the last few meat joints I’ve visited. While restraint isn’t usually a term I care to marry with dining out, after a particularly indulgent January (I do like to buck a health trend), it could be just what the doctor ordered.
Inside, the decor has got that raw New York warehouse vibe going on. Once you’re through a vast metal front door, there’s dangling light bulbs, iron bars, exposed air conditioning units. It works better in the basement bar downstairs: a big open space, with dark corners and moody nightclub lighting. The cocktails designed by ex-Cuckoo Club mixologist Oskar Kinsberg are very good indeed. We try a signature ‘Sloe Gin Punch’, a fruity and refreshing mix of homemade sloe gin, hawthorn syrup, ginger ale and pink grapefruit; and a ‘Cat Diesel’, nowhere near as toxic as it sounds, with flavours of tea, fruit and cigar smoke blending unexpectedly well together.
The upstairs restaurant has a similarly stripped-back look, but tables are more squished together to fit in the kitchen. Iron bars serve to divide the room up but prove slightly awkward for the waiters to navigate around. The design is far from cosy but its stark simplicity goes hand in hand with the food. Head chef Ollie Dabbous has learnt his craft in top restaurants all over Europe from Mugaritz to The Fat Duck, Noma, Le Manoir aux Quat' Saisons and most recently, the Icelandic-inspired Texture. Their influence is discernable in the cooking here, with the emphasis firmly on ingredients and presentation. Dishes are small and delicate, with plenty of herbs, edible flowers, fruit and vegetables, accompanied with light dressings rather than creamy sauces.
While the food seems reasonably priced (starters from £5-11, mains from £12-£14), portions are tiny, so we opt for the seven course tasting menu, which is a not too shabby £49 a head. We are also pleased to discover the wine list supplies wine by the half bottle carafe, so there’s none of that “I feel like more than a glass but less than a bottle” faffing. We opt for a New Zealand Riesling, the sweetness of which is perfectly suited to some of the richer dishes and follow with a glass of deliciously smooth Rully Burgundy.
Before the main event kicks off we are presented with a brown paper bag of hot nutty sourdough bread with today’s date on it. Sure, it’s gimmicky but anything that remotely resembles opening a present is always going to get a thumbs up from me. Then the first course arrives: a colourful plate of crunchy fennel slivers, pickled rose petals and lemon balm leaves. Packed with fresh flavours and different textures, for a simple salad, it’s an auspicious start.
One of the most attractive courses is an eggshell filled with coddled egg, woodland mushrooms and smoked butter, sitting on top of a straw nest. Creamy, rich and earthy, if I could eat several of these a day for breakfast I’d die happy (and probably more quickly). It’s not just the presentation that’s imaginative either; the combination of ingredients is just as thoughtful. Pieces of delicate king crab legs paired with parsnips and hispi cabbage seems like an incongruous mixture but work together beautifully.
Beef tartare with cigar oil, whisky and rye sounds intriguing but the cigar oil and whisky seem to have done a runner. Had it been pitched as ‘beef tartare with pickled swede, tarragon and marigold’ it would have been faultless, the soft minced beef complimented by the crunchy, tangy vegetables, citrus-y leaves and herby sauce.
Our second meat course is the BBQ Iberico pork with savoury acorn praline: a slice of chargrilled, pink-centred pork cheek served on a bed of coarsely chopped, caramelised nuts, finished with turnip tops and an apple vinegar dressing. The butter-soft smoky meat cheered by a crunch of salty-sweet nuts and piquant leaves, it's a winning dish.
We end with a palate-cleansing cold lemon verbena soup with strips of cucumber and peppery perilla leaves, followed by a chocolate and hazelnut oil ganache. Served on a square of slate – the richness of the chocolate cut with a faintly sour blob of sheep’s milk ice cream and a slick of bright green basil sauce – it’s pretty as a picture and tastes heavenly to boot.
While some of the restaurant’s design leaves a little to be desired, Dabbous’ food is exceptional. Dishes are thoughtfully structured, with complimentary textures and flavours. What’s more, after three hours of steady eating, we feel remarkably unstuffed, yet sated. Perhaps there is something to be said for a bit of restraint every now and then.
Bill with cocktails, tasting menus, wine and service comes to around £172
4/5 stars
www.dabbous.co.uk
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