If only I’d stayed longer at Smokey Kudu, the new bar above Kudu in Marylebone and in a developing restaurant mecca alongside Lita, Opso and the neon-lit curry house Rajdoot. I would have devoured innumerable prawn crullers, easily London’s best bar snack right now — or at least tied with the mini hotdog at The Dover — an indefatigably canny blend of smoked prawns, mayonnaise made with the shells, pickled cucumber and miso yaki; these sitting on the lightest, crispest pastry, churro-like and ribbed for your pleasure. At two for £8, it’s as value-laden as it is umami-hewn. Two morsels of certifiable genius. Sadly, I followed these with Alley Cats’ attempt at New Haven pizza: £16 for a supermarket-like dough, underbaked and underwhelming. Stick to the NYC-inspired pies.
Still, Smokey Kudu made for a splendid pit stop. Above the dining room is a space as warm as I imagine a safari to be, softly resplendent in browns and fuzzy reds, the conjuring of lionish feelings where orange light falls milkily on courageous drinking. Those concerned with too high a degree of lavishness needn’t worry: an SE15 martini, with vodka, gin and Cocchi vermouth, recalls Kudu’s Peckham roots at £10. As does the Peckham mule, an almost fiery blend of Mount Gay rum, vodka, lime and ginger beer; a little sweet, but £11 and a ready aperitif.
Needless to say, I was charmed by the place. Slick service; a gentleness. Not that anyone hoping to steer themselves toward more riotous happenings would not be able: champagne and caviar are available while the £18 house cocktail, Smokey Kudu, mixes rich sherry with three types of whisky, one from Japan, a bourbon and a peaty Scotch. An obedient propeller for those in search of more prawn crullers. Kudu be more impressed?
Barang at the Globe Tavern
The latest residency at the Globe Tavern in Borough Market is called Barang, a Cambodian-inspired concept from chef Tom Geoffrey. The restaurant follows Khao Bird, now with a permanent site in Soho, and comes after numerous pop-ups around town. Very much a contemporary take on Cambodian dining, the menu features dishes such as scallops with tamarind butter and pig’s ear crackling. The menu also lists saraman curry, a royal dish in Cambodia, and one very special.
The team behind west London’s pizza joint The Hawk’s Nest has reopened a nearby pub, the Bush Tavern. Beers come from Bird House Brewery in Herne Hill and there’ll be plenty of cocktails and live music too. But instead of pizza, it’s burgers from No Drama, another smashburger concept. The brand had a diner in Acton, since closed, but will now serve its classic cheeseburgers, aubergine parm sandwiches and fried chicken at the Goldhawk Road site.
