We’re lucky enough to eat out a fair bit and the vast majority of the places we visit (the ones you see on this site) get our thumbs up. But about 3 or 4 times in a year, we have an unexpected mind-blowing meal – and Anglo is definitely one of these. Located on St Cross Street, a quiet road in Farringdon, Anglo, like many great restaurants, looks fairly unassuming from the outside. Inside it’s got that stripped back minimal feel too; this is a place where the food does the talking. Lunch is an a la carte menu but in the evenings it’s a set 7 course set menu (plus snacks) which is incredibly good value at £45. Even better, you can add wine pairings for only £25.
We started with a quick trio of snacks: a beautiful beetroot crisp made up in a mini cone; red mullet tartare with dashi; and burnt leek tartlet, which blew our little socks off. Thin strands of wild asparagus were next, served with a pheasant egg; then a thick slab of cod with smoked potato and sea fennel; and then Swaledale lamb with lettuce and spruce. Somewhere in amongst this was a slice of bread with creamy yeast butter – you’ll never want to eat any other kind of butter again.
[URIS id=66931]Instead of a boring old cheese board, Anglo will then present you with a melted cheese on a onion malt loaf paired with cider made in Hackney, which was one of the best food/drink pairings we’ve ever had. Then comes not one but three desserts – a palate-cleansing lemon curd with fennel; chocolate and shish; and rhubarb and custard.
As you may be able to tell, we’re pretty big fans of Anglo. This place should be going straight to the top of your list.
30 St Cross Street, London, EC1N 8UH
www.anglorestaurant.com