With a mix of Mediterranean and Japanese small plates on the menu, we were intrigued to check out the newly-launched Bloomsbury Street Kitchen. First impressions were great: the high ceilings, neutral tones and white-washed exposed brickwork all give it bright and fresh feel, as do the pockets of green from the plants both inside and outside of the restaurant.
The menu is designed for sharing. Whilst we had some decisions to make, we ordered both of the non-alcoholic cocktails (it was a tough weekend) – the Pineapple & Cucumber, which is black due to the activated charcoal, was refreshing, light and surely really, really good for us…
Food is sent out as it’s ready, which means you really are mixing and matching between those Mediterranean and Japanese plates. The seared beef tenderloin with wasabi and shichimi mayo arrived first, with the flat taco bringing us crunch and just the right amount of spice to make you a little wide-eyed.
Next came the signature gyros; spicy chicken with chilli fries and tzatziki wrapped into a pretty little parcel, which took us straight over to the Med like some culinary warlock hopper. Pre-warned that these come with a kick, though the fiery chilli does not dominate or detract from the other flavours. Definitely more refined than 3am gyros in Faliraki that’s for sure – we were 18 alright?!
We could wax just as lyrical about the Chilean sea bass with scotch bonnet infused labneh sauce but we’ll keep it simple and just say it’s dead good. And there’s so many more great dishes on the menu – the moules marinière with paprika frites and their Bincho Grills are something we must go back for.
Ending the meal with the yoghurt and white chocolate cheesecake with activated charcoal sorbet (still wondering if activated charcoal is Japanese or Mediterranean…) was a strong end to the meal. The service was great, non-stop in fact as we had almost every waiter in the restaurant fill up our water, even though we were being looked after by a lovely waitress (thanks for the recommendations), so if anything, too attentive. But we’ll be back again for more, that’s for sure.
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9-13 Bloomsbury St, Bloomsbury, London WC1B 3QD
bloomsburystreetkitchen.co.uk