Back in January 2018 when we first went down to review the original Nest restaurant on Morning Lane, we were blown away by the £28 set menu that punched well above its price point. We’ve followed the team’s new openings avidly ever since, from Fenn over in Fulham (which is sadly now closed) to the Michelin-starred Restaurant St Barts.
Now we’ve come full circle again, with Nest having flown its own nest, and relocated to a bigger site in Old Street, just a few doors down from The Clove Club. It’s a bigger space and a more convenient location for most people, so it makes sense to see them make this move, despite as they say, six very happy years on Morning Lane.
The set menu is now £65 and still incredible value for the quality of ingredients and level of cooking on offer. There’s also a wine pairing option for £55, so if you went all in you’d be looking at £120 for the full experience, which is just phenomenal. We went down soon after opening, and given the time of year (in the middle of October), we had a seasonal game-themed menu. The menu changes frequently of course.
We kicked off with excellent snacks including a game liver parfait ‘bomb’, which really did pop in the mouth; a game bird terrine with pickled walnut; and a grouse broth ‘tea’. These meaty broths are a bit of a calling card for the team, (you’ll find them at St Barts too) and they are always a highlight.
A pause before the main menu starts is livened up with the most delicious soda bread, almost closer to a slice of cake than bread, and house cultured butter. Then, in a break from game, there’s a thin slice of chalk stream trout with a delicate crisp skin and elderflower sauce. It’s a welcome, very sensible break too, as all that game and liver does get a bit rich after a while.
A meaty mixed game bird faggot with girolles is next, followed by a perfect breast of Yorkshire grouse that’s been gently infused with hay and pine and served with a brilliant, rich sauce and crisp fondant potatoes. To finish up, there’s a mini Bakewell tart with meadowsweet and a final flourish of an unadvertised warm, freshly cooked doughnut.
Needless to say, Nest 2.0 is another huge winner in our eyes. The consistency these guys have shown over the years has been very impressive to see and the new Nest really does improve upon the original with its fancy new digs, whilst keeping the Nest DNA properly in place. If you’re a long time fan or have never been to Nest before, we can highly recommend you get down to check it out.
374-378 Old Street, London, EC1V 9LT
nestfood.co.uk