Humo

Fire and smoke

8-day aged yellowtail, citrus sauce & Castillo coffee

I have always been a massive fan of BBQ cooking, when things are cooked over an open fire, the charred and smoky flavours, work wonders no matter if it is vegetables, meat, or seafood. Launched in 2023, Humo has taken the fire cooking concept to another level. The open kitchen has a bespoke wood fire device, and its cuisine takes inspiration from Japan, with an injection of international flavours, from South America to Europe. I was lucky enough to secure a counter dining space, watching chefs at work with the impressive open-fire griller.

20 Berkeley

Modern British cuisine Mayfair club vibe

Grilled John Dorey

Part of the Creative Restaurant Group's offering, which also contains Humo and Sumi,  20 Berkeley is a modern British restaurant in Mayfair that offers a club feel vibe focusing on prime British ingredients. The decor has a retro British Embassy vibe for me, and the menu is simple and easy to understand. with no gimmicks, no ground-breaking ideas, just smart-looking British cuisine done in a refined manner. Since launching, I visited the venue twice, the first time I opted for large plates, sharing style feasting dishes. And the second time I ordered from its standard ALC menu.

Mountain Beak Street

 Too much, too little

Spider crab omelet

Mountain in Soho is a brand-new restaurant by Tom Perry, the chef behind the popular Michelin-starred casual dining spot Brat. At Mountain, he has shifted the hero dish Turbot into a lobster stew. Unlike Brat, Mountain is a massive restaurant with 2 floors and can take on more than 100 covers at once, my question is can it maintain a similar level of service and food quality at such a scale? Should I expect to match the quality of Brat? Yes for me given the price is so similar while many things on the menu overlap.

Abajo by Humo

Fusion counter dining  

Tuna, smoked artichoke, Amalfi lemon

I always love a good counter dining experience, watching chefs at work, turning out small plates, and having them explain what they are doing is an eye-opener. Abajo is somewhat taking it to the next level. It is hidden downstairs of another restaurant called Humo, and it focuses on European and Asian fusion in a tasting menu format over 5 steps, with each step containing a few dishes which you would end up eating over 12 dishes. It is headed up by Italian chef Giacomo Tranquilli who also worked at La Dam de Pic London in the past.

The Harwood Arms

Remarkable British gastro-pub food

Pork, carrot and mushrooms

I am back again at The Harwood Arms, the only pub in London with a Michelin star, owned by chef Brett Graham who also is the chef patron of The Ledbury, aka my number 1 fine dining restaurant in the UK. The Harwood Arms is much more casual than The Ledbury, with a fixed-priced 3-course alc menu focusing on primary seasonal British ingredients. It has a strong focus on game-based dishes when in season, such as pigeons and deer.