Ceru South Kensington

The taste of Eastern Mediterranean coast

Lamb Shoulder

Lately, I have been dining out at European restaurants very often, so is good to switch it up a little to try something different. Ceru is a Middle Eastern themed restaurant offering the taste of Levant region so this could be anything from Cyprus, Lebanon, Israel to Turkey. This is actually my second time trying Ceru after having experienced its pop up restaurant in The City a while back. It was an enjoyable occasion and that was the main reason I have decided to visit the South Kensington venue. The dining room contains an open kitchen with bar counter sittings for walk-in. It has a really modern and casual feel to it and it was buzzing and busy on my visit.


 

Grilled Halloumi & Red Peppers

Fried Spiced Whitebait & Orez Ceru

The grilled cubes of chicken breast with herb yoghurt is what top class kebab is all about, the paprika and lemon offered the classic spicy and sour taste to the well-seasoned chicken meat. Unexpectedly, I was in love with the side dish, Orez Ceru. A bowl of fried rice that load with some bold and flavoursome tastes, the well-balanced taste of sweetness and aromatic aroma from the sultanas and parsley were just a pure joy, it perhaps could use less oil but the overall taste of the rice was wonderful. The slow roasted lamb shoulder delivery a melting sensation in texture and plenty of umami flavours from the Shawarma spices, while the pomegranate and fresh mint offered some refreshing light touch to give a beautiful contrast, it was the best dish of the night.

Paprika and lemon marinated grilled cubes of chicken breast

Grilled skewer of aromatic spiced beef, with edamame beans caramelised onion

All in all, the dinner at Ceru was superb, I have experienced some very impactful and aromatic flavours, but yet it wasn't too punchy or too one dimension in taste, which was ideal for me. Sometimes I just find exotic cuisines can be too extreme in strong tastes and I would prefer something a little bit more balance and mild. From a price point of view, Ceru is a real steal, we paid around £30 for far more than we should have had. We are talking about a dinner in South Kensington after all, the quality of the cooking is fantastic value for money.


Food 3/5

What I paid: 
£32 pp 

Average cost without drinks and services:
£25 pp


7-9 Bute St, Kensington, London SW7 3EY

http://www.cerurestaurants.com/