I visit London twice a month to visit my boyfriend Tom and to get out of the sedateness of the countryside and enjoy city life for a few days. Not only do I get chance to see my favourite person, I also get the opportunity to the check out the newest additions and the most talked about establishments in the London bar and restaurant scene.
Therefore, last Friday when I arrived in London I made sure my first outing was to one of the city’s most up and coming hot-spots, John Salt located on Upper Street in Islington. Since opening in January John Salt has seen two chefs, due to the departure of the first chef Ben Spalding, after a difference in opinions between him and the proprietors; two types of menu as the style of cooking of new chef Neil Rankin, is far more barbecued and meaty than Bens’; and an overload of national reviews all gushing with praise and stars.
Due to the positive reviews written by the highly critical journalists such as Fay Maschler from The Evening Standard and Tracey Macleod from The Independent and the mouth-watering tweets from food writers such as Thane Prince, I was literally running to the door once I had arrived in the big smoke.
My initial thoughts upon entering John Salt at 9pm on Friday night, were that it was unsurprisingly packed to the roofters and had a far more ’young’, ‘hip’ and ‘clubby’ scene than I anticipated. We had requested to dine in the upstairs restaurant, however due to its busyness we were seated downstairs on a large communal table with 4 other couples. Although not as requested, we were happy with the table as the atmosphere was lively and we weren’t too intimately squashed to those sat next to us.
The staff at John Salt were bubbly, enthusiastic and attentive, bringing us drinks and menus immediately. The wine list is extremely affordable and features a wide range of experimental cocktails, fine wines, traditional ales and lagers and the usual spirits and mixers. The food menu is quirky and original, yet quite small and simplistic, consisting of small plates, traditional main courses with a unique twist and naughty desserts.
To start, we opted to share potted shrimps with soda bread; this was delicious and tasted just like the traditional recipe found near my home on the shores of Morecambe Bay. The soda bread accompanying the starter was a little burnt but once covered with the lard, shrimps and onion relish the taste was superb. For main course I chose mussels which on arrival looked and smelt divine, however on the taste were a little disappointing. Due to the intense aroma of the dish I was expecting huge flavours but it was actually all a little average. Tom ordered the popular skirt steak with kimchi hollandaise, which was flavoursome, however the meat was difficult to eat – I know this cut of meat is known for flavour rather than tenderness but half of it was so chewy it was inedible. To go with our mains we shared a grilled salad which tasted like a burnt barbecue and chips topped with cheese, kimchi and pulled pork which were so good they definitely stole the show.
Mussels
Skirt Steak
Although the desserts sounded tempting with intriguing options such as a banana dog and bacon panna cotta, due to our disappointment with the main course we opted out and instead enjoyed two strong cocktails which were tasty and refreshing.
Cocktails
John Salt’s food and drink were very reasonable, however the dishes were small so sides are a must. In the end the bill came to around £80, which in London on a Friday night isn’t too bad. The establishment should be commended for its service, surroundings and cocktails, however the food was over cooked, disappointing and only just adequate. I do wonder whether it would have been better visiting on a quieter night, but really if standards are slipping due to high volume, bookings need to be reduced and more controlled.
On the Saturday we visited a pub called The Talbot on Mortimor Road and I have to admit the food was a lot better and cheaper than the previous night. This wasn’t expected as it is just Tom’s friendly local, but tucking in to homemade bread, a quinoa salad, a juicy homemade beef burger and a lovely bottle of Merlot we decided that we will both returning here a lot quicker than to John Salt.
Pantry Secrets 