Neighbourhood bistro Salt & Honey has been on the restaurant scene since August 2015. Sister to Fulham’s Manuka Kitchen, Salt & Honey resides in north London on Sussex place, just north of Hyde Park between Lancaster Gate and Paddington. The location itself isn’t one that I’d readily associate with fine dining, rather gated classical-style mansions and wealthy, exclusive individuals. Here is a place where life goes on behind closed doors, not out in the open community, leaving much to be said about any real sense of a neighbourhood at all. That doesn’t stop Salt & Honey creating their own neighbourhood vibe. With a homely feel, the intimate bistro is brimming with charm and warmth. Owned by chef Tyler Martin and connoisseur of wine, Joseph Antippa, Salt & Honey is true to its name, with flavour key to the dining experience. As the friendly waiter explained, the Antipodean-inspired menu created by New Zealander Martin himself, uses local produce, along with meat sourced from Scotland’s Buccleuch estate and Earl Stoneham Farm in Ipswich. Here is a place where taste is the key ingredient - from selecting the finest produce to seasoning with sea salt and manuka honey throughout, the devil really is in the detail. |
For our Friday night feast we chose the table by the window, perfectly positioned to watch the world go by. An Elderflower Bellini and tumbler of Sipsmith and Tonic eased us into the evening, as jazz music played softly overhead. Despite the humble size of Salt & Honey the tables weren’t crammed in, so there was no squeezing past fellow mid-mouthful diners, as all too often is the case in smaller venues. The intimate size also makes it easier for the team to spot regulars; it became clear that some diners were on first-name terms with the staff.
The menu offered everything from lighter options to more hearty dishes, most infused with intense flavours. We picked the following:
The menu offered everything from lighter options to more hearty dishes, most infused with intense flavours. We picked the following:
Starters
Spiced butternut soup with coconut cream
Roast Chicken, avocado, mixed grains, sun dried tomato
Mains
Confit duck, couscous, pickled red cabbage, almonds
8oz Flank Steak,fried duck egg, confit potato, spicy sauce
Sides
Skinny fries in truffle oil with pecorino salt
Deserts
Salted caramel panna cotta
Bitter chocolate and manuka honey truffles
Despite the two main ingredients featuring in dishes throughout the menu, we saved our salt and honey picks for the desert. That said, we received a taste of the former with our bread and butter, which was sprinkled with a layer of salt, resulting in a satisfying crunch. Portions weren’t huge, but certainly enough, with the flavours enhancing each dish. To start, the nutty, chicken salad was light and healthy, sweetened by the large sundried tomatoes, while the butternut and coconut soup was smooth with a spicy kick. For mains, the rich duck egg sat perfectly next to tender steak, making for a hearty meal, whilst the succulent duck meat was plentiful - a million miles from the morsel of meat found on skinny duck legs elsewhere. The fries complimented both dishes, the truffle oil adding a new flavour into the mix.
As the evening progressed the hubbub of unwinding Friday diners created a lovely atmosphere in which to sit back, relax and let satisfied stomachs digest. The desert which followed didn’t disappoint. The bitter chocolate and manuka honey truffles were powdery and smooth - teeth slipped through each cube. Such was their softness that it was hard not to eat them without ending up wearing them! Their richness was such that non-chocolate fiends would no doubt struggle to manage, but this wasn’t a problem for me. The panna cotta was surrounded by shards of meringue, fresh fruit and salted caramel, which challenged the sweetness with a salty aftertaste. Salt & Honey demonstrated how small flavours can make a big difference - using sugar and salt to stimulate the taste buds.
The bistro also offers street dining, making it perfect for those balmy evenings which surely must be just around the corner - the daffodils are already sat out, eagerly waiting for spring to start. Walking back to Paddington it was clear to me that Salt & Honey is exactly what the area needs; a friendly little place with enough sweetness to be welcoming, and a pinch of salt to make it interesting. Next time I find myself by Hyde Park I’m hoping to stop by again…the blueberry pancakes on the brunch menu have already caught my eye.
Salt & Honey Bistro, 28 Sussex Pl, London W2 2TH
Closed Mondays.
As the evening progressed the hubbub of unwinding Friday diners created a lovely atmosphere in which to sit back, relax and let satisfied stomachs digest. The desert which followed didn’t disappoint. The bitter chocolate and manuka honey truffles were powdery and smooth - teeth slipped through each cube. Such was their softness that it was hard not to eat them without ending up wearing them! Their richness was such that non-chocolate fiends would no doubt struggle to manage, but this wasn’t a problem for me. The panna cotta was surrounded by shards of meringue, fresh fruit and salted caramel, which challenged the sweetness with a salty aftertaste. Salt & Honey demonstrated how small flavours can make a big difference - using sugar and salt to stimulate the taste buds.
The bistro also offers street dining, making it perfect for those balmy evenings which surely must be just around the corner - the daffodils are already sat out, eagerly waiting for spring to start. Walking back to Paddington it was clear to me that Salt & Honey is exactly what the area needs; a friendly little place with enough sweetness to be welcoming, and a pinch of salt to make it interesting. Next time I find myself by Hyde Park I’m hoping to stop by again…the blueberry pancakes on the brunch menu have already caught my eye.
Salt & Honey Bistro, 28 Sussex Pl, London W2 2TH
Closed Mondays.