Lupins – 66 Union Street SE1.
What a fantastic addition to the locality Flat Iron Square is ! It was launched as recently as October 2016 and has taken over seven railway arches between Southwark Bridge Road and Union Street, next door to the Menier Chocolate Theatre, and created a wonderful new Foodie Hub with bars, restaurants, food trucks and an intimate music venue – Omeara.
It also signals an ambitious new project called the Low Line ( how very Manhattan this is all sounding Flat Iron/ High Line ! ) which intends to initiate a world class walking route for tourists along the base of the rail viaduct at Bankside. Its aim is to link together neighbourhoods between London Bridge and Waterloo, Blackfriars and Elephant and Castle. Whilst this is a long term project, right now they have created an Alpine Ski Lodge in the open area of the square which looks pretty authentic, and I am sure will be highly popular during the coming Winter months. When you consider this was effectively an underused Car Park only 2 years ago, it is amazing what can be achieved over such a short period, and how an attraction bringing in thousands of people every day/night can be thoughtfully designed.
One of the relatively new restaurants on the Union Street side of the complex is Lupins where we were last night before seeing the current play at The Menier Theatre – Pack Of Lies. In fact I discovered Lupins earlier this year through a friends recommendation, and visited maybe 3 times in a month, so happy was I to find this little gem so close to my abode. However life is too short and there are too many restaurants opening all across London to spend a disproportionate time in one location, so I then promptly forgot all about it. Now thinking of where to eat before a show at the Menier, Lupins came to mind again, and appeared to be the perfect candidate being a 2/3 minute amble from the Stage Door.
The restaurant opened in May 2017 and was started up by Lucy Peddler and Natasha Cooke of Medlar in Chelsea fame, and they have created an English Tapas concept with seasonly changing menu. Ok not so original, but then again not an unattractive idea. The place is small. Very small. You enter basically into the kitchen area which on the right hand side opens up to a bar/ dining space that is vast, but nothing to do with Lupins. It’s the design of being under the Arches and Lupins shares its Toilet facilities, with a bar/restaurant space next door under the arch, which then interconnects to Omeara (Pub/ Music Venue) and to an outside space. As a Diner in Lupins you are directed upstairs to their tiny dining room which probably accommodates around 20 covers. It’s wooden Tables are small and close, but the room is light and bright with whitewashed walls and wooden floorboards and a large window overlooking the road. Food is delivered by a Dumb Waiter system from the kitchen downstairs.
On presentation of the menu the dishes are unrecognisable from my previous visits other than what appears to have become one of its signature dishes – the Cornmeal Spring Onions with Chipotle mayonnaise. I have had these on every single visit to date and tonight is no exception.
Don’t throw away the sweetest of roots !
They arrive at our table looking like a Scarecrows wig or a Zuchinni Fritte on testosterone. But they taste so sweet under the cornmeal crunch, and with the added kick from the Mayo, are definitely something not to miss. You would not usually consider the roots of any Spring Onions you have at home – trim them off and throw away – but here the roots are the sweetest part and savoured.
Actually these Onions are from the Small plates part of the Menu (£7.50), and were preceded by a couple of items from the Snacks part of the Menu. First off, Cavola Nero and Gruyere Croquettes with Red Pepper (£5), and then Game Pastillas with Cranberry Chutney (£6). Each dish consisted of two items, so perfect for a couple sharing.
Xmas is coming – bring on the Cranberries !
The Pastillas are a little greasy, but the pastry is delicately thin and crunchy encasing a mixture of Venison,Pheasant and Grouse, all nicely ground up and combined to give a very autumnal dish, and dipped into the Cranberry Chutney almost made me think of Xmas !
From memory there is always some kind of Croquettes on offer here and Cavola Nero being in them was a first for me. They shattered on cutting into them demonstrating a very good casing but the cheese and Greens were falling out all over the place make it a messy but tasty eat.
You just have to love any Croquette !
They also came sitting on a Red Pepper Sauce which gave some added depth of flavour and ensured the crust was not to dry. Further they were sprinkled with a sort of black Olive crush which added a little sweet/ saltiness, which when all combined in one mouthful really did work.
Now back to the Small Plates Menu, our next course was maybe our highlight ( well certainly for MrsW) – Linguine with Burrata, Wild Mushrooms and preserved Lemons (£10). This was constructed so there was a small portion of Burrata hiding under a hill of perfectly cooked linguini scattered with Wild mushrooms, but concealing its real treasure – the aromatic taste of preserved lemons – not seen, but to the fore only when you tasted it.
Come to me you gorgeous Preserved Lemons !
These flavours worked like a dream, with the citrus coming through at the end of every forkful, and showed how you can use preserved lemons away from their traditional use in Middle East/Arabic recipes.
Keeping our menu choices away from meat to appease my better half, our final two dishes were fishy. First up Grilled Sardines with Salmoriglio and a Fennel Salad (£9). The little bones in these type of sardines can of course be offputting to some ( Mrs W included) but do not bother me.
Careful of these little Critters Bones !
I was unsure what the Salmoriglio Sauce would be, but upon the dishes arrival appreciated it to be a concoction of Parsley, Garlic,Olive Oil, Lemon Juice and Oregano. It was extremely pungent, powerful and garlicky but complimented the Sardines perfectly, with the crunchy Fennel cutting through everything keeping it all fresh in the mouth.
The Final Course ( before Dessert) was a Cornish Crab Thermidor (£9). Wasn’t sure what to expect in terms of presentation here – half a crab, or a crab shell with Thermidor Sauce a la Lobster ?
What’s not to like – Crab Thermidor on Garlic Toast
But no, this came with the crab in a little dish smothered in the Thermidor Sauce, whacked under a Grill, and accompanied by some really garlicky toasted sourdough to mop it all up with. I could easily eat a whole bowl of this with the bread, and have that as a very satisfying supper at home – now there’s an idea, just have to work out the recipe? Anyway this was well received and luckily enough it was last on the menu as if it arrived first we may have had to order two to prevent a crab scuffle ensuing !
Surprisingly for me Mrs.W wanted to try a Dessert, but insisted it be the Chocolate option rather than the Cherry Creme Brûlée on offer. And oh gosh was the woman right. Not ordinarily a Sweet person myself, but the Dark Chocolate Ganache with Sesame and Salted Caramel was a revelation to behold.
Happy Ending – Lupins Style
Two generous Quenelles of velvety chocolate surrounded by a generous swirl of caramel with, I think, also a dusting of honeycomb was greedily finished off, notwithstanding the fact we both had felt full after our crab. Very good indication of the quality of the Dessert. Excellent value for £6.
What did we drink? Only a modest Carafe of Douro from Portugal but ashamedly forgot to take note of its details. However a good price at £19 and indeed the whole wine list is reasonably priced with half a dozen Reds/ Whites available by glass/Carafe, and the high end wines being at a level of £50/60 a bottle. Only comment I would make is that a couple of reds/ Whites from UK would not have gone a miss, with the only Domestic produced wine on offer being a sparkling Brut from Harrow and Hope at £62. At least the Beers on offer are all from London supporting the local Breweries!
As you can have seen from the prices mentioned above, this is a restaurant that is very reasonably priced meaning that you could eat there regularly without breaking the bank. We probably ate more than enough ( to ensure I sampled various dishes to write about) and spent £82. I feel you could eat here and be easily pleased for £50 between 2, plus whatever alcohol you wished for on top. Very good value for money.
Service was very attentive and friendly and food was generally excellent, if not too complicated. However sometimes a good quality simple experience is all you need. If you are in the area you could do far worse, and if you are visiting the Menier, it is ideal. ( The show was excellent by the way- recommend that too – acting first rate).
Rating – Food – Very Hot Pan 4/5
Service – Blazingly Hot Pan 5/5
Lupins, 66 Union Street, London SE1 1TD
Tel 0203 908 5888
lupinslondon.com
It is backed by Salt Yard Groups Ben Tish and Simon Mullins, but run by Brothers Maxime, Yannis, and Malik Alary who opened the original Blanchette in SoHo in 2014. I have not visited the original but I am assuming it was impressive enough to encourage a follow up in the East which is nestled amongst the Curry Houses of Brick Lane, albeit in the quieter drag at the top end nearer to Bethnal Green Road.
This recipe falls under the Autumn Section of the book and states that Persimmon is usually found from mid September onwards and all throughout Winter at the Market. Do you think the market had them ? Nein. Not one trader ! One explained it was due to the long hot summer. Another offered me Kaki fruit , a variety of Persimmon which are very astringent and inedible until very ripe. These were a long way off ripe – hard as bricks and yellow rather than orange and I only had 48 hours before cooking my muffins ! In desperation I went West – visited Harrods food store. None. Then Selfridges who, as luck would have it , had received a few trays of some very ripe( maybe over ripe) fruits 10 minutes before I walked in. So I had my fruits, and I was able to present in accordance with the recipe.
An Autumn Panzanella – A lovely salad using Carola Nero and Ciabatta as compared to the usual summery Tomato version
Swede and Stilton pie – which had been chosen to overcome the latent dislike of Swede by its creator ! Anything with Stilton is fine by me !
Cod ,Smoked Haddock and Romanesco bake – one of Angela’s contributions.
Winter Squash Red Curry – which contained 6-10 dried Thai Red Chillis (7g), and blew your head off but I loved it. Seriously recommend reducing Chilli content dramatically if you are not into spicy food !
Chorizo and Piquillo Pepper Tray Bake – a version of the Chorizo/ Rocket/Pepper Sandwich that Brindisa serves as a great take away.
Roast Plum Pavlova – I am not ordinarily a Sweet Fan, but this was maybe my dish of the night as the Plums had been macerated and Baked with Tarragon which worked spectacularly well !
Gorgeous and again a little feeling of a clash of cultures – Indian meets French cuisine and the marriage was one made in heaven. Other dishes chosen were a sea bream (beautifully presented ) and the scallops from the a la Carte.
Blu Notte – Seafood Restaurant in the historic Old Town. Has a small outside covered Terrace on a street corner with an uninspiring view, but whilst we were there the music coming from another bar close by was great. They offer the famous Red Gallopoli Prawns in ceviche style and on the grill. Also good Grilled Langoustines. Good service, friendly, EU45 for a meal and glass of wine each
Cafe Alvino – For a good pit stop during the day. Right on the main Piazza by the Ampitheatre Ruins. Serves the famous Iced Espresso with Almond Milk and a selection of cakes etc including their popular pasticciotto (custard pie).
Il Bastione – Part of a boutique Hotel overlooking the Sea. Has outside space but was not being utilised and anyway too hot as no shade. Restaurant inside not very atmospheric but a seat by the window with a breeze was comfortable and had a great outlook. Good selection of Seafood on the menu , many Carpaccio and Tartar style seafood. All very good, especially the Red Prawns. Asked for sea urchins as a local delicacy and was told none had been delivered, twenty minutes later they received a fresh delivery so was guaranteed they were fresh off the boat. Frito Misto a bit disappointing – only squid rings and a few prawns, but mixed Grilled Seafish was pretty good.
Osteria L’Arco – Inside seating only – just off the main drag of the walking area down from the Cathedral. Nice homely place, very friendly. Home style cooking – had lamb cutlets with roasted potatoes. Simple but tasty. Pasta with creamy truffle sauce pretty good. Had their traditional mixed starters which involved a wide selection of stuff, nice marinated peppers, onions lightly pickled with pine nuts, Ricotta, Black Beans ( unusual), little warm courgette and egg quiche like things( no idea what they were called), sun dried Tomatoes etc. EU52 for 2 – one glass of Wine.
Ristorante L’Arartro – had a covered Garden area to eat which was pleasant enough. Very typical Italian, very friendly. Had a Veal Chop which was prepared well, asked for it medium/Rare and that’s how it came up, good value. Quite full of tourists but that’s Alborebello for you. Apparently Restaurant round the corner Casanova is also similar quality.
Il Guazzetto – Seafood Restaurant, Quite trendy for an Italian eatery in a seaside resort- young tattooed waiters who really knew the menu well, and spoke good English. Fantastic starter of Sea Bass Ceviche – whole fish gutted/filleted and then out back together and marinated in Passion Fruit And a Pink Peppers with Ricket And Strawberries added. Was recommended by the waiter and was a revelation. Octopus Carpaccio also pretty good. Both had different seafood Pasta dishes which were also excellent. Need to book for evenings and even lunch was busy by 2 o’clock. Good find. Really recommended. Ristoranteilguazzetto.it , Via Dell’Erba ,39,Monopoli.
Osteria Del Tempo Perso – Restaurant in a Cave like Setting. Told they were full when we arrived for lunch. Not very friendly,but we persisted and gave us a table after 10 mins. Full of locals and quite dressed up. Imagine it’s well worth reserving for evenings ( and lunch) Service was slow as they were looking after locals but restaurant itself beautiful and food quality made up for it. Excellent looking menu in Italian/English. Wonderful slow cooked octopus starter, Wife had more Carpaccio – Gallipoli Prawns with Burrata and Caviar. 10/10 she said. Grilled octopus main course was excellent, and Sea Bream Fillet with Olives/Tomato And Fennel salad was more than passable. With a glass of Wine each EU82. One of the more expensive meals we had but a beautiful place with beautiful people. Not easy to find – use Google Maps ! Recommended.
Donna Gina – Spectacular location, but if you are attracted by Google results or Tripadvisor, keep away. I booked this for my wife’s birthday dinner and thank god the location saw me through the disappointing meal. Only Tasting Menus available running from EU100- 150. Looked good on paper but dishes did not deliver. Out of the 5 courses only the seafood risotto hit the spot. Others were just not right. First course – huge cubes of Tuna that I could not work out what they had done to it. It was a unappetising pinkish colour, stone cold and dense/ hard. Had they par- boiled/poached it and then put it in the freezer !? Came with smoked salt and a green yoghurt sauce- better to give to a cat but then I would feel sorry for the cat! Easily the most expensive meal of the holiday and easily the worst ! Did have a nice bottle of Amastuola – a Bio Local White wine – a mix of Sauv Blanc/ Fiona and Chardonnay. Refreshing, good body and acidity and a little aromatic/ flowery. Food – No !
HotpanChef is away travelling around in a Puglia for 10 days – exploring, enjoying and eating and drinking around this incredible region. Been posting stuff on Instagram but have not had enough time to blog about anything !
During these times the Oil was being Used as Fuel – for Lamplighting etc and was never eaten or used for food preparation. Whether used for fuel or Eating it Homer called Olive Oil “Liquid Gold” and I am sure whatever use it was intended for the recipients would have seen it in this way. Thereafter we were taken upstairs to the “modern” production press that was still used as recently as 1965. 
These were luxurious times, utilising Horses in shifts – as opposed to donkeys – and were above ground so it had air conditioning IE windows ! Various instruments of Storage and production had been maintained to provide a vivid picture of Olive Oil processing.