I booked dinner at Foley’s Tasting Kitchen as soon as I first read about it, and counted the days till our dinner. Foley’s kitchen is headed up by Head Chef Mitz Vora who was previously sous Chef at The Palomar, and that is still one of my favorite restaurants in London. They say the food is...
Whether it's the experimental and creative nature of London's restaurateurs we have to thank, or the delightfully open-minded restaurant-going public, it seems every time you think this city's sheer variety and quality of places to eat out could not possibly get any more bewildering, another culinary trend leaps out of left-field to take everyone by surprise. It's a mug's game attempting to pinpoint exactly where any particular foodie fashion begins - did MeatEasy really kick off the burger craze, or did they simply crystallize a demand forged by places like Haché and Gourmet Burger Kitchen? Pitt Cue was many people's (including mine) formative BBQ experience, but where would they be without Bodean's, our original home-grown pitmasters? - but if ever a city can leap upon a thing, reinvent and reinvigorate it for a local audience and (a happy byproduct of the whole process) make some money out of it, it's London. With little home-grown culinary traditions to draw upon, we have instead made the world's our own.
Another London gem! Thoroughly loved our meal at the new Foley's after having previously enjoyed the Shepherd's Bush popup in it's very early days and despite some service issues, and of course Palomar where the chef worked previously and which nailed on all fronts.
Normally I would have loved to sit at the counter around the basement kitchen, which seems to be the prime spot for duo dining, but given the quite hot London day was happy to sit at a cooler table for two nearby.
Drinks menu seemed fine - did not try the cocktails but enjoyed the Pale Ale I had, and the wines by the glass were serviceable.
The food is really great. Quite oddly it runs the gamut from Japanese/Korean/South East Asian/Indian to the more expected Middle Eastern/Mediterranean. For this reason I recommend just devouring the food as it comes. While I tried to save some of the amazing Middle Eastern spiced aubergine with pomegranate, feta, et al to pair with later dishes, there was obviously no chance with the octopus/black miso, and not even that much synergy with the lamb/hummus dish. All the dishes were deliciously bold in their own right and best enjoyed individually.
It seems to be flying under the radar out in Fitzrovia as did the popup, without any big press reviews that I've noticed thus far, which is good for diners... maybe those that can't get a spot at Palomar? They do bookings!
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