What can you tell us about Grain Store?
It's the second collaboration of chef Bruno Loubet with Michael Benyan and Mark Sainsbury who backed his Clerkenwell venture Bistrot Bruno Loubet.
What kind of food is it?
"I love meat and could not give it up entirely, but the endless opportunities that focusing on vegetables allows me are so exciting," is how Loubet explains the menu which sees vegetables, salads and pulses get star billing.
Where is it?
Part of the Granary Building, it shares its location with Central St Martins art school and Caravan's Kings Cross restaurant. This huge space was built in the mid nineteenth century to house London's grain. Now it's still feeding Londoners and Loubet's turned the building's background into his template for the future.
Where should I meet up with friends beforehand?
There's a large, separate bar space here serving up an excellent bar list, constructed by Tony Conigliaro (more of which later) which obviously makes the most sense as a meeting point.
But the burgeoning drink and food scene in London's newest postcode also means you could just as easily meet for drinks next door at Caravan, the bar at the newly-opened Great Northern Hotel or Parcel Yard in Kings Cross station itself - all recommended.
Where should I sit?
We went on a sunny summer evening, when most of the restaurant appeared to have decamped to the large outside terrace which has room for 80 diners (who were given blankets as the night drew in). Inside, you can dine up at the bar counter or in the restaurant itself.
We did feel that this room lends itself much more to groups - our table was in the line of fire of three key waiter trajectories which was a little overwhelming. There's a cracking large table in front of the pass for groups and plenty of other decent tables for four or more. Couples should probably opt for one of the alcove tables as a better bet.
What should I eat?
The menu may shake things up on the vegetable front, but it divides pretty naturally into starters, mains and desserts. There's also a few compelling specials, a few of which we were tempted by, and dishes of the day from the josper grill too. The menu reads well as a list of dishes which isn't just an assembly of great ingredients - we hadn't a single dud dish in our dinner.
Foccacia - served up with olive oil and utterly, utterly delicious dukkah (£4) - was the first hint that this was going to be pretty special. We followed that with potato and rye bread with seawed butter, topped with oyster, borage leaves and borage flowers (£6) - an ostensibly veggie dish which tasted completely of the sea. Sprouting bean and seeeds with miso aubergine (£6) was a bowl of really well dressed sprouts served up with crispy shards of potato wafer and just enough chewy crispy chicken skin to make this almost a perfect salad dish.
Mains were slightly more substantial. We tried one of the day's specials - whole plaice a la plancha served up with confit of garlic, samphire, grapefruit and roast cherry tomatoes and one regular menu dish - a sticky square of pork belly accompanying a corn and quinoa tamale served bound up in a sweetcorn husk (£15). As the latter's a more permanent addition, we do recommend it - with a little added theatre as you cut open the husk with what amounts to a French flick knife.
After all that, we were slightly worried at how desserts might perform, but they more than managed to meet the challenge. A special of lemon crisp biscuit topped with meringue and raspberries was good, but was comprehensively overshadowed by a marvellous dish of white chocolate 'rice crispy' served up with dark chocolate mousse and an intensely almond ice-cream (£6). We easily polished the lot off.
What about drinks?
With a cocktail menu by Tony Conigliaro you'd be crazy to miss out - one of us (boringly) went for a Twinkle (elderflower liqueur, vodka, champagne) because he does the best in London (having created the drink back in 2002). The other was more adventurous and tried the cedar wood lemonade - made with cedar-infused Fino sherry, lemon juice and soda, a very unusual but refreshing summer drink. From a shortish but punchy wine list we picked an aromatic 2012 Rueda Blanca for £30 - there are just four wines under £25.
Overall thoughts?
We do have to agree with some other writers in that the layout of the room can sometimes detract from the food. There are a few tables (including the one we were on) that we wouldn't like to find ourselves seated at. We really want to come back and try more of the menu - and next time we'll return with a group.
But that said, after a summer of burgers, we were ready for Grain Store. The food is inventive and quite unlike anything else in London at the moment although nothing here has been done solely to show off. This is thoughtful, precise cooking putting meat in its place. A must-visit.
Grain Store is at Granary Square, 1-3 Stable Street, London N1C 4AB. Find out more about Grain Store
Prices were correct at time of writing. Hot Dinners were invited to eat at Grain Store.
