The huge windows looking out to Borough Market from Flor's upstairs dining room.
What can you tell us about Flor?
It's the next restaurant from the people behind Lyle's - John Ogier and James Lowe - which is currently number 33 on the 50 Best Restaurants in the World 2019 list. It's only their second restaurant since Lyle's - launched in 2014. So a new opening from them is a very big deal indeed.
It's something of a change from the Shoreditch original - a more casual all-day affair, serving up a primarily small plates menu.
And we hear something about pastries too?
Yes - if you're just popping past from 10am - noon, they'll be serving up coffee and pastries. We've had some of the best flat whites ever from Lyle's - they take their coffee seriously, so it's well worth trying. At the moment, the pastries are lardy buns, honey & cream buns and pain au chocolat
Where is it?
It's right at the entrance to Borough Market, on Bedale Street. Come up the Borough Market exit at London Bridge underground station and it's a few steps away.
The view of the kitchen and counter downstairs.
Where should we sit?
It depends on what kind of mood you're in. If you like watching the chefs in action (or Borough market people-watching), then the downstairs bar is the place to be. If you want to get away from that, then head up the wrought iron staircase to the dining room upstairs. Note that you can book Flor, so you don't have to expect Padella size queues, but it's also worth popping your head in as they do keep space for walk-ins too.
The top floor is very well air-conned. So if the Market heat is too much - this is the perfect place to be.
So what's on the menu?
As mentioned, it's a small plates affair and you can expect it to change regularly, based on seasonal produce (some dishes like the anchovy toast had already changed/adapted during the two weeks of opening). We roamed through the menu and here's what we had on the night:
You may have seen many different shots of this on Instagram recently. These are the scarlet prawns with yuzu kosho (£18). On the pricey side, but that's what you need for the very best quality. Eat the tails and then suck out the heads that have just come off the grill. A perfect 1-2 combo.
This is the anchovy toast with lardo di colonnata and wild marjoram (£11) a superb hit of umami and really anything with lardo is good in our book.
Their flatbreads will change and adapt as the Flor team develop the menu. This is a great start with a truffle covered potato flatbread with tallegio and breme onion (£13).
It's very, very hard for us to resist any burrata dish on the menu, it's just one of our favourite ever things and covered with wild fennel pollen here. This was excellent and backed up with a panzanella featuring Datterini tomatoes and Le Coste olive oil (£9).
Hake brandade with peppers - a sharing dish that you'll be fighting over. Our top dish on the night (£11).
Black pudding, coco beans, peas and peach (£9) - forget any black pudding you've tried before. This was dense and fibrous and went weirdly well with that roasted peach.
And finally, the lamb rib, yoghurt, black lime and pistachios (£13)
How is it for vegetarians?
There are a good few veggie dishes on the menu - but there's also a separate vegetarian menu if you want to concentrate on those dishes. That changed the above black pudding dish to courgettes, coco beans and peppers (£11) and a clam flatbread was switched out for a tomato flatbread with wild marjoram (£9). Vegetarians are well catered for.
What about dessert?
There are a few dessert dishes and it's definitely worth making sure you have one in particular.
The unmissable brown butter cakes (£5) - mini cake wonders which have a gooey melted sugary centre. Just wonderful - we could have eaten dozens of these.
Tayberry, peach and verbena Neapolitan - not like any neapolitan you've ever had before (£7).
What should we drink?
As well as popping in for a pastry and coffee, we think it's just as good an idea (later in the day, of course) to pop in for a drink and a couple of plates. There's a small beer and cocktails selection (G&T, Negronis and vermouth) and wines by the glass/carafe start at £6/20, while bottle start at £28. We got an excellent recommendation of a Maison Laurent Cazottes Champetre Blanc (£32) which worked well with all the dishes.
Overall
It's early days yet, but Flor has already gotten off to a cracking start. It looks like the perfect place to either spend an evening or just pop in for a few glasses alongside whatever is new on the menu. We were expecting big things from the Lyle's team and it looks like they've delivered.
Hot Dinners ate as guests of Flor. Prices are correct at the time of writing.
More about Flor
Where is it? 1 Bedale St, London SE1 9AL
How to book: Visit their website from 3pm on 2 July 2019
Find out more: Go to their website or follow them on Instagram @flor.london
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