Inside Milk Beach at night - it's become very popular, very quickly
What can you tell us about Milk Beach?
Milk Beach is billed as an Australian-influenced restaurant. By that, it means it takes its starting point from the types of cuisines that are most prominent on the Sydney restaurant scene - a mix of South-East Asian and Mediterranean.
This is their second restaurant. Originally, they opened in Queen's Park, starting small and gradually expanding into a neighbouring site (that success somewhat foreshadowed its latest expansion to Soho). It's founded by Elliot Milne(who actually once worked with the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation on the Coffee Initiative Project) and has Darren Leadbeater as their Head of Food (previously at Bennellong in Sydney, Frenchie, Wild Honey and Brunswick House among others)
And this is where you'll find it. This little oasis is just through an alleyway on Greek Street - Milk Beach is in that impressive concave structure (and the terrace seats are theirs too).
So where is this new location?
It's in a new building called Ilona Rose House which has seemingly carved a whole new section out of Soho. The easiest entrance is from Greek Street. You'll see a small alleyway beside The LIttle Scarlet Door - head down there and it opens up into a huge courtyard where you'll find Milk Beach (who also have lots of heated terrace seating). it's all part of the Crossrail redevelopment (the closest station is Tottenham Court Road) which has completely overhauled this section of Soho. Expect a couple more restaurants to open here in the next few months.
Where should we go for a drink first?
There's a small bar at Milk Beach itself, but we can see that primarily being used by people waiting for tables. So if you're looking for something close, the aforementioned Little Scarlet Door is worth a look. There's also Milroy's if you fancy a whisky and you're also not too far from either Bar Termini or Swift, both excellent cocktail bars.
So what's it like inside?
The decor does share a certain aesthetic with the original Milk Beach, albeit supplanted into the swanky new Soho building. It's a big old space and seems to work well for both couples and groups. Lighting is fairly dim in the evening - maybe a little too much as it was in some cases hiding the detail of some lovely-looking dishes. But if you're looking for a place with flattering lighting, this should fit the bill.
And if you really don't like attention, this is the seat you'll need to go for.
Head right round to the end of the restaurant, and you'll find this seat for two by the window. If you want a private seat (albeit by the window) this is the one to book.
Onto the food - what can we expect?
It's best to think of the menu as primarily small plates, but with a few bigger dishes if you want them. It's split into nibbles (snacks), raw (oysters, crudo), veggies (small veg plates), plates (actually small-medium size dishes, just not solely veg), robata (which includes some larger sharing dishes like steak and john dory) and some sides too.
Here's a selection from all of that.
Jersey rock oysters with a sake and Thai cucumber consomme shooter - yes that's an oyster perched over a shot of a sake to wash it down (£6.50 each, £4.50 without the sake)
Kingfish crudo, macadamia milk, wasabi, strawberry chilli kosho (13)
Szechuan Aubergine karaage (£10.50) - That aubergine is marinated in a karaage marinade, coated in gluten-free flour as well as panko bread crumbs & pawa, deep fried and covered with a thick version of the marinade. The wafer-thin batter on the outside and the soft aubergine underneath made this a cracking veggie option.
Potato gems, buttermilk, salmon roe (£6) - a classic from the original - fried potato goodness with a fluffy, mash-like filling inside.
Prawn Toast, sesame, Gochujang sweet ‘n’ sour sauce (£10.50) - there's a bit of a prawn toast renaissance in London at the moment and this is definitely in the running for the best. A must-order.
BBQ pork rib dumplings, pho ga consommé, coriander (£9.5) - these are phenomenal
Grilled oyster mushrooms, fermented mushroom glaze, macadamia hummus (£14) - our pick from the robata menu, a quite phenomenally good vegan dish with divine macadamia hummus.
‘The Lamington’ with Morello cherry, chocolate semifreddo, coconut (£8.50)
This was the dessert we fell in love with - the Milk Beach ‘Golden Gaytime’ with toffee & buttermilk parfait, dark chocolate, malt & honeycomb crumble (£7.5). Their signature version of this Australian ice cream is everything you wnt a dessert to be. The one to order if you're just sharing one dessert.
Anything else worth mentioning?
While we only gave the robata menu a very light go, there's a lot more to note on that, particularly the large dishes. So if you're after something sizeable, then there's the John Dory with chicken butter and parsley (£55) or the Belted Galloway bone-in ribeye with tare, oyster and tarragon butter (400g: £45/800g: £85).
You may also be wondering about brunch, which is obviously a big thing for them in Queen's Park - well, that will be starting in November.
What about drink?
The cocktail list is well worth a look. The Mango Chilli Margarita (£12) with Mezcal Verde Amores, Olmeca Silver, Campari, mango nectar, chilli, lime Four Pillars gin, ocean infused vermouth, celery, and smoked sea salt was the real winner for us - but the Coffee & Banana Negroni (£12) also sounds very tempting.
As for the wine list, it's predominantly European with a few Australian exceptions (of course), one being the entry level The Googly Chardonnay from Adelaide at £32 a bottle, which is a pretty good entry price for Soho these days (although the bulk of the list is in the £40-£60 range).
Overall thoughts?
Milk Beach have managed the move from west to central London very well indeed. The place was packed when we visited and it's clear that they've almost instantly created a scene in this brand new Soho space. Pairing all that with a really great menu - they definitely have another winner on their hands. We'll be surprised if this is the last Milk Beach to hit London.
More about Milk Beach Soho
Where is it? Ilona Rose House, Manette Street, London W1D 4AL
How to book: Book online
Find out more: Visit their website or follow them on Instagram @milkbeachlondon.
Hot Dinners dined as guests of Milk Beach. Prices correct at time of publication.
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