The lovely, light-filled dining room of Perilla
Why return to Perilla now?
Given that Hot Dinners tends to concentrate on the (many) newly opened restaurants in London, it's rare that we get the time to revisit restaurants. However, as Perilla are nearing their 10th anniversary (next year) and with a book in the planning stages, we thought we'd take the opportunity to see how things have changed since our first visit back in 2016.
If you still haven't had the chance to visit Perilla yourselves, we'll get you up to speed. The restaurant comes from the team of Ben Marks and Matt Emerson. Before they started Perilla, their background included Noma, Claridge's and Polpo. Perilla initially launched with a little help from chef Phil Howard and Claridge's MD Thomas Kochs. That investment has clearly paid off as it's been a continuing success in Stoke Newington, attracting the odd celeb too, as Harry Styles was a recent diner. More recently, they've also launched the equally impressive Morchella in Clerkenwell, which has a Mediterranean focus.
Where can we find Perilla?
They have a very enviable corner site just off Newington Green with a large-windowed facade that makes it a particularly lovely room when the sun is shining.
And what can we expect from the food?
Looking back and comparing our original Test Drive with our latest meal, the general ethos remains largely the same. There's a general European approach to the dishes on the menu, which change regularly, with a focus on seasonal ingredients. Another thing that has remained similar all these years is the real ingenuity to the dishes on offer here, both in presentation and use of ingredients.
We can also see that the quality of cooking has come on in leaps and bounds. The nine years since our original visit has seen Perilla become an extremely accomplished restaurant, and so much more than just a "neighbourhood restaurant".
The menu is continually evolving, and some of what we had on the night had only launched that week. With that in mind, here's a taste of what to expect from Perilla in 2025.
Beer battered cod cheeks with salted gooseberries, tartar sauce and (just out of sight) a dip of chip shop curry sauce (£15) - a must-have snack, mostly because of that pitch-perfect curry sauce but also, those salted gooseberries were exceptional.
Yesterday's bread soaked in moules mariniere (£6 each) - They go big on on low waste, which is exemplified in this dish. Think of it as how you might finish off a moules marinere dish by dunking some bread in it, but to the nth degree.
Minestrone with a loquat in the middle that's filled with stracciatella and semi-dried tomato (£16) - a wonderful minestrone that's hugely enhanced by the oh-so-clever touch of the loquat.
Line-caught hake and spring vegetables in a Parmesan and black pepper sauce (£23) - gloriously cooked hake, with an almost perfectly crispy skin top. Again, it also looks beautiful and quite unique in the presentation.
Roast Herdwick lamb leg with petis pois a la Francaise and goat's curd (£28) - the perfect spring-on-a-plate dish.
Chocolate, hazelnut and salted caramel pavé (£12) - while many dishes change regularly, this has been a mainstay of the Perilla menu for years, and it's up there with some of the best chocolate desserts we've had, the hazelnut crunch really elevating things.
Overall thoughts
One of our first thoughts after leaving Perilla on this return visit was that this restaurant really should have a Michelin star. The cooking was exceptional throughout and, so far in 2025, it's already up there with the very best meals of the year for us. Everything was just so thoughtfully put together, and from cooking to presentation to flavour - there's a huge talent on display.
It's taken us a while to return, but it's clear that Perilla remains one of London's best restaurants. Hopefully, Michelin will get up to speed by the time it celebrates its 10th birthday.
More about Perilla
Where is it? 1-3 Green Lanes, Newington Green, London N16 9BS
How to book: Book online or call 0207 359 0779
Find out more: Visit their website or follow them on Instagram @perilladining.
Hot Dinners ate as guests of Perilla. Prices are correct at the time of writing.
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