REVIEW: Konstam of London

A while ago I heard about Konstam, a new London restaurant offering food from within London's M25 ring-road. I could not wait to try it out and last night was the night.

By day Konstam is an unassuming and simple Cafe but by night it morphs into a wonderful space to meet and eat. Located about a minute from the Cafe location in the Prince Albert pub, Konstam, named after Chef Ollie's Grandfathers family name, is a nice fusion of interesting and local cuisine. Set in modern decor within an old style London pub Konstam offers a rustic experience of wooden tables combined with funky lighting.

You can be sure that when you find this well-hidden gem you will smile with anticipation as you cross the threshold. Kings Cross is hardly known for its culture but, like finding a secret garden, walking through the door into this anonymous looking pub awakens a culinary excitement not often felt. Like you have truly found something worth finding.

I was joined on my culinary expedition by good friend Will Callaghan. Incidentally Will is a great mate who recently left his job as Online Editor for a hugely successful Male Lifestyle magazine to set up his own version cheekily called Mansized.co.uk. Folks, it is so worth a visit. Very male. Very British. Very modern.

Anyway upon entering the restaurant we were greeted by happy staff and took our seats. The menu arrived and we just buzzed with excitement at the sumptuous options on offer. Rustic bread showed up and we happily munched away ignoring the menu. Eventually I decided on the Goats Cheese and Nettle Perogi whilst Will opted for the Carrot soup with Bacon.

All I can say is every mouthful tasted great and I was truly sad to see an empty plate. I can still remember the smoky flavour and crispy yet soft texture of the perogi. Will equally mmm'd his way through the exquisite looking creamy soup.

We ordered a bottle of wonderful local Red (Chapel Down) and were dipping in and out of it effortlessly. Had a great nose and danced merrily across my tounge. No bite and plenty of presence. Will be having more of that for sure. Plus we were given a glass of the Sparkling rose to sample from the same vineyard and it tasted wonderful. How can wines from the UK be so worthy? Astonishing really. What a shame it is not more widely available. Why are supermarkets not stocking this stuff?

Onto our main courses and I chose the Chickweed Oeufs with Beetroot Salad whilst Will went for the Mansized (hehehe) Mutton Cutlets (from Amersham I might add) with Broccoli.

Did not know what to expect of my oeufs but really enjoyed the dish, very different to what I normally eat. Quite a fussy little number but I have to say it really worked and the mix of flavours are a testament to Chef Ollie's ingenuity and culinary skill.

Will dived into his cutlets like Jason on Halloween and laid waste with haste. He left some room for dessert but sadly we were both satiated by then and opted to end the evening with a coffee.

All in all a superb aesthetic and gastronomic experience with an ethical twist which is sadly a rare occasion in a city like London. Totally recommend Konstam and our meal came to about £70 including a £25 bottle of wine.

Namaste

Al

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