Review: Restaurant 1701
When I consider Jewish cuisine, the first thing that springs to mind is the range of curious delis sprinkled across North London. Many of them look slightly ropey, and have a cursory ‘Kosher’ scrawled across their front, but venture inside and you encounter unexpected delicacies. Reuben on rye? Why not. A side of matzo balls? Absolutely.
As scrummy as these goods may be, I still don’t associate the dishes with fine dining, per se. And yet a new restaurant in the City claims to offer just this. Restaurant 1701, so named because that was the year in which Bevis Marks Synagogue opened its doors, is small yet smart space, erected as a sort of conservatory at the side of said synagogue. It is a little tricky to find, being off the road and behind a huge set of cast iron gates (the allusion to heaven, I think, is perfunctory). The staff greet you with wide smiles though, and the atmosphere inside is serene without being austere.
Other than an utter dearth of pork, my guest and I really didn’t know what to expect. We were presented with a menu which takes classic Jewish recipes, adding a good dose of flair and a dash of humour, transforming homely fare into slick dishes that appeal to Jews and Gentiles alike.
An amuse bouche of red cabbage and mustard foam sets the fine dining tone and kicks your tastebuds into gear. Starters hover around the £10 mark, and include the pastilla – featherlight filo pastry encasing tender and juicy lamb – enjoyed by my friend, along with the chopped liver I opted for. The latter in particular belied its unglamorous name: the chicken liver was silky yet textured and was accompanied by a sweet, delicate slice of gingerbread which cut through the richness. Both dishes were arranged to look like a work of art which, although not crucial to your enjoyment, does rather make you slow down to eat it.
For the main dish, my friend decided to try the classic ‘Friday Night Dinner’ of chicken and sweet potatoes. The portion was rather on the delicate side, yet it was hearty and carefully seasoned. My flanken, however, stole the show. Four cubes of deboned rib meat were tender to the point of disintegration, sporting a wonderful smokey depth of flavour. A great deal of time and care has gone into these dishes, and you can taste it.
Kosher guidelines dictate that milk-based puddings cannot follow meat, so the dessert selection falls on the fruiter end of the spectrum. My apfelschalet was a light take on an apple pie, set off nicely by a pistachio crumble (though, I must admit, I would have loved a dollop of cream). My friend’s frucht zup was a fetching display of strawberries, melons and pink peppercorns. At £8.95 it’s above par price wise for what is essentially a (very nicely chopped) fruit salad, but it was a refreshing sweet end nevertheless.
The restaurant became busier and buzzier as the evening wore on, and there was many a skullcap in view. We left replete, yet feeling that perhaps the Jewish angle of 1701’s food is more of a talking point that a defining characteristic. Whether the kosher tag dissuades or inspires curiosity is yet to be seen, but make no mistake: this is food to praised, whatever your religion.
www.restaurant1701.co.uk
As scrummy as these goods may be, I still don’t associate the dishes with fine dining, per se. And yet a new restaurant in the City claims to offer just this. Restaurant 1701, so named because that was the year in which Bevis Marks Synagogue opened its doors, is small yet smart space, erected as a sort of conservatory at the side of said synagogue. It is a little tricky to find, being off the road and behind a huge set of cast iron gates (the allusion to heaven, I think, is perfunctory). The staff greet you with wide smiles though, and the atmosphere inside is serene without being austere.
Other than an utter dearth of pork, my guest and I really didn’t know what to expect. We were presented with a menu which takes classic Jewish recipes, adding a good dose of flair and a dash of humour, transforming homely fare into slick dishes that appeal to Jews and Gentiles alike.
An amuse bouche of red cabbage and mustard foam sets the fine dining tone and kicks your tastebuds into gear. Starters hover around the £10 mark, and include the pastilla – featherlight filo pastry encasing tender and juicy lamb – enjoyed by my friend, along with the chopped liver I opted for. The latter in particular belied its unglamorous name: the chicken liver was silky yet textured and was accompanied by a sweet, delicate slice of gingerbread which cut through the richness. Both dishes were arranged to look like a work of art which, although not crucial to your enjoyment, does rather make you slow down to eat it.
For the main dish, my friend decided to try the classic ‘Friday Night Dinner’ of chicken and sweet potatoes. The portion was rather on the delicate side, yet it was hearty and carefully seasoned. My flanken, however, stole the show. Four cubes of deboned rib meat were tender to the point of disintegration, sporting a wonderful smokey depth of flavour. A great deal of time and care has gone into these dishes, and you can taste it.
Kosher guidelines dictate that milk-based puddings cannot follow meat, so the dessert selection falls on the fruiter end of the spectrum. My apfelschalet was a light take on an apple pie, set off nicely by a pistachio crumble (though, I must admit, I would have loved a dollop of cream). My friend’s frucht zup was a fetching display of strawberries, melons and pink peppercorns. At £8.95 it’s above par price wise for what is essentially a (very nicely chopped) fruit salad, but it was a refreshing sweet end nevertheless.
The restaurant became busier and buzzier as the evening wore on, and there was many a skullcap in view. We left replete, yet feeling that perhaps the Jewish angle of 1701’s food is more of a talking point that a defining characteristic. Whether the kosher tag dissuades or inspires curiosity is yet to be seen, but make no mistake: this is food to praised, whatever your religion.
www.restaurant1701.co.uk