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Kupp transcends its soulless and bleak Paddington Basin setting and establishes itself as a destination worth travelling to for anyone who lives within walking distance. And for the office minnows who paddle in the Basin, it’s a godsend – the best place to eat in the complex.
Kupp is officially Scandinavian, and plenty on the menu justifies the tag. Other things don’t, such as burgers or a chorizo sausage roll. ‘Modern restaurant with Scandi roots’ might be closer to the mark. The look combines Scandi-streamlined with London-industrial, and windows the size of Berkshire give a great view of the canal just a few feet away.
Kupp does breakfast, lunch and dinner. We went for Sunday lunch and ordered two bords (their spelling), one with cured fish (Fiske Bord) and the other a mixture of meat and fish (Kupp Bord). They’re both £22, both sufficient for a lunch for two, and both excellent: good ingredients simply presented. Sausage roll features on the mixed board and was so good we ordered another (£6). Open-faced sandwiches (£6-£8.50) are served on weekdays only, but they’ve had so many requests they may change that policy.
Desserts are an absolute must. Single portions of lingonberry mess and sticky chocolate and hazelnut cake (both £6.50) had a table of six fighting over it with spoons. Coffee is well made. There are beers and a short, reasonably priced wine list (a 175ml glass of white set us back £4.50).
A tip for the cartographically challenged: enter the basin from the Edgware Road end of Praed Street, not from Paddington, to avoid getting lost. And you won’t want to get lost when Kupp is your destination. If it’s possible to have an oasis by the side of a canal, this is it.