Restaurants

There’s a lot to like here, from the super-attentive maître d’ (who worked the small room like it was the Ivy) to the fact there was no pressure to leave, even though the restaurant was packed all evening. The slightly wild decor – dark green paint, even on the floor, and talking-point lights made by Thomas Heatherwick from plug chains – is a welcome change after so many identikit interiors. Chef-owner Oliver Rowe’s menu doesn’t play safe either. About 90 per cent of the ingredients come from within reach of the tube network ( not from within the M25 as has been widely reported), and wines come from no farther afield than Europe, with plenty of English bottles on the list. The sourcing policy results in dishes like pan-fried Mersea plaice with braised spring onions, potatoes and beurre blanc, or Waltham Abbey chicken with braised chicory and goat’s cheese spätzle. Dishes don’t always deliver; nettle and crème fraîche tart with leek, mushroom and parsley salad had a sloppy filling and a taste so delicate it was scarcely there. But mostly they do, and in some instances (a very moreish starter of beer-battered herring roe with mustard sauce) they’re excellent. Konstam is very much not resting on its laurels.

Time Out Eating & Drinking Guide 2008