The big smoke’s fifth outpost under The Kitchens group, Bloomsbury Street Kitchen is all about Japanese and Mediterranean small plates. The fusion kind? Nah, it’s just two separate menus. On paper, that looks pretty peculiar. But oddly enough, the concept delivers.
A starter of battered aubergine and courgette chips was the first indicator of BSK’s mostly high standards. They arrived crisp, not too greasy, and liberally sprinkled with chilli salt. Perfect, then, for dunking into the cooling tzatziki dip that came with them. Next, out came some Japanese flat tacos, topped with lush ponzu mayo (a citrus-based sauce) and elegant slices of raw tuna, plus a kick of truffle.
The beef tataki was perfection. Each thin, lightly seared, slightly pink-middled slice came adorned with spring onions and garlic crisps. It got better: two gyros arrived filled with lamb shoulder, a lemon-feta yoghurt and fries. Wrapped in paper and playfully tied together with string, they were a late night takeaway-inspired bit of genius.
Desserts were fun, too. A coconut meringue mousse was dotted with splotches of potent white rum jelly, accompanied by a tangy pineapple sorbet. Like a deconstructed piña colada, yes. Another big plus point: staff here are friendly, polished, and care about your dietary needs.
There were a couple of niggles, though. Portions are somewhat petite for the price (although this is possibly to be expected for a small- plates menu in a smart restaurant). Also, the slow-cooked lamb in the gyros could have been more tender, and the seasoning needed to be revved right up: we were left craving the sticky glaze that the menu promised. But sticky glaze or not, Bloomsbury Street Kitchen is a very nice surprise.