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Here at Time out, we take pride in waiting a few months before going to check out a new restaurant. Not only does this give the smaller indies a fair chance to ‘bed in’ but it also means we see a restaurant in its metaphorical pyjamas rather than all gussied up for a Saturday night. In the case of Hello Darling, it launched with a ‘MasterChef’ winner at the stoves, but by the time we went, it already had a new (non-telly) chef, who we hope is sticking around.
Because the vibrant, eclectic cooking is excellent. Case in point: two veggie showstoppers. Swede tartare sounded bizarre but was brilliant. Chunks of fleshy root veg came muddled with cured egg and crunchy gherkin over a deliciously oily slice of grilled sourdough. A plate of polenta – an ingredient that can easily go wrong – was equally majestic. Rich and cheesy, it was fat with juicy, buttery mushrooms, al dente green beans and kernels of corn. Meatier plates were also good, including a hunk of lamb (it could have been pinker: our only grumble) with a vinegary cucumber salad and wood pigeon with creamy cannellini beans, again splayed across toast.
Beyond all that, Hello Darling is a quirky little spot, where every table has been prettily hand-painted, dried foliage pokes from the ceiling and there are curtains dressing the walls (its owners are a pair of theatre set designers, though the vibe here is boho, not OTT). In this pocket of Waterloo – home to The Old Vic but thin on the ground for decent places to have dinner – that is a rare and special thing.