It’s quite nice up in St John’s Wood, isn’t it? The bougie neighbourhood isn’t somewhere I venture very often – mainly because it takes me two Tubes and an Overground to get there – but when I do I’m always delighted by the sight of wide, leafy streets populated with quaint pubs, prim cafés and plant-filled restaurant terraces brimming with people who smell like they just strolled out of an Aesop store.
A delicate coil of taglioni looks beautiful
No Forty Nine is one of these delightful establishments. Directly opposite a branch of The Ivy, this all-day bakery, bistro and wine bar has a lovely outdoor patio, perfect for enjoying a glass of Gamay and watching well-to-do locals go by. It’s the newest venture by the team from Cinder just up the road (which was named ‘Best Local Restaurant of the Year’), and has talented young head chef Ella Williams – whose CV includes stints at Hausu, Crispin and Mountain – in the kitchen.
Inside, No Forty Nine has the same exposed bricks as Cinder, alongside brown leather banquettes and pop art that could be described as ‘zany millennial industrial chic’ (road signs, Lego figurines and cartoonish cowboys). Given the heatwave, we plonk ourselves outside for the evening and kick off the festivities with a refreshing blood orange negroni (although I’m told this will be their last one, as they are going back to the classics after tonight).
The menu is New York bistro meets Mediterranean. Some dishes are fantastic. The fat gamberi rossi are wonderfully juicy and sweet, drenched in an addictive garlic and chilli oil. Make sure to ask for extra bread to mop this up. A delicate coil of taglioni looks beautiful, with gossamer slices of fresh truffle perched atop glossy pasta in a surprisingly subtle parmesan cream sauce.
Other things don’t quite hit the mark. The steak haché is tender with an excellent smoky char, but the peppercorn sauce is too salty and has formed a thin film, giving the impression of having been sat sweating under a heat lamp. The pastry for the crab choux bun is a little stale. The collard greens are chewy. For dessert, the crack pie has a rock-hard base that causes our spoons to make a big bang on the plate as we try to hack through it, like we’re playing porcelain cymbals.The Baby Guinness sundae, although a fun idea, comes as gritty coffee ice cream with a hardened drizzle of fudge sauce and some Graham crackers crumbled over the top. I did enjoy the addition of a retro glacé cherry.
With the credentials of its chef and owner, No Forty Nine has got lots of potential, but it’s not quite there yet. With a little more finesse, it’ll be able to keep up with its siblings.
The vibe An airy all-day bistro and bakery with a distinct northwest London feel.
The food Plates inspired by New York and the Mediterranean.
The drink A short selection of classic cocktails (negroni, martini etc) and a list of accessible Old World wines.
Time Out tip For brunch heads, No Forty Nine has just started doing all manner of eggs, sandos and bloody marys from 9am to 2.30pm on weekends.