Dabbous

39 Whitfield St, London

Dabbous looks like something out of Blade Runner. Lots of metal, concrete floors, lights that could’ve been left by the workmen… But then Ollie Dabbous is the hottest ticket in London and this is the kind of thing hot ticket people do. Ollie wears his influences with pride but puts his own stamp on things. Nutty toasted sourdough, with its smoky crust, arrives in a brown deli bag and sets things up nicely; while Ollie’s cool, he’s not style without substance. Asparagus to dip in rapeseed oil mayo with meadowsweet and hazelnuts; the mixed alliums in a chilled pine infusion looks like something from a petri dish but is certainly refreshing. It’s also the perfect precursor to coddled egg with mushrooms and smoked butter, richly delicious if perhaps a tad salty. The tartness of the beetroot paired with iodized sour cream to accompany monkfish makes for a perfect mouthful, as does the slick of crunchy acorn praline paired – as nature intended – with barbecued Iberico pork. Iced lovage is an English lawn in dessert form while chocolate ganache, basil moss and sheep’s milk ice cream mirrors a woodland setting but balances decadently sweet with savoury for a brilliant finale.