Pidgin review

Our first course was Cylindra beetroot with blackberry soured cream – simple, yet brilliant in terms of flavour. The blackberry-flecked soured cream was a real highlight and a great match for the earthy beetroot – it was unexpectedly wonderful.

Next up was Barbecued cauliflower, puffed wild rice dukkah and watercress. Cauliflower has experienced a renaissance in the last year or so, with Dean Parker at The Manor and Lee Westcott at Typing Room producing some of the most talked about dishes. Barbecuing cauliflower has been particularly popular, and Pidgin use purple and romanesco cauliflowers as well as the more traditional white variety. Along with a silky cauliflower purée and the puffed wild rice dukkah, there was plenty of variation in flavour and texture to make it a truly stand-out plate. In fact, it’s the best cauliflower dish I’ve ever eaten, and paired especially well with a white wine from the Languedoc.

The main course of Lamb belly with glazed turnips, green tahini sauce and sumac was equally delicious, and accompanied by a bowl of flatbread to share. I haven't come across lamb belly before and I do hope I see it on a menu again – it’s much more interesting than the ubiquitous pork belly at any rate. It was served with a glass of dangerously drinkable Malbec that didn't overpower the dish; the absence of an oak barrel making it a much more elegant affair.

There was almost a sense of disappointment with the realisation that there was only one course left, but the dessert at Pidgin didn't disappoint. A gorgeously moist pistachio and polenta cake was joined by red gooseberries and a frozen yoghurt made from goat’s milk. The sourness of the gooseberries and freshness of the frozen yoghurt was a clever match for the richness of the cake, and a glass of Prosecco was an unusually good partner. What I loved about all of these dishes is that there were a lot of really rather clever things going on, but they were done in such an unassuming way that you could just sit back and enjoy them.

For petits fours, there were some beautifully smooth chocolate truffles rolled in coconut. They were some of the nicest I’ve had in a very long time – I would have happily bought a boxful to take home. A last drink of G & T (for research purposes, obviously) left me undecided about which cocktail I liked best. Luckily, I've already booked another table, so it won't be long until I can try a few more.

And so, channelling my inner Grace Dent, I left in a slightly giddy manner, professing my love for this little restaurant all the way home. So go, and tell your friends... but just make sure there’s a table left for me once in a while.

Main image courtesy of Vivi Pham.