EartH Kitchen is the holy grail of gastronomy. A healthy, environmentally conscious restaurant in a converted arts space in Dalston that’s actually…unpretentious?!
On paper it’s up there with Gwyneth Paltrow and ethically-sourced kale, but in reality, it’s a chill, louche oasis of calm in East London’s increasingly dreary desert of ironic bowling alleys and “exclusive” neon-lit cocktail bars.
It’s just off the high street, through a blink-and-you-miss-it doorway, and up a stairwell that’s more reminiscent of a multi storey car park than an urban eatery. Inside, ambient music thrums as diners eat amongst stripped back, Scandinavian decor.
The menu is intriguing – it melds conscious, home grown organic sensibilities with cool and indulgent London chic. Jerk Ox Heart; Wild garlic soup; Roast pigeon; Crispy polenta.
We plumped for a duck special, plus the polenta with roast carrots, fennel and radicchio. The duck was unforgettable; crispy, melt-in-the-mouth, gorgeous. The polenta, a potentially dull dish, was zhuzhed up with plenty of spice and inventive flavour.
A side of garlic bread was done in a fun fresh way too – simply a small loaf of rye bread, sliced, with liberal amounts of butter and whole cloves of garlic chucked on it.
It’s the work of head chef Chris Gillard, who’s known for using seasonal, natural ingredients in a passionate and inventive way.
As well as the food, the drink was sparklingly, effortlessly good – a tongue-tinglingly fresh Picpoul, followed by two suitably earthy espresso martinis.
So next time you’re struggling down Kingsland Road listening to Dido, with a head full of stress and a shopping bag full of pretension, EartH Kitchen may be just the ticket. Unwind, untangle, and uneartH.
For more info, head to earth-kitchen.co.uk
