One of the joys of city living is the ability to walk, wonder and discover, I spotted RABBIT whilst walking down the King's Road a few weeks ago. It was still being kitted out but I did a bit of research (googled it) and found it was the sister restaurant to highly rated The Shed in Notting Hill. We tried to book a table for that weekend but it was jam packed so we had to wait until last Thursday before they could fit four hungry foodies in.
RABBIT is run by three brothers: one farmer, one chef and one expert in hospitality. RABBIT focuses on fresh farmed and foraged seasonal food. As I have noted in a previous blog, there is a definite trend in restaurants not just promoting the use of local produce, but adapting the menu around what is in season.
RABBIT’s menu is pretty straight forward it starts with mouthfuls, which are exactly what they say they are. The waitress described them as a canape but that wouldn't do them justice, the crab bombs with the dollop of lemon and seaweed mayo were very moorish. Crisp batter filled with sweet, delicate crab yes please! They were even better than the crab doughnuts I harped on about here.
We put our heads together to work out what we fancied, turns out that wasn’t hard as we loved the sound of pretty much all of it and ordered 10 dishes altogether. RABBIT suggests two plates per person which feels about right, we ordered an extra two and were stuffed, but good stuffed.
As you can see above the style of the menu is very trendy, with ingredients simply listed. This style does seem a little daunting at first but the waiting team are more than happy to enlighten you as to what chickweed, sea purslane and Alexander are (a salad leaf, sea vegetable and plant tasting like parsley if you're wondering).
The food is served tapas style which is my favourite type of dining. It completely rids me of my food envy as I get to have a bit of everything! Another reason I love this style of eating because everyone can tailor the menu to their individual tastes, great for meat eaters and veggies alike!
The two stand out dishes for me were the Lamb Chips and Smoked Jerusalem Artichoke, Rainbow Chard, Spaghetti Squash and Linseed. What I loved about these dishes is that they are made with classic British ingredients but doesn't in any way taste like a Sunday Roast, yet are
just as Autumnal and comforting.
CB and I were stuffed but the boys being boys, wanted to squeeze in the pudding as well. Walnut Jerusalem Artichoke Ice Cream with Chocolate Crumb. I of course had to try the dish (for research purposes) the ice cream was delicious, delicate but still cut through the richness of the chocolate.
I wasn’t keen on the Carrot Hummus and Kohlrabi but I just checked the menu and that seems to have been changed and my rabbit ravioli was a little bit cold but that happens sometimes with tapas. By that point I’d had a delicious cocktail and glass of house red so I wasn’t too bothered.
A critic has commented on the decor but I rather like the rustic look, it could perhaps do with the odd ornamental cabbage to make it pop but the brothers sustainable ethos is heartwarming. For example, the wooden tables were created from trees that blew down in a big storm last Christmas and everything from the kitchen pass to the light fittings have been salvaged from the boys farm.
RABBIT restaurant maybe more La Chameau than Chanel but that’s so needed on the King's Road. Like Kurobuta further along, it’s small but perfectly formed and will leave you wanting more. It’s a bring your kids, bring your friends and bring a date, any excuse sort of a place. When you leave through the stable door you leave behind it's friendly atmosphere and find yourself back in the heart of Chelsea with suited and booted men stumbling their way to Raffles. RABBIT is real farm charm.
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Labels: Chelsea, EAT, Kings Road, Rabbit, The Shed
