


Bringing the best of Southern European cuisine to London, Alex Jackson and Steve Parle offer a small, curated menu all created in the open kitchen of Sardine. Tucked away inside the Parasol Unit for Contemporary Art, a discreet and non-profit organisation and our office neighbour, the restaurant has been described by Grace Dent as ‘A place to break diets.’ and the chocolate and brandy prune dessert is hard to turn down . We recommend visiting on the first Monday of every month for a special ‘off-menu’ dinner, this month it’s Duck Roasted à la Ficelle Over Charcoal and obviously we will be front of the queue.

Owners Tongtong and Peiran set out to replicate the traditional cooking they grew up with in China, and lucky for us they succeeded. The homely food is complemented with a decor of 80’s true Chinese interiors with an added whimsical appeal - think the Wes Anderson treatment. With a menu designed to share, we particularly love the sweet basil chicken popcorn, delicious mantou buns and their speciality mei cau kou rou (thrice cooked pork belly). Reopening in May after a brief closure, we can’t wait to see what the duo have added to this wonderful spot.

Serving as a constant source of inspiration, it’s not only the converted furniture factory space and groundbreaking exhibitions we admire, but the woman herself. As an alumni of the Slade School of Art, Miro began teaching before turning her intuitive skills towards the business of art. An influential UK art powerhouse, she currently represents Chris Ofili, Grayson Perry and Alice Neel’s estate, to name just a few. Her spacious gallery is located alongside Wenlock Basin, a place the whole KITRI team regularly visit, not only for design inspiration but to see Miro’s latest protégé.

Words by Abi Corbet
Image credits: Philip Vile, Ottolenghi, Sardine, Chinese Laundry, Victoria Miro