Sparrow

sparrow london

http://www.sparrowlondon.co.uk

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sparrow london

Restaurant review: Sparrow in Lewisham is well worth a visit

Review analysis
food  

With neighbourhood restaurants on the rise, The Resident team flocks to the new Sparrow in Lewisham to see why Zone 1 and great restaurants seem to be parting ways… With the recent launch of Duck & Waffle Local, and The Ivy Cafes popping up all over town, it is now official – the neighbourhood restaurant is IN.

Here in south east London, where a trip into central London involves a train ride or sitting in traffic, we’re probably ahead of the curve on this phenomenon, with places like Chapters in Blackheath, Franklins in East Dulwich, Babur in Forest Hill, and more recent additions like Upstairs at The Guildford Arms and Pedler in Peckham.

It’s the first restaurant of New Cross husband and wife team Terry Blake and Yohini Nandakumar, who were thinking of opening in Soho but were savvy enough to see Lewisham’s upward trajectory.

The name Sparrow refers to the fleeting, flitting manor of the menu, which ranges from classic Italian dishes to punchy Malay-style salads, making the best of whatever is in season.

But the kohlrabi salad was all mine, as were the hunks of aubergine with the beef dish, so his gourmet reticence does have its perks.

Sparrow Lewisham London Restaurant Review | London Restaurant ...

Review analysis
location   food   staff   drinks  

Sparrow, Lewisham: restaurant review | Foodism

Review analysis
drinks   food  

A defiantly unsexy spot right on the busy main artery through Lewisham makes a surprising place to find a hip-but-casual new neighbourhood restaurant, but Sparrow really works.

The list – whether you're on wine, beer, spirits or softs – is short but sweet, with beers from Hackney's Five Points brewery and a compact selection of European wines that's nonetheless got plenty of interest in it by the glass and the bottle, from big, sun-drenched Puglian reds to elegant Mosel rieslings.

The husband and wife team that heads up Sparrow has created a menu that's very much small-plate focused, with an eclectic bunch of dishes that point to the duo's stints at St. John, BAO, Merchant's Tavern and The Square.

Pork belly – skin salty, crispy and wafer thin – worked well with a sweet and aromatic harissa, though it arrived alongside 'bang bang' beef short rib with anchovy-miso aubergine, which crammed what felt like all the umami in the world into one dish.

Small plates from £5.50; wine from £4.50 by the glass.

Sparrow: Review - Just Opened London

Review analysis
food   drinks  

Old favourites such as Meze Mangal tick along but until now the likes of Sparrow have been absent.

It’s run by husband and wife team Terry Blake and Yohini Nandakumar, who leave a trail of pedigree restaurant experience behind them.

A salad of kohlrabi and brown shrimp is simple and elegant, reminiscent of plates at St. John (turns out the couple met when they both worked there) and a plate of eggs with pork and anchovy relish are one of the best restaurant nibbles of all time.

Roast pork belly skin, once crisp, had become chewy on cooling, and a gargantuan beef rib, although satisfying, felt underpowered compared to the bold flavours that preceded it.

The team behind Sparrow has clearly planned every detail of this restaurant, from the tight wine list to the selection of Neal’s Yard cheeses and the staggeringly expensive hand soap in the bathroom.

Sparrow | Restaurants in Lewisham, London

Review analysis
food  

Lewisham’s not had much luck with restaurants.

The evening’s wine bottles sit in an ice bucket on a tiny table by the bar.

What’s outside may be a bit grim – three lanes of traffic – but inside things are rustic, makeshift and brimming with atmos.

Green risotto, humming with herbs and alliums – mostly parsley and late wild garlic, I think – was as beautiful to look at as it tasted: verdant, warming, given a sour note with a dollop of goat’s curd and a bit of crunch with toasted hazelnuts.

When a Persian rug-maker creates a carpet they always include a flaw, so as to avoid fashioning something perfect and insulting Allah; in Sparrow’s case, this deliberate gaffe must have been the coffee, which was rubbish.

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