Smoke & Salt: 'These boys can bake'
North London residency is, mostly, a pickled delight - but it comes at a price
Smoke & Salt is the offspring of chefs Remi Williams and Aaron Webster, who met while working at The Shed in Notting Hill.
It started life as a series of supper clubs but Williams and Webster have now set up shop above a bar in Islington, London, "harnessing the curative powers of smoking and salting to create a six-course fixed menu", says Fay Maschler in the London Evening Standard.
This being a year-long residency, not a permanent restaurant, the influence the two chefs have over the setting is minimal. But "what has been achieved is a fairly blank canvas against which to let the food shine", says the Standard's Ben Norum.
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From Guinness-glazed pretzels to chickpea fritters, the food confirms "these boys can certainly bake", says Time Out. But for Maschler, "tough grilled lamb with arthritic Jerusalem artichokes" is nothing to rave about, although the coddled eggs served in their shells in a scrap of egg box add "a beguiling touch".
There's just one problem: while early publicity priced the set menu at £25, "which would have been about right for the content", Maschler says, at £38 a head the final bill is "rather shocking".
Smoke & Salt is above The Chapel Bar, 29 Penton Street, London N1
Sign up for Today's Best Articles in your inbox
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
-
Magical Christmas markets in the Black Forest
The Week Recommends Snow, twinkling lights, glühwein and song: the charm of traditional festive markets in south-west Germany
By Jaymi McCann Published
-
Argos in Cappadocia: a magical hotel befitting its fairytale location
The Week Recommends Each of the unique rooms are carved out of the ancient caves
By Yasemen Kaner-White Published
-
Is Elon Musk about to disrupt British politics?
Today's big question Mar-a-Lago talks between billionaire and Nigel Farage prompt calls for change on how political parties are funded
By Sorcha Bradley, The Week UK Published
-
How London fell back in love with the brasserie
The Blend From Brasserie Zédel to Café François, we sample the best bistros in town
By Charlie Teasdale Published
-
The Count of Monte Cristo review: 'indecently spectacular' adaptation
The Week Recommends Dumas's classic 19th-century novel is once again given new life in this 'fast-moving' film
By The Week UK Published
-
Death of England: Closing Time review – 'bold, brash reflection on racism'
The Week Recommends The final part of this trilogy deftly explores rising political tensions across the country
By The Week UK Published
-
Sing Sing review: prison drama bursts with 'charm, energy and optimism'
The Week Recommends Colman Domingo plays a real-life prisoner in a performance likely to be an Oscars shoo-in
By The Week UK Published
-
Kaos review: comic retelling of Greek mythology starring Jeff Goldblum
The Week Recommends The new series captures audiences as it 'never takes itself too seriously'
By The Week UK Published
-
Blink Twice review: a 'stylish and savage' black comedy thriller
The Week Recommends Channing Tatum and Naomi Ackie stun in this film on the hedonistic rich directed by Zoë Kravitz
By The Week UK Published
-
Shifters review: 'beautiful' new romantic comedy offers 'bittersweet tenderness'
The Week Recommends The 'inventive, emotionally astute writing' leaves audiences gripped throughout
By The Week UK Published
-
How to do F1: British Grand Prix 2025
The Week Recommends One of the biggest events of the motorsports calendar is back and better than ever
By Rebekah Evans, The Week UK Published