From Michelin-starred fine dining to sarnies and soft serve, the pair behind critically acclaimed restaurant Pidgin (and recently closed Magpie) have hatched a more casual affair in King’s Cross.
Named in homage to their children, the new venture from James Ramsden and Sam Herlihy serves craft beer, wine, cocktails and organic coffee as well as freshly made sangers, salads, sides and ice cream.
These are no ordinary sandwiches. They are crafted from bread supplied by Paul Rhodes Bakery, meat from Swaledale in Yorkshire and salad leaves from Growing Underground (a very cool sustainable underground farm which grows fresh micro greens and salad leaves 33 metres below the streets of Clapham). But then one would expect nothing less from this high-flying duo.
The lunch and dinner menu features six sandwiches, including the ‘MERGUEZ S+DWICH’ (their linguistic frippery, not ours), made from spicy lamb sausage, French fries, pickled shallots, gremolata, and mayo, the ‘MORTADELLA S+DWICH’ on focaccia (mortadella, Taleggio, smoked Isle of Wight tomato, rocket, Thai basil and cider vinaigrette) and the vegan ‘ TENDERSTEM S+DWICH’, which combines tenderstem broccoli, mushroom relish, coconut sambal, acai and cashew cream in a baguette. Salads include bowls of red rice, lentils, beetroot, roasted kale, carrot vinaigrette and cress, while sides range from fries to pickles.
Breakfast options include more than just bread (though of course you’ll find filled English muffins should you need a carb fix), with dishes such as Bircher muesli and a selection of cakes and pastries, including a cherry Danish and cinnamon scroll.
Cocktails are curated by World of Zing, and include concoctions such as a Thai basil + pineapple Mojito and a BLT cocktail. Non-alcoholic offerings, meanwhile, include a fiery Scotch bonnet kombucha and the restaurant’s own salty and sweet creation, ‘MisoMilk’, while beers include peanut butter crunch milk stout.
Our biggest dream come true, though? They’ve resurrected Magpie’s star dish of prawn toast draped in lardo and sitting on a blob of coriander and jalapeno ketchup in the form of the ‘PRAWN S+DWICH’ made with Cornish prawns, mayo, prawn crackers, crispy shallots, Napa cabbage and shiso. Silly formatting or no, that’s the kind of sarnie we can get behind.
Image credit: James Ramsden