What started as a pop-up to showcase the versatility of insects (yes, you read that correctly), has now opened its first bricks-and-mortar site in Finsbury Park. Co-founder and CEO Leo Taylor has worked tirelessly with chefs to create a menu that is influenced by modern European cuisine, but keeps bugs at its core.
At first glance the menu may not appear to be particularly shocking, but each dish that seems familiar has also been packed full of one particular sustainable superfood; crickets. The menu focuses on small plates, so you can work your way through plenty of dishes before becoming a fully fledged critter-convert. You can expect options such as smashed cricket kofte with roasted peanut hummus and dukkah, cricket lasagna, and even a cricket cornish pasty with seasonal relish. The fun doesn’t stop there though - the desserts follow a similar theme. Think dark chocolate cremeux with Thai tea, poached comice pear, and a cricket crumb, or hazelnut and blonde chocolate cricket soft serve with caramel crunch.
Unlike the food, the drinks haven’t been infused with insects, so you can knock back a glass of your favourite tipple without any exciting twists. There’s wines by the glass or bottle, a small selection of cocktails, a few of the nation’s favourite IPA’s and even water kefir (similar to kombucha).
The restaurant itself is fairly pared-back, with an industrial warehouse style throughout, from exposed pipes on the ceilings, to metal fencing along the bannister, and a number of oversized lights. It lends itself as the perfect spot to catch up with a group of friends with larger tables available, as well as somewhere to head to for date nights when it’s just the two of you. One thing’s for certain - you’re never going to run out of conversation when tucking into this menu.