Just five minutes from Liverpool Street station and Spitalfields Market, Firestarter marks a bold new chapter for Rob Star, the hospitality entrepreneur behind some of London’s best-loved pubs and festivals. This is Star’s first dedicated restaurant venture, and true to its name, Firestarter celebrates the drama and flavour of live-fire cooking in a relaxed, convivial setting.
The menu is all about big flavours and shareable plates. Expect inventive signatures like crab doughnut with cowboy butter and smoked sriracha sugar, espresso-tamarind pork ribs, and gochujang chilli crack honey fried chicken wings. For something indulgent, the Yorkshire Wagyu beef tartare comes with tomato ponzu-cured egg yolk, togarashi kewpie and black truffle potato chips. Larger plates lean into the flame: think 1kg Galician rib or a 450g Iberico pork chop, alongside the Firestarter double smash burger cooked 'animal style' with smoked mustard butter and whisky caramelised onions. Even the veg gets the fire treatment, from coal-roasted beets with whipped feta to whole cauliflower glazed with black garlic and red miso. Desserts are just as daring – wagyu bone marrow crème brûlée and a maple-bourbon doughnut ice cream sandwich.
Drinks are designed to match the heat, with nine signature cocktails including Smoke & Mirrors (mezcal and bourbon with pineapple and flamed orange), the White Hot Negroni (gin, jalapeño and grapefruit), and The Flame Game, a fiery twist on a margarita.
The space at 94 Middlesex Street features an open kitchen with counter seating for 10, plus a 50-cover dining room. It’s a place where serious cooking meets a laid-back vibe – perfect for feasting with friends without the fuss.