FOWL by Fallow

The team behind Fallow have applied their Midas touch to this chicken-focused pop-up in St James’s. Renting a space practically next door to its original site, FOWL is a sustainable, beak-to-feet concept which aims to use as much of the bird as it can across a series of head-turning dishes.  

This venture is decidedly more casual, with a no-bookings policy and laminated menus depicting the word FOWL in red capital letters. On paper, one might imagine something akin to a late-night chicken shop, but FOWL is swish and seductive. The split-level space features an intimate mezzanine and a sleek underlit bar backed by a wall of spirits and wine bottles. It's pretty dark inside too, with sultry, low-level lighting giving strong date night vibes. 

Despite its slightly serious setting, the food is playful, fun and surprising in the best possible way. Szechuan honey chicken wings coated in a thick, crunchy batter are served in a takeaway cardboard box - a la chicken shop. Elsewhere, an inspired take on an American corn dog sees a rib-sticking mix of chicken thigh, soft batter and mustard engineered around an actual chicken leg – lest we forget where we are. Its signature fried chicken burger is thickly battered, ultra crisp and slathered in hot cheese sauce. At £18 a pop, you're looking at central London prices, but this is well-executed, high-quality, properly satisfying food that won’t leave you feeling out of pocket.  

The real curve ball comes with dessert. A smooth, chicken fat crème caramel served with broken pieces of baklava, and a giant profiterole that’s brought to life, remarkably, by the rich savouriness of chicken skin. 

FOWL feels like a fun project for the Fallow team and, even if it’s doesn’t stick around forever, we’d highly recommend popping by while you still can.  

FOWL is the latest venture from the team behind Fallow, popping up in St James's for the forseeable future. The concept is chicken, in every which way you can imagine, but as its tag line states - particularly from beak-to-feet. 

Open from Monday to Saturday and operating on a walk-in only basis, the space is relaxed, stylish and has a vague air of diner about it. With plenty of natural light and a spacious feel, it's perfect for lunch or dinner with friends, especially if food is a regular talking point. 

Because, here it really is all about the food. While the base might seem pretty straight forward, the team and guest chefs have gone above and beyond to create a unique twists on universally loved dishes. For main plates, there's a curated selection which include chicken liver parfait with black cherries and sourdough soliders, alongside triple crisp chicken fillet bun with lettuce and cheese sauce, and hen of the wood bun, with smoked mayonaisse and cheese sauce. 

You can also get stuck into the confit chicken oyster rice with chicken gravy, as well as chicken ceaser salad with pickled lemon and anchovy. For snacks, there's salt and sour peppers, as well as cornbread with chicken and herb butter, and a delicious array of sides to boot. Choose between hot pepper rice, house slaw with sesame and chilli, alongside pepper and corn cobblets and Koffman's chicken fries. Or, you know, don't choose at all and enjoy them all.

Now, while you might think that a menu built entirely on chicken dishes would fall short when it comes to dessert, these guys are here to prove you absolutely wrong. We can't get enough of the sound of chicken skin profiteroles or the chicken fat creme caramel which sounds like a must-try.