Just opened in a tight corner of Neal’s Yard, British restaurant Native has already been getting attention thanks to its beautiful food photography and River Cottage alumnus. We ate there last night to discover whether all the fuss is justified…
What do you get when you cross a falconer, an ex-River Cottage chef and a former surfing shop in Covent Garden? Well, in our experience: a creative, great-value modern British meal and a hearty welcome. Native started out as a preserves business, then owners Imogen Davis (bird expert) and Ivan Tisdall-Downes (chef-patron) took the pop-up restaurant route to this permanent site, bringing foraged ingredients and a daily changing menu of ‘native’ Britain to Neal’s Yard. The compact space comprises one table and a few counter seats beside the kitchen, along with a snug basement dining room decorated with plants and tree bark. The kitchen is entirely open to the ground floor: foodies should make a bee line for the counter seats, where everything is on show; if you prefer to eat in peace, choose a table downstairs.
Sourcing much from Kent and Devon, the kitchen team create the likes of fallow tagine with wild garlic, or wood-pigeon kebab with beetroot hummus and pickled cabbage. On our visit, vivid yellow pickled pear was overpowered by intense slices of Lincolnshire Poacher cheese, but a carefully cooked roast hake fared much better with its partner of deep-fried cauliflower pakora, creating a tasty contrast of soft flesh and crisp spiciness. A comforting plate of venison hash beneath a fried egg and broad-bean tops arrived in a generous portion for £11. Our highlight, however, was the rhubarb and custard dessert; scattered with chunks of coriander honeycomb and infused with meadowsweet, the dish was a balanced blend of sweet, sticky, fragrant and fresh in one mouthful.
To accompany such delights, the drinks list is as small as the menu, championing Gloucestershire’s Three Choirs vineyard alongside European wines (all available by the glass), as well as simple cocktails.
But Native’s trump card is undoubtedly the atmosphere: one of stripped-back informality and genuine friendliness. Anyone seeking a fairly priced, fresh British meal at a restaurant buoyed along by sheer enthusiasm should look no further.
Find out more and book a table at Native here
This article was published 18 February 2016