Warehouse at The Conduit

There are many restaurants that lay claim to seasonally-fluctuating menus with a focus on locally-sourced ingredients, but Warehouse really means it. All diners have to do is turn over the menu to find a list spotlighting all its artisan suppliers and producers - and quite right, too. With the restaurant’s deliberate focus on provenance, sourcing and doing things a little bit differently, we can’t think of anyone better to take up the kitchen reigns than Brendan Eades, ex-head chef at sustainablity-focused restaurant Silo. 

The main restaurant reads like an eclectic living room and warmth oozes through each carefully-designed detail. Burnt orange lighting illuminates turquoise-blue walls and ceilings, while potted foliage, hanging woven lampshades, wooden chairs and stone floors create an all-natural, homely feel – the crux of its design ethos is focused on supporting artisans from the Global South.  

To start, deep-fried cod cheeks coated in a glass-like batter were served with a vibrant green tartare sauce, punchy with vinegar, while roasted pumpkin arrived in a form we’d never encountered before – two crevice-like structures filled with a jammy glaze, dusted with crunchy seeds and served with just-tart crème fraiche. Large plates involved smoke-infused venison medallions drizzled in a blood-rich liquorice sauce alongside earthy beetroot and greens. Even when the main element of the dish is fish or meat, seasonal vegetables still play a prominent role on every plate.  

Both our desserts appeared to be seemingly non-descript on the surface, yet concealed hidden surprises beneath. A white chocolate and chestnut mousse was fashioned into a perfect dome and filled with a pear puree centre, while a bowl of rice pudding (covering a pool of crimson damson jam) could have been mistaken for a crème brulee thanks to its deeply caramelised top. 

Each dish is a culmination of numerous meticulous processes, which knowledgeable staff are more than happy to explain when asked. The food here is clever, thoughtful and surprising in the best possible way. Here’s to more restaurants being like Warehouse.  

Warehouse is a sustainability-focused restaurant in Covent Garden that is led by Brendan Eades, who was previously head chef at ethical restaurant Silo.

Warehouse is found on the ground floor of private members club The Conduit, but is open to both members and the general public. The Conduit is housed inside a six-storey Grade-II listed building and bills itself as a hub for ‘people who are passionate about driving positive social change’.

Warehouse takes its name from the building’s former life as a warehouse which served the original Covent Garden fruit and vegetable market. The dining room can welcome up to 80 guests at one time and boasts a curated, hi-spec look which is made up of hand-painted tiles, hand-woven curtains and baskets, paved flooring, and reclaimed furniture throughout.

The menu here is centred around bold flavours and seasonality, with Warehouse taking pride in its relationships with suppliers, carefully sourcing its ingredients from suppliers with a deep commitment to sustainability, including ancient grain producers, day-boat fish suppliers and organic dairy farmers.

As for the drinks, well-respected mixologist Walter Pintus is heading up the bar. Pintus’s CV includes legendary bars such as The Mandrake, The Connaught and The Ritz, and he has curated a hyper-seasonal list of house cocktails. The recipes focus on simple, elegant blends which use seasonal fruit or syrups, home-made cordials, vinegars and pickles created for out of season periods.

The Conduit first opened its doors at a seven-floor site in Mayfair back in 2018, featuring a restaurant that welcomed acclaimed guest chefs such as Merlin Labron-Johnson, Leonardo Pereira and Massimo Bottura. However, the Mayfair site closed its doors in 2020, making way for this Covent Garden location, which comprises a fifth-floor members-only restaurant and outdoor rooftop terrace, as well as private dining rooms, lounges and co-working spaces.