TEMPLE AND SONS
Jason Atherton’s the Social Company launched this City grill venue in November. The Michelin-starred chef’s City Social is located in the neighbouring Tower 42, and executive chef Paul Walsh heads up both venues.
Seating 66 people, Temple and Sons occupies a former Wagamama, with one half of the restaurant overlooking the open kitchen. The other part is more secluded, making it less distracting for a business lunch.
The deli menu, bar and interiors are inspired by “a traditional British grocery store”, with dishes including game sausage roll and Old Spot spiced pork belly sandwich. Some cocktails, such as Yellow Paint (Sailor Jerry spiced rum, Colman’s mustard, elderflower, lemon), are served in milk cartons and cans.
To start, we had the Pork Haslet “mining food” and pickled beetroot salad (£8.50) and cured English meat from Cannon and Cannon (£9). Both were filling and excellent – the pork dish had a sweet and cleansing effect on the taste buds and was a good precursor to the main course of braised Irish short rib, spring onion and coriander (£25).
The fish of the day was sea bream, which was large and delicious, while the sticky toffee pudding with Cornish sea-salted caramel and clotted cream ice cream (£8.50) was lovely and rich. Tom Otley