Cinder, St John's Wood

St John’s Wood High Street is a miniature Marylebone.

With high-end British designers, premier delicatessens and plenty of al fresco dining, there’s an elevated yet unstuffy feel to the place which acts as bellows to the flame.

Cinder, a “fire-led” rosette restaurant, is the perfect spot for a business lunch with an established client, or to round off an adventurous third date at Lord’s Cricket Ground or Abbey Road Studios.

Head Chef, Jake Finn, has worked at some of London’s most prestigious establishments, including The Ritz and La Petite Maison, so it’s no surprise that his own London restaurant has an iconic feel.

Sharing plates are the order of the day with stone bass crudo, beetroot à la herby ricotta and moreish focaccia with which to mop up your whipped beurre noisette. Never before has butter enjoyed the thickness and creamy texture of a pâté.

To drink, a rose spritz mocktail makes for a refreshing start to proceedings. The wine list, although not extensive, will spare you a huge amount of indecision, which will already have been tested by the tapas-style menu.

Simply select a glass, carafe or bottle from a list of old-world classics or the more contemporary orange Bordeaux, aptly named L’Allumée.

The charred cauliflower’s peaso, hot sauce and parmesan whip is good enough to eat with a tablespoon, and the tender sirloin with black lime, salt and chives delivers smoky slices of heaven, for those who prefer a more igneous interpretation of the afterlife.

Dessert continues the fiery theme with satisfying consistency. Crème Brûlée is a natural crowd pleaser on this front, and s’mores with a tobacco-like depth are given light relief by chocolate ice cream and the crunch of homemade cookies.

Torched tasting notes are the take-away from Cinder, who will kindly box up any devastatingly tempting offerings which you didn’t quite find room for, and reliving the Cinder experience by way of tiffin tin is almost as exciting as the first lighting of the wick.

cinderrestaurant.co.uk

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