Kudu, London W1: ‘i’ve Found A New Way To Enjoy Bread And Butter’ – Restaurant Review

A preservation astatine South African edifice Kudu’s caller location successful Marylebone threw up galore questions. Can a well-loved Peckham edifice really relocate to fancy-pants Marylebone and clasp its homespun charm? And, what is simply a “Kudu kit kat”, and could it moreover remotely seizure nan joys of my red-wrappered, lifelong support system? The KitKat is, aft all, a creation classic, truthful tampering pinch it makes maine uneasy.

Within moments of being seated, however, different mobility arose: really galore miles do you request to tally to counteract nan aftereffects of Kudu’s breadstuff pinch curried butter, which comes melted, glossy and pinch mildly fried curried leaves? Grab hunks of this lukewarm breadstuff and worldly them greedily into your mouth. It’s an eat-as-if-no-one’s watching benignant of starter, which went down good successful Peckham, but successful Marylebone, nan women deterioration achromatic trouser suits and pale, unspongeable fabrics, truthful let’s dream there’s a bully barren cleaner adjacent by.

More than 1 passerby mouths appreciative things astir my grilled peri peri tiger prawns – astatine Kudu, London W1.

Kudu’s erstwhile incarnation surely planted a emblem for South African cuisine, favouring braai cookery, biltong scratchings and an extended South African vino list. Here, successful its posh caller 2nd life, expect much of that earthy, live-fire approach. A portion of confit trout disconnected nan braai was really very good: crisp, well-seasoned skin, pouring flakes and a big of oversea veg and pickles. We ate it pinch a broadside of rich, crisp beef-fat fingerling potatoes. Meanwhile, nan braai pork chop – a whopper – comes pinch “monkey gland” condiment and much pickles. Fear not: nary monkeys were harmed during nan making of this sauce, truthful please do not converge connected W1 brandishing angry banners (it’s really a benignant of dark-brown, crisp but saccharine chutney-ketchup hybrid pinch ail and Worcestershire sauce).

While nan decor of this caller abstraction sets retired its stall arsenic South African, this is decidedly not a themed restaurant. The lighting is campfire twinkly, and nan vibe sexy safari chic. It’s soft and plush, pinch an abundance of mirrors and textured pinkish and peach surfaces. There are shimmering greenish tiles astir nan unfastened braai, and tasteful murals of scampering antelopes. In fact, it whitethorn good beryllium London’s prettiest edifice of 2025 truthful far. Still, Kudu’s move will not please everyone, because successful nan process not only did Peckham suffer nan edifice Kudu, but besides 3 different ventures: Kudu Grill, Smokey Kudu and Curious Kudu were closed, too, aliases alternatively amalgamated into this bright, twinkly turbo-Kudu. Was this a risk? Absolutely.

Kudu’s ‘really very good’ confit trout braai.

Still, connected nan Sunday lunchtime of nan 3rd week of opening, Kudu Marylebone seems to person deed nan crushed running. Folk loiter by nan door, sniffing astir for a cancellation, and while we beryllium successful our model spot nibbling connected charred sweetener snaps successful a rich | walnut sauce, much than 1 passer-by approaches nan glass, peers wrong and mouths appreciative things astir nan look of my braai king prawns pinch a peri peri condiment that was possibly a spot excessively subtle aft that curry butter. Kudu intelligibly has kerb appeal, moreover if I occasionally felt a spot for illustration a baboon astatine Regent’s Park zoo.

Lunch began pinch an instruction from our server that nan breadstuff was a must-order, aliases chef-patron Patrick Williams would beryllium offended. It was a joke, evidently … aliases was it? We complied, and soon a cookware of lukewarm breadstuff appeared pinch that aforementioned vat of curried butter; different options characteristic house-cured bacon and shrimp food pinch almonds. Bread and food is undoubtedly 1 of nan loveliest mouthfuls connected God’s awesome earth, and present I’ve recovered a caller measurement to bask it. We ordered a information of smoked prawn crullers, which were itsy-bitsy, posh 1970s dinner-party tarts filled pinch prawns, miso and pickled shallots.

Delicious, but thing for illustration a KitKat: that Kudu kit kat dessert.

Considering this was a Sunday successful precocious summer, nan vibe was thing short of buzzy: aged Kudu customers turned up pinch children and grandparents, and copious rounds of Kalahari biltong were ordered alongside trays of Saffa Ritas (tequila, chilli, Supasawa and Cointreau). Having grown up sighing my measurement done British Methodist church-based Sundays, I ever consciousness a spot uneasy erstwhile I spot group enjoying their precocious play – successful this lawsuit pinch achromatic bream pinch zhoug food rotis and ample glasses of acold Zwartland achromatic – erstwhile they should beryllium indoors watching Harry Secombe’s Highway, seeking retired a Viennetta and worrying astir Monday.

The Kudu kit kat, by nan way, is simply a vessel of rich | cocoa mousse pinch saccharine kumquats and foamy marshmallows, toasted tableside pinch a chic group of basking irons, arsenic if we were camping successful nan wilds of nan Kruger nationalist park. It was perfectly thing for illustration a KitKat, but I was wholly connected committee and happy to push my boundaries. Kudu is already a delight, and nan champion of luck pinch getting a table. Marylebone’s wildlife is circling, and they’re fresh for dinner.

• Kudu 7 Moxon Street, London W1, 020-3393 6330. Open each week, luncheon noon-3pm (Sat 10am-3pm, Sun 11.30am-3pm), meal 6-10pm (Sun 6-9pm). From astir £60 a caput à la carte, positive drinks and service.

• The adjacent section of Grace’s Comfort Eating podcast is retired connected Tuesday 30 September – perceive to it here.