Native is one of the best example of how “eat British” doesn’t necessarily mean only fish & chips and sausage & mash. Stupidly cute restaurant in the London Bridge area, close to Burough Market, its main strength is the fact that it serves only the best seasonal and foraged products that the UK has to offer. With a clear mission to enhance simple and sustainable ingredients, Native is certainly one of the most interesting restaurants you can find in the crowded London scene.
At Native you can eat “a la carte” or choose to go for the tasting menu, in a full or short version. We opted for the complete tasting menu and were really impressed with the creativity and care the chefs put into not only the preparation but also the presentation.
We started off in the best way, with some amuse bouche cooked with ingredients that would normally go to waste (like parts of vegetables we usually throw away). Then we continue with the main courses and some of those definitely took the prize of “most creative delicious dish of the night”: my favourite ones were a confit egg yolk with wild mushrooms, venison with jerusalem artichokes and duck with butternut squash puree.
From start to finish, the chefs will take you through a journey that will make you wait on the edge of your seat, waiting for the next amazing dish. Bread and focaccia are also made daily at the restaurant from organic stone ground flour: you can visit their website and find out all about their vendors and suppliers. In this case you can see the authenticity behind the choice of the very best produce you can find in Great Britain and not the attempt to catch the hipster crowd.
It’s not exactly cheap, but the quality of the ingredients and the variety of amazingly creative dishes make it so worth it to pay a visit to Native: find a reason to celebrate (it’s Friday! My birthday is in two weeks! …anything counts) book a table and be happy.
Native 32 Southwark Street, London Bridge, London, SE1 1TU – Opening Times: Tuesday to Saturday, Lunch 12.30 – 14.30. Dinner 18.00 – 22.00 – To book: bookings@eatnative.co.uk or call 07507 861 570
