Don't be fooled by the hyper-central and, at least at first sight, slightly touristy Drury Lane location of TOWN Restaurant, the latest gastronomic venture of acclaimed chef and food writer Stevie Parle: unlike many of the other overcrowded streets of Covent Garden, there is nothing that isn't worth experiencing at this new dining address in London's West End. Should it ever get so busy that, just like at one of the nearby theaters, you have to queue outside to secure yourself a seat, I would happily endure the wait. So long as I am assured that, sizzling on the opposite end of the building, a fried-to-perfection, sweet and sour entrée of heather honey and chilli-battered sage leaves is ready for me the moment I come in.
Call me impatient, call me ... hungry, but nothing makes me feel more — and more immediately — looked after at an eatery than a snack that arrives before I have even had the chance to look at the menu. When I visit TOWN Restaurant on a summery Thursday afternoon, this bowl of tempura-style, puffed-up goodness is a very welcome treat: a moreish, crispy appetizer you are bound to get addicted to after the first bite, with its essentially delicious recipe, it makes the perfect way into Parle's worldly-inspired understanding of British sustainable cuisine. Sitting on one of the red leather and velvet banquettes that girdle the eatery's right-hand side, the garish façade of the 1990s-fueled bar, karaoke, and pizzeria that stands opposite feels light years away, almost literally.
