James Innes-Smith
London’s healthiest restaurants
Without 'drastic government action' a recent report has warned, obese adults in the UK are set to outnumber those who are a healthy weight within five years. By 2040 nearly four in ten adults in the UK, that's 21 million people, are projected to be obese, with 19 million classed as overweight. The so-called obesity crisis is costing NHS England more than £6 billion a year while according to a recent World Health Organisation report, within ten years Britain is set to become the fattest nation in Europe, overtaking both Turkey and Malta.
Keen not to be seen to be too nannyish but knowing he has to do something if only 'to save our NHS' the government is caught between a rock and a heavy place. You know things are bad when Britain's most loveable chef Jamie Oliver starts wielding bowls of Eton Mess outside Downing Street. He's accusing the government of using families’ suffering amid that other calamity, the cost-of-living crisis, as an 'excuse' to delay tackling obesity; he seems particularly peeved that the banning of two-for-one offers has been shelved. Boris Johnson has defended the delay, saying the government was having to be 'flexible'.
Last month however the Tories did manage to introduce one of its oft-trumpeted measures, mandatory calorie labelling for restaurants with 250 or more employees. These larger establishments must now display calorie counts 'clearly and prominently at the point of choice'. My local McDonalds for instance lists the new McPlant Burger as having 420 calories, much the same as the double cheeseburger proving that plant based foods aren’t necessarily the healthiest options. Although the scheme began well with customers ordering less of the stodgy stuff, it has now been revealed that the novelty of knowing that your favourite grub might be the death of you has worn off. Nisha Katona, the owner of the Mowgli Street Food chain, which has around fifteen restaurants, has said the new rules on calorie counts had not affected sales. Ben Tish, the chef director of Cubitt House group of gastro pubs concurs, 'I don’t think there will be much of a long-term change. Burgers and fish and chips are still our most popular dishes.'
Most neighbourhood restaurants of course employ far less than 250 staff and so are not obliged to show calorie counts but London still has a bewildering array of restaurants that are now revealing the calorie count of each meal on the menu. Before I share the best, here are four tips for healthy eating when dining out:
1. Always ask for dressings and sauces on the side
2. Remove skin and excess fat from meats
3. Resist the lure of the bread basket
4. Portion control, portion control, portion control
Aqua Kyoto
Japan has one of the lowest obesity rates in the developed world with only 4.4 per cent of the population categorised as obese. The traditional Japanese diet contains plenty of vegetables, fish, soybean products and rice while portions are noticeably smaller than in Europe meaning you can't really go wrong. On the fifth floor of the old Dickins and Jones department store on Regent Street Aqua Koyoto has taken the whole Japanese vibe and run with it. Popular with Soho media types, the place is always buzzing. The accompanying hi energy dance music may not be to everyone's taste but the menu is unlikely to disappoint. You'll find a great selection of hand crafted sushi and sashimi from the people who made Sushi Samba such a hit with city boys and girls. For a light, calorie conscious meal head to the newly opened outdoor terrace set high above the bustle of Regent Street and enjoy a glass of chilled sake with an order of spicy tuna rolls and crisp crab salad.
Cocotte
Meat lovers probably already know that fresh chicken contains the least amount of saturated fat (once you've removed all that succulent skin of course). That said not all chicken establishments are concerned with your wellbeing or indeed the chickens', not mentioning any names of course - but at Cocotte, a light and airy restaurant in Shoreditch, the free-range birds are all sourced from the Evron commune, Pays de la Loire in France. Theses are then marinated for twenty-four hours in a secret blend of herbs and spices before being slow cooked and finished on a spit. Founder and chef, Romain Bourrillon takes flavours and inspiration from his many years working in restaurants across France, NYC, Belgium, & London. The mains are ample but if you do decide to go for a starter, the chicken soup is nourishing and light. Order a quarter chicken per person - remember portion control people - and choose your sides wisely. Avoid the truffle mac and cheese for obvious reasons (I know it's tough) and go for the tenderstem broccoli or roasted cauliflower with oyster mushrooms instead. When ordering the green salad with walnuts, remember to ask for dressings on the side - these are often the most calorific part of a meal.
Farmacy
Everything on the menu at Farmacy is plant-based and free from dairy, refined sugars, additives and chemicals. Local Notting Hill trustafarians expect nothing less of course and the place even has its own 'Demeter certified biodynamic farm (look it up) ', where vegetables and fruit are delivered to west London each week by electric van. The founder Camilla Fayed is fanatical about plant-based diets and with Farmacy she hopes to 'challenge conventional food systems and make the link between the farm and plate as explicit as possible.' Anything that isn’t grown on the farm is sourced from local, sustainable and 'environmentally conscious' suppliers. So far, so 2022 but what about the food itself; well the spinach, spirulina, courgette, peas, carrot and mint soup is deliciously light while the Asian salad comes with generous amounts of broccoli, cucumber and enoki mushrooms and a sesame ginger dressing. The 'burger' is made from walnut and beetroot with a sweet goji berry ketchup on the side (gluten free is available). The 'Earth Bowls' include a purple soba miso bowl with purple sweet potatoes, edamame beans, crispy enoki mushrooms and miso dressing. For pudding you might want to share a raw chocolate tart on a bed of crunchy caramelised quinoa with a scoop of house ice cream and raspberry sauce (go on, you deserve the occasional treat).
Koya
Over the past decade or so, London has seen an explosion of paired back counter style Udon and Ramen 'bars' and for anyone who has spent time in Japan these no nonsense in-out establishments feel like the real deal. Koya in the heart of Soho has a narrow wooden counter facing the kitchen where a largely Japanese clientele sit shoulder to shoulder feasting on nourishing broths loaded with vegetables and succulent noodles. Opened in 2010 the place already feels like a Soho fixture but that hasn’t stopped them from opening branches in Hackney and the City. Head chef Shuko is a master of hot and cold udon and his legendary Hiyashi Saba with smoked mackerel and green leaves combines taste and healthiness in a uniquely Japanese way - oh and you won't find any obesity round here.
Mildreds
Founders Jane Muir and Diane Thomas opened the first branch of Mildreds in 1988 at a run down building in Greek Street. This was back when Soho was still seen as edgy and vegetarian restaurants served stodgy brown rice in earthenware bowls to hairy blokes in sandals. Muir and Thomas decided to buck the trend by offering fresh, good value international vegetarian cuisine to a growing breed of health conscious Londoner. Thirty-four years later and Mildreds has expanded with branches in Camden, Dalston and King's Cross. Popular with hungry theatregoers their latest venture on St Martin's Lane in the heart of Covent Garden offers a range of unusual dishes including mercimek kofte, pea and pomegranate freeka with dill tahini and kimchi fried rice with tofu. Whet your appetite with a Sassy Summer Cup cocktail, a refreshing mix of calvados, summer berries and rose cider.
Detox Kitchen
According to their window display Detox Kitchen in Fitzrovia is where 'healthy meets delicious'. At this simple deli on Mortimer Street - there's also a branch on Kingly Street behind Liberty - the focus is on creating nutritious, wholesome food using good quality, seasonal ingredients cooked from scratch daily in their kitchen. 80percent of the ingredients are from local UK suppliers and they will even advice you on how to get the most from a healthy diet. For breakfast they offer a range of smoothies and juices and for lunch or dinner you can either build your own salad or choose from a range of tasty bowls such as the Hawaiian Japanese Fusion that includes mixed quinoa, flaked lemon salmon, teriyaki aubergine and tamari seeds. If you've overdone it with the smoothies, nip down to the basement for a work out at The Louisa Drake Method boutique fitness studio.
Holy Carrot
The amusingly titled Holy Carrot is a plant-based restaurant located at Urban Retreat in Knightsbridge, home to a range of upmarket wellness establishments. 'The Carrot's' vegan menu focuses on ethically sourced, seasonal produce prepared in what they describe as a 'mindful manner'; hence, all dishes are gluten-free, sugar-free as well as being free from preservatives and additives. They offer all day dining and an interestingly eclectic menu. Start with some Isle of Wight tomato ceviche followed by a deceptively crabby “crab” burger made with hearts of palm, lobster mushroom and watercress. You should definitely go for a cocktail at the Holy Bar, a cosy zen space inspired by the surrealism of Salvador Dali and Peter Pan’s Neverland. It's an Aladdin's cave of antique silver mirrors, a crystal chandelier, a fireplace full of candles and a striking stained glass window. Each of the twelve cocktails on offer represents a tarot archetype. Choose well friend…
Atis
Opened by former Noble Rot sommelier Eleanor Warder and her husband, Atis is a health conscious café and restaurant in Shoreditch’s newly opened Atlas Building just off Old Street roundabout. The couple's mantra is ‘good for the body, the soul and the planet’ and they have an activist's zeal when it comes to healthy eating, encouraging diners to make change happen by 'asking questions, trying new things and standing up for what you believe in.' In short they want to make plant-based nutrition the new norm and it's hard not to get swept up in all the enthusiasm as you tuck into one of their colourful bowls. Add an aromatic salad or spiced lentils with turmeric roasted cauliflower for a hearty lunch. You can also build your own salad bowl from the wide selection of ingredients and toppings on offer. Breakfast options include seasonal porridge, granola, and the inevitable avo-on-toast. Bowls are available for takeaway (in recyclable containers natch). All unsold food is collected by food waste app Karma.
Jurema Terrace at The Mandrake
Step inside the Mandrake hotel and you enter a verdant oasis far from the madness of nearby Oxford Street. Book a table on the Jurema Terrace, an outdoor space overlooking the courtyard filled with exotic foliage including giant 150-year-old Tasmanian Ferns. The remarkable hanging garden is replete with jasmine and passionflowers. Kick back and enjoy a summer inspired Oshun cocktail of Bombay Sapphire gin infused gynostenma herb, yuzu saki, shudachi sherbert and champagne. The light South American inspired small dishes include a tangy scallop, tomitillo and mango ceviche and a sashimi of yellowtail, red chilli and sweet potato. If it's too cold on the terrace head for the equally verdant indoor spaces where velvety opulence abounds. For those with a spiritual bent the hotel can organise Soul Healing Sessions, Crystalline Sound Baths, Gong Baths, Crystal Facials and Readings. Or book a consultation and create a ritual or treatment programme designed to address your own personal needs. Far out man.