Tendril

Nasir Khan★★★★★★★★★★5.08 months ago

This came to my attention while trying to arrange a team lunch and looking through the Michelin app to find anything appropriate nearby. I looked up the chef Rishim Sachdeva and was really taken by his approach to food, while I'm not a vegan or vegetarian I am open to trying high quality vegan food, especially the kind that doesn't try to be a version of non-vegan food. I was excited to come with my work colleagues who were all equally intrigued that I would book a vegetarian / vegan restaurant for a team lunch together. I'm happy to say that all of us were suitably impressed. The food was delicious, flavoursome and moreish, we went with the lunch set menu and I opted for the seaweed tempura snack (who knew seaweed could taste so good!), and the brocolli side, along with the mastello main. Everything tasted incredible, and we were all quite stuffed upon heading back to the office. A few of my team members commented that they would be willing to try more vegan food in the future. A clear win here for this type of cuisine and chef Rishim's philosophy. The value proposition of the set lunch is great and I highly recommend it to anyone who reads this. I mentioned the lunch to my wife and she is very excited to visit, I'm certain I will be back.

oliver guiste★★★★★★★★★★4.0a month ago

Joanna Lumley once said, “There is a fine line between being charming and being a pretentious w*****r.” Tendril walks that line with the ambition and grace of the grand finale of a Cirque du Soleil performance. First things first: our server was wonderful. She was attentive, accommodating, charming… no notes. We start with the ambience. In a word: dark. So dark in fact, that even my 20/20 vision was defeated, while my glasses-wearing companions were left essentially dining by echolocation. Just as we’d acclimatised to the mood lighting, they dimmed it even further. At that point we half expected night-vision goggles to arrive with the next course for a fully immersive second act. To be fair, it gave us a genuine laugh, so I’ll allow it. We started with the “mystery ingredient” Tendril espresso martini. This turned out to be an espresso martini that had been gently whispered to by an orange. It was also so strong it could make an alcoholic sweat. Not entirely my preferred texture or ratios, but I can absolutely see people enjoying it — and it was served in one of the most beautiful glasses I’ve ever had the pleasure of drinking from. (Side note: one coffee bean for a garnish is weak. Use three. Prioritise symbolism over cost.) Then came what can only be described as a scale model of an amuse-bouche — amusing, but not especially delicious. Next, the starters, they delivered both the highest highs and lowest lows of the evening. The winter pickles were a complete affront to the concept of a pickle: long ribbons of sour, chewy vegetables masquerading as something they sadly are not. (If these were not the pickles, I do retract my strong opinion. However, if I am correct then let it stand) In contrast, the butter bean parfait with warm pitta restored my faith entirely — rich, comforting, deeply flavourful, seemingly forged from the warmth of the sun itself. The pitta was so heavenly I finally understood what “Body of Christ” was getting at. The side salad accompanying the grilled salsify unfortunately tasted like a you had licked a wet-wipe. I pictured a confused chef being told to “wash the salad” and reluctantly reaching for the fairy liquid whilst convincing themself thats this must be what they meant. The soy-glazed salsify itself, however, was excellent... no notes. Then came the gnocchi. Reader, this was the best gnocchi I have ever eaten. Perfectly cooked, comforting beyond belief — I felt like I had been spoon-fed by an Italian nonna after she told me she’s proud of the man I have become. If you visit Tendril, order this dish. Even if you have to share it. It is the best thing on the menu. Dessert was a sticky toffee pudding that was near faultless. Again... no notes. Ultimately, I’m torn on Tendril. I loved parts of it, while other aspects personally offended me. But we all have at least one friend we feel exactly this way about — and yet we still make time for them. That’s how I feel about this restaurant. I wouldn’t rush back, but I’m glad I went. Lean into both the brilliance and the absurdity, and you may well enjoy the overall experience as much as we did.

Kris Chen★★★★★★★★★★5.04 months ago

We had the dinner set menu and everything was absolutely delicious. Each dish was thoughtfully prepared, and the atmosphere was warm and welcoming, making the whole experience very enjoyable. A special highlight is that they offer an allium-free menu, which is incredibly thoughtful and still full of flavor. Highly recommended.

Zoe Eastwood★★★★★★★★★★5.06 months ago

Everything we had was really great for mostly vegan food. The sauces, dips and pastes are really great in particular to enhance dishes. Some of us went for the set menu and others the a la carte, which is good that you can mix this up, but sort of wouldn't recommend it as the a la carte dishes come out alongside each set course and wouldn't necessarily be ones you'd eat together. Dishes such as the purple potatoes, feta fritters and broccoli side were our favourite. Staff very friendly. All the cocktails we tried were super tasty too!

Janaki Dodia★★★★★★★★★★5.04 months ago

This is one of my favourite restaurants in London. The food is outstanding every time and so creative, I was extremely happy to see the Chinatown potatoes still on the menu because they are an absolute delight! They really celebrate each vegetable. Other highlights: the Brie on toast with truffle and the white bean cream and the sourdough. The service (to order, get the bill) was sadly quite slow but the food was worth the wait.