Kitchen Table

Review Highlights

Alexander visits Kitchen Table on Charlotte Street in London, joined by friends and armed with special bottles they've brought to pay corkage. The famously snug space seats just 20 guests around a single U-shaped table in the kitchen, with a full view of chef James Knappett — a Gordon Ramsay, Per Se, and Noma alumnus — and his team working in choreographed sync. Opened in 2012 with his wife Sandia Chang, the restaurant has held two Michelin stars since 2018 and changes its menu daily around the best British produce available that morning. They settle into the €300 tasting menu, adding the €60 caviar upgrade on the scallop without hesitation.

• ·Oyster taco-style — kohlrabi base filled with a creamy sauce made from oyster skirts, finished with pickled jalapeños and fresh herbs. "A beautiful, slightly sweet acidity" that "stayed on my tongue for a long time"
• ·Hand-dived Orkney scallops served raw, straight from the shell, dressed with N25 Oscietra caviar and a Meyer lemon syrup — the €60 supplement course. "Ultra fresh and just the perfect dish"
• ·Whipped crab tartlet with marmalade made from apples, green strawberries, and elderflower, finished with wild fennel pollen — served alongside a white meat dish with warm apple soup. "They're cooking at a very high level"
• ·Fish with homemade magnolia chutney, pickled samphire, and a sauce made from roasted fish bones and champagne — "Chef James hit another bullseye with this one"
• ·Lobster tail with scrambled eggs cooked with the lobster brain, sitting on caramelized mango, toasted peanuts, and coriander stems, surrounded by a sauce from roasted shells — "The flavors, the textures, the temperatures all sensational. I'm floored by this incredible dish"
• ·Agnolotti filled with pumpkin baked with brown sugar, garlic, and thyme, topped with 36-month-aged parmesan sauce, Scottish girolle mushrooms, and black garlic — the aged parmesan sauce is "amazing" and prompts Alexander to wonder: "Could this be my new favorite kitchen in London?"
• ·North Yorkshire duck cooked in its own fat — with a sauce from roasted bones infused with black pepper and wild elderberries, a sausage made from the legs, salted Yorkshire rhubarb, and damson ketchup. "Perfectly cooked, tender, and juicy"
• ·Blackberry soup with sweet corn ice cream and oil made from corn husks — "I'm not sure what sorcery this is, but it's sinfully delicious. It's sweet, it's sour, and just really interesting. I can't even find the words"

Alexander describes Kitchen Table as a glass filled completely to the brim — the flavors are so maximized while remaining balanced that even a pinch of salt could tip the scale. "It's that sharpness of flavor that makes me truly love a kitchen. Because it's difficult, it's risky, and it's impressive." He calls it a confident menu that doesn't hold back or play it safe, and for cooking like this he's happy to give up comfort and space. "I will even make space at the top of my list. Kitchen Table is my new favorite kitchen in London."

About

Kitchen Table is a two-Michelin-starred restaurant hidden on Charlotte Street in London's Fitzrovia, behind what was once Bubbledogs, a champagne and gourmet hot dog bar. Opened in 2012 by husband-and-wife team James Knappett and Sandia Chang — both Noma alumni — it seats just 20 guests around a single U-shaped counter in the open kitchen, where the menu changes daily based on the best British produce available that morning. Chef Knappett's CV includes Restaurant Gordon Ramsay, Petrus, and Thomas Keller's Per Se, and Kitchen Table earned its first Michelin star in 2015 and its second in 2018.