I seem to be heading Southwark way frequently of late. I love Southwark Street, so I have no apologies for this. Heading back to the little vibrant Flat Iron Square, my companion and I – who I’d also enjoyed Bar Duoro with – tried out Lupins, a cute tapas spot which sits somewhere between the Food Arch and a restaurant proper on Union Street. My Bermondsey-based foodie cousin and founder of the Urban Kitchen had insisted that I try Lupins and so I knew this was likely to be a find.
Lupins occupies two rooms on the fringes of the Food Arch: downstairs, besides the open kitchen fringed with stools; and the apparently slightly more sophisticated upstairs dining room. In keeping with my love of bar stools, my companion had managed to nab two bar stools positioned right in front of the kitchen where the food was being rustled up. I loved watching the food being plated; it certainly made my indecision between the choice of the Charred cabbage with grapes and the Buratta and pumpkin dishes an easier one!
Lupins’ menu changes frequently; there are always lighter dishes and many starring vegetables. Lupins promises “seasonal British produce with a splash of sunshine”: at its base something familiar, the finished item a frisson of delicious novelty. And today it did exactly that, particularly given that my seasonal pumpkin plate was a golden orange hue in tone. Tonight I went for the Buratta and pumpkin (£10), seasoned with dukkah and a balsamic glaze. It was utterly simple but completely seductive, as buratta so often is: oozing, creamy, and undoubtedly a better version of mozzarella. This dish was meticulously well-seasoned.
Lupins would be perfect for a date. Especially if you order the carafe of vino (which was only the house white) that my companion and I did for the evening. It was a beautiful balanced vintage, which had reached a perfect balance between a sweet and citrsy flavour that made it perfectly drinkable.
I like Lupins. Probably because it very sits well within Flat Iron Square. But also because it serves excellent wine against a backdrop of seasonally changing plates. Whilst the food is nothing overly ground-breaking, Lupins as a whole is good stuff.
Lupins, 66 Union Street, London, SE1
Website: http://www.lupinslondon.com/
Rating: ****
Yumtini 