From the fantastic duo behind the beautiful Tart column in the Evening Standard comes Wild by Tart, a restaurant set in the attractive Eccleston Yard. Jemima Jones and Lucy Carr-Ellison’s recipes are always seasonal, produce-led and full of wonderful spices – an eclectic interplay of Middle Eastern, South American and European flavours – and now London can enjoy that food exactly as imagined.
Set in Belgravia’s trendy newish hub, Eccleston Yard, the space is multi-purpose: bar (which would be perfect for a date), deli and kiosk, retail store, events space, photography studio and restaurant. During the day, the deli serves up daily-changing salads, smoothies and, unsurprisingly, tarts! The interiors store, meanwhile, is a lifestyle treasure trove of their own range of homeware, kaftans, wine tumblers, silk napkins, plus an assortment of trinkets from their favourite designers and artisans – the “nice to have” stuff.
The restaurant itself is equally beautiful: think rows of wooden dining tables, comfy velvet lounge seating, a high glass-panelled ceiling dating back to the 19th century with hanging plants and best of all, an open kitchen with counter seating. It’s all very instagrammable, but more importantly, the open kitchen gives you a great view of the wood burning oven and charcoal grill. Those features are the best part of the food here.
The menu is the perfect mix of Bites, Plates and “From the Grill” and “From the Wood Oven” dishes – many of which are vegan. From the grill, we couldn’t resist both veggie dishes. First came the Grilled cauliflower with tahini, Chinese chives, burnt chilli oil and crispy rice (£9.50). Though a small portion, the smokey flavour of the dish was game-changing, transforming this humble vegetable to a centre stage showpiece. The gentle crunch of the crispy rice was irresistible, as was the creamy tahini base above which lay the grilled cauliflower, perfectly blackened just ever so slightly from its gentle grilling treatment.
Next up was the Grilled hispi cabbage brassicas, smoked hollandaise & burnt lemon (£8.50). This was surprisingly good and testament to the power of grilling. Even without the hollandaise sauce (served at the side) the cabbage had enough flavour to stand as a dish in its own right, especially with a squeeze of the grilled half lemon presented alongside.
We also ordered the hearty stew of Butterbean, saffron Winter tomato & maple sheep’s curd (£14.50). This is the perfect bowl for a winter’s evening, with robust slithers of garlic adding to the body of this bowl and giving just the right kick of flavour.
Finally, their Sides are not to miss, particularly the Crispy Jerusalem artichoke, rosemary, salt & garlic toum (£7.00). These chip-like veggies were totally moreish and roasted to perfection: crispy on the outside with a melt-in-the-mouth centre. The vegan garlic dip was also intriguing and the strength of the garlic married well with a robust veggie like the artichoke.
The flavours at Wild by Tart are big and exciting – just how I love them. Each plate was a variety of textures, colours and taste. Though the restaurant and deli aren’t yet open on the weekends, plans are underway for that to happen soon. I can’t wait to return for a lunch or better yet, a long weekend brunch.
Wild by Tart, 3-4 Eccleston Yards, Belgravia, London SW1W 9AZ
Rating: ****
Website: https://wildbytart.com/
Yumtini 