Checkout; London Leading restaurant

Somewhat on the sly, Henrietta Street
– running off the tourist- and human statue-chocked Covent Garden Piazza has become a proper foodie hotspot.

First Frenchie landed from across the Channel, the London spin-off of the Paris restaurant of the same name that kickstarted the bistronomy movement. Then more Parisians arrived, with the Experimental Cocktail Club’s playfully retro Henrietta Hotel, with a total coup Ollie Dabbous in the kitchen. Dabbous might have moved on to his ambitious new restaurant Hide , but the street’s latest arrival, Cora Pearl, is sure to cement its place as London’s buzziest place to eat right now. The frenziedly anticipated follow-up from the team behind Kitty Fisher’s, Cora Pearl is also named after a well-known 19th century British-born courtesan, who (fittingly, given her new neighbours) plied her trade in Paris .

This alluring little spot certainly ensures a good time too, with a jazzy, bluesy soundtrack humming gently over the turning of rattan ceiling fans above bottle-green velvet banquettes. Bag one of the booths in the window to survey the scene.

THE FOOD

At Kitty Fisher’s it was all about the wood-fire grill, but here chef George Barson (who now oversees both restaurants) applies a lighter touch to the menu but with a similarly simple, ingredient-led style. The snacks and starters are somewhat interchangeable, aimed at sharing by arriving – at least for us – individually as they ready.

Creamy pasta parcels of
cow-curd agnolotti are cut with the summer-garden freshness of a puddle of pea purée and a satisfying crunch of walnuts. Prettily presented slices of
blackened mackerel are dotted with tangy Bloody Mary tomato. And the cheeky comfort food of a cheese-and ham toastie is elevated with tender pulled-pig jowl and Montgomery cheddar in fried-bread fingers. For the main, a gloriously fat, flaky chunk of curried cod partners up beautifully with a rich devilled crab. And what is fish without chips? Here they are perfectly crisp but fluffy, garlic- and thyme-flavoured, triple-cooked, fat Jenga blocks of potato; just the right size and shape to also soak up the last of the little pot of Bordelaise sauce that comes with the flushed-pink veal fillet. Afterwards, decadently, there are more desserts on the menu than mains, including a trifle for six, but it’s the cherry-topped round of Earl Grey ice cream with buttery frozen sablé that will make you really swoon.