The Decor/Vibe
Pink and green! They have our favourite prep-tastic colours here; add that to velvet and warm lighting, and this restaurant was made for team UJ. Escape the bustle of Theatreland and dip into this cosy respite.
The Food
In line with a lot of the du jour restaurants of late, Nutshell serves Iranian dishes, for sharing, that need some explanation. Start with the Bazaar Bread, which is made in house in a brick oven and is delicious. Mast-O-Khiar from the mezze menu is what you need to accompany it (it’s a tzatziki-esque dip with roasted pistachios and rose petals), followed by the Brik Sambusch (turmeric and potato in bric pastry, which admittedly we didn’t have, but wish we did). For mains, the meat dishes stood out – oxtail dumplings with sour cherries were a highlight; and for sides, get the Tahdig chips which were layered, crisp potatoes that definitely didn’t look easy to make.
The Drinks
Here, you need to start with a cocktail. A ‘Mexican in Tehran’ (including lioo, or black lime-infused tequila) or Yazd sour (with pink pepper pisco) would be our picks, and they also have a large mocktail section, likely paying homage to their heritage. The spiced gin selection is interesting, and wines by the glass are carefully selected.
Highlights
St Martins Lane isn’t known for its local spots; this feels like a real gem in the West End rough.
