I have wanted to try Novikov on Berkeley Street in London since it opened, but hadn’t had the opportunity, or company, until last week. Mr G from the “corner shop” and I were due to have dinner together and he suggested Novikov “if I was paying”. It sounded reasonable, at the time.
We were due to meet in the Lounge Bar at 6.30pm and dine around 7.30pm in the Asian Restaurant, one of two, the other being Italian, in the same space. The first thing you need to know is that Novikov London is vast. Well over 400 covers, 2 restaurants and a basement lounge bar. This is dining on a grand scale but you also need to know a little bit more about Novikov, or should I be more precise and say Arkady Novikov, to understand what is going on.
He is Russia’s most famous and successful restaurateur. Arkady Novikov is the head of a gastronomic empire with more than 50 restaurants throughout Moscow. During my time in that City I have used several of his restaurants and it is always entertaining, and often the food is very good. This isn’t always the case and the Muscovite way of doing things can sometimes get in the way of having a great meal. Don’t get me wrong, I don’t mean the restaurant staff, but the customers. The fashionable and quality end of the restaurant scene attracts some interesting “characters”.
There is no doubt that Arkady Novikov has done well since 1992 when he opened his first restaurant. He is synonymous with “the place to be seen in” and that is why, dear readers, he has now landed, well and truly, on the London restaurant scene. If you read the blurb he has an enviable clientele including Vladimir Putin, Bill Clinton and Naomi Campbell. The opening of Novikov Restaurant & Bar in the heart of London, is a big statement. Rumours abound about the capital cost of the site. Some say it exceeded £20 million, which if true, makes the return on investment almost impossible, despite the turnover. However you all need to understand that if any restaurant is going to be the highest grossing in London, this may well be it, with a bit of luck.
Set across three floors, the venue has been created by Geometry Design from Moscow and was overseen by Keir Townsend, Project Managers. The end result is startling, subtle and brash in equal measure, but impressive from any angle. The concept is subdivided into three distinctive spaces – the Asian Restaurant, the Italian Restaurant and the Novikov Bar – all with very different interior styling. The lighting is worth a visit on its own, to see how it changes through the evening. You arrive through the front door on Berkeley Street and immediately arrive at a bar counter, with hostess station. Beautifully dressed (and beautiful) people surround you quickly to check your reservation and send you in the right direction. The initial contact was a little confrontational until they knew I had a reservation. I suppose I didn’t quite fit the typical profile they were expecting.
We were booked into the Asian Restaurant, a 130 seat contemporary-style eatery, on the ground floor, but I was offered the Lounge Bar while waiting for my colleague from the “corner shop”. I went downstairs and was impressed by the scale of the room, with much of it feeling like a library with comfortable seating. I sat and waited for my order to be taken, whilst marvelling at the extensive use of red lights in the ceiling. There were very few people in at that time, with almost as many staff as guests, but it still took 20 minutes to get a gin and tonic from the bar to my table. At £13.50 it should have been much faster.
The Novikov Bar has an unusual and eccentric collection of furnishings and objects from different countries and periods. It sort of works, in that you can chose where you want to sit and the room is certainly capable of handling large volumes. A quick check later, during our meal, revealed it was packed.
Mr G joined me and we had the same delay in getting a drink for him. Bizarrely, when service did arrive and a Gin and Tonic was asked for, no form of option was offered. A smart “turn on heel” and 10 minutes later a drink arrived. Too little attention to detail for the clientele that were gathering. It is pretty obvious that the Lounge Bar has already become one of the “social” locations in that part of town with some impossibly beautiful young things drinking copious quantities of champagne whilst enjoying other peoples company. A quick wander through the space and there were clearly lots of Russian guests, as well as English, Japanese and others. Truly multi-cultural.
We went up the beautiful staircase to the Asian restaurant, which has a visibly open kitchen with staff and cooking on display, very reminiscent of Roka and Zuma, as well as Dinner and Hakkasan. Some impressive comparisons.
We started with some Edamame beans and some Dim Sum. The beans were fine, the pork and crab Dim Sum lacked any real substance and some had “taken on water” so they were wet inside and not so pleasant. A small side order of Tempura Prawns excited and delighted – just what was needed at that point in the meal.
We then had some Tuna Tartar and a shared Peking Duck dish. The Tartar was very good, if a little small to share, but again lacked any boldness in the seasoning and spicing. We expected something a little more exciting, but it didn’t quite match the sort of products that I have had in Zuma or Roka recently, or in Japan for that matter. The prices certainly indicated that we should be expecting something special, but we will come onto that later.
We then had some Maki roll, Sashimi and Nigiri which was undoubtedly the high spot of the meal. Beautifully presented on a platter, with delicate flavours and finishing, this really was the best part of the meal so far.
Finally we ended with a Coconut custard and a caramelised apple. Both competent and pleasant but not “stand out” products. The wine list, dominated by Italian bottles, starts at what I would consider high prices, then goes higher. We had a nice bottle of Cartizze Bisol Prosecco, which was a perfect match for the food. Small bubbles, slightly sweeter and therefore a perfect accompaniment to the Asian cuisine. It reminded me of a memorable meal I had with my brother in Hakkasan when we consumed too many bottles of Pol Roger Rich, again a perfect semi dry fizz.
It has to be said that there are lots of staff, but the service is lacking the professionalism that you see in this pier group and at this price. On 3 separate occasions staff tried to deposit food on the next door tables to ours – food that the guests on those tables had not ordered. The drink service was good upstairs, contrasting starkly with the Lounge Bar. Not intrusive, not too “heavy sell” and paced just right. The food arrived in reasonable time after each order, but there was little or no dialogue.
I have made several references to the bill already. So here goes. Dinner, WITHOUT the gin and tonics or wine, was £120 a head, including the 12.5% service. There were many parts of the meal that were good, but it wasn’t consistent enough, or good enough. It could be as good as Zuma, Roka or Hakkasan but wasn’t on the night. A collection of small things need changing, but it will make a big difference. The prices are high, the service charge additional and so the delivery has to be better for Western European consumers.
So why the title “Novikov – The Russian X Factor”. Well it has to be for a number of reasons, three to be precise. First, Arkady Novikov clearly has “the X factor”. The restaurant was buzzing on a Monday night in February with snow on the ground. It is one of “the” places to go at the moment and he has international support so he will suceed.
Secondly, like the X Factor, it is in some ways trying to emulate original success. In the same way that “unknowns” come onto the stage and belt out a song from one of the world’s great Superstars, Novikov is trying to emulate the success of some major London competition – Zuma, Roka, Nobu and Hakkasan in this case. That is a hard act to follow and it isn’t there yet.
Finally, like the X Factor and the cult status that Simon Cowell has achieved with his female following, there were many tables in the Lounge Bar and Asian Restaurant taken by uninteresting, middle aged men with their trousers pulled up too high – but who were surrounded by stunningly beautiful and attentive ladies. I guess the men must be very good conversationalists!
The one thing you have to do with Novikov is admire it. This operation is slick, focused and very good at making people happy and pushing cash through the tills. It provides an achingly trendy and popular rendezvous, is heavily Russian orientated and for that reason alone will likely be a huge success in London, now and in the future. Welcome to the new economic order.
Вы будете наслаждаться опытом – (You will enjoy the experience!)
Dabbawal – Indian Street Food in Newcastle
Article by Ian Hanlon – A Coverpoint Senior Consultant
There is an awful lot of talk at the moment about “Street Food”. London has lots of it, and we are now seeing more and more outside the capital. We have projects in Liverpool, Leeds, Bristol and Cardiff, all cities with a growing “Street Food” culture. Having pounded the streets of Newcastle City Centre all morning, due to the fact we have 2 major retail foodservice projects in the City and Gateshead on at the same time, it was time to stop, regroup and reflect on the days work.
With a long journey home, and even in the brand’s ‘back yard’, a Gregg’s Sausage Roll alone just wasn’t going to cut it on this particular occasion. Something more substantial, more wholesome and more ‘International’ was required to satisfy this meal occasion.
We know the City very well, and the Restaurant and Bar landscape in particular, as we have spent a significant amount of time advising on the future direction of foodservice in the City, including Eldon Square and earlier, The Gate. If you haven’t been to the City on a Friday night you have truly missed one of the 7 wonders of the alcoholic and party world!
It was during this particular project in 2011 where we came across Jalf Ali, the owner of the award-winning Spice Cube Indian Restaurant in the development. Part of our work at the time involved interviewing Tenants “face to face” to understand their business, the issues and any opportunities or concerns that lie beneath the surface of a simple annual turnover figure.
Despite being 2011, I remember it well. It had been a long day and Jalf was the last of our interviewees, long after the majority of restaurants had closed for the evening. After an intriguing and informative session, it was past 10.00pm and Jalf sensed that we might be hungry, so he invited us to stay for dinner with him. The only problem – the kitchen had closed. Not an issue. We were cordially invited to stay and partake in ‘Staff Curry’, and, without doubt, it was one of the most flavoursome meals that we have ever tasted. Simply stunning – the staff are well looked after in this Restaurant!
Coming right up to present day now, with memories of the “Staff Curry” still in my head, I took the time to drop in on Jalf to catch up on business and see how things were progressing. Not a lot had changed at The Gate, but Jalf had created a new unit, Dabbawal, 6 months earlier, located on High Bridge, a little side street off the bustle of Grey Street.
The name Dabbawal is short for Dabbawalas, and as the website explains, is a tribute to the ‘lunchbox men’ of Mumbai, who spend their days teeming through the Streets keeping the City fed. A quick look at the menu and ‘Indian Tapas’ leapt from the page. This was getting interesting.
The ‘small plate’ movement is growing at a pace – from the ‘original’ La Tasca, to the exciting offers found in Polpo and Bocca Di Lupo in London. This, coupled with the exciting Street Food movement, meant that a visit to Dabbawal for lunch was “a must”.
I was greeted immediately at the door and shown straight away to a nice, quiet, corner table, just right for a ‘Billy no mates’ lunch! The unit was, well, like any other Restaurant really – banquette seating, a smaller ante-room accessed through an alcove, presumable for more intimate parties, nice décor and good lighting. An open kitchen with a fiery tandoor oven was the only element to sing out ‘Indian’. I don’t really know what I was expecting, but images of ‘hawker’ stalls and the hustle and bustle of a Street market had flashed through my mind before entering.
I digress. Now to the food. I tried the small plate ‘Indian Tapas’ – 3 different varieties to ensure I got a good range of flavours and spices. The first tried was Lamb Chops marinated in ginger, paprika and peppercorns, served on a bed of crunchy cucumber and red onion. The 3 chops were moist and succulent but with the ‘charred’ and crispy fat that only a tandoor can achieve, and with a definite kick of ginger and chilli. Delicious.
Next came Punjabi Chilli Chicken Tikka in a chilli, cumin, garlic and ginger marinade. Not a hint of dryness about the chicken, as it was buttery soft and packed with flavour.
Finally, I selected the Citrus King Prawns with chilli, lemon grass and kaffir lime leaves. Three butterflied prawns arrived, served in the shell and swiftly opened up to devour the sweet, plump prawn. Now, it was at this point that I gave up with the knife and fork and went for the fingers option. I am told this is the traditional way of consuming, using bread as a “holder”.
And that’s the thing. I think of Indian Street Food as hand held ‘goodies’ cooked by hawkers on the streets, not served on stylish plates and eaten with a knife and fork. The presentation was more akin to Finer Dining than ‘rough and ready’ Street Food. Then I listened to the background music (told you it was a Billy no mates lunch), which appeared to be a combination of ‘authentic’ Indian sitar melodies, punctuated by mellow ‘New World’ compositions. Maybe, this is the concept – authentic Street Food delicacies, but with a contemporary twist.
The total bill for a very tasty and flavoursome lunch – 3 tapas dishes, a garlic naan bread and a Coca Cola, came to £19.75, without service. Value for money? Without doubt “yes” with the quality of ingredients used. The debris from my lunch, a pile of Lamb Chop bones and Prawn shells bearing testament to a very satisfied customer.
The food is great, the decor striking. Work on the presentation of the food so it isn’t quite so “restaurant” and it will be a hit, on any street.
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