The Coal Shed - London Bridge, London

Our ears always prick up when we hear rumours of a restaurateur from outside the capital having a go at a London launch, which is so often the opposite tack taken. And so it was with The Coal Shed, sibling to the successful Brighton restaurant of the same name, borne on the back of founder Razak Helalat original eatery: The Salt Shed. As a site they've chosen the One Tower Bridge development, nestled within the shadow of the eponymous structure.

The dining room is a masterwork of dark woods, replete with sumptuous milk chocolate panelling, sharply angled wrought-iron, smart banquettes and art deco glass panels. There's a bar in the entrance and a Victorian-ish staircase that wends its way up to the first floor, where a handsome private dining room reposes amongst pendant lighting, smoky mirrors and a striking painting. From our seat downstairs we have a view past a corridor into the kitchens, where chefs toil amongst sizzling slabs of meat, steaming seafood and billows of smoke. Somehow it gives the impression of a top class New England eatery.

Summer months call for summer beverages, and as we segued from jasmine margaritas to crisp, mineral Falanghina to a light yet bold Sangiovese we found that they perfectly paired with our dishes of buratta with fresh green tomatoes and shortrib croquettes with gochujang mayo. As one might guess from the restaurant's name, Coal Shed prides itself on cooking over blazing embers. We were left weak in the knees by the Surfboard - a selection of fire roasted shellfish (prawns, langoustines, scallops, crab claws, oysters, mussels). Another speciality was the smoked goat shoulder to share with flatbead, harissa, pomegranate and chickpeas. Taken in tandem, dinner felt like a banquet almost Homeric in scale. You could almost feel the warm Ionian air.

It should be mentioned that the service was superb. It's a ballsy move to brave London if you're not an internationally renowned Michelin-starred chef (and often when you are) and we're happy to see a restaurant with such soul and sophistication establish itself in the capital. For anyone looking for an experience both homey and eminently delicious, The Coal Shed is a shoo-in.

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