Nettle, Covent Garden's rooftop restaurant where sustainability leads the menu
Will Devlin's rooftop restaurant on top of The Conduit cooks with produce from his Kent farm, and Hot Dinners thinks it deserves to be busier.
A restaurant on the fifth floor of a Covent Garden members club has been quietly doing something rather good. Nettle, according to Hot Dinners, has gone "rather under the radar" since opening just over a month ago. The magazine's Test Drive was written to fix that.
Who is behind it
The chef is Will Devlin, better known for The Small Holding in Kent, which won a Michelin green star for its ethical and sustainable credentials. In London he has two restaurants under one roof: Birchwood, a more casual spot on the ground floor, and Nettle, the rooftop space.
Both sit inside The Conduit members club, though Hot Dinners notes you do not need to be a member to visit either. The way in to Nettle is through the main club entrance. There is a large terrace for decent weather.
In the kitchen is Head Chef Miguel Maragno Roma, previously Senior Sous Chef at Silo. Hot Dinners reports that a table of former Silo chefs was dining alongside them on the night.
The food
Much of what reaches the plate comes from Devlin's own farm and butchery in Kent. The menu is seasonal and Hot Dinners expects it to change a good deal, so treat the dishes below as a snapshot.
- Whitstable oysters with fermented peach, £4 each. Described as very good.
- Hake croquettes with allium emulsion and pickled cucumber, £4. The reviewer's weakest dish: a snack they could probably have swerved.
- Wild rabbit skewer with fermented chilli, £10. Very tender, with a lovely chilli kick, and one of Hot Dinners' best dishes eaten in October.
- Nutbourne tomatoes with fermented pepper and shiso, £6.
- Oyster mushroom nuggets with miso dip, £9.
The grass-fed steak comes from Sussex and the cut changes daily. Hot Dinners called it the best steak it has eaten in London this year.
The mushroom nuggets are the dish the reviewer urges even omnivores to order. The miso is made in house from smoked mushrooms, and the treacle in the tempura batter is made from surplus veg. There is plenty for plant-forward diners generally.
Drinks and pudding
The bar is worth arriving early for. The list runs from homemade shrubs to English wines. The Nettle vodka martini (£14.50) uses fino instead of vermouth, and earned a Hot Dinners chill rating of 8.5.
Desserts are a short list: three options plus a cheeseplate on the visit. The seasonal soft serve (meadowsweet and raspberry with koji crumble at the time, £8) and a Kentish strawberry tart with meadowsweet custard (£12) were among them.
The wine list is good but still a work in progress, with more English bottles expected in the coming weeks and months. Hot Dinners recommends asking Assistant General Manager Zoltan, formerly of Hedonism's White Horse in Mayfair, for guidance.
The verdict
Hot Dinners called the dinner fantastic, praising the central role of sustainability, the execution of the dishes and the friendly staff. Its conclusion: Nettle deserves to be busier. Note that the magazine dined as a guest of the restaurant.
Know before you go
- Address: 5th Floor, The Conduit, 6 Langley Street, London WC2H 9JA
- Getting there: Covent Garden tube is about a minute's walk away. Enter through the main club entrance.
- Membership: not required.
- Instagram: @nettle.restaurant
- Prices: correct at the time Hot Dinners published.
Sources: Hot Dinners
