Pro Vs Punter Nuala, London

Does a regular diner reach the same conclusion about a restaurant as a food pro, who may get special treatment if recognised?* Chloe Scott-Moncrieff and Olive reader Jeremy Byfleet compare notes on this new open-fire restaurant in Shoreditch

Nuala

Nuala sets clear intentions with a red-haired, siren-type figure as its symbol and a name taken from Irish mythology. Niall Davidson (pictured; St John, Chiltern Firehouse) plays with his Celtic roots in his first solo venture, an open-fire restaurant just off Silicon Roundabout. Cream chairs and brown-leather banquettes are set up to face a concrete counter and fire pit. The open flames give head chef Colin McSherry (Fat Duck, Dinner by Heston Blumenthal) another distinctive element to work with in a contemporary British offering that includes dishes such as flamed clams in cider, suckling pig with ‘fireplace’ cabbage and rotisserie goose with barley pancakes. Irish ingredients are peppered throughout the all-day menu, from a full Irish breakfast in the morning to steak tartare with Guinness sauce for dinner, while Honey Spencer, once of Noma Mexico, takes care of the wine list. The lively, late-night Irish bar downstairs, headed up by Dublin-born Lauren Taylor (previously of Hawksmoor Spitalfields), boasts live music, cocktails, Irish whiskey punch and plenty of Guinness. nualalondon.com

Our pro says…

If you’ve not tried ‘modern Irish’ before, Nuala is a good initiation. Set on a grungy part of City Road, 30-year-old Northern Irish chef Niall Davidson and his head chef Colin McSherry are bringing Celtic-inspired cooking to London. With exposed brick walls and an industrial interior, Nuala is glossier than I’d expect for the area, but it suits the City workers down yonder. Highlights include a fire pit in the open kitchen and Irish boozer downstairs.