From Hawaii to Jerusalem: The Flavours Inspiring us this Summer

As the summer finally seems to be on its way, we’ve rounded up our top ten food and drink trends of the moment that are sun-worthy.

1. Bowl Bonanza

Everything at the minute seems to revolve around bowls: protein bowls, broth bowls, breakfast bowls – you name it. Take, for example, our Quinoa Bowl with avocado, edamame beans, spinach, pomegranate & lemon vinaigrette – which makes the perfect light but filling summer lunch.

2. Special Soda

Who doesn’t love a glass of rosé with lunch in the sun, but for those sunny days when we’re working that’s probably not the best idea but that doesn’t mean we just want to drink water or dc. Cue the rise of the artisan soda that is both refreshing and a little bit different. Try one of The Urban Cordial Company’s delicious cordials in any of our bars & restaurants: our fav is strawberry & sage.

3. Plant Power

The vegetarians of this world must be jumping for joy at the dramatic rise in popularity of plant based dishes. No longer side-lined as accompaniments they are now the focal point of many plates! And the one that’s crowning champion at the moment – cauliflower. The Blackened Cauliflower with almonds, capers & brown butter at Drake & Morgan at King’s Cross is one of our fav dishes right now.

4. Savoury Snacks

With our lives getting busier and busier by the day, we’re heading into a ‘grazing’ nation! More and more adults and workers are eating 4-5 snacking/small meals a day rather than having lengthy lunches. Because we don’t like to be at our desks all day, however, it seems that popping in and out of a restaurant for a quick bite to eat is the perfect answer. From a non-working perspective we also like to graze sharing boards over drinks rather than fill up on heavy meals.

5. Pioneering Poké

By now poké needs little introduction. Appearing out of nowhere, this Hawaiian raw food speciality is about to take over the world! It’s a mixture of raw cubes of seafood in a soy sauce-based marinade that’s served in a bowl – there seems to be a running theme here – with rice and the occasional garnish of seaweed, avocado or tobiko (Japanese fish roe). It’s basically deconstructed, vamped up sushi – but that’s definitely not something we’re going to complain about!

6. Summer Spritzes

A spritz is the perfect answer when you’re looking for something lighter than your normal cocktail, but you want a dash of the strong stuff in there. To welcome in the summer our new menus have 4 different summer spritzes on offer: the Brit Spritz, the London Spritz, the Strawberry Spritz and the Summer Cup Spritz. We think they’re best enjoyed whist wearing sunglasses on a terrace somewhere.

7. Spice Sensations

It’s not just about adding chilli flakes, but about warm, aromatic or tangy spices. Turmeric is not only used in Indian curries but in a variety of dishes and even juices. With the current dominance of Middle Eastern cuisine, flavours such as sumac and harissa are also hardly few and far between. We find that the dollop of harissa really brings the flavours on our Mezze Board together.