Michelin starred chef Jun Tanaka on the London restaurants he visits on his day off
The Ninth opened in 2015 on Charlotte Street and in the years since, chef Jun Tanaka’s French-Mediterranean dishes designed to share have gained a Michelin star. Here Tanaka, who formerly worked at Le Gavroche and The Restaurant Marco Pierre White, tells us his favourite London restaurants to eat at on his days off.
PERILLA
I have been coming here for a few years. It gets better and better each time I visit. Ben is a super talented chef, he takes humble ingredients and transforms them into creative, beautifully presented dishes that are just so delicious. Juste, their sommelier is very knowledgeable and always chooses the perfect wine to match my taste. I’m such a fan of this restaurant that we took our whole team here for dinner because we wanted to inspire them.
LYLE’S
I love this restaurant! The food is deceptively simple, however the clarity of flavours that James achieves is incredible. Their sauces are very light but have an intense and clean flavour. For me, they have the best desserts in London. The menu is hyper seasonal using the very best of British produce. It’s the kind of menu that I read and I want to eat everything on it. I was lucky enough to stage here and I found it very inspiring!
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HUMO
I dined at the restaurant just a few weeks after they opened in January and it was as if they had been open for years. The food and service was faultless. Miller Prada has created a truly unique dining experience in London. At Humo, their food is inspired by the art of grilling over different species of wood with quality British produce and influences from Japan. As soon as I left the restaurant, I wanted to book my next visit.
CADET
This place is another neighbourhood spot which I love. It’s a natural wine bar and shop from Tom, Francis and charcutier George. They offer a well curated list of natural wines and charcuterie to sit in or take away and a daily changing menu of European dishes from Jamie. I feel lucky to have a restaurant like this in my neighbourhood. It’s the kind of buzzy London restaurant that every neighbourhood should have – interesting wines, delicious food and warm service.
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PRIMEUR
This is my go- to restaurant when I don’t want to cook at home. It’s literally around the corner
from where I live and it’s the perfect neighbourhood spot. It offers simple, delicious European dishes and a concise selection of natural wines. The menu changes daily which is perfect because I eat here more often than any other London restaurant.