Viajante

Yikes. I’ve been remiss in not posting my very positive review of Viajante earlier and Nuno Mendes has now left the restaurant!
Despite its Michelin starred status, the staff are very relaxed and it’s nice to see so many tattoos, piercings and individual hairstyles. My sister and I witnessed a most impressive flaming (literally!) cocktail being poured from glass to glass (
)
As Chef Mendes won’t be bringing his unique inventive cuisine here any more, I won’t give a blow by blow description of the inventive style of cooking of his multi-​course tasting menu supplemented with many extra amuses. For example, imagine mackarel with blackberries and coffee. I love this inventive style of food and this was one of my favourite meals in London

On a recent trip to London I had the good fortune to experience the amazing cuisine by Chef Nuno Mendes. (I’ve been a fan of Nuno since his days at Bacchus.)
Very creative cookery is found here, served with a wonderfully offbeat yet professional service style. Unusual wines are paired with each course. The unique architecture,
all set in a funky neighbourhood in East London, adds to the charm of this establishment. This restaurant is elegantly eclectic, and well worth the visit and expense.
This is an exciting food trip, so, get ready for the inspiring ride!

We arrived a little early so we sat in the bar area and had a few drinks. When we finally got seated, i was happy to find out that the service here was probably some of the best service I’ve ever had at a restaurant. Everyone was friendly and communicative, and everything was, as Jovanie would say, «proper and well appointed.»
Adrienne picked this place and while there is a reference menu on line, it clearly states that the chef basically cooks whatever he feels like and you can eat it. Thats it. And you can choose six, nine or 12 courses, and you can pair it with wine. While Jovanie and Adrienne are both adventurous eaters, i am basically a gastronomical midget. And i bask in that title. I knew that i wouldn’t be able to do so at this restaurant so i was approaching this experience with some trepidation. I also bought a bag or tow of chardonnay vinegar crisps back at the hotel in case i was still hungry after dodging most of the courses. It turns out that i ate all 12 and probably liked 11 of them and really loved at least half.
scallop with parsnips and watercress
crab with milk skin and radishes
monkfish with asparagus and millet
smoked bone marrow with carrot and horseradish
langoustine and braised chicken skin
cod tripe with onion and potato
celeriac with roasted potato and mushrooms
pluma with vegetable crepinette
iberico ribs with Jerusalem artichoke
cucumber with reduced milk and lemon
black carrot with toasted caraway seed ice cream
milk
The milk dessert was milk done three ways and i have to say, was the big finale. In fact, Jovanie argued with me that everything on the plate wasn’t milk, even though the server had said so, so we had to call him back to the table to prove me right. One of the best meals I’ve ever had. I highly recommend Viajente.

Fit for Foodies! Amazing food, Amazing Service. Not only do you get to see Nuno Mendes in action, as kitchen is open to the dining room, he serves the food along with every other staff member. All hands on deck, from hostess to head chef, your table is serviced by everyone! Feels and acts just like a supper club, yet the food is Michelin star quality. What a fantastic night! Door opened for me twice by the head chef, very cool touch! We then went for drinks at the bar, and there came Nuno again with some sample desserts! I was impressed! Worth the high price tag!

It’s a pity that I don’t have enough time to go there more often. The menu is good. The three course lunch with beverage pairing for only £53 is completely fine for me.

Just excellent in every way.
Warm welcome on arrival. We were early for our reservation so stopped at the adjoining cocktail bar for a pre-​dinner drink.
There’s a central island bar with cosy seating areas around with an atmospheric vibe and pleasant staff. I enjoyed a Spanish dirty martini which was quite different and enjoyable with lots of herbal flavours and I think smoked vodka and olive dust around the rim.
They’ve done a great job forming a restaurant out of the 1910 Town Hall building. Open kitchen at the front where you can watch the group of chefs diligently preparing each dish with care. The lighting is nicely subdued as well as the calmly confident and understated design theme. Just comfortable, informal and relaxed.
The menu has three options: 6 course, 9 course or 12 course blind tasting menu. Just choose how many courses you want. We opted for the 9 course. You won’t know what the dishes are in advance except when they bring them to you and explain but at the end you’ll receive a print out of the menu to remember.
Then the meal starts. Round after round of amuse bouches (six in total) including some excellent ‘bread and butter’ which was a mini bread board with some chicken flavoured butter.
Next, the actual dishes. Each perfectly formed, intricate and precise yet simple with clean flavours and innovative. Vegetables, fish and seafood, meat, sweets. Some highlights:
–Sea urchin with frozen sea water was great. My previous experiences of sea urchin were with sushi but this was the best yet.
–Scallop with parsnips and watercress came as two roughly hewn large scallop ‘chunks’. I think the waiter described it as ‘chewy’ scallops. It was chewy in the best possible way with a flavour that was sublime. I can’t think how they did it.
— Two meat courses of iberico pork (always a favourite for me), one served as a mini stuffed cabbage and one was crispy tail.
Several desert courses followed including ‘milk. A plate of white items including folded sheet like forms, soft semi frozen tasting of a cross between ice cream, cream cheese with salt and sweet. Interesting and unique.
The presentation and timing of each dish was perfect. Our waiters were smart and calm and enthusiastic. The sommelier made some good recommendations of wine by the glass and provided samples for tasting before selecting.
Overall a great eating experience and faultless organisation and service to match. Although fairly pricey, the value quotient is very high for me here and hope I can return to experience again.

Viajante are the slackliners of Michelin star cuisine. The stuff of daredevils. Complexity & combination completely unique to any experience I’ve had in the food world & the wine pairings were a clever play on contrasts and unexpectedness. Those who want ‘flawless’ should spend their money someplace more conservative. Those who are looking to explore, soar, love and learn– Viajante is your place.
A word on the décor and lighting– its severe/​stark/​garish as hell, prepare yourself for that ahead of time and you will soon be distracted by the fabulous & unprecedented food.

The best!
My trip to London centered around three things — …, …, and Viajante. I knew I wanted to have one really special dining event during my trip to London knowing that the city has a great reputation of really fine cuisine and I searched for months (literally months!) for the right place… and Viajante it was.
It exceeded my expectations. I’ve been to a few fancy pants restaurants in my day — and what I loved the most about my experience here was how it managed to be so incredibly innovative and somehow simple at the same time. I love how I left after eating multiple courses and I didn’t feel sick and stuffed — I felt fed and light.
Nuno Mendes came out to the lobby on our way out and we chit chatted — he is so sincere and warm. I support his movement here and wish him nothing but good things. He’s a good man who makes great food and who is so humble about it.
If you’re in London, or going to be in London — make a reservation and fall in love with Nuno Mendes and his fantastic restaurant Viajante.

Oh my goodness. Yes. This restaurant was so incredibly good. I want to go back about 100 times.
One of the more delicious and creative places for a tasting menu in London, even compared with the more established and expensive places in the city. Definitely lives up to the hype and didn’t break the bank as much as other hotspots. It’s definitely in my top 3 London restaurants, vying for #1. Also, it’s not overly formal (thanks, Bethnal Green location) so it makes for a hipper experience with amazing food.
When you come and get a tasting menu with 6 courses, you will not leave hungry.
You will eat mystery foods, including what I thought was a vanilla-​flavored jellybean and turned out to be frozen olive oil. Amazing.
Another highlight was the Ron Burgundy cocktail. A glass of burgundy wine mixed with I believe Scotch comes in, on a tray with a lid. Underneath the lid are smoking mahogany chips. Quite the presentation and delicious as well.
Gluten-​free notes: Yes, you will eat really amazingly normally well here. They also have the best gluten free bread I have ever had, a freshly-​baked cumin roll. You will eat your cumin rolls with smoked butter and consider whether buttered cumin rolls constitute a balanced meal.

I was thoroughly impressed by both the bar’s space — clean, mid-​century modern lines and nice, atmospheric lighting — and its cocktail offerings — creative and appealing with just the right amount of «What’s that ingredient?» flair to keep things interesting.
My friend had the Shiso Lovely whilst I opted for the Porto di Pisco. Both elicited excited reactions at first sight and sip. The sofas were comfortable enough to have a true catch up and it’s easy to imagine settling in here for a couple of rounds, though on this occasion we stuck with a single drink each.
Next time I’ll swing by to sample the seasonal cocktail tasting menu that can be booked Sunday to Wednesday between 5:00 pm and 10:00 pm.
The only drawback I can see with Viajante is that it’s not really near anything else of interest and can feel a bit far out if you live more centrally.

REVIEW FOR THE BAR ONLY
Friendly, not pushy service.
Lovely modern retro décor, comfy seating
They have a sense of humor. I ordered a drink called the Ron Burgundy. It was basically rum, pinot noir and mahogany. The menu said it was served on a leather bound book but alas it was not given to me that way :(But it was still awesome to see on the menu none the less.
They also served another drink called the Cleva Gal, based on the famous quote from Jurassic Park.
Gotta Love it.

the first time i went to Viajante, we went undercover. that is to say, my partner in crime had an interview for a job there at 3:30, so at 1:00 we walked in and asked for a seat. it was breath taking. at the end i turned to him and said «you better get this job. this place is amazing.» as we paid the bill he said to the waiter «excuse me, i have an interview with ****,» the look on the waiters face was rather priceless.
time has gone by and they picked up their first star, which from what i had experienced was much deserved.
i recently went again, excited to see how the last year has fared them. quite well, i would say.
my friend and i walked in for lunch. and again, gorgeous food, lovely service amazing atmosphere. i would say the only downside of Viajante would be the room itself, its a little corporate and stark, but they have done really well with it. the open kitchen in the front makes it feel so intimate, as if you’re sitting in someones living room.
being that i live around the corner, i have to stop myself from going here too frequently. my wallet and i are having a bit of an argument… i’ll tell you next time who wins.

Booked Viajante for a couple months after it opened, somewhere special, that had a lot of hype, for my dad’s birthday last year. We got the lunch menu which is all we could afford but got plenty of food.
Its the kinda place were you get given something to nibble all the time. The menu does not exist so everything you eat is a surprise, which if it is delicious, is great. And it was delicious, very fresh and healthy but inventive and unusual.
The only qualms I had with the meal was that every time they bring you food they give you a explanation of what it is which can stunt the conversation a little. The décor is a little off and I’d advice ordering a bottle of wine with your meal and not the recommended drink per course, which I wouldn’t say is that nice (cherry beer yuk)
All in all a great restaurant that if not just great food is a great experience

One of the most inventive restaurants in London today. It’s not cheap by any standard, but it’s worth all the fanfare (and the Michelin star).
Hard to comment on the type of food since the tasting menu changes every day, but I can tell you that everything was cooked perfectly, and even if you don’t like one of your courses, you have to give it up to the kitchen for executing the dish properly.
The bar across from the restaurant is beautiful too

Hands down — best eating experience in London so far.
From the delicious pre-​dinner cocktails to every single, complex course from the 9 course tasting menu which had far more than 9 courses. About half way through we’d lost count of what we’d had and when we asked they smiled and said they wouldn’t tell us. The service was excellent, this place is amazing food but the atmosphere is relaxed and comfortable.
The transformation of the town hall is stunning with furniture that I would love to have in my own home if I could afford it.
Favourite course was a new one that day served by Nuno Mendez himself (we actually recognised him but the main maitre d helpfully or rather awkwardly depending on your point of view, used his name in a «don’t break those plates Nuno» as he placed them on the table): a milk yuba served with peas and parmesan, who knew milk skin could be so delicious?
I would so love to go again sometime but it is pricey so I think it will be while. In the meantime though I have yet to try the far far cheaper but equally amazing (according to one Unilocal and one time out review) Corner room restaurant upstairs, and best of all there are no reservations for that one unlike the months I had to wait for a Friday night to open up at Viajante.
Ah well, it was worth the wait.

made the booking for Viajante two months in advance, something that I don’t do often. Midway through that two months, the Michelin man came out with the 2011 Edition and they were awarded one star. Now I really couldn’t wait for the day to arrive.
After my experience, I really enjoyed the tasting menu. I didn’t know what to expect and what I got was natural ingredients with some that I have never seen or expected to be used to create dishes that was though filling, felt light and almost healthy. You usually leave feeling almost like roly-​poly by the end of a tasting menu but this did not do that.
Less successful were some of the wine pairings as noted by my foodie partner in crime. It was such a relaxing lunch as the kitchen was relaxed, everything was in sync and there was even music being played in the kitchen. It almost feel like you were having a leisurely lunch in the comfort of your home.
Viajante in five words — provoking, refreshing, different, exquisite, delicate.

Viajante is a place I only heard about quite recently. It sounded too good to be true, a place that incorporates el Bulli and Noma esq cuisine in the middle of Bethnal Green. I thought I was having some sick and twisted foodie perverted dream. Or perhaps I have had enough of my area, whichever is true I was amazed to find that Viajante is in fact in Bethnal Green.
As a birthday present this year I received a voucher to have cocktails there (which I haven’t used yet) but a lovely friend suggested we all go there on a Thursday afternoon.
This Thursday will forever be etched in my mind as the Thursday that changed my life. I’m never looking back from this dining experience, and I feel if anyone who claims to love food this is your culinary mecca. May you go at least once a year to get your key to the portal of extraordinary food bliss.
Firstly I love that they don’t have a designated menu. You choose courses and they ask if you have any intolerances or allergies. One of our party was… I mean had a severe wheat and gluten intolerance. Initially I thought that would mean more bread for us, but they made a special one for her.
But this was the best bit anything that was a potential problem they didn’t sem to get uncomfortable or sweaty under the brow or even take the approach of you can just eat rice or salad or «we can’t accomodate your request». Not here. It seems to fuel the creativity even more.
To start with we had two amuse bouche the first one was called a ‘Thai Explosion ll’ which was spiced chicken, cooked with chicken skin and had bread on the outside (only for the intolerant one they just had chicken skin on hers)
This was a fragrant cluster bomb in the mouth. Gentle notes of galangal, lemongrass, coriander, lime, fish sauce and chilli all melanged into a bite. I wanted it again. Just like a visit to a ping pong bar in Bangkok.
The next thing that came was some bread and butter. Pretty standar for any michelin starred place one would think but here they did some magic. It came with what looked like two brown quinelles scattered with carnivorous debris. Butter 1 had black pudding in it. Butter 2 had Iberico ham. Nuno was pleasing me already, and if it was an ambassador party I would be tempted to say screw the ferrero rocher and give me the ham.
But you don’t say things like that in places like this, well not out loud.
After we had these courses we were then given the option of matching wine to our subsequent courses. The intolerant one and I decided to stick to water but our other two earstwhile daytime drinkers had the wine.
I should have had wine too but I decided not to leave this foody shrine plastered.
The first course we had didn’t have the most appetising description on the planet ‘Charred leeks, lobster, milk skin and leek ash emusion’. It was the milk skin that sounded strange yet intriguing. When it arrived I thought I was looking at a piece of deconstructed art as that in effect was what it was. Every flavour was distinguished and they were generous with the lobster but not to the point it felt overbearing. I am not the greatest lover of lobster but in little chunks its fine. These sweet nuggets of tail and claw were sensational and the milk skin added an interesting texture to this. Topped with hazelnuts and brioche breadcrumbs (they left off the crumbs for the intolerant one) it all worked together in a moorish way. I would have licked the plate clean if I was more of an animal.
Second course was Lamb neck in hay, cauliflower and onion. This was seriously the nicest lamb I have ever eaten. It melted, had no chewiness or sinew and the cauliflower was cooked three ways. It was pickled, pureed and fried. Everything again balanced and I loved the concept of having deconstructed elements reconstructed on the plate.
We then had a pre-​dessert of frozen maple pannacotta with a shisho granita and green apple. This will eternally put to bed ever considering lemon sorbet as a palate cleanser ever again.
The creaminess of the maple took away the sharp acidic and very green flavours of the apple and shisho. It tasted almost herbal but delightfully so. It was like eating something that willy wonka would make, when he has lickable wall paper in a meadow. This would have been what the meadow would have tasted like. Try it and you will see and believe that I am not crazy or on crack.
Now the next dessert had an air of mystery about it. Our server told us that she could tell us or we could guess what was in the next dessert. This was like a culinary version of Cluedo only there was no candlestick or conservatory involved and the intolerant one was dressed in blue so sadly no Miss Scarlet for us to be destroyed by was present.
This dessert looked at first like pastry and chocolate but on closer inspection there was something different. Also some caramel coloured tapioca was spooned over this making it look like a bizarre caramel frogspawn esq creation with

C’est toujours drôle de voir à quel point les tendances voyagent. Depuis un an, je vois des crèmes de cendres, des navets rôtis dans leur peau, et des poissons mi-​cuits. J’avais qu’à aller au resto avant ça me direz-​vous! Mais je crois aussi que la Scandinavie influence les chefs au-​delà de ses frontières. Nuno Mendes, chef du Viajante est portugais, établi àLondres il a ouvert enb avril dernier ce restaurant en hommage à tous le svioyages qu’il a pu faire. Mais en croquant dans ses créations, on s’aperçoit vite qu’il a beaucoup tourné au Nord de l’Europe. je né lui jette pas la pierre. La cuisine scandinave est ma préférée! Je suis une fashion victim effarée. Bref, si je dois répondre à la question «est-​ce que c’est bon?». Je dis oui. Surtout cette assiette de poireaux mi-​cuits cachés sous une peau de lait entier et de la poudre de noisette liée au beurre. C’était le point culminant du repas et je resterais là-​dessus. Car c’est aussi la quintessence de l’inspiration scandinave. Tack så mycket !

Everyone has their bar. Their favorite place. Their go-​to spot. The one where you’re on a first-​name basis with a majority of the staff, you bring all of your out-​of-​town friends, where you stop in at least once a week and the the bartender has a pretty accurate idea of what you like to drink. If I lived in East London, or anywhere close to it, the hotel bar of Viajante would likely be mine.
A bold claim, if you’re familiar with my drinking preferences. This would put Viajante in the elite company of Flatiron Lounge in NYC and Drink in Boston. The staff at Viajante is friendly. The cocktail menu is legit, but the staff is more than willing to whip up something custom, with the spirits and historical bar knowledge to back it up. The atmosphere is hip, the décor chic – all without impeding your ability to relax, have a chat with your friends, and sip something glorious. Yes, the prices are not cheap, but count me among the few who are willing to drop a few dollars on the enjoyment of a proper drinks.

I’ve recently discovered a love for a decent cocktail. I’ve also discovered a love for hotel bars. Propping one up and chatting up the bartender is a favoured past-​time of mine.
Viajante has two parts to it, the hotel bar on one side and the restaurant on the other. In-​between the two you have a specky east London twat look-​a-​like behind a reception desk. Go right and you’ll meet some fine cocktails with passionate staff, go left and you’ll walk into their dining area.
I’ve been to the bar a few times now. It’s a stones throw from my house and having cocktails this close is just too tempting of an evening. It’s also very warm in here and when you’re walking from Bethnal Green tube station is tough not to want to pop in, just to warm yourself up of course. When you do take a seat, have a chat with Alex, the tween who will always be in his white jackets creating something experimental for you to try. The first occasion I went in, a half pint of beer with foam on the top was put in my hands. This was no beer ladies and gents, it was a cocktail that with Alex’s ingenuity has me still talking about it months later.
They have a huge range of spirits and a wealth of knowledge about them. The service is relaxed so take your time and browse the menu. If you’re just popping in for a quick drink, don’t bother. You’ll leave disappointed. Everything here is meant to be savoured. So why with all the love for this place have I four starred the bar? It’s a hotel bar, and past a certain time you’ll get dicks arrive who want «beer and nuts.» They don’t understand or appreciate the wonders and skill of the chap making their drinks and it saddens me. Still it won’t stop me from coming back.

AS GOOD AS IT GETS! It took me a long time to get the reservation, but was so pleased. This is not dinner – it is an eating event! You can do 6, 9 or 12 courses. We opted for 9 which was a bit too much for us (and we got the wine pairing with it). We were intoxicated by the end – not just because of the wine, but the food was intoxicating.
The décor is simple and they really space the tables out so no one is near you (which I feel is so uncommon – I feel like I am constantly packed in with other tables).
We had 4 amazing amuse bouches to start – things like watermelon sashimi and razor clams with red pepper and pumpkin seeds. The courses were all in these amazing bowls or beautiful plates. Things like the halibat, confit yolk, courgette ribbons and sofrito was simply amazing. (You get a copy of the menu – that’s how I am able to write in such detail!) The wine pairing was magical… wines we weren’t too sure about when we tasted them but then they made the food come alive. Inventive dishes, unusual combos, simplicity and complexity of dishes at the same time. Great textures and taste combos – like the use of frozen purees. So good. The words on the menu don’t do justice to what happened in my mouth.
The sommelier was adorable – Italian and so passionate about the wines – he was so great to talk to.
The only disappointments – the VERY expensive bill (thank goodness for my banker boyfriend!), for some reason they forgot to bring us our cocktails, I could not understand what the waitress was saying when she told us what each dish was, and the KILLER was that the chef seemed to stop or serve at all of the tables except ours :(and I wanted him to meet my boy because they are both Portuguese (and for the amount of money we paid he could have hung out a bit to chat).
I will be back – very stoked to hang out at the bar and eat off the bar menu.
This is a memorable meal. 6 stars – come on Unilocal!– make a 6 star function…