Many restaurants in London try to emulate the vibe of NYC eateries. In my opinion few succeed, and there are a lot of cheap impressions around. Jackson & Rye however is effortlessly cool and comfortably casual with warm wooden interiors, a well-stocked bar and the dimmed cosy lighting of famous American hang-outs. This new Soho restaurant offers all day dining, ranging from hearty brunches to light lunches, delicious dinners and strong cocktails. I have visited twice now, for a long lazy breakfast meeting and later for an early evening supper. At night the bar becomes more popular and crowded as Soho’s streets fill, I preferred the carefree daytime atmosphere.
When I visited for dinner it felt like the whole of Soho was crowding into the restaurant desperate for some grilled meat. We managed to squeeze into a corner table for two, though the tables are so close together it felt like we were joining the next door couple for a meal! Abiding by dry January rules, I resisted ordering one of the cocktails the barmen were so efficiently shaking up at the counter behind me. After enduring a long walk in the pouring rain, my ballet shoes drenched on my feet and hair stuck to my face, I felt in need of something comforting and hot… Market soup with pumpkin spinach and ricotta ravioli was the perfect solution. It was a silky smooth soup, perhaps slightly too thin, but with the pleasant addition of the ravioli. The Crispy squid was rather thick and chewy for my liking but arrived with a delicious creamy chipotle mayonnaise that doubled up as a good sauce for chip dipping.
Jackson & Rye is at its best with the American classics. Buttermilk fried chicken is tender and satisfyingly tasty, coated in an abnormally thick crunchy crust. The steak was good too, a decent sized piece of meat accompanied by grilled shallot and watercress, a little overcooked but with a lovely rich flavour. Bearnaise sauce was the best of the sauce selection, peppercorn needed thickening and a touch more onion and the house sauce was too sweet for me. For fries, go for the shoestring, ultra thin and crispy, they easily beats the average standard sized variation.
It wouldn’t be a proper American meal without dessert, and the array of choices made a decision difficult. We eventually chose the Melting Chocolate Sundae with Butterscotch sauce which came highly recommended by our waitress. A spherical shiny object arrived, a ball of vanilla ice-cream encased in dark chocolate. You pour the sauce over yourself and watch the chocolate collapse inwards, creating a creamy melted mess. Yum.
Jackson & Rye is ideal for conquering those American food cravings, any time of day.
More information and book here: www.jacksonrye.com