The latest restaurant from London gastro legend Nuno Mendes offers intricate, innovative and interesting cuisine.

The Venue
Located in Bethnal Green’s Town Hall Hotel, Viajante is Nuno Mendes’ third restaurant in London – he was formerly at Bacchus and The Loft, and his previous experience includes the famed El Bulli. The restaurant is tiny, with less than ten tables in one small room, although the tables themselves are large and roomy. Decor is simple with a retro edge, from the baby blue cushioned chairs to the gauzy, fabric-lined lamps that match the large wall panel. Taking up the entirety of one wall is the large open kitchen, where you can see the chefs delicately assembling each plate.

The Atmosphere
Although staff are helpful and well informed, there’s an odd atmosphere at Viajante. It’s almost like being in a church, where there’s a hushed reverence that makes you feel like clapping a hand over your mouth if you laugh too loudly. Most diners seem to want to dissect and discuss the food rather than have a typical chat, which fills the air with a brisk, businesslike feel. However, if you ignore that and relax and enjoy the experience rather than being intimidated by it, staff match your mood, even cracking a joke or two.

The Food
There are no menus, as such, only courses, and you choose between three, six, nine and twelve. All can be paired with wine, and depending on whether you eat lunch or dinner, how many courses you order and whether you have wine, you’ll pay between £25 and £145 per person. Staff ask at the beginning of the meal about any food allergies or even dislikes, but it’s best not to be too picky and let the chefs do what they do best. Portions are small and you can catch the chefs arranging them delicately, with tweezers, before they’re sent out on the floor. However, even if you order the smallest three course menu, between amuse bouches and pre-desserts, your meal is actually quite filling.

The amuse bouches kick off with a thin, crisp crostini with romesco sauce, olives, almonds and dehydrated garlic – a small but interesting dish that piques your taste buds for what’s to come. Unfortunately, next on the list is perhaps the strangest of the meal, a dish of set soy milk topped with aubergine consumme. The creamy milk and savoury aubergine is a strange blend of flavours and it’s not helped by the wobbly texture, but to be fair, the accompanying bread stuffed with aubergine is quite nice. Mini sandwich-like squares of chicken confit topped with a thin, perfectly sliced quail’s egg bring things back up. The confit is soft and delicate and one side is held in place by a crisp slice of chicken skin, which adds a nice crunch. Next, bread arrives and although it’s basic brown, its artistically twisted, oblong shape echoes the mini stalagmite of whipped garlic butter, topped by more crisp chicken skin and a sprinkling of dehydrated purple potatoes, which is a vivid purple colour and much less off-putting than it sounds.

The three course menu officially starts with a beetroot and crab salad, which is light and sweet and lovely to look at thanks to a contrasting colour palette. Fuschia beetroot is rolled up like rose petals and diced into circles, which work great with the soft, perfectly cooked crab meat. Also on the plate are dots of green apple puree, tangy goat’s curd and a scattering of chickweed, picked in Victoria Park. For the main course, two squares of Iberian pork neck are so tender they barely need cutting. This is another colourful dish, with a small indent in the plate acting as a pool for a bright green Savoy cabbage puree accompanied by leaves of Savoy cabbage, crunchy fried capers and a savoury anchovy puree.

A pre-dessert of a sharp, fragrant Thai basil and lemon sorbet is perhaps the most uncomplicated dish of the evening but doesn’t suffer for it. Dessert, described by staff as chocolate and water, is a mix of dark chocolate gelato and chocolate blancmange on a smear of dark chocolate, topped by crunchy pieces of shaved ice – aka the aforementioned water. This is another simple dish and the deep, rich flavours of the chocolate really stand out, helped by the added texture of the ice. The finale of petit fours close the meal with a twist, with glistening squares of lavender and lemon jelly and smooth, earthy and decadent truffle – as in mushroom truffle – chocolates.

The Drink
Each menu can be paired with a matching wine list, starting at about an extra £30 for the three course option. There’s also a separate drinks list, which includes wine, beer, cider, spirits and a large selection of creative cocktails, priced between about £7 and £10.

The Last Word
Whilst Viajante isn’t necessarily a restaurant for people who like to eat simply to sate their hunger, it is a perfect place for people who like to fuss over their food. Adventurous, intriguing and even at times slightly baffling, it’s an eye-opening experience for even the most fervent food lover.

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