Double horns

Kudu (Marylebone)

RESTAURANTS • First Word

The Skinny: The new Marylebone location of Kudu is a long way from Peckham, the Kudu Collective’s spiritual home. But Peckham’s loss is Marylebone’s gain. In August, the group closed all their South London sites (Kudu, Smokey Kudu, Curious Kudu and Kudu Grill) to consolidate their South African-inspired cooking inside one snazzy new building. It’s adorned with parquet floors, rope ceiling, stylish furnishings with African touches, and a spanking new open kitchen with a towering charcoal grill.

The Vibe: The space could easily be formal and fancy, but the vibe is relaxed, service is friendly, and the mix of counter seats, high tables, window booths and tables in the back offers different vantage points for quick business lunches or leisurely catch-up dinners. It’s sufficiently swanky and special to merit a trip, but anyone based nearby will likely consider becoming a regular.

The Food: You can tell a lot about a restaurant’s ambition by its bread and butter offering, and Kudu’s may force other joints to up their game. Airy, pillow-soft and presented in a cast-iron pot alongside a pool of citrus, herbed, brown shrimp butter (there are other dipping options too), it set the expectations appropriately high. Smoked prawn crullers were dainty, delicious morsels, and the biltong – a beloved South African snack – was a far cry from its dry, chewy classic iteration. This version was tender, moreish, delicately spiced with punchy pepper and coriander seed, and with just enough chew to remain true to its origins.

But the star of the show is the meat coming off the braai. We went for the pork chop with monkey gland sauce (a rich, tangy and, crucially, primate-free South African concoction) which delivered everything you could hope for from grilled meat: the blackened, smoky hit of charcoal; crisp, beautifully rendered fat; and tender meat that had been properly rested.

The Drink: Kick off with an innovative cocktail – maybe a Braai Negroni – then get into the extensive South African wine list. There’s an impressively curated selection of spirits, especially tequila and mezcal. Want more? Head upstairs to the Smokey Kudu bar and really get to know the drinks.

The Verdict: “Everything is bigger here,” our French maître’d commented, about bringing the Peckham experience to Marylebone without losing the magic. This is clearly a different beast – bigger menu, more covers and a broader, more demanding clientele. There are still a few kinks to iron out in terms of service but this new opening adds scale and swagger to the Kudu brand. –David Bard

→ Kudu (Marylebone) • 7 Moxon St • Mon-Fri 12-3p & 6-10p, Sat 11a-3p & 5-10p, Sun 1130a-3p & 6-9p • Book.