RESTAURANTS • First Word
The Skinny: Were it in Borough Market, Ara, which opened in May, would have queues around the corner. But there’s no queue, and the unique, casually great Whitechapel spot is just as good as the brilliant but hard-to-book Oma, which serves a similar style of food.
The Vibe: Transport Fonda from west to east and you’ll have an idea of the décor. There’s an outdoor terrace for summer nights, cosy booths for catch-up dinners and a bright room with plenty of tables for two or more. Sustainable features (from Silo’s designer, no less) include upholstery fashioned from pineapple leather and recycled plastic tabletops. Because this is all-day dining, it’s a great spot for a business meeting over breakfast or lunch, or a lazy weekend brunch.
The Food: Ara is deliberately ambiguous (‘ara’ meaning various things in various languages) – both the food and design could easily be Mediterranean, Middle Eastern or Mexican. Turkish chef-owner Murat Kilic’s other restaurant, Amber, just around the corner, is much more Med- and Middle East-specific, but he’s kept things broader at Ara.
Start with sweetcorn ribs and smoky grilled potato bread, a dense delight dipped in tangy cultured butter that’s made from Kilic’s mum’s own starter. Then move onto blackened leeks adorned with XO sauce, confit walnuts and muhammara (the roasted red pepper dip from the Middle East). Anatolia-inspired mushroom dumplings come with a generous amount of wild fungi, garlic yoghurt, mint and Aleppo chilli, while mussel skewers are glazed with roasted chicken wing butter.
For mains, the Sweetheart Cabbage Contramar is inspired by the eponymous Mexico City restaurant’s pescado a la talla, where grilled fish is served half-and-half with striking green and red sauces. In Ara’s vegan version, two sizable hunks of cabbage are served on a bed of silken tofu and scattered with flaked almonds, one side green with mojo verde and the other red with mojo rojo. Slicing through it, you feel like you’re getting a meaty turbot. Desserts include a refreshing herb sorbet packed with basil, coriander and lime.
The Drink: Every all-day need is covered, from punchy juices to spicy margaritas and wines from all over.
The Verdict: Opened with little hype, Ara is already proving itself on the London restaurant scene with its all-day menu of bold flavours. Book a table on the terrace while the sun’s still out. –Laura Price