Chef Nuno Mendes gained cult status for turning out experimental and highly imaginative dinners at his private supper club ‘The Loft’. After two and a half years in ‘development’, Nuno has unveiled his latest venture in East London's up-and-coming Bethnal Green district. Having recently been awarded its first Michelin star, Viajante is Portuguese for ‘Traveller’ and it represents Nuno’s journey around the world, foraging elements from various cuisines to create the perennially evolving concept for his menu. Based inside the recently opened Town Hall Hotel in Bethnal Green, the restaurant is like a theatre with an open kitchen as its stage where diners can watch Nuno work his magic. With a meticulous and personal approach to cooking for his audience, highlights include the squid tartare, elegantly arranged with samphire, mushrooms and pickled radishes - Spring on a plate. His artistry of deconstructing dishes is evident with celeriac cooked three ways, raw, roasted and pickled. Served with an onion-infused tapioca concoction and a thick slice of S.Jorge cheese redolent of a cheese cruton in a classic French onion soup. The most memorable was by far the lemon sole delicately roasted with yeast, served with gnocchi. Nuno’s poetic cooking is groundbreaking, risky and artistic. His successful infusion of elements borrowed from worldly cuisines has created a distinctive fingerprint that is uniquely his own.
