Grain Store

Bruno Loubet was born in Bordeaux and post-national service headed to London in the early 80s to work as a commis chef with Pierre Koffmann. His next step was to join Manoir aux Quat’ Saisons before heading back to London where he headed up Four Seasons and then opened a couple of places under his own name. In 2001 he left England for Australia and only returned 8 years later before opening Bistro Bruno Loubet in Clerkenwell in 2010. I visited Bistro Bruno Loubet in 2011 and really enjoyed it so it’s high on my list of places to go back to. However, 2013 saw the opening of his second restaurant in London, Grain Store. The various reviews have been sufficiently intriguing that I had to try it too.

The area north of King’s Cross is currently undergoing renewal. A bridge over Regent’s canal leads to Granary Square and hiding behind London’s politest fountain is Grain Store, in a former warehouse. The huge glass door at the front sets the tone for the restaurant, the space is vast, the bar between the two dining rooms is vast and the bustling open kitchen at the back of the room is vast. The ceiling is open exposing vents and ducts further emphasising the scale. The Grain Store approach to interior decorating is unconventional, sufficiently so that people actively warn you about it before you go. Walls of breadboards, colanders hanging from the front of the kitchen, coloured screens, pans and ladles hanging in clusters from the ceiling all feature. Huge glass lightshades accentuate phosphorescent bulbs that do little but look good. In a space where exposed brick and distressed woods prevail the furniture is unsurprisingly mismatched and playing up farmhouse character. Even on a Sunday lunchtime, though, the place is buzzing emphasised by the clank and shouted orders from the open kitchen.

The Sunday menu is more geared towards brunch than lunch. Many of the dishes sound interesting but my server steers me towards less dishes because the portions are big. The menu tends to emphasise the vegetable part of each dish with any meats taking second or third billing.

The creamed chestnut mushrooms with toasted hazelnuts and fried duck egg builds from bold and indulgent mushrooms with a hint of butter. Herbs including parsley and tarragon fragrantly lighten the dish and the occasional hit of coarse ground black pepper provides a welcome spicy kick. The combination of egg and mushroom is excellent although the yolk is more solid than it should be. This is a lovely hearty starter.

The dish of fermented red cabbage, tea soaked golden grapes, truffle dressing and wood pigeon is another brash dish where the strident cabbage needs strong counterbalances. The gamey pigeon has its own strong punch so the sweetness of the tiny grapes is vital as is the lightening touch of the fresh dill. I have bad memories of a pickled red cabbage dish when I was kid but this is really lovely.

After two strong savoury dishes trying dessert seems like a good idea and my choice is the coconut and kaffir lime tapioca with sweet potatoes and a banana wafer. The coconut is more emphatic than the lime and it has an almost soapy taste on my palate. The banana wafer with the nuttiness of the sesame seeds is delightful but the candied sweet potato is not convincing at all.

So my overall verdict is a bit mixed. I like the space but would think it’s more suited to going as a group than as a lone diner. Service is vague going on absent and I’m not sure if that’s down to people covering too many tables. But even though there are long stretches where I’m avoided my server’s advice on how many dishes to order is spot on so they’re not completely indifferent. The food is hearty and full of flavour and when it works it is very good indeed.  However, the dessert is not something I’ll look back on with any fondness.

All in all, I like Grain Store and will definitely go back when I’m in the mood to visit somewhere just that little bit different. Even so, I’m not sure Grain Store is somewhere I’d ever really love.

Overall Rating – 3/5