DSTRKT Restaurant Review: Sharing is Caring at Modern Japanese Restaurant DSTRKT London

The venue DSTRKT London opened in 2011 now and back then it was a little all over the shop. I dined here just a couple of months after its doors flung open and while the club side of the venue was booming, the food in the restaurant was if I’m completely honest – terrible. But almost five years on and DSTRKT has gone much more serious on us and with a focus on sharing. A refreshed dining room, a Japanese staffed kitchen and some of the best service I’ve had in a while. The cocktails haven’t changed however – they’re still as delicious as I remember then and the house negroni packed that bitter punch we were after.

To get a real sense of the menu we ate from a selection of well-portioned dishes, starting with a plate of soft shell crab maki rolls and famous avocado covered dragon rolls. Both were perfectly good, the rice had a nice texture and the crab well-cooked. The make rolls however needed a little more structure to them as they seemed to unravel a little when given sight of the chopsticks. Despite the unwrapping, both were very satisfying mouthfuls.

Star dish was without question these unusual cod pieces. Each piece of cod had been coated in a rich and sweet Greek style flaky pastry, topped with caviar and perched on a bed of seaweed, which had been pickled I believe. I was a little sceptical at first but quite honestly this dish really could be on the menu of some of London’s top restaurants. They just need to get the rest of the menu to become just as exiting and interesting.

Salted edamame of course went down a treat and was quickly followed by some home-made vegetable spring rolls which lacked filling and we’re sadly a disappointment, but the crispy squid covered in chilli and salt was a lovely crispy affair – though I’d have much preferred to be served the whole baby squids as they tend to stay much more soft and tender while frying.

After all the different flavours we indulged in a refreshing lemon sorbet palate cleanser before finishing up on a gorgeous white chocolate cheesecake. Rich, creamy, decadent and the white chocolate had been generously mixed into the slice. I’m incredibly obsessed with white chocolate so this cheesecake had me from the first bite, right through to the last.

Affordable modern Japanese food, an edgy and airy dining room and outstanding service – what’s not to like? DSTRKT London isn’t going to be winning awards for the best restaurant in London, because it isn’t – but what it does offer is a great night out with some real standout dishes. I do have to applause the restaurant from changing a once bad restaurant into a good one, but it still needs to find its identity. The menu also features steak with a fried egg on top and stroganoff – its menus like these which time and time again I see restaurants failing as they try to please all customers. DSTRKT – stick with the Japanese food, claim your identity and you’ll be fine. Will we be back? Yes. For that crispy cod, delicious cheesecake and more importantly to make sure the menu has been fine tuned into a central London Japanese experience. It’s already halfway there.

I was invited to review