Le Bab — London, UK

The sheer diversity of London’s dining scene continues to defy expectations, as smaller, tightly-run ventures serving microcosms of global cuisine continue to come online. In the kitchen are usually chefs with impressive credentials, and anxious to leave the comfort of grand, five-star establishments to strike out on their own in less conventional settings.
Case in point is Le Bab, a small, brash, noisy nook on the top floor of the buzzing Kingly Court complex of small eateries, masseurs and yoga boutiques. Designer Angus Buchanan literally didn’t have much room to work with – an entire wall opens out into the central courtyard, while the kitchen and open grill, flanked by concrete and copper-tipped bar counter, takes up another corner chunk.
The square Middle-Eastern wall tiles, if not the restaurant’s name, though, are a dead giveaway to the menu – a series of interpretive takes on the kebab. Manuel Canales Garces and Angus Bell, respectively the sous chef and chef de partie of Le Gavroche, no less, work with organic vegetables, free-range meat and home-made bread and pickles.
The result is imaginative with rarely a dull moment as one small plate after the other emerges from the kitchen – the familiar, reimagined with bright results. Paneer kebabs are accented with beetroot puree, pickled rainbow chard stem and curry mayo. Lincolnshire endives spiced with sumac share the plate with Iranian pomegranate and a shallot dressing, while a kofte features spiced date brown sauce.
Wash it all down with an unexpectedly inventive round of tipples. If the craft beers don’t tempt, perhaps the house cocktail of spiced rum, or the Laphroaig smoky sour laced with mezcal might.
INFORMATION
Receive our daily digest of inspiration, escapism and design stories from around the world direct to your inbox.
ADDRESS
2nd Floor
Kingly Court
Daven Wu is the Singapore Editor at Wallpaper*. A former corporate lawyer, he has been covering Singapore and the neighbouring South-East Asian region since 1999, writing extensively about architecture, design, and travel for both the magazine and website. He is also the City Editor for the Phaidon Wallpaper* City Guide to Singapore.
-
Remembering X-girl’s notorious 1994 fashion show, which starred a pre-fame Chloë Sevigny
A new book by Angela Hill, ‘X-girl Show’ – featuring an introduction by Chloë Sevigny – documents the cult label’s renegade 1990s fashion show, which took place in New York and captured a changing underground look
-
How to spot a fake Lamborghini: inside the sports car manufacturer’s Polo Storico division
Fake or fortune? We talk to the team of Lamborghini experts who can spot a priceless classic from a phoney
-
Meet The Good Plastic Company, rethinking the way we use plastic
This creatively responsible brand supplied, and recycled, the plastic plinths used in Wallpaper’s Milan Design Week exhibition. Here’s how it is reimagining the use and reuse of the contentious material
-
This hidden London culinary haven is a refreshing take on the steakhouse
Mr Porter, a new steakhouse, bar and lounge in central London's swish Mayfair, is a hidden haven of strong flavours and minimalist dining
-
A European-style café opens next to London’s Saatchi Gallery
Designed by Dion & Arles, Cafe Linea serves fresh pâtisseries, global dishes and sparkling wines in a stunning Grade II-listed setting
-
Ready to unplug? Sign up for this digital detox retreat in Cornwall
Offline escape provider Unplugged has partnered with Cabilla Cornwall to offer a phone-free, nature-immersive group experience on Bodmin Moor
-
Anya Hindmarch’s Ice Cream Project is London’s tastiest (and weirdest) summer tradition
The cult pop-up has returned, transforming a Belgravia corner into a sleek, steel-clad shrine to British pantry nostalgia
-
The best bars in London for bartending greatness
From chic hotel cocktail classics to game-changing flavour combinations, our resident drinks correspondent, Neil Ridley, explores ten of the best bars in London
-
NoMad London’s new restaurant fast-tracks you to New York’s jazz age
Martin Brudnizki Design Studio conjures up old-world glamour at Twenty8 NoMad, where the menu features nearly as many martini variations as main courses
-
Italian-Japanese fusion’s a joy at east London’s Osteria Angelina
A Victorian warehouse in Spitalfields has been given a slick modern makeover to house a unique Italian-Japanese restaurant
-
This Hackney bar is reviving London’s legacy of lesbian spaces
Designed by Studio Popelo and Wet Studio, La Camionera emerges as a vital sanctuary for London’s FLINTA* community, honouring it right down to the details