“One Of London’s Most Exciting Spanish Restaurants Is Going In A New Direction, Here’s What I Think Of The New ALTA”
Exactly a year ago today, I went to review a new opening in Kingly Court that went by the name of ALTA. Small plates and smoke filled the room as I tasted the Spanish cooking that would make for my first-ever London review.
As the year went on, I watched as ALTA gained more and more attention. Michelin put it on the map. Since then, Robbie Jameson has taken over as Executive Chef, leading ALTA in a new direction. I knew it was time to go back, to review the new and informalised ALTA.
ALTA, in my imagination, follows the diet of a mermaid. She looks out from her rock as she slurps oysters and pairs crudos with tangy toppings that match the hues of her coral tail.
Mallory, Junior Food & Drink Editor
What sets it apart
The new concept from the ALTA team is a menu and restaurant inspired by the pintxos culture of the Basque Country. The irony here, though, is that the Basque region is heavily associated with slow living, with sweeping landscapes, a connection with nature. But ALTA and its ground floor — Bar ALTA — sits on perhaps the most concrete, commercial, neon, overwhelming corner of London — Kingly Court.
Despite this, I’ll admit, poor real estate, ALTA has somehow moulded itself into an oasis. Walking through the doors is like going underwater — the noise drowns out; everything softens with a hum of white noise amidst the nearby chaos.
It’s dark wood interiors, it’s grand ceilings, and it’s neutral, earthy tones make for this sort of softness; the smells only add to the ambient sense of being in nature, despite outside feeling like we couldn’t be further.
What we ate
It is the menu that differentiates ALTA from what it once was. Before, there was a sexiness, a dark, secretive appeal to its dimly lit corners and charred dishes. But now, I feel the vibrant colours of its new dishes are illuminated by what could only be described as light. The small plates painted with watercolours are best visible in the day, by the windows, with a view of the mess.
It is mature in the way that your auntie who wears headscarves as she drives her convertible down the coast is mature.
Grilled flatbread, circular and fluffy with dimples to catch the green romesco with a lashing of Manchego, is perhaps the best bite you might find in this oversaturated food court. It is mature in the way that your auntie who wears headscarves as she drives her convertible down the coast is mature.
Yellowtail crudo with grape and olive oil joined Maldon oysters with tomato water and dill. They both followed the same colour palette of pastel greens and yellows; those colours made for a brightness, a mild zest and a near umami cleanliness to what otherwise could be quite fishy.
A4 wagyu with Marmite, honey and espelette came on a skewer, balanced inside a hollow bone. While I’d be quite excited about this, it was slightly tougher than I would’ve hoped for. The gameyness and smokiness of it, though, reminded me of the hearty meats and veg so specific to the area; alongside this, the wild Atlantic prawns were smoked ever so lightly that they melted at the presence of a fork, falling apart like fat in a pan. Prawns this tender, I did not know existed. These two complemented each other — hard and soft.
I sipped on white vermouth mixed with olive lemonade while finishing off gordal olives the size of a baby’s fist, dressed with the faint flavours of rosemary and burnt jalapeno. I looked out onto the pig pen of Kingly Court, but I looked out from a palace, an oasis, imagining a world where I might be able to extend my stay and wait for a dinner seating upstairs. But, of course, that just isn’t feasible. I left, the city calling me back from my days’ halftime, my version of a meditation.
Verdict
ALTA, in my imagination, follows the diet of a mermaid. She looks out from her rock as she slurps oysters and pairs crudos with tangy toppings that match the hues of her coral tail. She sips on briny, bubbly, clear mixed drinks. She rips a prawn from its casing and searches for the savouriness of the reef to round out her meal, a light buzz from her feast before heading off into the depths once more.
Walking through the doors is like going underwater — the noise drowns out; everything softens with a hum of white noise amidst the nearby chaos.
Where: 9 Kingly Court (Ground fl), Carnaby St, W1B 5PW
Website: www.alta-restaurant.com
