Kopapa is a sort of fusion (aka fridge raid) restaurant from the man behind the highly praised yet slightly pricey Providores in Marylebone.
The New Zealander is famed for his eclectic cooking, bringing together ingredients and techniques from far flung corners of the globe and putting them on tiny little plates in London town.
Kopapa is a little edgier than most of its surrounding restuarants, and is bizarrely loud. Something which, on my first visit for an obscenely hungover brunch, I found entirely horrifying. At dinner time though it didn’t seem so much of a problem.
We chose a selection of small plates to share. Roast hake, piperade & a fried quail’s egg (£8.50) was my favourite, my opinion slightly influenced by the adorably small egg. “So cute!” I squealed… I know, I’m embarrassing.
The deep-fried Urfa chilli & sesame salted squid (£7.00) was served with sumac aïoli, because what exactly is the point in ordinary aïoli? This tangy, lemony spice created an aïoli unlike anything I’ve ever tried before, it went perfectly with the squid.
A highlight was the Beef tartare, anchovy dressing and smoked beetroot (£8.50). This dish packed more than just a punch. Two punches, I’d say. We were dangerously close to becoming full when it appeared, but once we tried it we soldiered on through without so much of a whimper.
I wasn’t entirely convinced by the Lime-cured salmon, hijiki, braised endive & orange dressing (£7.30), and that’s coming from someone who’d gladly exist on a diet of cured salmon alone… The orange was maybe a bit too much for this one to handle.
We also had a portion of scrumptious skinny fries with rosemary salt & garlic (£3.95) to share. I mean it, these fries are truly scrumptious.
The dream was shattered a little when our desserts arrived, though. We ordered a Chocolate & sea salt caramel sundae, tamarind ice cream & popcorn (£8.00), which the waitress described as “a love it or hate it dessert”. It certainly was that… and I’m afraid to say we weren’t on team Sundae.
The Peanut butter parfait with Original Beans 75% Piura Criollo chocolate délice, salted caramel sauce & chocolate crumble (£8.50) wasn’t bad, but it was incredibly rich, possibly a little too rich considering the serving. We struggled to finish half of it, definitely one for sharing.
Service was faultless, and at the mere hint of a complaint about the ice cream it was removed from our bill so swiftly we felt a bit guilty for grumbling at all.
The Verdict: Fantastic fusion food in a great Seven Dials location. Order the roast hake! Don’t bother with the desserts.
8/10
£££
LONDON GRUMP 