Cadet — Restaurant in London

Cadet gets it all right. There was nothing to fault in this marvellous meal.

What’s puzzling me though is why oh why has it taken the two years of its existence to discover this local gem, given that we’re always looking for a tasty dinner between pints of ale at Lady Mildmay and jazz at The Vortex?

The space has been put together simply but to great effect; the largest feature being a beautiful counter, with a short dog leg to the right as it approaches the window, which looks out on to the green; to the left, there are smaller tables ideal for pairs. We sat at the longest part of the counter, from where we could chat between ourselves (we were a trio) and easily ask questions of the staff or pass our compliments to them. The lighting in the space is in the small sweet-spot of subdued and warmth, which is not easy to do in the modern era, post the demise of the incandescent bulb. A mixture of candlelight and glowing LED sources in concert with the colour palette of the décor, the tones and shades of the counter and other furnishings, make entering the space so inviting, especially on a cold drab night in January. Yes, there’s music playing, but it operates on the level of subtle vibe shifting, nowhere near what anyone could consider intrusive.

There’s a short chalkboard of regularly changing starters and mains, with a complementary selection of wines available by the glass (or bottle I presume). Just reading the menu and looking at the wine choices, sitting in that wonderful space, you get a very strong sense that this has all been thought through with great sensibility and care, so I was expecting deliciousness as I sipped my pastis.

Oh my days, I was not disappointed, on the contrary I was blown away with what I ordered. I was curious about the playfully named “fromage de tête”, which was combined with a rich lentil bed (turning out to have just the right level of “stewiness”), so I queried it with one of our hosts; not cheese at all, but a generous smattering of small parings of pork from different parts of, presumably, the head of the pig; some crisper and fattier, some tender and melting, all atop a base of flavoursome lentils, served with a healthy dash of pungent mustard, the whole unctuous assemblage was a superb delight for all of the senses that are engaged when eating.

I asked our host to choose me a complementary glass of red wine and she selected a bottle from the Languedoc, which on the nose was bright and fruitful, but came to life in the mouth with soft and silky tannins, and a set of textures and flavours that were hard to let go into a wistful finish. I’d have happily drained a second glass, but, on this occasion, time didn’t allow. My comrades chose respectively John Dory and a lamb dish, which they washed down with a great, fuller-bodied white wine. Each of them was fulsome in their praise for their dinners.

Cadet is an outstanding venue and there’s little doubt that it is going to become our go-to place on Newington Green. Put simply, it’s brilliant. Keep up the good work and we’ll see...

Update: 22/08/2024 Had the pleasure of Chris Woolords’ cooking - he’s doing a short guest stint at Cadet. Simply lovely food. Green beans with sauce soubise. Fresh and delicate. A reminder how fabulous classic French sauces are. And a vol au vent filled with intense, lemony courgettes cooked to a confit, with ricotta. Pure pleasure. Lemon ice cream and blackberries. Personally I’d cancel any plans this weekend for the chance to eat food of this quality in such a laid back, friendly space. We stumbled upon Cadet by chance and found it truly lovely. When we didn't like the wine we'd ordered, we were offered something different with no fuss or judgement. And the food is just top quality. We had a variety - fabulous pate, a perfect salad with cheese, quail with wild garlic and then several divine little puddings. Lots of delicious French bread and butter (which comes free). It's a small place, so maybe their rent is reasonable, or maybe they're satisfied with smaller profits, but the fairness of the prices is very noticeable. You could share a salad (£7) and some rillettes (£4.50), have a couple of very good beers (£5.50 each) and finish with two delicious chestnut financiers (£3). So that's £25 for two people in a charming bar, with Maggi Hambling's controversial statue of Mary Wollstonecraft thrown in. Or you could eat your way through the whole menu. It's just wonderful to have affordable options. And there's Jumi, a friendly Swiss cheese shop,...

I am leaving a review in the hope that it will be taken into account by the staff. I am a Cadet regular and I have noticed that there are two categories of staff members, some of them are fantastic, so helpful, relaxed and friendly. Most of them were there from day one when Cadet opened and they really contribute to creating a good vibe. Then there is the other category, which is the exact opposite. The best way to describe them is “attitude”, it is like their behaviour is saying: “you are so lucky to be eating and drinking here that we don’t need to do anything to accommodate you and you should be thanking us just for being here”. I have noticed this a few times now, with cases of rushing us and not asking before they clear our plates or not being very helpful with explaining food options. Today it took ages to get anyone to help us with questions or even to order. And then because I am allergic to garlic I wanted to know whether the charcuterie they are serving has garlic in it or not. The waitress’s answer was that she doesn’t know because they do not produce the charcuterie themselves! But how can a restaurant serve something without knowing or being able and willing to find out what the ingredients are? The wine and food there is so good and some of your staff so lovely that I would hate to see this place become unwelcoming and pretentious. Staff behaviour can really affect the...