London: December 2021

At Trivet, chef Jonny Lake and Master Sommelier Isa Bal present an different approach to fine dining, crafting shorter, more approachable menus without compromising on the intricacy and sophistication. This is all complemented by a beautiful and tastefully designed space as well as one of London’s most diverse and imaginative wine lists. Trivet is one of those rare places where everything is so well done that one would want to dine there anytime.

A chef’s profile: Jonny Lake

Born in Canada, Jonny Lake initially pursued a university degree in physics and biology. However, his passion for cooking soon led him to a career change. He enrolled at the Institut de Tourisme et d’Hôtellerie du Québec, where he completed his culinary education. His outstanding performance earned him a bursary that enabled him to travel to Italy for three months. There, he sharpened his skills in several Michelin-starred establishments, such as A Spurcacciun-a and Quintilio in Liguria, and L’Albereta in Lombardy, where he worked under the Italian nouvelle cuisine legend Gualtiero Marchesi.

In 2005, Lake moved to the United Kingdom, joining The Fat Duck as a chef de partie. He swiftly rose through the ranks, becoming head chef in 2009. It was at The Fat Duck that Lake met Isa Bal, the future co-founder of Trivet and a world-renowned Turkish sommelier. After nearly 13 years of working together, Lake and Bal decided to pursue their own venture, leading to Lake’s departure from the restaurant in 2018.

Before launching Trivet in October 2019 near London Bridge, Lake and Bal travelled around the world for inspiration. Despite opening at the onset of a global pandemic, their cuisine earned them swift recognition. In 2020, they were awarded with three AA Rosettes and in 2022 they received a Michelin star. Isa Bal also won the Michelin Sommelier Award that same year.

The cuisine

Lake and Bal’s approach to food and drink involves taking simple concepts and experimenting with flavour and texture combinations until they evolve into novel culinary experiences. Drawing from the international diversity and rich culinary history around them (mostly Italy, France and Japan), their menu showcases inventive adaptations of global ingredients and dishes.

What sets Trivet apart from other fine dining restaurants is the à la carte format. It provides a refreshing alternative to the often overly elaborate and time-consuming tasting menus, while still delivering strong, captivating flavours and high-quality ingredients. Despite its conciseness – five appetizers, five main courses, and five desserts – Trivet’s menu does not compromise on quality or creativity. These dishes are complex, consisting of multiple elements that bring the diversity of elaborations and the intricacy that one would expect in a longer tasting menu. The aim is to create a sense of conviviality and accommodate time-conscious diners, inviting both novices and regulars to embark on a journey of discovery that entices them to return, time and again.

Inspired by the eponymous three-legged cooking apparatus, Trivet symbolizes stability amidst the ever-shifting world of gastronomy. Instead of enforcing a constant renovation of the menu that characterizes avant-garde fine dining, the menu preserves Lake’s signature dishes and adapts them gradually according to the seasons and the availability of ingredients. This approach allows the team to refine their creations over time while keeping it fresh and exciting. As a result, he classic dishes are not static, but evolve with time.

The venue

Located in London’s Snowfields, Trivet showcases a sophisticated fusion of Nordic and Mediterranean aesthetics. The former premises of Leandro Carreira’s short-lived restaurant, Londrino, have been redesigned by Umay Çeviker of Derin Yeşil Architects into a sleek and inviting venue. It features a brass-accented bar, an open kitchen and a spacious dining room that can accommodate up to 65 guests. The elegant interiors are adorned with intricate wooden parquet tiles, mid-century modern furniture, and soft brass accents, creating a contrast with the light woods and bare concrete cladding. Large windows allow natural light to flood the space and offer a glimpse of the quiet streets of Bermondsey. Additionally, artwork by Turkish artists decorates the walls, adding an extra layer of charm to the space. The tables are bare, most of the cutlery is from Studio William and the crockery from Turkish producer Bonna.

Trivet is a place where style and substance coexist in perfect balance, making it suitable for both casual and formal occasions. The service at Trivet is flawless, as the front-of-house team matches the excellence of the kitchen staff. They are cordial, accessible, and informative, but never too rigid. They provide each guest with a relaxed and engaging experience, allowing sufficient space and time between dishes to enjoy the food.

The wine list

Trivet’s Master Sommelier Isa Bal, winner of the 2022 Michelin Sommelier Award for the UK, invites you to embark on an engaging journey through the history of wine. Instead of a conventional list of names, vintages, and prices, Bal has curated a collection that sparks curiosity and dialogue among wine lovers of all levels. The list follows a chronological order, starting from 7000 BC with the ancient origins of wine in Georgia and Armenia, travelling through Turkey, the Middle East, and the Greeks, and reaching the Old and New Worlds, with a playful nod to Mars as the future of winemaking.

To complement chef Lake’s bold, intense, and clean flavours, Trivet’s wine list reveals hidden gems and diverse styles from lesser-known producers and regions, while offering a range of enticing options at reasonable prices. There is a strong emphasis on Turkish, Armenian, and Georgian wines, the birthplace of winemaking. We opted for a Wieninger Wiener Riesling 2019, then a Turkish Syrah and Cabernet blend – Büyülübag Shah Red, and ended with a scrumptious Donnafugata Passito Di Pantelleria 2018.

Dining at Trivet

We opted for a shared starter and an individual main each, mindful of the generous portions.

Bread is a humble staple, yet it can elevate a meal when crafted with skill and care. The sourdough we received was among the finest we have tasted in the UK. It had a well-developed flavour, with hints of yogurt and dairy, and a nutty undertone from the whole wheat. The crust was crisp and caramelized, while the crumb was open, but not too light. It invited us to slather it with butter. And what a butter it was! It had a complex profile, with notes of hay and funk, perhaps from Ampersand? A cultured butter that matched the bread splendidly. We were tempted to devour the whole loaf, but we restrained ourselves to leave room for the rest of the meal.

Our starter, the Winter Sweetbread, showcased an interplay of flavours and textures. A tender and succulent veal sweetbread took centre stage in this dish, accompanied by char-grilled maitake mushrooms that imparted a meaty, woody aroma. The mushrooms enhanced the sweetbreads perfectly, while the wild cumin sprinkled on top lent a subtle Middle Eastern flair to the dish.

The wild cumin, more delicate and nuanced than its more common cousin, added a touch of exoticism without overwhelming the balance of flavours. The veal jus intensified the dish, creating a rich and comforting harmony that lingered on the palate. A layer of sautéed radicchio under the sweetbreads provided a welcome contrast of bitterness to offset the decadent veal jus and the sweet accents of pickled lingonberries. The lingonberries, evoking pomegranate-like notes, brought a splash of freshness that completed the dish.

For our main course, the Chicken with Vinegar Sauce was an irresistible choice, as it in very few months it had become one of the restaurant’s signature dishes. The centrepiece of this dish is the chicken breast, excellently cooked with an emphasis on purity and delicateness. While sous vide enthusiasts may find the chicken slightly less juicy than their preference, the dish offers a pleasant balance between tenderness and firmness. The skin, crisped to perfection, boasts an intense seasoning reminiscent of a succulent rotisserie chicken. 

Accompanying the chicken is an assortment of complementary flavours, each playing a role in elevating the dish without overpowering the star ingredient. The silky potato purée, infused with a hint of lemon zest, forms a luscious bed for the chicken, while the crispy fried shallots add textural contrast. A medley of pungent turnip tops and little gem lettuce introduces a touch of bitterness, and the confit shallots lend a subtle sweetness to the ensemble.

But what makes this dish truly exceptional is the vinegar sauce – a rich reduction of black vinegar, shallots and jus de cuisson that adds an Asian twist to the dish. The sauce cuts through the richness of the dish with its tangy and savoury notes, creating a mouthwatering umami sensation that keeps you coming back for more. We paired all this with the zesty, salty and mineral Riesling that could easily take the intensity of the sauce.

Another of Lake’s signature dishes, Pigeon and Persimmon, demonstrates the chef’s affinity for squab, a delicate and versatile ingredient. The dish consists of wood-roasted squab pigeon accompanied by spiced heritage carrots and kale, as well as thin slices of persimmon, a smooth persimmon purée and a rich pigeon glace.

The squab pigeon was cooked flawlessly, with a crispy skin and a tender, rare flesh that resembled duck in flavour. The breast flesh was particularly succulent and juicy, and was arranged in quarters stacked on each other to highlight its texture and colour contrast. Likewise, the confit leg was crisp on the exterior and moist on the interior, with a stronger and more gamey flavour. Moreover, the confited pigeon heart was included as well, contributing another dimension of intense gameyness to the dish. The glace was infused with garlic and pepper, which imparted a spicy kick to the dish. The same spice blend was applied on the pigeon skin and sprinkled over the compressed confit leg, creating a flavourful coherence.

Meanwhile, the persimmon slices offered a sweet and textural contrast to the meat, as well as soaking up some of the delicious pigeon glace from the plate. The persimmon purée was a highlight of the dish, especially when combined with the slices and the meat in one mouthful. Its fruity flavours matched perfectly with the game bird, creating a balance of sweet and savoury. Lastly, the side of heritage carrots and kale added some crunch and freshness to the dish. Both vegetables were lightly cooked to preserve their natural texture and colour.

Our pairing here was the Büyülübag Shah. Gamey and peppery, with lush black fruit on the palate, it complemented the richness and earthiness of the pigeon.

Moreover, we recommend not to skip ordering some sides for your main. The Homemade French fries with onion ketchup are excellent. The fries are crisp and golden, while the onion ketchup, a clever twist on the classic condiment, harks back to Jonny’s style during his tenure at The Fat Duck. Devoid of tomato, this clear, sweet, and tangy onion gel is a revelation.

As we headed for the end of our meal, the acclaimed ‘Hokkaido Potato’ dessert arrived. This inventive dish was a fusion of mille feuille, potato, white chocolate, and sake, blending French and Japanese influences. The presentation was nothing short of immaculate, with meticulous attention to detail that was consistent throughout the entire meal. The dessert featured a stack of thin and crispy layers of pâte inversée, some of them caramelized to a golden brown hue. Although the pastry was slightly overdone, it added a savoury touch to the sweet dish. Between the layers, a white chocolate and potato ganache attempted to balance the flavours, but it fell short of our expectations. The chocolate overpowered the subtle potato taste, and the ganache had a grainy and starchy mouthfeel that we did not enjoy. The only saving grace of this component were the potato gel and the crunchy croquants that crowned the stack, adding some moisture and texture.

On the side, a scoop of sake ice cream impressed us with its smooth and creamy consistency. However, it lacked the distinctive flavour of rice wine. Its flavour profile leaned more toward fior di latte than the intended sake. An artistic sprinkle of dried potato powder adorned the dish, but it felt more like a gimmick than a meaningful addition. Finally, the dessert was served atop a bed of crunchy, shredded potato, which provided a contrasting texture.

In addition to our main dessert, we tasted a few smaller treats that could also qualify as petit-fours – a canelé, a butter tart and some pistachio gelato. With the gelato we were greeted by an intensity of flavour of the pure nuttiness and freshly roasted aromas that could only be derived from a meticulous selection of high-quality pistachios. This went beyond the mere taste, as it excelled in its texture as well. Perfectly tempered, the ice cream possessed a soft, smooth, and creamy consistency, with just the right hint of elasticity thanks to a judicious use of stabilizers.

The canelé was equally irresistible, with its rich vanilla custard and caramelized crust. It offered a delicious contrast of toffee and caramel au beurre salé aromas. To make it better, serving it warm could accentuate the custardy texture and the vanilla notes.

The most remarkable dessert was the butter tart, which reveals the chef’s Canadian origin. The tart consists of a flaky pastry with a rich caramelised butter aroma. Filled nearly to the brim with an egg and sugar mixture with rum-soaked currants, it somehow resembles an English treacle tart. The caramelised sugar custard and the rich, smokey currants harmonise well with the pâte feuilletée.

To complement our pastries and ice cream, the sweet wine available by the glass was delightful. The best example of Passito de Pantelleria there probably is, even when young.

A festive feast: Trivet’s French-Canadian tourtière

When the pandemic forced all restaurants to close their doors, Trivet came up with a brilliant idea: selling ready-to-bake French-Canadian tourtières for Christmas. These savoury pies are a traditional dish in Quebec and other parts of Canada, usually enjoyed during the holiday season. After missing out on this opportunity in 2020, we were quick to place our order when Trivet announced their second edition of this event in 2021. It seems that this has become a yearly tradition for them, so keep an eye on their Instagram posts in December 2023.

Reminiscent of the Stella Parks’ masterful pie crust, the puff pastry exuded an intense buttery aroma, while the delicately shaped edges showed a very satisfying crisp. Although the bottom of the pastry turned slightly soggy, this minor imperfection could hardly detract from the overall experience, particularly considering it was an at-home meal kit. A simple tweak, such as cooking on the bottom of the oven or using a preheated thick tray, could potentially resolve this issue.

The chefs filled the pie with a mixture of sautéed brunoise of onions and mushrooms, veal mince, and shredded smoked pork shank. The filling had a festive touch, with hints of cinnamon and clove that evoked both Christmas and moussaka-like aromas. To accompany this rich, aromatic blend, a side of corn relish – a staple in Toronto hot dog culture – was provided. The relish, composed of sweet corn, finely diced red pepper, gherkins, and a mayonnaise sauce diluted with pickling water, offered a delightful contrast of sweetness and acidity. This combination served to cut through the robust, meaty flavours of the pie, resulting in a perfectly balanced and deeply satisfying dish.