Wine Bar and Restaurant Review: Cadet, East London
I spontaneously shimmied to the opening night of Cadet, a new neighbourhood wine bar and restaurant on Newington Green, knowing exactly what to expect: easy-drinking wines by the glass, a charming selection of seasonal small plates, masterful French charcuterie and a low-key, convivial atmosphere.
What is it that I want from a new neighbourhood outfit on its opening night? I want a warm welcome and a glass of fizz as soon as I step through the door. Check. I also want a simple, stylish set-up and an easy sense of camaraderie that makes me feel like I know everyone even though I actually know no-one. Check. I want to glance up at a blackboard and believe it’s achievable to work my way through an entire menu in an evening without having to confront my crippling and chronic options paralysis. Mission accomplished.
Daily-changing menus at Cadet with a small, but careful selection of wines by the glass and seasonal small plates.
The truth is, I hadn’t actually asked myself this question by the time I’d decided to shimmy spontaneously to this brand-new wine bar and restaurant at 57 Newington Green on its very first evening of service. I knew I wouldn’t have to. The constituent components of Cadet are already brimming with an established reputation for excellence, with the potential to surpass expectations in an effort to tie them all together.
First, we have Tom Beattie (P. Franco), who first partnered with Francis Roberts (Westerns Laundry and Bright) to start a highly-respected wine import business back in 2019. I have unwavering faith in their ability to select a small number of easy-drinking wines to pour by the glass: one each of fizz, white, rosé and red. More available on request. I tried all of them on the night, but the real star for me was an elegant, light-on-its feet French red called ‘Fruit Jazz’, a Grenache/Syrah mix, served chilled and produced by Sylvain Bock in the Southern Ardèche. Not only did Beattie and Roberts do a great job with the wine, but the pair also possess a bright and breezy charisma which radiates through the restaurant as they busily weave around the space smiling, nattering, and never letting a glass rest empty.
Fruit Jazz and Alsatian Riesling by the glass, and crudités with sheep’s yoghurt and gooseberries.
Second, we have head chef Jamie Smart whose CV stretches past the likes of Lyle’s, Brawn, Flor, St John and P. Franco – should I stop there? He’s operating in a teeny-tiny, but totally exposed, stainless steel galley kitchen and churning out a charming selection of seasonal small plates. The highlights for me were the crudités with sheep’s yoghurt, sour with the tang of gooseberries, and then the beetroot piqued with pickled verbena stems and sprinkled with spenwood (a gentle, nutty-flavoured and hard-pressed cheese made from raw sheep’s milk). There was absolutely no chance that I would be exiting the establishment without dessert, so I obligingly delighted in Smart’s cherry stone and red currant clafoutis: a triumph of a traditional French dish which was simultaneously soft, sweet and slightly sharp.
Cherry stone and red currant clafoutis.
Last (but by no means least), we have artisan butcher-come-fishmonger-come-cheesemonger, George Jephson, who has been building his wholesale business for some time now, supplying some of the bougiest names in the biz with his structurally-sound French-style charcuterie. Cadet now offers an even greater opportunity for Jephson to showcase his talents, and in particular his signature pâté en croute which rivals some of the architectural masterpieces of even Michelangelo. There are various iterations of his croute-like craftmanship, but the one I sampled on Thursday was rich with consommé jelly and packed full of pork, pistachios and apricots – served with Russian kale and crunchy gherkins.
Pâté en croûte packed with pork, pistachios and apricots.
To sum up, it’s a magical combination that made me giddy with contentment whilst I sipped on several glasses of fruit jazz and felt the stardust swirl around me. I’m also extremely happy that they are currently inviting customers on a walk-in-only basis to maintain their low-key, convivial vibe. This means that regardless of whether you’re a local, or just passing by the area, Cadet is a great place to grab a glass, or two, or six and nibble around as much of the menu as your appetite will allow.
You can also follow Cadet on Instagram @cadetlondon or visit its website at https://www.cadetlondon.com/. Cadet’s address is 57 Newington Green, N16 9PX.
