Folde: Thoughtful Vegetarian Cooking Finds Home on St John’s Hill

Review at a glance: ★★★★☆

It is hard to express just how well-suited Folde is for St John’s Hill. Founders Guy and Ella really couldn’t have picked a better first location.

Even before you walk in, it feels like a real local’s spot. It’s the sort of place you take friends visiting from Sydney, or Los Angeles, or any health-conscious place for that matter. And on a high street lined with independent restaurants and bars, the green coverings and ‘folde’ sign hold their own, arguably better than anywhere around it.

The interior is nothing to scream about, but the atmosphere was certainly popping. You’re given three different options when booking: High Bar Seats, Main Dining and Sofa Seats. All have their perks, although from the High Bar Seats you can barely see the main dining area. Just heads popping up behind the bar. The sofa seats, as much as I hate to admit it, actually added quite a lot of intimacy to the place. Couples lined up along the sofa looking out into the main restaurant make things feel so much less awkward.

The food absolutely blew me away, and I really wasn’t prepared for what was to come.

We started with a portion of the House Focaccia paired with the Folde Romesco, Almond and Guajillo Chilli Crisp. I joke you not, the focaccia is the size of a brick, and they give you enough dip to accommodate. The focaccia dripped with olive oil when squeezed, and the smell of the chilli crisp stuck to the bread when combined.

 

Next up, we opted for the Delica Pumpkin, Leek and Pumpkin Seed Pesto with Shoestring Fries, as well as the BBQ’d Carrots with Sage, Brown Butter and Goats Curd. Both dishes were as impressive as the starters, and after a recent trip to a certain popular restaurant in Marylebone where the carrots were bone dry, these were a welcome relief.

The BBQ carrots were softened with the creaminess of goats curd. The shoestring fries and pumpkin really surprised me with how flavourful they were. The sweetness of the pumpkin paired really well with the seasoning on the fries. This was a real winner.

 

To finish off our mains, we went for the two biggest dishes on the menu: the Crispy Aubergine with Curry Butter Sauce and Pickled Cabbage Slaw, and the Peanut Oyster Mushroom Skewer with Sweet Potato and Chickpea.

The crispy aubergine was close to a breaded vegetarian patty that you might find beneath a katsu curry, but the sauce was completely different. The curry flavour was there, but much lighter than its Japanese counterpart. Both myself and my partner, however, were not fans of the pickled slaw piled on top.

 

The standout dish of the evening was the Peanut Oyster Mushroom Skewer. A cold sweet potato mash topped with a salty, umami oyster mushroom made for a flavourful pairing.

For dessert, as is popular in every restaurant across London, the basque cheesecake was as creamy as it was delicious. But at this point, I honestly couldn’t separate one restaurant’s version from another.

 

I left with really warm feelings about this incredible vegetarian restaurant. I will certainly be back.