Rarely ever does anyone who doesn’t live West travel further than South Kensington on the Piccadilly line, however, I had managed to persuade an East London resident, aka my friend Josh, to meet me at one of the new restaurants near Hammersmith Appollo to have some small plates and big fun.

We’re visiting Cellar at Kindred, a casual all-day cafe, counter, and bar that takes elements of vibrant, independent European city eateries and marries them with seasonal, ingredient-focused food and wine menus. A local neighbourhood hangout open to all, it’s a welcomed addition to the Kindred family, alongside their coworking and event space.

Yolk gotta be kidding me: excellent eggs and raspberry rims are on the Cellar at Kindred menu.

Upon first glance, it could’ve been easy to get the open house and restaurant muddled up but, as the name would suggest, Cellar is downstairs. As soon as I arrived, I was led to a plush, olive green seating area where I waited for Josh, thrilled having avoided venue confusion. Half an hour later he showed up having unavoided it by gatecrashing a networking event above, Champagne in tow. Brilliant.

Composed and now having firmly understood our whereabouts, we immediately picked apart the menu, ordering two starters as we were, quite frankly, ravenous. We began with the smokey padron peppers with a manouri and yogurt dip (£6.60), plus a modest portion of olives, picos, and peppers (£5.50). Not before too long, our attention was caught by the extensive cocktail list.

Sip on European wines and dine on decadent delights.

Now, I LOVE tequila-based tipples and so does Josh, so the Estes Margarita (£14 each) was a done deal. It was a take on the classic with a sangria-like twist: fruity, smooth, and topped with red wine, looking like a crimson rainbow when it arrived.

As soon as the drinks were flowing, so were the small plates. Considering I am no longer a ‘proper’ vegetarian, I scoffed down an entire portion of crispy buttermilk fried chicken with curry leaf mayo and gherkins (£11) showing no regrets, before making my way onto Josh’s pick: the Isle of Brae smoked haddock mac n cheese, pecorino and a grated soft boiled egg (£10), which was unbelievably rich and creamy.

Everything came out at once, including a light and crispy aubergine pizzette (£9) and an admittedly ambitious large plate: a hearty winter mushroom crumble served with garlic ciabatta (£17). We split the pizza in half and devoured large chunks of meaty oyster mushrooms and lentils before wincing a little at the thought of bread.

The popcorn old fashioned is a must-choose cocktail at Cellar in London. 

The unassuming star of the show was one of our two sides, the grilled hispi cabbage with gremolata butter (£6). Lathered in a zesty sauce, its leaves flaked off gently to reveal even more marinade in between.

Unfortunately, there was no room for dessert. Josh and I looked at each other with teary eyes (for me it was mainly because he said he didn’t like chocolate). We decided to end the night with two stunning signature cocktails. I had the fruity West 6 Buttered Up with Portobello Road celebrated butter gin (£12) and Josh had a Dry Pornstar Daiquiri served with sparkling wine and passion fruit pearls (£12). These were both flirty shades of pink and truly morerish. I could see how you could have a couple and not realise until you stood up, which, in the end, we did with rosy cheeks and full bellies.

The DesignMyNight Digest

I had a wonderful time visiting Cellar at Kindred in Hammersmith and booking was certainly a wise thing to do. The service was so friendly and everyone seemed genuinely excited by the dishes. In hindsight, I would not have ordered so many carb-heavy plates because the walnut tiramisu looked delicious. Maybe in another life. 

Feeling hungry? Sign up to our London newsletter for inspiration.