London dining: Reuben’s and Erev reviewed

Slice of life: the hero product is still superb Photo: Victoria Prever[Missing Credit]

We packed up some of the food to go in order to make room for the desserts that Simi had said we had to try. I loved the cinnamon-laden strudel which was served hot and a surprisingly light lockshen pudding. My son’s favourites were a small but intense triangle of baklava and chocolate rugelach. All served with a cup of mint tea.

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Until Monday there’s only takeaway available or limited seats at their bar counter but after that they’ll be opening up the whole upstairs restaurant seating area. Definitely worth a visit.

Reuben’s Restaurant

Passing: Erev's kitchen team[Missing Credit]

Further west, in Notting Hill, (non-kosher) Erev is the new incarnation of Eyal Shani’s Miznon – which had occupied the site since summer 2024. The pita place has been converted to a more formal sit-down restaurant headed up by chef Yakup Gundogdu.

I adored the former incarnation — especially the paper bags in which several dishes were delivered. My husband prefers a plate so has never got on with that style of service and this promised a more refined take on the Israeli chef’s veg-forward menu.

The vibe is glam and what we ate, delicious. My glass of Recanati Yasmin — a Galilean white wine was soaked up by a chunk of squidgy served with a dish of grated tomatoes and crème fraiche. ‘Four spicy instruments to swirl your soul’, it transpired, was a plate of fat green chillis and chilli-laden sauces including a fresh, herby zhug, smoky red pepper sauce we paired it with smooth creamy hummus topped with chickpeas and fat, puffy pita breads. Falafel were crunchy and full of flavour.

Eyal Shani's signature fresh ingredients are on display[Missing Credit]

Rocks salad was a Greek-style recipe packed with crunchy cucumbers and sweet tomatoes. For our main course, chraime — the spicy Sephardi fish dish — was served family style with (yet more) pita to scoop up the delicious sauce that had a rich depth of flavour.

The chocolate mousse’s looks didn’t do it justice. The first mouthful was a nostalgic revelation — the airy, dessert so clearly homemade, it pinged my dining partner straight back to her mother’s kitchen. I had a similar journey back to holidays in the south of France. Served on a slick of olive oil with a sprinkle of salt, it was so light and addictive we cleared the plate in seconds.

I’d recommend making sure it IS Erev (evening) when you visit. We sat at 6.30 in a quiet dining room but by the time we left the restaurant was buzzing. Go for a gawp at well-heeled west Londoners and a grown up fix of Eyal Shani’s menu.

ErevLondon