London, UK
It seems like London restaurateurs have become obsessed with the no reservation policy and merely accommodate a first come first serve basis, which usually turns out to be an hour long queue. The auteur and godfather of all queues belongs to the highly popular Burger and Lobster, and unwilling to wait for three hours to get a table at their Soho outpost, we went onto Brewer street and came across a cute, charming and rustic looking delicatessen Damson & Co. It was midweek around 6:30 in the evening and it wasn’t very busy, and as such we managed to get a table fairly quickly. The best way to describe Damson and Co is to compare it to a country cottage, it's very cozy, warm and small, and the wait staff is extremely friendly and attentive. The interiors are pastoral with timber flooring, white painted wood paneled walls and leather padded seats with studded trims that make the place feel all too charismatic. The dining and drinking options are clearly displayed on chalkboards all through the restaurant, and advertised as a café / deli it surprisingly has an extensive drinks list. In truth even though we wanted to dine at Burger and Lobster we were not that hungry but wanted to nibble. We ordered the house salad, a salmon tartare, the steak tartare and the sea bass ceviche. To drink we each ordered a bottle of their homemade iced tea; yes, bottle, as all their drinks come in mini bottles branded with the restaurants name, a nice touch. The food came quite quickly; it was all raw after all. The salmon and steak tartare surprisingly came unprepared, in that we were presented with a piece of salmon, and a piece of steak where the waiter would show us what we were about to enjoy prior to slicing it down to its expected presentation. They both came served with garnishes and relishes to add on the side; an unusual albeit nice surprise. Both tasted fresh and exquisite, although the portions could have been a bit bigger; each dish was finished after four bites. The sea bass ceviche was as equally tasty and refreshing, and the house salad that is a traditional salad of mixed greens and radish was very crisp and delightful. At a price tag of 25 pounds a head for four dishes (tapas portions I may add) and three iced teas, Damson and Co is definitely not cheap, as such won’t rank high on the hanger meter as for that price I’d expect more generous portions; it’s a deli in Soho after all, not a restaurant!
21 Brewer St, London W1F 0RL
