Californian health in the City.
Since opening, The Ned has attracted the standard City crowd for Thursday (read ‘every’) night drinks very successfully; the sprawling ground floor sprawling with tipsy suits by 7pm. The high ceilinged, marble pillared former bank is a great spot to gather, and once you’ve had a couple and are in need of some carbs there are nine restaurants to choose from on the outer edges of the crowd.
FYI – we went after work, but they also do a weekend brunch which is apparently very popular.
Malibu Kitchen is one of the nine restaurants on the ground floor. The Ned is not only the ground floor, but without a room booked for the night at the hotel, or an annual membership for the club, its the only accessible area for incoming plebs.
As its names suggests, Malibu kitchen is California inspired cuisine. A slice of health (-y carbs) for after those cocktails at the bar. Or an all round picture of health, if you skip further exploration of the ground floor all together.
A thin slither of a restaurant positioned under the high arching windows of the former bank, the food and the immediate surroundings (think American style booths) are slightly at odds with the wider, more formal, City setting.
The food transports you from grey London to a palm lined boulevard. Vegetarian and vegan dishes are plentiful, and not too ‘virtuous’ as to be off-putting. Think creamy avocado and pineapple tacos, and coconut, papaya and cashew nut salad (on taco Tuesday).
As expected of any American inspired restaurant, the portions are big.
And a side note for any non-vegi/ vegan friends you might drag along with you. There are also meat filled and fish filled tacos on the menu. On the everyday menu they have both a traditional cheeseburger (on a potato bun though, what is this?) and a “beyond meat” burger.
I’ll stick to cocktails over the green juice though.
ADDRESS:
27 POULTRY
BANK
LONDON
EC2R 8AJ
TEL:
+ 44 (0)20 3828 2000
OPENING TIMES:
ALWAYS OPEN