What's the draw
Looking for a cool neighbourhood restaurant? Burgers and whisky are out; Nordic-inspired hipster fine dining is in. Perilla joins the likes of Rok Smokehouse as a neighbourhood restaurant that feels like it'd be at home in the backstreets of Copenhagen or Malmo. Expect minimalist dishes with intricate flavour combinations, and a compact tasting menu if that's your thing.
What to drink
The drinks list is sensible, it doesn't overextend itself, and most of the wine list is helpfully divided into small carafes (250ml), large ones (500ml) and whole bottles. After a cocktail, we stuck with a rosé syrah from Pays D'Hérault in France, from the list's “rosé and orange” section, which saw us through each course of the tasting menu.
What to eat
Perilla's at its best when dishes are uncomplicated in make-up, allowing textures and flavours to shine. Simple, slow-cooked lamb ribs were an unctuously tasty starter, and although we didn't love the perhaps-overcomplicated duck egg, parsley and mussel dish, we really enjoyed the stark simplicity and fibrousness of the pot-roasted broccoli, served simply with kale, cabbage and hung yoghurt. The rightly heralded walnut and peeled grape with custard dessert – one of two on the a la carte menu – had just the right balance of sweetness, acidity and crunch, too.
Tasting menu: £38; wine from £8 for a 250ml carafe. 1-3 Green Lanes, N16 9BS; perilladining.co.uk
