Americana London on Haymarket is a newly opened Southern Soul Meals restaurant… additionally serving jazz on Tuesdays. Tara Minton investigates:

Tara Minton writes: I’m sitting in a buzzing, Southern American type diner sipping a scrumptious Chilli Guavarita. It’s 7:20pm and a saxophonist bustles in, scooching previous diners to the again of the room the place his colleagues – a pianist and double bassist are already sound checking. The open kitchen is stuffed with life, serving up scrumptious plates of gumbo, corn bread and southern type hen to a various mixture of vacationers, pre-theatre diners, households and the extra discerning jazz lovers who’ve caught wind of the most well liked new dinner jazz hideout on the town – Americana on Haymarket. Who knew that only a brief, downhill stroll from Picadilly Circus with its flashing billboards and double-decker buses was a portal to a different world? Stepping contained in the door, one is met instantly with the aromatic odor of soul meals, a heat, southern hospitality welcome and the candy sound of the deep south – jazz.

7:30pm on the dot, the lights are dimmed, and the band begins. The bass was strolling, however the musicians had been flying, serving up bebop traces as tasty because the 12-hour Texas Pink Brisket Chilli and Southern Soiled Rice. The trio of seasoned London gamers (Greg Davis – saxophone, Paul Eldridge – piano, Rob Rickenberg – double bass) introduced a primary set of failsafe crowd pleasers: The Shadow of Your Smile, All of Me, Georgia, Bye Bye Blackbird and a slinky rendition of a tune I haven’t hear in years – The Pink Panther! There was no clapping for solos, however actually a heat and enthusiastic rippling of applause after every quantity. As a jobbing London jazz musician myself, I’ve performed my fair proportion of soul-destroying background gigs in some high-class institutions the place the employees are giving facet eye and huffing over requests for a easy glass of water… let me guarantee you, this isn’t it! Olga, our maître d’, knew all three musicians by identify and was spilling over with heat and real appreciation for the band. (Rob and I’ve performed collectively for years, so in a quiet second I used to be capable of cheekily confirm that the musicians had been handled with the respect that they deserved. Huge thumbs up from the within!)

The wait employees had been refreshingly down-to-earth and pleasant and took meals allergic reactions very severely – most reassuring for this coeliac. My Wild Mushroom and Chestnut Soup starter was scrumptious, however issues kicked up a notch with the Bootlegger’s Moonshine Rooster with whiskey cream sauce and skin-on fries (cooked in their very own oil and 100% gluten free! Fellow coeliacs will know what a deal with that is.) My date barely mentioned a phrase as he devoured his Gradual Spit Roasted Rooster and Smoked Pork Sausage Gumbo Pot with Corn Bread, which I’m studying as a hearty signal of approval. The dessert menu seemed devilishly good, although I need to admit that on this event, we had been defeated. A cause to return for positive!

After dinner, in the event you’re trying to retreat from the hubbub of the restaurant, observe your toes previous the band to the key again bar with a fastidiously crafted drinks menu reflecting the cocktail scene of the deep south, however with a West Finish twist. Signature cocktails embody a correct Smoked Outdated Normal, Texas Lemonade and the pink Chilli Guavarita that blew me away. Proceed upstairs to the mezzanine gallery, which is on the market for personal rent and may accommodate as much as 40 folks comfortably. A lush and superbly secluded area for a sit-down dinner or cocktail occasion with canapes.

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We love London, however generally all of us want a bit escape (with out the headache of planning an precise journey overseas!) Americana is simply the ticket, with cocktails starting from £12 – £18, starters from £10 – £20, mains from £15 – £30 and a mean-looking flamed steaks and burger menu. The meals is great, the employees are pleasant, and the band is scorching. Jazz lovers, get yourselves alongside – maybe we will even educate the vacationers how you can clap on the finish of a solo!

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Americana London is at 11 Haymarket, London SW1Y4BP / WEBSITE and BOOKINGS
ALL DAY DINING UNTIL 1AM MONDAY TO SATURDAY AND 8PM ON SUNDAY