Ask anyone who’s somewhat health conscious and goes to NYC what one of their favourite restaurants is, and abc will come up (there are three there). It’s the kind of place that’s inspired trips. abc kitchens, London, by acclaimed chef Jean-Georges Vongerichten, opened in the suite-only Maybourne hotel, The Emory, in spring 2024, and has been busy since it launched.
The Décor/Vibe
Sexy and healthy: a pairing that was previously hard to find. That’s all changed, of course, and abc kitchens is very much in the new wave of this alignment. This is a stylish, sophisticated dining room, where the curves are enveloping and the lighting is the kind that makes it feel glossy any time of day. There’s copper and wood, textured fabrics, and burnt orange and reds. There are also Hirsts modestly hanging on the walls, which shows you the kind of place this is: casual, with a firm foundation of class. The well-lit open kitchen here really puts the chefs on show and feels confidently orchestrated rather than hectic, and the booths encourage lingering.
The Menu
abc kitchens, for the first time, brings together culinary elements from all three of Jean-Georges Vongerichten’s New York restaurants: farm-to-table, plant-based and Latin-inspired.
The menu names its suppliers, highlighting the importance he places on ingredients and their provenance. His cuisine eschews the traditional French use of meat stocks and creams, drawing instead on vegetable juices, fruit essences and herbal vinaigrettes. The result is a selection of exceptionally flavourful dishes, often presenting old favourites in a new light.
Menu items that stood out include wood-grilled shiitake mushrooms which were bouncy in texture, uplifted by the zingiest green goddess yuzu dressing. The cold avocado puree on the heirloom beet carpaccio almost felt scientific, like a liquid nitrogen creation, and the crispy Dover sole tacos were delicious: lightly fried, with an excellent mixture of textures and flavours, and not a soggy tortilla in sight. It’s also absolutely essential to eat these with their guacamole and handmade tortilla chips, which include an excellent datterini tomato salsa.
We could go on. Everything here is done with pure intention. And although it’s not positioned as a health restaurant, the ingredients and cooking techniques ensure that it’s on the healthy side. Fresh, local, flavourful cuisine that you could eat every day.
Highlights
The ethos here. And the fact that it’s open all day (with a quick break between breakfast and lunch). It’s the kind of restaurant that has just as many Londoners as guests in the dining room at any given time. They have several different menus as well, so do check for things like the current Tarde de Tacos, which has mini margarita flights and a taco and slushie special – which is pretty special, indeed.
