It’s no secret that here at UJHQ, we love a fad. From trash food to fermented everything, zero-waste dining, plant-based menus… you name it, we’ve done it. But now, we’re craving the simpler times. And it seems we’re not the only ones. With little no-frills rustic restaurants popping back on the scene, it’s everything that’s been done before and that’s the point.
Our appetites for days gone was reawakened with the opening of Petit Pois, a simple French bistro from the guys of Happiness Forgets with all the comforting favourites: moules marinière, steak frites, duck confit, gratin dauphinoise… all rounded off with a heaped serve of chocolate mousse served straight from the kitchen bowl. Nothing on the menu is trend-led and that’s the joy of it all.
Now, it’s over to Sardine. Helmed by Alex Jackson, who has crossed the border from southern Italian at Rotorino, Sardine is dishing up a menu that a Mediterranean mamma would be proud of. Roasted quail drizzed in olive oil, tomatoes stuffed with veal and grilled stuffed sardines.
Next, fans of the diminutive Casse-Croûte and its red check tablecloths and A-grade ‘bistro classics’ will be happy to know that their second site, Pique–Nique, is well under way. Set to open in September, we don’t know much yet, but what we do know, we like: it’ll be a small 40-seater rotisserie restaurant centred on Poulet de Bresse. Simple.
