It’s a peculiar notion that amongst today’s jaded inner city denizens the one remaining experience that guarantees a momentary thrill is that of delicious simplicity. Call it what you will: a craving for the earthy comforts of yesteryear, a penchant for the purer forms of life or a longing for the straightforward in the face of seemingly endless high-tech permutations and financial complications; what’s clear is that both the gilded and muddied youth alike are throwing their truffles out of the pram in favour of the more homely mushroom.

Step forward the golden giver of simplicity done well. ‘Eco-friendly’ and ‘sustainability’ are buzzwords of the day but imagine a night on the town that starts with (near) locally foraged greens and meats organically sourced by a full time game-keeper. Picture yourself in a relaxed environment, surrounded by grass-roots produced artwork and busking entertainment…and at this point your mind has probably jumped to either a country inn in one of the remoter parts of Scotland or Newfoundland or an idyllic holiday retreat somewhere on the Mediterranean.

Needless to say, this is journalism, so you can safely bet that what we’re describing is neither of those. As a matter of fact, we’re talking about the Wild Food Kitchen, located in Hackney, East London. We might have also played a bit fast and loose with our simplicity metaphors up top – this is no ordinary country inn. The Wild Food Kitchen is a brand new pop-up restaurant and fine dining experience for London. Although the concept is super trendy and the dining does like very fine (see below) – the focus on wild and foraged foods, hand picked and freshly poached from Wild Kitchen‘s very own land in nearby Kent and (not so nearby) Northamptonshire, provides a novel and firmly rustic twist.

Alongside the doubtless delicious food, some of London’s finest buskers will serenade dinner guests for a total of 4 days from (this Thursday) 17th – 20th May at the stunningly unique setting of the ArtHaus in Hackney. The night will also see art from British based arts Charity ‘Art Against Knives’ adorn the walls, alongside pieces from other up and coming London artists. Diners will take their seats for a 5 course meal in a quirky environment featuring mismatched wooden furniture, different height lighting, and the waiters will all be dressed as stereotypically English country gentlemen – flat caps, white shirts, braces and tweed trousers – as Jimmy Garcia and Lawrence Daw, the culinary duo behind the Wild Food Kitchen, look to bring some theatre to the proceedings.

We at FAULT are bloody keen on this one so be sure to catch us there this weekend for a drink at the venue’s custom built ‘Caravan Bar’, replete with a selection of various wines.

The one thing that reminds us that it’s not all country life and rustic treats is perhaps the price – £36 per person for what looks like an achingly delicious set menu. For a (frankly epicurean) 5 course meal from a gourmet chef, however, in combination with the various other attractions of the evening, we certainly think it’s worth it. How do you know that’s not just another journalistic flourish? Come down this Sunday and ask us yourselves!

—-