Summer has finally landed in London, and as promised, FAULT Magazine is putting together our very own ‘Where To Dine Summer 2017’ guide to let you know of all about London’s best restaurants.

We recently visited Trading House to see what it had to offer and despite being in banker central, on entering, we were amazed to discover so much life and soul within the venue. With a live performer and marvellously rich décor, we were off to a good start so let’s dive into the meal!

We began where all good meals should, at the bar, where they have an extensive wine list and even larger (and more fun) cocktail menu. From the offset, the bar staff were ready to make our experience as unique with their cocktail menu which boasts original twists on old English classics. To put this into perspective, they can make five different variations of the world famous mojito from a Spiced Pineapple to a softer tasting Peach & Cardamom variation. It being summer, we opted for their Elderflower Gin Coolers and Karma’s A Bitch cocktail; the latter mixes gin, apricot, homemade karma tea-infused syrup and while I have no idea what karma tea is, it’s certainly delicious.

Their nibbles menu is also sufficient enough if you’re only planning on visiting for a few drinks after work too. Start your evening with crispy whitebait, salt and pepper onion petals, pork crackling and or olives if you’re only popping in for a short amount of time.

For our starters, we were spoiled for choice with Trading House offering scotch eggs, calamari, truffle mushrooms, smoked haddock fondue and many other restaurant favourites. We went for the classic dishes to use as a point of reference and compare them to what we’re used to from another restaurant. With that in mind, we tried the crispy calamari and wings in barbeque sauce which were both to die for. The calamari was coated in Piri Piri salt, and I don’t believe I’ll be able to eat them any other way from now on – a great start!

Moving on to the mains and again, we were very impressed by the comprehensive menu. Don’t be put off if you’ll be dining with less adventurous dinner guests as The Trading House caters for everybody. While the lure of the unknown and adventure might take your fancy, The Trading House also features classic dishes such as fish and chips, flat iron steak sandwiches and pan-fried seabass for those with a less adventurous tongue. We thought it’d make for a better review to go with the more out-there offerings however and lucky for us the menu is a playground for the adventurous diner.

Choosing a main course was difficult, and quite frankly, it begs for a second visit because everything sounds delectable. From the new Orleans inspired, prawn and chicken gumbo to lamb kofta or their selection of pies, all of it looked amazing but what The Trading House is famous for is their Hanging Kebabs so it’d be rude not to!

We opted for the salt and pepper pork belly which arrived on your very own spit with the chips at the bottom ready to soak up any rich and flavoursome sauces which drip upon them. Accompanies with sweet chilli and ginger sauce, the meal was oozing with different flavours not often put together but ones which blend surprisingly well.
Non-meat eaters looking to enjoy Trading House’s hanging kebabs can opt for the halloumi, and falafel kebab alongside garlic butter and cauliflower couscous and if you’re a fish lover, Jerk Salmon alongside rice and peas sounds and looked amazing.

If by chance you can still manage dessert, the white chocolate and peanut butter mousse with chocolate and ginger crumb are as great as it sounds. If you don’t share our sweet tooth, we can with real confidence recommend the cheese board.

We admit when we first heard of the Trading House and it’s location in Bank we were a little worried that we’d find nothing but a tourist trap filled with false charm and unnecessary theatrics but we, in fact, found the complete opposite. The Trading House isn’t a themed restaurant, nor one that tries too hard to force a feeling of exclusivity despite its high-end level of customer service. Their cocktails all come at a fair price and in London, it’s not often you’ll be able to get a three-course meal of this quality at under £30 per head.

The Trading House is a great location for laid back date nights with or casual drinks. What that area of London has been missing for too long is a restaurant that provides excellent customer service without compromising the human touch and charm required. For us, Trading House is the perfect example of how to strike the right balance.

Trading House – one of the finest examples of fresh ideas and exciting cuisine in a part of London that sorely needs it. For us, this is one of 2017’s must visits!