Rawduck is rather annoyingly ‘in the middle of nowhere’, requiring a significant walk from whichever Overground station you choose. When this is considered, the busyness of the place is testament to its offering, which is comprised of high quality Mediterranean-inspired plates for sharing, accompanied by a list of cocktails and natural, biodynamic wines. Sister to Soho’s Ducksoup, the two restaurants are similar in their simple, seasonal, market-driven menus, neither of which features much duck – apart from this, the two eateries are pretty different.

Interior-wise, Rawduck is the epitome of East London cool: neon signage, floor-to-ceiling shelves of bottles and jars, long concrete communal tables topped with stoneware pots of greenery, and Scandi-style blonde wood chairs. The place was lit by candlelight and buzzing with hip diners on our Saturday night visit (though I am reliably informed that brunch is another of Rawduck’s highlights).

Standout dishes included a plate of creamy, oozing Buffalo mozzarella that we ordered for the table to start – it quickly disappeared, smeared on fresh bread and washed down with potent rye/Campari cocktails. With a vegetarian at the table, we ordered the roasted squash and braised lentils, topped with a soft boiled egg, garlic yoghurt and dukka – a surprise favourite, carnivores and all were all clashing forks in a fight for more of this one.

A finale of absinthe-heavy Sazeracs and a Shaker lemon pie brought the bill to a rather eye-watering £60 per head, but then that’s the price you pay for such hip high quality!

http://www.rawduckhackney.co.uk/

Rawduck London
197 Richmond Road, London E8 3NJ, United Kingdom
+44 20 8986 6534

Artichoke, peas, broadbeans, tahini yoghurt & dill at Rawduck London

Nina is Melting Butter’s vivacious London correspondent who has been tasked with curating the best hotspots London has to offer. Being based in Brixton, South London’s notoriously vibrant cultural mecca, makes Nina’s quest for the newest, most fashionable, design-centric hotspots a total breeze. Head to her blog Have You Heard Of It?, a jackpot for fellow neophiles looking for fresh reviews on London’s restaurants, bars, things to do and see. Follow her on Twitter, Instagram & Pinterest too.

(All images by Joe Woodhouse, courtesy of Rawduck London)

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