The Frog has spawned.
That is to say, the East London restaurant from Adam Handling (winner of multiple accolades ranging from Scottish Young Chef of the Year to Scottish Chef of the Year, and generally smashing it all before the age of 28), has opened a sibling restaurant in Covent Garden: Frog by Adam Handling. Oh, and just to add to his accolades, he’s won a Michelin Star here too.
It’s the second in his planned army* of Frog establishments, following the success of his laid-back, urban-styled fine-dining in Hoxton. This branch, positioned as his flagship restaurant, is spread over two floors, including a private dining room with its own dedicated kitchen, and a speakeasy-style basement bar, Eve.
The decor upstairs might be on the underwhelming side – plain black tables and chairs look a bit utilitarian without anything to play off, and the mural of Piccadilly Circus feels like it’s there for the tourists more than anything else. But 90% of the time, your eyes will be drawn down to your plate. Exquisitely presented dishes arrive in puffs of smoke; servers diligently pour on sauces that transfer the ingredients beneath; and millimetre-perfect droplets and dustings of garnishes adorn every plate.
The menu changes frequently and conveys Handling’s signature modern British style, using seasonal ingredients in mind-bogglingly technical compositions – nowhere better exemplified than the classic “Beetroot, Beetroot and More Beetroot”, consisting of candied beetroot stuffed with a beetroot mousse and a beetroot gel, covered with beetroot dust.
Only time will tell if he can beet that…
*apparently, the actual collective noun for a group of frogs. Scary.
NOTE: Frog by Adam Handling is open for lunch and dinner, Tues-Sat, and you can reserve a table HERE.
Frog by Adam Handling | 35 Southampton Street, WC2E 7HE
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