Paradise | Glorious Sri Lankan Cooking in Soho
As many have long suspected, Paradise is located just off the back alleys in Soho.
Rupert Street, if we’re being specific.
It’s a Sri Lankan restaurant that’s taken over from the old Spuntino space, following on from a string of highly successful pop ups. The designers (the same people behind Kiln, Smoking Goat, and Brat) have stripped the place riiiight back to hyper-minimalist brushed concrete & steel, with a few leather cushions fattening up both the booth & bar seating. It’s not all spartan though; hidden in the corner at the back, there’s a far warmer cosy little dining snug decorated with hand-made ceramic terracotta tiles.
The menu at Paradise draws from traditional Sri Lankan recipes, and is all put together by native chef Charith Priyadarshana, who uses British ingredients wherever possible – the seafood comes from day boats, the pork comes from a farm in Longridge, the lamb is from Linton, etc.
Those ingredients go into small dishes like arrack-infused cauliflower roti tacos; classic mutton shoulder rolls with fermented chilli; and the staple Sri Lankan hopper, made here with both egg and curry leaf. The larger dishes include a charred pineapple salad with fiery green chillies; some Highland pork cheek curry with Lion stout and lemongrass; and some stir-fried devilled prawns. They’re all blissfully well executed, and won the place a Michelin Bib Gourmand within just a few months of opening.
In case you thought the dessert courses would let you off the hook as far as the heat is concerned, think again – you can get a chilli chocolate tart with pistachio ice cream, or a lime & coconut sorbet with basil and chilli oil. Of course, if you feel like wussing out, then you can always have a little buffalo milk ice cream with butterscotch and cashew brittle.
Finally, the drinks. Again, they drawn heavily from Sri Lankan flavours, and include a sour-style cocktail with Ceylon Arrack, ginger, and cinnamon sugar, plus a Coconut & Nutmeg Colada, and a Cardamom Espresso Martini.
A couple of those… and you certainly will be in paradise.
NOTE: Paradise is open for lunch and dinner, Monday-Saturday. You can find out more at their website right HERE.
Paradise | 61 Rupert Street, Soho, London W1D 7PW
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