Reviews Restaurant Story

Ordered g&t was amazing. Love the idea of the butter from the candle. My favourite is the ramen made of squid. It's a healthy, low carb dinner but the taste were absolutely amazing. Love every bit of it.

There aren’t too many restaurant openings that I get genuinely excited about these days.
But Restaurant Story was definitely one of them when it launched in 2013. The ‘book themed’ restaurant where diners were asked to bring their favourite stories with them and dishes are inspired by chef Tom Sellers’ childhood memories sounded totally unique.
It went on to earn a Michelin star within just five months too.
Naturally that made reservations difficult to come by, even two years later, but I finally bagged one earlier this year.

Love this restaurant one if not my favourite restaurant in London. Had lunch today and excellent as always, love love love how the food is presented and the story that is told. Even better to catch a glimpse of the man himself, Tom who is behind this wonderful restaurant.

I talk a lot. I love a good natter, can spin several yarns, have been known to embellish a little, digress a lot… basically I love telling stories. If you’ve been following along you might have guessed this already, while those who actually know me will no doubt be nodding your heads in agreement. Ask me what I thought about that restaurant we went to last night or where we ate during our weekend away and you’ll rarely get a simple ‘good or not’ or recited list- there’s always a silly tidbit or memory because it’s always more interesting that way.

I was in London with a group of friends. This was my first stay in London quality of the cuisine of Restaurant story, traditional British dishes, maybe a little 'unusual for us, but executed with skill, with excellent raw materials and, above all, with exquisite courtesy by the staff. A place where you feel comfortable from the first moment, and where everyone is willing to give you a hand, not only on issues related to food. It will feel pampered. Prices average Londoner, but portions abundant. Yet thanks to the staff  and see you soon.

Good Place to have a particular cosine, if you are in the area and you are ready to spend a fortune; these is the place. The service is kind and attentive.

Story has become very popular in the last few months, I have had many people asking me in the last 2 months if I have been there, and getting a reservation these days is not that easy. Story is located just south of Tower Bridge, in a funny place in between roads where public toilets used to be situated just a few months ago. The owners of Story have got rid of the toilets and instead built a light wooden building that has around 15 tables inside. There is no big sign saying Story outside and I almost walked past this place when I was looking for it, and the only reason why I found it is because I had my google maps with the exact location of the restaurant. I had booked a table for 4 people for a Thursday dinner for my boyfriend, myself and my friend Bernie and his wife, and Bernie’s wife is a fellow food blogger and she had chosen this

Despite its bustling location, Restaurant Story is a little oasis of calm. If it had been a book, it would perhaps be an Enid Blyton novel: written with memories of childhood, the hope of something magical, with a little bit of adventure thrown in for good measure.

As a final treat to end this mammoth feast of deliciousness, some petit fours were served. The thin crisp chocolate candy was scrumptious but my favourite was Tom’s take on a Tunnock’s teacake. This had a raspberry filling to compliment the marshmallow which was gorgeous!

Tom Seller's Story definitely belongs to the Viajante and Dabbous camp - experimental, daring and comtemporary. There was much attention to detail in each ensemble, but then there is also the risk that comes with creativity. I thought most of it paid off. As for the sense that Story was 'trying too hard'... I suppose it still stands, but when all the pretentious facade is backed up by food of this quality and calibre, he can do whatever he likes.

Amazing culinary experience. One of the best meals I've had in London. We ordered the 10 course 'full story' but before we had even ordered from the menu we were treated to numerous pre-starters served one after another. These included rabbit toast, smoked/bbq prawns and raw scallop. We then moved onto the main menu. The highlights for me being the beef shortrib sharing dish served with Lettuce parcels, the citrus duck and the almond and dill desert. Highly recommend restaurant Story to any discerning London foodie

Let me tell you a story.
It happens to be a food story, but I’m sure you’ve already guessed that. Grab a drink and maybe some snacks, it’s going to be a long one.

Once upon a time, a month ago to be exact, we booked a table at Restaurant Story.

I just love having something to look forward to, don’t you? That feeling of excitement about a future trip or event that is worth counting down the days. One of my favourite things I look forward to has always been trying a new restaurant. There’s something about the curiosity and wonder of how it will look, what dishes will be served, how they’ll be presented, and of course, how they’ll taste!

When Restaurant Story was opened last year by Tom Sellers, I added it to the foodie bucket list and casually followed the hype, planning to get there sooner or later. Well, it’s later and here we are, wandering down a street parallel to the river, catching glimpses of a gloriously lit Tower Bridge through gaps in buildings. Clutching my iPhone like a trusted compass, we watch as the little blue dot carelessly passes our destination on the map. Confused, we turn back to find Restaurant Story sitting in the middle of a fork in the road.

We head inside, greeted by a spotlit host who takes our coats and hangs them on the coatrack by the door. I notice that ours are the only coats hanging and wonder has everyone somehow decided it’s warm enough for coatless outings already? Ever the observer, after being seated I noticed the coats being transported to a coat room just outside the door. A sweet, welcoming gesture adding to the already homely decor.

There’s sort of a Nordic, retro feeling to the room, mixed with touches of home and a modern addition from the view of the Shard out of the floor to ceiling windows. The kitchen is tucked in the corner, behind a stone wall and glass panel, but still maintains being the focal point of the room. In the centre, a converted smoker plays home to cutlery, the cash register, flickering candles, and two ominous stuffed crows overlooking diners.

After settling in, a flurry of snacks arrived one after the other.

First, two delicate pieces of crispy cod skin with smoked cod roe emulsion, carrot tops and gin botanicals.

An expertly chosen, if not a little odd, combination of flavours with an inviting texture. More striking, however, was the clear time and effort that went into the presentation.

Next were radishes filled with seaweed butter.

These were okay. A refreshing, raw bite with interesting flavour, but nothing outstanding. I appreciated the message of natural ingredients, but combined with an entire chunk of butter, felt a little unwarranted.

Moving swiftly on, the arrival of the Storeo.

These badass biscuits are the savoury version of America’s favourite Oreo cookie, made from squid ink biscuits and filled with smoked eel.
Where can I get a sleeve of these to twist and lick as a naughty treat?

Then came the polenta crisp topped with carrot jam, malt soil & slices of carrot.

These had a completely satisfying crunch and lovely sweetness to them. Again, I’d happily have a cabinet full of Story snacks to nibble on throughout the day!

A candle was then unassumingly lit and left on the table, adding a little romance and evoking curiosity.

It would soon prove to be the greatest candle ever. But, you’ll have to wait to find out why I’m excitedly planning a way to fill my home with these candles in future.
And no skipping ahead, cheeky!

Delicate razor clams with champagne snow & crispy pearl barley were next.

This was surprisingly tasty, with a nice crunch from the barely and subtle tang as the champagne snow melted on my tongue.
I promptly decided that all canapés should be served on razor clams. They’re like nature’s elegant, miniature food shovel. Anyone else for this idea? No? Just me then.

The snack story is not complete yet! And I couldn’t have been more pleased as the next to arrive were shockingly delicious.
Simply titled, black pudding with green apple was not something I thought would be worth taking note. Yet, with the spongy texture of the black pudding and tang of the green apple, it was a truly tasty bite.
Don’t you love when a dish pleasantly surprises you? I think it’s possibly my favourite thing about trying new foods.

The last of the rapid fire Story snack round did not disappoint. A rabbit sandwich with tarragon cream & carrot pickled in bergamot.

Fried, filled bread with tender rabbit and a sweet but sour addition from the pickled carrot made a sandwich I’d like a much larger version of for lunch.

Seven snacks later, in an almost intoxicating excitement, we placed our orders for the 10 course tasting menu.

This was when the magic, mystery candle was revealed.
A leather pouch of soda bread with a sort of deconstructed chicken terrine arrived.

This was incredibly flavoursome with chicken consommé and pickled vegetables and paired beautifully with the candle.

That’s right. An edible candle.
The flickering light of the candle slowly melted into a pool of beautiful beef dripping.

The smoky, seeded soda bread was merely a vehicle for large dunks of dripping which felt deliciously naughty. As we wiped the holder clean, a new pool would form as the fat dripped down the edge seductively.
Who says a food story can’t be food porn?

I know you’re probably thinking this story is coming close to the end, but this was only the beginning of the courses.
Next to arrive, onion, apple and old tom.

Simple, fresh and and full of flavour, this continued to showcase the seasonal, British produce which stars the menu.

Scallops, cucumber and dill ash arrived sitting pretty in the middle of an enormous plate.

I loved the subtlety of the flavours enhancing that of the scallop. The ash covered cucumber slightly distracted from the taste, however visually appealing. But, was still an excellent dish overall.

The next dish was, put simply, sexy.

Impossibly smooth, creamy heritage potato sat oozing coal, acting as an alluring pillow for tender asparagus.

It’s almost disappointing knowing that I will never have mashed potato as good as this ever again. Almost.

My head swimming from the previous carby creation, an elegantly presented plate of crab, smoked leek, rapeseed, pear and lovage arrived.

This was good, but the flavours were subtle and slightly overpowered by the smoked leek.

The room buzzed as we watched other diners enjoy courses yet to come.

Another pretty plate showcased a delicate display of wild stems, squid and pine honey.

This was then drowned in what the chef fondly referred to as an ‘umami party.’

The texture of the squid was nice, but unfortunately I couldn’t taste it. The umami flavouring was great with the freshness of the wild stems, but I really wanted the squid to stand out more.

The last of our savoury courses was delivered as perfect closure.
Lamb three ways with grilled salad and sheep’s yogurt was an incredible execution of stunning flavours from simple ingredients.

We then had a palette cleanser as a little break following the 14 different dishes we had tried so far.
Rapeseed ice cream, sea buckthorn granita and crumble.
This was very odd. We were told to ensure we had a little bit of each ingredient in each bite, or else the sourness of the granita would be overpowering. It was incredibly sour, but strangely turned to a sweetness on the palette as the rapeseed ice cream and crumble took over. My date was not a fan of this dish, but I didn’t mind it.

And anyways, I was too busy squirming in my seat for what was next to come.
If you follow me on Instagram, you’re somewhat aware that I previously had a minor freakout about the next dish when trying something similar at Duck & Waffle.

Foie gras crème brûlée with pear & sorrel is a beautiful sentence. Contrary to D&W’s outrageously decadent brunch item, this was a refined sliver serving a different purpose. The presentation was stunning and the textures entertaining, all tied together with a fresh, sweet and slightly salty flavouring.

The story isn’t over yet! If you’ve made it this far without just skipping ahead to look at all the food porn, I’m impressed. We’re almost done, however when dining at Restaurant Story, it isn’t a story you’ll wish to end.

A big bowl of hay ice cream with prune and cereal was next to try.

The oversized bowl was finished with a splash of milk at the table, causing the crunchy, nutty grains to swirl around. The hay ice cream was subtle but gave way to the sweetness of the prune compote, which was nestled under a layer of milk skin.
I think this is exactly what you would expect a Michelin starred bowl of cereal to embody.

The last of our desserts was almond & dill.
Almond and dill?! you’re asking.
I know, I know. But this is one of those unexpected surprises we discussed earlier. Almond ice cream, ground almond and dill snow are amazingly a match made in heaven. The freshness from the dill paired with the sweetness of the almond are delightful and textures are incredibly amusing.

Slightly sugar high and delirious from our whirlwind of adventure through Tom Seller’s story of a menu, we watched the kitchen prepare its final dishes of the evening as the restaurant began to slowly empty from a busy buzz to a soft murmur.

As full as we were, and as many courses as we had just consumed, nothing will ever prevent me from getting excited by an after dessert. (Smiling greedily)
After desserts are like little kisses goodbye from a restaurant, possibly to sweeten to pain of the bill, but probably to give you one final, delicious taste.

Mini milk bottles of rhubarb & custard and tiny teacakes filled with raspberry coulis and rose meringue were placed on the table. The cakes were a soft cloud of sweetness with sharp raspberry to cut through the meringue’s floral notes.

The custard bottle was the perfect size for my little hands and now seriously stunted appetite. At the top was incredibly rich vanilla custard and hiding at the bottom, sour punches of rhubarb. I created a genius method of moving my straw upwards through the layers for each sip to ensure a balanced combination of both sweet and sour entered my mouth. I guess I could’ve just stirred it up, but this way was more fun.

I hope you enjoyed hearing this story as much as I enjoyed telling (tasting) it.
As the name suggests, an evening here tells a story; a tall tale of inspirational dishes, abstract decor and attentive service.

I forgot to mention that in the corner of the restaurant stands two large bookshelves filled with books. They encourage diners to bring a book with them to add to their ever-growing collection in hopes that another guest may find inspiration from them. Wrapped up in excitement that the day had finally come, I completely forgot to bring my literary donation and have decided this means I simply must pay Restaurant Story another visit.

I’d definitely recommend a romantic evening or leisurely lunch spent nibbling away at Restaurant Story.

There is nothing wrong with a bit of ambition. In a town where most new places are aiming for no more than to be the next filthy burger joint or comfort-food slop-house ("hey guys, can we do what X are doing, only worse and with bigger profits?"), it's hard to get too irritated with anywhere with the opposite problem.

Hard, perhaps, but not impossible. Story tests our patience to such a degree, with its twee, pretentious concept laid on so thickly, that the whole thing threatens so dissolve into self-parody from almost the first moment we sit down. The menu is hidden inside a weather-beaten copy of Bleak House, dishes are introduced as if they were deeply personal emotional statements and not just a bit of food on a plate, and - the real kicker - diners are encouraged, for some bizarre reason, to bring their own book to leave at the restaurant. Or to put it in their words, "Our dream is for all guests to leave a book at Story, which will remain there to evoke the inspiration in others that we hope our food will evoke in you." It's almost enough to put you off your horseradish snow.

That our meal at Story ended up being so enjoyable, then, is thanks to one thing and one thing only - that ignoring all the ego and frills and affected flummery, the food is generally of an incredibly high standard. Which is just as well, because if it hadn't been I'd have wanted to shove that copy of Bleak House somewhere even the most determined of kitchen porters would not have not been able to extract it.

Not feeling brave - or flush - enough for the full ten courses for £65, we thought we'd settle for "just" the six for £45. As it turns out, though, there are so many little extra bits and bobs before and after the tasting menu proper that it certainly didn't feel like we were missing out. Crispy cod skin topped with creamed roe and summer herbs was the first to arrive, and was brave enough to taste very strongly of fish, unlike the kind of reimagined Quavers you might get elsewhere. And it was for this reason I liked them, while my friend wasn't so sure. This was one plot device that was going to reoccur throughout the course of the lunch.

Then nasturtium flowers filled with oyster purée, radishes filled with seaweed butter, eel mousse "Oreos" (Storyeos?), and deep-fried rabbit "sandwiches", all arriving in quick succession but just the right, and fun, side of enjoyable. I preferred the delicate oyster flowers to the rather soggy rabbit bites, but my friend thought the opposite so take your pick. The joy of a meal like this is that you're not forced to love everything; the relentless pace keeps you interested even as the individual elements don't.

Anyone with a passing interest in the London restaurant world will already know all they need to know about the famous Story "dripping candle". Briefly, it's a very ordinary-looking candle but is made out of beef tallow, and once lit slowly melts into the candlestick base where you are encouraged to dip the house bread. Yes, butter would have probably tasted better but it's a thing so inventive and so clever that only the most cynical would take issue with it. Much more fun than actually eating it, in fact, was watching it gracefully dissolve into weird and wonderful shapes during the course of the meal.

"Burnt onion, apple, gin and thyme" was a beautiful-looking thing, and if you can't enjoy a bit of caramelised onion there's something wrong with you. Perhaps the only real criticism to be levelled here is that it seemed very like something you might be given at one of the other current temples of modern British gastronomy, but then any novellist will tell you, there's always power in repetition.

There were things I didn't like about "Beetroot, raspberry and horseradish" - the beetroot hadn't been treated (pickled? marinated?) enough to remove that slightly unpleasant soily taste, and I didn't eat every last expertly carved lump of it. But the horseradish snow was as addictive as the substance it resembled, melting in the mouth into a kind of salty, umami-rich cream, and the superbly flavoured raspberries unexpectedly matched it perfectly. Again, horseradish snow is not a unique concept (see: The Ledbury, amongst others) but who cares when it tastes as good as this.

Then my favourite bit of Story - "Pigeon, summer truffle and pine", which was pretty much everything I like about this kind of food on one plate. The pigeon was bloody and wonderfully smoky (done in the Big Green Egg BBQ stood proudly outside the restaurant), the pine was I think represented by two blobs of shocking green purée which tasted of thick vegetation, and the truffles were liberally sprinkled around the place and were also packed with flavour. But even more impressive were the greens not mentioned on the menu, such as an utterly perfect example of broccoli and some seared root vegetables of some kind which would have been enough to cause a stir on their own. Technically impressive, visually stunning and immaculately realised, this was a world-class dish.

The tersely-described "lemon" was a few clever treatments of the fruit - some more of that snow, a sharp blob of sorbet and a bit of white chocolate mousse. Faintly familiar in that kind of Noma/Ledbury/Clove Club way but nonetheless very easy to eat.

And then another famous Story creation, the "Three bears porridge", where you are asked to guess which is "too sweet", "too salty" or "just right". Of course, none are really "too" anything; it would be a very strange thing for a restaurant to do to deliberately overseason a dish just for a somewhat laboured fairytale parallel. One is sort of a salted caramel affair, one is all toffee and nuts, and I've no idea what went into the "just right" but the fact it was my least favourite probably says more about me than the skill of the chefs. I still ate it.

With just a little chocolate teacake and sweep of impossibly delicate toffee ribbon of some kind, we were done. By now, I imagine you've made your mind up whether you think Story is an overthought pile of foodie-frottism or a fun and exciting to spend a couple of hours of your life, and you will have probably also guessed that I'm firmly in the 2nd camp. We went a bit OT on the booze (two bottles of £40 prosecco between two may not be how everyone will choose to start their Saturday) but there wasn't much on the wine list under £30 and I have a feeling this might be something approaching an average spend, so as with any of these things, if it doesn't look like your kind of thing and you balk at paying this kind of money for lunch, then Story probably isn't for you.

But crucially when you're spending a lot of money on food, or drink, or damn near anything, it all comes down to value. Despite not loving every bit of everything, my lasting memory is of the dizzying highs of that pigeon or horseradish snow or the fascinating organic shapes created by a slowly-melting stick of beef fat. There was enough care and skill shown, overall, for the odd irritation, in the end, to not mean so much. And so, even if this may not be the final, perfect Story, as a first chapter, it deserves our attention.

8/10

Surprise meal for my 30th, and it was remarkable. Story is one of those places where you are constantly awestruck from the moment you open the door. Every dish has a beautiful story behind it. There are some lovely surprises, and it is well worth the price tag. Highly recommend the drinks pairing alongside the tasting menu. When we were there they had specials of the day, and we had both (Truffle risotto and Langoustines! - 10/10). Easily the finest Michelin star restaurant I have been to.

Restaurant Story was on my go-to places list when we planned our trip to London and we booked our table for 2 people for a Friday lunch. Reservation is a must and its not that easy to get a table for certain popular timeslots. It’s located in a corner of a park and is close to the signature landmark of London, Bridge Tower. The decor is classy and elegant with romantic ambiance & beautiful furniture. The staff was well-trained, friendly and served everything in etiquette. I was in my 7th month pregnancy and they were careful about my diet restrictions. We both had their 7-course tasting menu ($130) and it was one of the best & price worthy dining experiences we have ever had. There was no menu presented, even online, since they would make adjustment based on ingredients available so every dish was a surprise for us. From amuse small bite, appetizer, bread, entree to dessert, we were satisfied with both the visual and sense of taste. The food was overall delicious, delicate and various with texture. Our favorites were “Candle “, which is bread with butter, and “Duck”, which is grilled duck breast & leg. We could feel how Tom Seller cares about what they serve and love the stories behind each dish, which was also the reason how they named the restaurant.

Story’s was recommended to me by a friend, we tend to only dine around central and west London- but it was totally worth the trip! We also found a perfect parking spot right outside. The ambience was really relaxing, a perfect date night venue. The staff were wonderful and incredibly organised, we really enjoyed hearing about all of the little details for each dish and drink. Some of the highlights of the meal were definitely the grilled oyster, our first time trying oysters warm and wow it really was delicious. The custard, cauliflower caviar dish was beautiful. The candle that melted and that was edible was a really fun touch, so creative! We really enjoyed the homemade honeycomb and the little fudge candies wrapped in edible paper. It was my first time trying rabbit and a squab pigeon, all surprises on the menu that I wasn’t expecting! All in all it was definitely one of the best taster menus we’ve had, highly recommended!

Had an amazing dinner here! The food was delicious and the service was friendly and fun. We got the 10course menu and the cocktail and wine drinks pairing. This definitely added to our lovely experience. All the dishes were delicious but my faves were the lobster bisque custard with caviar (don’t get the other cold caviar fruit salad choice, it does not compare to the custard) all the snacks at the beginning, the oyster, the cod main, and the beef dripping candle with bread! I felt the desserts were not the strong point of the menu. And the wagyu crumpet was a little too much crumpet and not enough wagyu. But we were also given a nice jar of hand harvested raw honey to take home. Overall an exceptional experience and would definitely recommend!

There is absolutely no surprise why Story has two Michelin stars. From beginning to end, welcoming service to check, our experience was incredible. Each course was more interesting and delicious than the next! The wine recommendations were superb - my husband and I ended up ordering two bottles! Our favorite courses were Chef’s “Oreos” and the edible candle with bread - genius! Also: buy the oil! Also huge kudos to Dovile, the restaurant manager, for her stellar service and recommendations. This is not a restaurant to be missed in London.