Restaurant of the Week: Kima, Marylebone

Greece. Ever since the concept of a holiday was invented it’s been one of the most adored destinations on the planet. And it’s not merely its hypnotic blue horizons, sun-dappled beaches, and rustic whitewashed villages that are the magnet.

Though its postcard perfection certainly helps, the true driver of its beauty is the people. Their warmth, their openness, their unrivalled camaraderie. Greek hospitality is so woven into the culture there’s even a word for it – philoxenia – as locals uphold an unspoken law of embracing strangers with unlocked arms.

Kima - A different kettle of fish

No exception to this rule, is Grecian seafood spot Kima in Marylebone, that brings a refreshingly uplifting atmosphere in the sometimes-starched setting of central London. When my guest and I entered the restaurant, every member of staff turned to greet us with broad (and sincere) smiles, as if they had me down as an old friend. Despite feeling like the wrong person for a moment or two, which might say more about me and my belonging to the keep-to-yourself mentality of the capital, the welcome set the stage for a memorable evening ahead.

As well as a friendly affair, Kima is a whole-fish pioneer of its time – dishing out a fin-to-gill menu that until now hasn’t found much foothold in London. Where we’re accustomed to nose-to-tail for meat, since Chef Fergus Henderson of St. John’s coined the term in the 90s – its fishy peers have some catching up to do.

This timeline in the dining scene mirrors society more widely: as while Cowspiracy called outrage at livestock farming practices more than a decade ago, Seaspiracy and David Attenborough’s Ocean film only thrust the seafood industry into the spotlight in the last few years. We know now that what happens above ground bears no more importance than in the deep, dark waters. So Kima, and I hope others to come, are here to turn the tide on the way we consider (and eat) fish.

The fin-to-gill experience

The menu experience begins with being escorted to the seafood display case at the front of the restaurant where we select our chosen creature – in its entirety – that we’ll be eating. Used to tucking into dishes after witnessing little more than their journey out of the kitchen to the table, this offers a newfound connection to the roots of what’s on our plate.

Once it was time to be transported through the fish-centred menu, we began with bottarga slices of our chosen wild sea bream, on a crisp, olive oil-brushed toast, intermingled with lemon curd and whisperings of white chocolate. The sweet start was daring but came together sensationally, and immediately I thought there must be something about not wasting a speck of fish that cranks up the chef's creative spark. 

Next, we were taken to more traditional pastures, with a bowl of Kakavia soup – typically consumed by Ionian fishermen after a long day’s work – where olive oil shimmers through a comforting, fragrant broth peppered with chunks of our chosen wild sea bream. By our second dish, we were already seeing completely contrasting expressions of the same fish.

The dish where it was most apparent we were eating the creature in its entirety, was the head and collar – both surprisingly meaty delicacies, crisped to a golden finish that enlivened both flavour and texture. The idea of swallowing a fisheye might be off-putting for some, but it was so small it hardly stood out – and as one of the most nutrient-dense parts, it seems illogical to discard it.

While our fish didn’t make it into dessert, a mille-feuille arrived, topped with a silvery seaweed glinting above swathes of cream. This reincarnation of the typically sweet Mediterranean pastry had a subtle saltiness from the seaweed, complementing the sugary middle well – and demonstrated the menu’s imagination shining to the end.

The true golden thread? That was olive oil, unmissable in any dish by the Aegean. So as a polish to the menu, it only made sense to receive oil-laced, sage macaroons, arriving delicately balanced on a black tree sculpture – as our final gift.

Greek soul with a modern heart

Kima captures the warm nature of Greek cooking while working inventively and inspiringly to bring a new culinary moment to the capital. This drop of fresh Aegean air in the heart of Marylebone shows us that bearing planetary issues in mind – rather than holding them back – might be a restaurant's very draw.