Firstly, some history. This new corner restaurant at 180 Kentish Town Road is the latest occupant of a truly landmark local building. Built as The Wolsey Tavern in 1896, the pub remained unchanged until 1993, when it was renamed Auntie Annie’s Porter House, with subsequent incarnations retaining variations of that name. Most recently it was the ornate, and slightly legendary, Annie’s Bar.
This year the venue, boarded up for several years, has finally been given a new lease of life as a contemporary neighbourhood restaurant with a distinctive mauve exterior. Its menu centres on a charcoal grill, and owner Tural, who used to run the rather lovely Natural plant-friendly store and cafe down the road, says their mission is to serve locals impeccable American-style burgers – with a European touch.
“We’re on a journey to bring back this establishment to its former glory and deliver tasty dishes in the heart of Kentish Town,” he says.
Once indoor dining resumes from May 17th, you’ll be able to explore a venue that boasts a variety of unique spaces over two storeys. At ground level is a warm and welcoming dining room with open kitchen staffed by Head Chef Daniele Mingarelli and his team. Meanwhile, in the basement is a cosy dining room for functions such as birthday parties, private dining and Christmas parties.
For the next month or so, while we all continue with takeaway-only dining, Head Chef Daniele has put together a menu with a handful of dishes which are available either to collect at the venue or through the Just Eat delivery platform (currently the opening time is from 12am – 10pm). So without further ado, here are some of the best:
Smoky Corner: 7 Menu Highlights
Need a treat? Let’s start with the signature Smoky Burger (£12.50), a low-fat beef patty with smoked paprika and thyme, topped with black truffle, halloumi, tomato relish and sweet potato crisp; or try the simpler Cheeseburger (£10) with secret house burger sauce, white onion, gem lettuce, cheddar cheese, and sweet paprika. Poultry-lovers might prefer the Chicken burger (£10), with bacon, carrot, white onion, celery and an oozy homemade aioli; while pescatarians can enjoy a light and tangy Salmon (£12.50) burger with thyme, lemon zest, red onion and fresh Cajun mayo. All the burgers come with hand-cut chips.
Smoky Corner’s plant-based and vegetarian game is strong, too: try the Smoky Vegan Cheese burger (£12.50), with roasted vegetables, seitan, chickpeas, black beans, mushroom and oats, as well as chilli, rosemary, parsley and roasted red pepper mayo. That one comes with rosemary potatoes. Yum.
Finally, there are a couple of comfort-food classics, too. Pasta fans might wish to indulge in a home-made lasagne or the signature Smoky Mac & Cheese with mustard, double cream and a wicked combo of mozzarella, parmesan cheese and cheddar. There are also salads, drinks and family meal offers aplenty.
As we emerge from the toughest-ever time for hospitality, why not grab yourself a weekend treat at Smoky Corner? Better still, you get 20% off if you click and collect. As we all know, with the slow emergence from lockdown it’s worth supporting as many new openings in the neighbourhood as we possibly can.
