Noble Rot Lamb's Conduit

"Unquestionably the best bread plate in London and, in fact, the whole entire universe. Noble Rot’s bread means more to us than most of our friends, family, and exes. A tricolore plate of brown tones in the form of a tri-carb of slices (soda, sourdough, and focaccia), this is bread that once eaten is reordered. And reordered. And possibly reordered again. But which is the best on the plate? The focaccia or the soda. No offence sourdough. The former… is a marvel. Crisp on the crust and about 90% oil, this focaccia has not merely adopted the olive oil it was cooked in but was born in it; moulded by it. The recipe is from The Sportsman, the renowned Whitstable restaurant where former head chef Paul Weaver worked, while the soda bread is à la another legendary seafood restaurant in the shape of Bentleys. It’s a black treacle recipe. Sweet and crumbly and cake-like, with a smear of salted butter it makes us wonder: what is the point of menus? Because when bread—the king, the empress, the czar of all foodstuffs—is this good, you need nothing else." - jake missing

"Who knew that a combination of London’s best wine list and a dining room made for illicit, intense affairs would be so popular among people who love to stare into each other’s eyes? Noble Rot’s original Bloomsbury location has got that mischievous glint that makes it a breeding ground for burgeoning or established romance. Whether you’re lazily picking at a bread plate or digging into modern European dishes like comté tart, there’s much to love in this restaurant. Ask to sit in the window of the wine bar area for maximum romance." - rianne shlebak, jake missing, sinead cranna

"Birthday drinks at Noble Rot is the kind of experience that you’ll merrily turn 30 again, and again, and again, for. Strange colleague telling you to ‘make the most out of your prime’? Tacky card with a zimmer frame on the front from that super witty relative? We’ll take it. This Bloomsbury wine bar is one of the best ways you can spend an evening in London. It’s classy without ever being pretentious. It’s lively without being full of teenagers. You can go for the full dining room experience for dinner and drinks, or just sit in the walk-in only bar area for drinks and drinks - they’ll usually find a way to squeeze you all in. Think of your birthday here as running through the finish line of your 20s, into your even better 30s. It’s a winner." - heidi lauth beasley

"Willis Carrier invented the first electric air conditioning unit way back in 1902. He must have been one sweaty and smart bloke, and we’d like to thank him. Thank you Willis, thank you. Anyway, Bloomsbury’s Noble Rot is our every-situation spot, so of course it’s A/C’d up. This place is a life saver in many ways. Not least when your face is rapidly turning into an animate slice of cheese on toast. This is the wine bar and European-leaning restaurant for when you need cold air, cold wine, and shit-hot focaccia." - jake missing, sinead cranna, rianne shlebak

"Rather than us trying to explain to you what sipping wine at Noble Rot is like, just head on over to YouTube and listen to Heaven Is A Place On Earth until you believe that unicorns are real and that you really were your mum’s favourite. That’s the magic of Noble Rot. There’s jamon ibérico and cheese plates. There’s an exceptional wine list. And not to play favourites like your mother, but this Bloomsbury spot really does have the best bread in London." - heidi lauth beasley