Six by Nico had been a revelation in London, with its clever themes, concoctions, premium ingredients, and incredible value. Now it was my time to try the hype, but was it any good? Time to find out...
Ideal for:
Gastronomes that love good, innovative food without paying a bomb.
A special date night to wow your dining companion.
When you want a dining experience like no other.
Ambience & Décor
Hidden away, underneath the DLR line leading out of Canary Wharf, the venue was modern, contemporary and did that light-dark contrasted interior that made venues look classier, and yet had quirky pieces to just hint at the madness within. My favourite were the sofas that had an artistic map of London on it. The well-lit restaurant was a bonus to a perfect setting. The vibe was relaxed, full of people quietly enjoying it.
Service
The waiter was quite attentive and impressive as he remembered the vegetarian and normal menu choices in a medley of mix and matched menus.
Food
I have done a comprehensive course-by-course review of the Alice in Wonderland themed meal, as this was one, I was most looking forward to.
Mad Hatters Tea Party (see left): The Keens cheddar scone was the beautifully baked centrepiece that was delightfully cheesy, its earthy tones complemented well with the sweeter, salty smoked bacon jam and sharp Parmesan royale. The pickled walnut dollop on the side gave texture and flavour depth. The mushroom “tea” broth was delightfully mushroom-like and packed full of warmth and flavour.
The White Rabbit was a Rabbit & Date Ballotine (see right) served with Beef Fat Roasted Carrot, Tarragon Pesto, Rabbit Bolognese, and Carrot Ketchup. Sublime. The sweet, sharp date contrasted the meaty, more subtle rabbit perfectly. The rabbit Bolognese was brilliantly flavoured with herbs and perfectly cooked. The tarragon pesto, with the carrots providing the complete texture palate. Each mouthful was an explosion of flavour, texture, and finesse.
The Paint the Roses Red course was a celeriac rose, baby beets, garden radish, Kalamata olive soil with Red Apple caramel. Perfect tribute to vegetables. Loved the nutty, sweetness of the dense celeriac tempered by the light peppery radish and silky earthy olives. The beets gave a rougher texture, with the red apple caramel adding that a unique flavour twist I was not expecting, but really elevated the dish.
Eat me, Drink me was a surprise. This was Roast cod, miso & yuzu glaze, bonito emulsion, white turnip purée, pickled Tokyo turnip, dashi broth (see left). I normally do not rate fish dishes because they are bland, but this was anything but. The miso and yuzu were a fantastic sweet-salty combination on a perfectly cooked, flaky yet hearty piece of fish. The broth, emulsion and purée all added texture depth, and those subtler flavours to round out the dish.
The Off with its head! (see top of page) was the course I was most looking forward to because this was the iconic line in the movie, and it happened to also be a pork dish. Presentation-wise, the pork belly, choucroute, apple gel, pig head croquette, cauliflower & sauce charcuterie was like the rest – aesthetically mouth-watering, and whilst most components were done well, the tough pork belly was the only blemish on an otherwise perfect meal so far.
Finally, it was the dessert of Learn how to make mushrooms (see right) which was 54% chocolate & cep cremeux, praline ice cream, candied hazelnut, chocolate soil, smoked Maldon & cask sherry. The sherry smokiness comes from when the waiter raises the cloche and the smoke billowed out, and those smoky, sweet notes remained throughout the course. There were perfect texture combinations with crumbly soil, soft ice cream and more solid candied hazelnuts. I am not a chocolate dessert lover – it is my hell – but this was not overly rich, and the cep cremeux was genius.
Overall, I cannot speak highly of this experience. There were not enough superlatives to describe this experience, and I am not sure if all Six by Nico experiences are like this, but this was phenomenal. Even though the pork belly was slightly tough, the ingenuity, craft, and sometimes inspired flavour combinations for £44 a head is a total steal. Therefore, Six by Nico gets an easy A+ rating.
Photos of Six by Nico and more can be found on Instagram here.
Final grade: A+
Final comment: This was one of the best dining experiences I have had and will be back!
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