Karine Laudort 
The Iconic restaurant ‘Six by Nico’ has introduced its first of their ever-evolving menu concepts, ‘Cooking Childhood.’ Last Wednesday, I was fortunate to discover this venue. The menu consisted of six playful and nostalgic courses. Guests were invited to embark on a trip down memory lane as these classic dishes were given a contemporary twist and creatively reimagined to inspire the sentiments of youth, all without stepping out of London’s Fitzrovia.
Six by Nico is located on Charlotte Street, one of London’s most respected foodie thoroughfares, Six by Nico is the first London project from Nico Simeone and his seventh opening in the UK. Nico’s unique culinary narrative was first born in his native Glasgow and has expanded at a dynamic pace with sister restaurants now in Edinburgh, Belfast, Manchester and Liverpool. With his refined and creative tasting menus, Nico takes guests on a journey whilst making his food accessible to all with an affordable price.
Born in Glasgow to Italian parents, Nico Simeone was raised in a family with Mediterranean influences from a young age. His colourful career has included stints at Michelin starred Number One at Balmoral Hotel in Edinburgh and his accolades include Young Scottish Seafood Chef of the Year.
On arrival guests were served an aperitif, “Who loves orange soda”
Orange Liqueur / Edinburgh Gin / Orange Soda / Ice Cream Float
( I opted for the non-alcoholic version, as I do not drink)
Then as we sat down, we enjoyed Nico’s take on lasagne, his version was crispy with ox cheek ragu and parmesan espuma. As a pescatarian, I chose all veggie versions of each course, which also had meat alternatives.
1st course: “Vegetarian Lasagne”
Creamy and moreish texture definitely could have had more! The sauce tasted like a very nice bechamel, but lighter.
This was followed by Fish Fingers, made with salmon tartare served with kohlrabi (German turnip), lime gel, pepper dulse (lettuce flakes) and shaoshing dressing.
2nd course: “Fish Fingers”
I loved the contrast of textures between the freshness of the fish and the crispiness and the tanginess of the pepper dulse
Strawberry Mocktail
The following course was a take on the ultimate childhood dish, Eggy Soldiers, made with cacklebean egg (rare breed of egg from the specially bred Arlington White Chickens exclusive to the Cackleberry Farm in the Cotswolds), served with brown butter, celeriac espuma (Spanish term for froth or foam), celeriac soldier and lovage ( herb).
3rd course: ‘Eggy soldiers’
Slow Cooked Cacklebean Egg / Celeriac Soldier / Lovage Emulsion / Brown Butter
This was one of my favourite dishes of the evening. Although I am not a fan of celeriac, I enjoyed the contrast of the two textures between the two celeriac foods, foamy and crisp.
Followed by Mac & Cheese, a truffle mac ‘n’ cheese made with cauliflower, aged cheddar and gherkin ketchup.
4th course: ‘Black Truffle Mac ‘n’ Cheese’
I have always been a sucker for a classic mac ‘n’ cheese, and also love cauliflower, so I thoroughly enjoyed the strong cheddar flavour. In my eyes you can never go wrong with some black truffle, so he really elevated this dish to another level! However, I was not a big fan of the gherkin ketchup combination.
Duck, Duck, Goose! was the final savoury course, with XO duck breast, leg bonbon, gnocchi, pumpkin and black garlic emulsion.
5th course: ‘Vegetarian Duck, Duck, Goose!’
(opted for this alternative as I am pescetarian)
Enjoyed the veggie option for this dish although I think the “black garlic emulsion” would be for somebody with an acquired taste. As for all the vegetables, cooked to perfection and flavoursome.
Just before dessert, we were then were surprised by a little visual interlude:
And finally for sweets, I devoured the playfully named, Ring-A-Ring-A-Roses with savarin creme, fresh raspberries, lychee and rose.
6th course: ‘Ring-A-Ring-A-Roses’
Chef Nico Simeone notes, “Reliving those fond childhood memories is exactly what we aim to do for all our guests with our ‘Childhood’ tasting menu. There are some foods that, even after how many years have passed, embody childhood for us all and almost everyone has childhood memories of family meals, ranging from holiday gatherings to the everyday breakfast, lunch, and dinner”.
Overall, it was a fabulous evening full of great, innovative food, drinks and company. Six By Nico made sure to take COVID-19 measures, all staff were wearing branded masks and adhering to social distancing, I felt very safe and comfortable. The event was hosted by the lovely Dave Burt (@mrlondon), CEO of @London and Alice Sampo (@alice.sampo). #ThisIsLondon. So a big thank you to them too!
Six by Nico’s cooking “Childhood” menu was launched on Thursday 3rd September and run until Sunday 18th October. The entry level tasting menu is priced at £35 per person, with an optional £33 wine pairing. Vegetarian alternatives are also available.
Reservations can be made online at www.sixbynico.co.uk/london
Six by Nico London
33-41 Charlotte Street,
London,
W1T 1RR
www.sixbynico.co.uk | @sixbynicolondon
