Rishim Sachdeva has a formidable CV: he embarked on his chef training under Marco Pierre-White at the Oak Room where he learned classic French cooking, before moving on to work with Heston Blumenthal at The Fat Duck. Stints under Robin Gill at Conran’s (D&D) Almeida Restaurant and Nuno Mendes at Chiltern Firehouse followed, before he returned to his native India where he worked as executive chef for AD Singh, arguably the country’s most celebrated restauranteur, at his award-winning Olive Bar & Kitchen in Mumbai. It was here that Sachdeva’s particular interest in vegetarian and vegan dishes flourished, and he made a name for himself as one of the country’s most exciting young chef talents. Upon his return to London, Sachdeva took part in Veganuary in 2019, and it was this participation that shifted his focus permanently towards a plant-based diet. He now views himself as (mostly) vegan, as he’s still partial to some dairy produce in his diet.
This is the background to Tendril, Sachdeva’s (mostly) vegan restaurant that grew outof a series of sold-out Tendril supper clubs in London. These gained such a cult following that he was offered a pop-up residency at the iconic Sun & 13 Cantons pub in Soho, before a pop-up restaurant on Princes St, Mayfair, where he can be found today. Sachdeva is not aggressively proselytising about veganism but is nevertheless passionately committed to bringing his imaginative vegan dishes, which he describes as ‘just really tasty and wholesome foods’, to a wider audience with Tendril.
I visited with my husband (a lifelong vegetarian). Even though it was a Monday, the restaurant was completely packed; hopeful walk-ins at the door were being politely turned away. My husband and I were shown to a cosy maroon banquette at the back of the restaurant. The restaurant is a real gem of a place, set in a tranquil side street. The decor is as simple as the food is complex: teal and terracota-coloured walls and flickering candles create the kind of relaxed, softly romantic environment that makes it almost impossible to believe you’re a two-minute walk from Oxford Circus.
You can go à la carte, but why bother when £49 gets you the six course set Discovery Menu? The smoked aubergine with pickled shallots and pumpkin seeds was one of the best presentations of an aubergine that my husband or I have ever encountered. It was breathtakingly smoky and succulent, the pumpkin seeds adding a complementary crunch. The butter beans with chilli and garlic was a rich, silky dip that was the perfect, unctuous accompaniment to the toasted Coombsehead farm sourdough bread that came with it. We also thoroughly enjoyed the chicory dish: the pear, shiso and sunflower seeds adding the ideal level of sweetness and texture to the leaf. A butternut squash, presented in a brown sage crumb was the main course, and the masterpiece of the meal: stickily crisp on the outside and velvety within. The banoffee pie that we shared for pudding was absolute alchemy: it was almost impossible to believe that such a creamy, indulgent tasting dessert was, in fact, entirely vegan – it tasted delightfully decadent without being in any way cloying.
Service throughout the meal is truly outstanding: Alex and Abby were exemplary hosts, and no request was too much trouble. Every single dish here is a winner: innovative, flavoursome and focused on fresh, seasonal produce. Sachdeva's illustrious training both in India and at The Fat Duck and Chiltern Firehouse shines through in his creative, technique-driven approach. Tendril makes meat-free dining both easy and unquestionably delicious; whether you’re a committed carnivore or a vigilant vegan, it delivers on every front.
Tendril has just launched a four-course version of the 'Discovery Menu' for just £27 pp, available from Tuesday to Friday lunch service (bookings only).
TENDRIL
5 Princes St
London
W1B 2LQ
@tendril_kitchen
@chefrishimsachdeva
Rishim Sachdeva.
