Nothing beats al fresco dining when the sun is shining and we've found a new favourite on the South Bank. The OG of London's pop up dining scene, Jimmy Garcia is back with Jimmy's BBQ Club just next to the Royal Festival Hall for its eighth year, with a mouthwatering six course menu designed by Chef Heidi Stiller and her brilliant team with eveything cooked right in front of diners on a Big Green Egg barbecue.
The menu focuses on seasonal, responsibly sourced produce and every course is utterly delicious. Melt-in-the mouth, flame-grilled bone marrow, served on crusty fresh soutdoug bread with a parsley and caper salad, pink fire onions and burnt lemon. Delicate Wye Valley asparagus is finished on the barbeque and served with goat's curd, a brown butter pangrattato and a garlic trio; black garlic emulsion, wild garlic emulsion and wild garlic oil. Maple plank Chalk stream trout is smoked at the table and served with cultured cream, pickled pink lady apple, pickled cucumber and a dill oil, followed by a vibrant chicken dish is inspired by chef Heidi’s travels across Thailand. Marinated chicken thigh is charred on the barbeque and comes alongside Panang sweet potato puree, pak choi from Sussex and a charred corn and coriander salsa. The last savoury course is a tasty smoked and braised ox cheek with courgette baba ganoush and salsa verde on a piadina. To finish, a tropical dessert of rum cured pineapple, fire-cooked then served with pineapple biscuit crumb, vanilla Hackney Gelato and a smoked caramel sauce. Trust me when I say it was one of the best meals we've eaten in London this year, especially when accompanied with a Mojito or Paloma, watching the sun set over the river.
Of course it's not just the six-course tasting memy on offer, but two bars plus a menu of street food bites as well as the feast. Tuck into Jimmy’s famous beef burger made with bone marrow, Gochujang chicken wings, Panang chicken salad boxes, halloumi fries and more, with no booking required.
With the sunshine back this week, get booking and get set for a feast.
