Have you heard of the paleo diet? The last few years this diet has been creeping up slowly into our daily lives. So what is paleolithic diet? Some people see it as a fad diet and others as a lifelong commitment.
The Paleo diet or the caveman diet, very simply put is a diet where you eat lots of proteins like, grass feed meat, fish/seafood, non-starchy fresh fruits, and vegetables (no legumes, no peanuts), eggs, nuts and seeds, healthy oils (coconut, avocado, etc).
Dairy ingredients, refined sugar or vegetable oils are not allowed. Cereal grains, potatoes, processed foods and salt are not permitted either. Once you grasp the do’s and don’ts, of this ‘gatherers and hunters’ diet, it promises weight loss, longer life and minimise chronic diseases.
Pure Taste claims to be the first Paleolithic fine dining experience in London. It is located in a retail road running across Notting Hill and spread over two floors. I was invited to sample the new Spring menu and their exclusive organic and biodynamic wines from La Mancha, Spain.
The menu caters for paleo, vegans, vegetarians, no eggs, whole 30, low carb and many other diets. Each dish has an explanation which group belongs to and some can be adapted to suit the designated diet on request.
The restaurant upstairs was quite busy on a Tuesday evening. We are served very small portions (special tasting menu), so the images do not represent the real portions they serve in the restaurant. The starters (from £8-12/each) and mains (from £15 to £21/each) were delicious, creative and well presented.
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| Parsley, wild garlic, tiny chicken heart |
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| left: Squid, pak choy, lemon & sansho . right: Salmon fish cake, celery, radish, avocado & olive tapenade |
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| Mackerel, beetroot, cucumber, horseradish & hazelnut |
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| Ox cheek braise, orange, celeriac & spring greens |
Things were not great in the dessert department. I understand that people on certain diets require ingredients replacement. The mocha cashew vegan cheesecake (fermented) served with a forgettable coffee gel and the coconut milk based ginger ice (no cream) were a disappointment from the point of view of a non-special diet person. The chocolate lava cake (with coconut sugar) and chocolate shard decorating the cheesecake were very tasty. Desserts from £8-£10/each
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| Vegan Tonka bean cheesecake, chocolate & coffee and nice chocolate shard |
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| Chocolate lava cake, ginger ice cream & chocolate crumbs |
Would I come back? Yes, with my best friend who has been on a non-dairy, gluten-free and wheat-free diet for the last eight years due to medical reasons. Pure taste is the kind of place you can trust that understands the many special dietary requirements of this world. Unfortunately, due to kitchen logistics they do not cater for nut-free diet.
Pure Taste – HAS CLOSED AS PER JUNE 2015
115 Westbourne Grove
London W2 4UP
t: 0207 727 5000
