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UK BRAZIL SOMEWHERE ELSE

The underground restaurant movement that mixes spices and thrills in London

words: Angelica Mari
pictures: Eduardo Zappia

You won’t need to be part of the “in” crowd to hear about the underground restaurant movement. Paying to dine with strangers at a clandestine location instead of eating at a mainstream restaurant is all the rage in London at the moment and the word is spreading like wildfire.
Secret eateries are not necessarily a novelty – Paris-based American writer Jim Haynes has hosted open-door dinners for the past 30 years, “locked door restaurants” or “paladares” have been around for decades in the US and South America.

So what’s new about it and why now? One key factor is the recession –people still want to have fun whilst ensuring value for their pennies. And the rise of social media and tools such as Facebook, Twitter and blogs boosted the trend, which may also work as an attractive business idea for those with cooking talent and creativity.

The underground eating fever in London started earlier this year, one of the pioneers being Ms Marmite Lover, now hosting secret suppers at her house in Kilburn for over 30 people every Saturday.

MsML is one hell of a smart woman. A media type herself, she works the crowd with her loud dressing and talking, eminent guests who help prepare the ever-changing menu on her ÂŁ8,000 Aga oven and, of course, the thrill of doing something illegal.

When I was eating there, a girl was singled out for it to be her “birthday”, just in case the police showed up. “They [guests] love the fact that it is a bit of a naughty thing. But I could go to jail for this, so I have to be careful,” she told me, adding that she won’t allow people to take pictures of herself or nothing that could identify the house.

She went on about her Brazil travels – which lasted for a few months and included destinations all over the country – and said that, opportunities allowing, she would always prefer to stay and eat at a native’s place.

“If you want to travel and get to know what people eat and how they cook, I offer the real experience – I show people that the English can actually cook and give an insight into what an English kitchen is like,” she said.

The success of MsML’s suppers has been such that since January, she has more than doubled the price of her three-course meal – now £25 a head – and is now planning several spin-off projects, including a book, a TV documentary and her own food range.

While the publicity around the trend is welcome for the majority of secret restaurant hosts, The Salad Club organisers Rosie French and Ellie Grace want to avoid being associated with something of a cliché.

“The coverage we’ve had so far has been phenomenal, but we’ve also had people suggesting the same old ideas for documentaries... But the TV wants drama and we’d probably be portrayed as competing with other restaurants, which is not the idea at all,” said Ellie.

After a successful start in May, the £20-a head dinners take place monthly at Ellie’s flat in Brixton Market, where the duo gets most of their groceries. An allotment at Rosie’s place is also in progress and should provide ingredients for the winter events.