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By Olivia Bennett on 2nd May 2024
There’s a reason that Six By Nico has a loyal crowd of returning diners. With a clever six course tasting menu that changes every six weeks, the restaurant group — conceptualised by chef Nico Simeone — is constantly innovating and delivering fresh and evocative dishes.
Putting the fun in fine dining, the menu is inspired by a different memory, place or idea, and this time has captured the vibrancy of the city that never sleeps, New York. Simeone has endeavoured to encapsulate the eclectic New York foodie scene in this menu, reimagining famous dishes with signature Six By Nico flair. Casual street food favourites have been refined for the fine dining experience. I stopped by the Canary Wharf restaurant for a culinary trip to the Big Apple.
We kicked the meal off with an aperitif. I opted for the Cosmo Spritz; a medley of sweet cherry brandy, sharp cranberry liqueur and lemon juice, topped with a generous pour of Brut. It’s a refreshing tipple for a Spring day. For something a little punchier the Pineapple Manhattan pairs sweet pineapple with warming bourbon and aromatic vermouth.
The six-course menu will leave you perfectly sated; however, piping hot hunks of sourdough served with smoked maple bacon is delightfully moreish and impossible to pass up. Onto the main event and every dish is ceremoniously delivered with an anecdote behind the inspiration, which plays into the immersive dining experience Six By Nico does so well.
Dish one is ‘New Yorker Slice’: paying homage to New York’s iconic pizza. A thick, crunchy pepperoni ragu is hidden beneath a cloud of indulgent pecorino cheese foam. It comes served with what appears to be an Oreo, but upon first bite reveals itself to be a charcoal cookie filled with decadent parmesan cream, subverting all expectations.
Dish two is ‘B.E.C – Bacon, Egg & Cheese’ a decadent plate, big on flavour. Smoked pork belly mingles with a glossy confit egg yolk and is cut with a delightful ‘hot sauce’ which boasts a nutty pesto-like quality.
Dish three channels another New York hero: the pastrami sandwich. Almost too pretty to eat, this dish resembles a piece of art. Ox cheek pastrami is paired with crisp tempura gherkin, delightfully zingy fermented cabbage and kohlrabi for a twist on a classic.
Dish four, ‘The Everything Bagel’ is particularly inspired. A flaky fillet of coalfish comes topped with the seasonings lifted from the classic bagel — onion, sesame and poppy seeds. Accompanied by wild garlic, baked celeriac, and a caper and brown butter foam, it’s a winning dish.
Dish five ‘Double Chicken Please’ offers up a lip smacking combination of succulent chicken topped with crispy pearls of buttermilk, served with sweet honey sauce and a fiery jalapeno ketchup, while thai basil and hazelnut pesto adds a fragrant quality.
Dish six ‘Lower East Side Apple Pie’ ends the meal on a sweet note. Perfect for dessert lovers it’s essentially the traditional pudding deconstructed into three separate desserts: a creamy cheesecake, cookies and creme anglaise, and a baked apple creme, all brought together with an indulgent swirl of dulce de leche.
Throughout the meal we opted for the wine pairing which added an extra layer to the storytelling behind each carefully crafted dish, from a Portuguese Douro Valley red, to fresh and light Italian Grillo, before ending on a syrupy-sweet Italian sparkling wine.
The six-course tasting menu costs £50 a head, and wine pairing a further £38, making the Six By Nico experience one of the most immersive fine dining experiences across the UK. The only question that remains is where will Chef Simeone’s endless creativity take us next?
Book the New York menu at all UK restaurants until May 19.
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