Southern food is making a return to central London - in a somewhat unexpected guise. Americana launched a couple of weeks back, taking over a big ex-Byron site and seems a pretty large restaurant to open with little fanfare.
It's billed as serving "Authentic Southern American soul food and hospitality" and, in fairness, we'd say it's squarely aimed at the tourist crowd. As for the room itself, they've completely restored the interior and added in retro American tiling.
The menu includes:
- Americana Cajun Gumbo - Smoked sausage, chicken, holy trinity (onions, bell peppers and celery), homemade cornbread
- Creole Jambalaya tagliatelle - Shrimp, smoked sausage, holy trinity
- McAllen Texas Chilli - Homemade cornbread or rice, cheddar, sour cream, fresh jalapenos, scallions
- Lump Blue crab cake - With spiced tartar sauce, scallion vinaigrette
And yes, shrimp and grits do make an appearance on the brunch menu. So there's definitely a very specific southern feel to the menu. Is it "authentic" though? We're not completely sure about that as we've seen much smaller restaurants and pop-ups that felt a little closer to the mark. That said, we can still see this doing rather well in the area with its target market.
More about Americana
Where is it? 11 Haymarket, London SW1Y 4BP
When does it open? Open now
Find out more: Visit their website or follow them on Instagram @americanalondon.
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