Graffiti and fresh produce mark out Miznon in Soho
So what do we need to know about Miznon?
This new pita restaurant burst onto the London scene a few weeks back. Chef Eyal Shani has branches of Miznon in Paris, Tel Aviv and New York. The main thrust of the offering are his world-class stuffed pitas, but there are also regional specials too, which are exclusive to each country.
Where is it?
You'll find it at the Wardour Street end of Broadwick Street - midway between Piccadilly Circus and Tottenham Court Road stations.
Where should we meet for a drink first?
If you're coming for dinner, the most obvious answer would be Basement Sate, the dessert and cocktail bar that's literally underneath Miznon.
Where's a good place to sit?
The room at Miznon is a large airy (and well air-conditioned) one split into counter dining and tables. We'd say that the best place is probably at the counter where you get to see everything being put together.
We opted for the counter which proved to be a fun place to see what goes into every dish.
What's on the menu?
A very good question, and one that's not immediately answered by looking at the restaurant's menu. In Paris and New York, the Miznon menus give you some idea of what each dish comprises of. But here in London, the menu's very idiosyncratic, some might say annoyingly so (it's also printed in comic sans which must be a joke). So there are dishes called Magic Mushrooms and Saq de Coq which you'll have to ask your waiter to explain (the latter is essentially a chicken salad), and hope that they know the answer.
Dishes are arranged by pitas and 'out of pitas' and if you want to go all out there's a set meal for £18 a head (minimum two people) that's apparently 'painted on your table'. Dishes are very generous by London standards so do pace yourselves as it's easy to over-order.
Here's what we had, to give you an idea:
Naked tomatoes slaughtered in front of your eyes (£8). In truth, this is a bowl of tomatoes that won't be 'slaughtered' or cut in front of you, unless you're up at the counter. Chef Shani is apparently a bit bonkers about tomatoes and these were very tasty, room temperature tomatoes plucked from a tray beside us on the counter and given a massage of oil and salt.
The best Hummus plate that you will ever eat (£12). Their words, we should add. Although this was a very nice (not to mention huge) bowl of hummus served with a ladle of warm chickpeas, loads of olive oil and a squeeze of tomato. It also comes as a carnivore option with a beef ragu on top. Served with pita, of course.
All-day English breakfast: Steak & Egg, Lima beans in spicy tomato sauce (£14). We had wanted to try the London special of cottage pie in a pita, but that had sold out on the day we were there for lunch, so we opted for one of their other local specials. A really good steak and egg pita.
Folded burger with a golden crown of English Cheddar (£12) - the folded burger pita is a mainstay of Miznon restaurants but each country's iteration is a little different. This features a burger folded around a slide of cheddar and then fried. The effect is to give the burger a halo or crown of fried cheese at the top which is then stuffed into a pita with aioli and tomatoes. It is very good.
What's on the menu for vegetarians and vegans?
If you're wanting a plant-based meal out you're in for a treat here with some of Miznon's signature dishes focusing on veggies, including their hot potato in hot pita, baby whole roasted cauliflower melted in its own crown and Lima beans stew topped with olive oil, tomato’s ovaries (not a typo) and hot peppers.
Room for dessert?
There are two desserts on the menu. One is Malabi (milk pudding) with strawberry perfume (£6). We were so full we only had room for one dessert which was this...
Sugar glazed banana steaks, dolce de leche whipping cream and broken butter cookies - (£7) think deconstructed banoffee pie and you'll have it.
What about drink?
While there is one white wine option and one beer option, the thing to go for here are Miznon's 'cocktails'. They're all made fresh in-house and bottled up, ready to pour and reused "in a circular system". They're all without booze but to these four options you can add their own sage gin, or vodka or Arzak.
We opted for the booze-free versions including this Sunset - made with pomegranate, mint, lime and barberry (£5) - which was refreshing and a genuinely interesting option for anyone swerving alcohol.
Overall thoughts:
Miznon's a buzzy Soho spot with some truly lovely stuffed pitas, and pretty good value to boot as portions are generous. We'd even have liked the size of the out-of-pita dishes to be a little smaller (first world problem, for sure) so we could have tried more of them. But that just gives us a reason to return.
More about Miznon London
Where is it? 8-12 Broadwick St, London W1F 8HN
How to book: book online
Find out more: See their Instagram page @miznonlondon.
Hot Dinners dined as guests of Miznon. Prices are correct at the time of publication.
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