There's no getting around it: the Blue Mountain School in Shoreditch has been something of a revolving door for restaurants and chefs alike over the last few years. The site opened in 2018 and initially hosted the one-Michelin star Mãos. Once that restaurant shuttered, Cycene opened in 2022 under Theo Clench (who has worked at Trinity, Clove Club, Portland, and Akoko), and was awarded one Michelin star six months later. Then in August 2024, Clench departed, leaving sous chef Taz Sarhane (who had been working at Cycene for a couple of years and prior to this had been a member of Claude Bosi's team at the two-star Bibendum) to take the reigns. All of this said, you'd be forgiven for wondering whether Cycene could still deliver at the level it operated at upon opening. Despite issues of pacing (more on that later), Cycene offers a creative and often-times delicious menu that assures its status as a London restaurant very much worth visiting.
A meal at Cycene – meaning 'kitchen' in the English of olde – unfolds over three spaces: the bar, where aperitifs are served as well as the first course of broth, bread, butter and bcharcuterie; the kitchen itself, where head chef Taz introduces some snacks utilizing their A5 wagyu; and finally the main dining room, which has space for around 16 covers and is where the lion's share of the menu unfolds. I'm still not entirely convinced of the need for such movement between spaces when the menu doesn't have a clear thematic delineation that benefits from a change in space. But it is experiential nonetheless.
The broth that begins the meal is a delicious, almost decadent treat; smoked sardines form the basis along with the bones of the fish used throughout the week, koji soy sauce produced in-house, rendered chicken fat, and a vinegar made from Pedro Ximénez aged for 50 years. The butter provided as an accompaniment to the sourdough (also created in-house) is virgin, with a greater concentration of lactic acid – as well as a more cheesy flavour – than regular butter. As is alluded to in this first course and becomes more obvious as the menu progresses, there is something of a New Nordic influence at play. Fermentation, dry-aging, and foraged ingredients are all on display at Cycene, used as creative building blocks for modern dishes featuring (largely) British produce.
After this, it's up the stairs, past the dry-aging and fermentation cabinets, and into the kitchen, where an hors d'oeuvre of wagyu, confit egg yolk and caviar bursts with butteriness in the mouth. If the bread and butter at the beginning of the meal weren't clue enough, Cycene doesn't stick to the usual menu format. Rather than have all of the hors d'oeuvres served at the beginning of the meal, bites are served in between larger dishes. Of the hors d'oeuvres, the aforementioned wagyu and the oyster and lardo are of particular note, the latter being incredibly rich, sweet and creamy. The lobster and shrimp, while holding all the fresh brininess of the sea, could have benefitted from a lighter shell, as the heavy batter was texturally at odds with the filling, the former dominating in a not altogether pleasant manner.
After the bites of wagyu, it was around the corner and into the dining room, where the lights are turned down low, leaving the main sources of light the lit candles on each table. At this point, it would be quicker to note the dishes that didn't work than those that did. The Torbay prawn dish was exceptional, the cream of rice acting in such a way as to create a film over the prawns that locked in a rich butteriness, imparting a delightful mouthfeel as well as intense flavour. This was an early highlight of the meal, which followed hotly on from the custard of wild garlic with apples marinated in shoyu. The dish, smelling incredibly herbaceous, leads one to believe that they are about to get a blast of mint. However, this is not the case at all, with umami being dominant but cut through by the tempered sweetness of the apples.
The brown crab with radish two ways (pickled and roasted) was sublime, the green peppercorns providing a wonderful spice to the sauce (made from the crab shell), while the goat and cuttlefish had arguably the best plating of the dishes on the menu. Not just good looks, the goat had its smokiness shorn away by the coffee, the ragu again being deeply umami. Of the savoury dishes mentioned, the depth of flavour in each one is truly commendable.
Not to be outdone by the savoury courses, the dessert of quince (partly caramelized), jerusalem artichoke ice cream and caviar was a marriage of flavours that ended the meal on a satisfyingly high note.
Not everything was smooth sailing though. I felt that the pollock dish – while the pollock itself was a joy, tender as can be from dry aging – wasn't at the same level of creativity as the other dishes, with the creme fraiche and rhubarb adding very little to the fish.
In addition, the sauce of the hogget dish was unappetisingly sour. The rib that was given as a side to this dish was much more enjoyable than the dish itself.
Other than these quibbles concerning the food (which are relatively minor, considering the breadth and scope of the rest of the menu), the main drawback with Cycene is the pacing. My seating lasted for 3.5 hours, and I was the first out the door (and also not the first to arrive). It is a small team in a small kitchen, so it is understandable that food will take some time to be served. However, there didn't appear to be any method to the pace or to whom the dishes were brought to. The first few dishes in the main dining room were brought out quite quickly to myself, while other diners had to wait. After these dishes there would be a long gap followed by a couple more quickly proffered dishes, followed by more waiting. This is after it took 30 minutes to go from the bar to the kitchen (only the bread, butter and broth was had in that time). This being said, those of us who were kept waiting in the bar got first a lemonade made from macerated Meyer lemons comped, and then a glass of white wine. Cycene recognized that the they weren't moving optimally the evening that I dined, and this acknowledgement is appreciated. Still, it's something to bear in mind if considering a trip – be prepared for a long evening.
Fortunately, there is enough invention on display, with surprises around almost every corner, to make the wait worthwhile. Cycene is a strong Michelin-starred restaurant by a group of young chefs that are fearless in their approach to fine dining. I very much look forward to returning.
Courses:
1. Bread & Butter
2. A5 Wagyu, Bone Marrow, N25 Kaluga Caviar
3. Wild Garlic, Apple, Bread
4. Oyster, Lardo
5. Crab, Pumpkin
6. Torbay Prawn, Rice, Cream
7. Lobster, Shrimp
8. Crab, Radish, Peppercorn
9. Goat, Coffee, Cuttlefish (pictured first)
10. Pollock, Rhubarb, Creme Fraiche (pictured second)
11. Hogget, Ragstone, Pear
12. Blueberry, Elderflower
13. Quince, Artichoke, Schrenckii
14. Petit Fours
by MaaDFoXX