No, the saying that location is everything doesn’t always hold entirely true – just ask most of the Michelin-starred restaurants in the UK. However, it does help a lot, especially when your venue hosts live music while guests enjoy bespoke cocktails and great food. Case in point: the fairly new Amazing Grace in London – not to be confused with any of the many other places called ‘Amazing Grace’ in the great city. Housed in a refurbished church, Amazing Grace is located along an imaginary triangle formed by the London Bridge Underground, Borough Market (still one of the most famous food markets in the entire city), and The Shard (‘Western Europe’s Tallest Building’) – all of which are just a 2 to 4 minute walk from Amazing Grace. We went to church and got converted. Here’s how!
About Amazing Grace
Okay, we’ll have to admit it: while traveling to Amazing Grace, we got our coordinates horribly wrong. We had just visited the London Bridge Experience (a must-do) and ended up at Russell Square before realizing we had actually come from the right spot. With the Uber app acting up and no taxis in sight—a rarity in London—we arrived very late and, unfortunately, missed much of the performance. Luckily, we were still able to catch the last third of it, which was enough to get an excellent impression of what Amazing Grace is all about.
Ayda Rose's neo-soul and R&B hits the right mark for an avant-garde church venue such as this one, underscoring the fact that her move from dance music to more organic songs was the right decision. However, having only a couple of singles out also means her Out of Office with Ayda Rose performance mainly hinges on covers of better-known songs. Rose is almost never off-pitch, although she does toy around with some of the arrangements and melody lines to make them her own. An excellent performance.
Amazing Grace opened in October 2021 after converting the Grade II-listed St. Thomas’ Church (originally built in 1192). Featuring stained glass windows, untouched original woodwork, a 1700s altar, a large mezzanine overlooking a candlelit stage, large curtains, and tastefully chosen furniture, such as the green chairs on the mezzanine floor, the venue wows and impresses as much as it breathes warmth and coziness. Old meets new with a great P.A. system and the state-of-the-art technology necessary to project large images, and even the bouncers reveal themselves to be quite friendly and welcoming… which means, obviously, we’re off to a good start, but what about the drinks and food?
The Menu
Amazing Grace claims it’s a great place to have cocktails, so we start with two: the Berry Bramble Burst and the Beach Coma.
The Berry Bramble Burst mixes Beefeater Pink Strawberry Gin, Crème de Mure, raspberry syrup, and lime juice to great effect. The gin introduces a sweet but slightly tangy strawberry flavor, which is enhanced by the dark blackberry liqueur. It has a very rich taste but is balanced by the extra sweetness and subtle tartness of the syrup. Still, the cocktail would be too sugary without the zesty, citrusy bite, which makes for a refreshing, crisp finish.
The Beach Coma uses Havana 3 Year Rum, pineapple juice, passionfruit syrup, and lime. The rum provides a smooth, slightly sweet base with subtle hints of vanilla and even subtler hints of oak. Both the pineapple juice and the passionfruit syrup intensify the sweetness, but with a touch of exoticness. It’s a bright and fruity cocktail, again balanced by lime juice.
Now, let’s be clear: both the Berry Bramble Burst and the Beach Coma are good cocktails, but a little too sugary to recommend as pre-dinner drinks; enjoy them when you’re not eating or maybe after dinner, and you’ll be just fine! Hint: the bartenders we met were all able to make classic cocktails as well and didn’t need to stick to the signature drinks, so it should be easy to find something to your liking!
The food is fusion-inspired, which is hardly surprising since, apparently, it is provided by Mr Bao, a well-reviewed series of Taiwanese restaurants that specialize in steamed buns. We get to taste a few of the bao dishes, and they’re excellent, with fluffy buns and great, well-balanced fillings. The fried chicken bao, for example, includes slices of perfectly pickled cucumber, gochujang mayo, sesame, and spring onion. The chicken is still juicy inside and crunchy on the outside, while the pickled cucumbers add more texture (as does the crisp, mildly pungent spring onion) and a refreshing tang. The gochujang mayo brings the necessary depth, a spicy kick, and a hint of sweetness, while the sesame seeds complete the flavor profile by introducing some inherent nuttiness.
The Japanese fried chicken is great too. We believe the batter is made from panko, and it has just the right thickness, adding a lot of crunchiness while allowing the tender, extremely juicy free-range chicken thigh to shine. We end up not using a lot of the lime, but, again, the earthiness provided by the sesame is a very welcome addition.
The ‘amazing rice’ is one of the best sides we had during our London visit. The fluffy rice soaks up the aromatic ginger oil well, while the spring onion brings some fresh crispiness and a balancing sharpness. The savory-sweet soy-based tare adds umami flavor, and the sesame seeds round out the dish with a welcome touch of toastiness. It’s a symphony of flavors without taking away too much from whatever you pair the rice with, allowing for a surprisingly light but complex side. Get the Vietnamese fried tofu to make a complete dish.
The slices of lime on our smoked salt & lime padron peppers and corn ribs with gochujang mayo, lime, and chili are completely unnecessary to us, although some may want to add a sprinkling of citrus to make the dish feel a little lighter in the mouth. The peppers are of the highest quality available in this price range, and the corn, cut into rib-like strips, has been given a slightly charred, smoky flavor. The mayo coats the corn in a rich, creamy heat with a blend of spicy, sweet, and savory notes, while the chili adds an extra kick—although not too much if you don’t like your food hot. Nice!
The charred broccoli tastes crunchy and fresh as well, although the black garlic goma dressing and toasted sesame do end up making the dish a little too heavy, despite how great the cruciferous vegetables are.
Amazing Grace is not just a venue; it’s an immersive music and food experience that will cater to people just looking for some excellent drinks, too. Highly recommended.
Website: www.amazinggraceldn.com
Instagram: www.instagram.com/amazinggraceldn
Text: Dirk Vandereyken
Pictures: David Robyn
Comments