Recently I’ve been letting Amen choose the restaurant without having me look at the menu. On some occasions, he’s done awful but he is getting better lol. I had no idea what StreetXO would be like or what the cuisine is, but I was willing to give it a go. The only thing he told me about the restaurant was that it was from an edgy Michelin starred chef and that its located in Mayfair, but we walked about 10 minutes from Oxford Street to a fairly secluded street behind a Police Station …
The restaurant is in the underground level of the building and has a really cool basement vibe. The room is huge and dimly lit with a red and black theme. There are also neon lights scattered around the room. There are two types of seating – at the counter around the open kitchen and at several uniquely styled tables around the room. We were led through the restaurant to our table and we didn’t see any empty tables.
We were quickly handed the menu by our very friendly waitress and, at first, I was a little lost looking at it. Amen quickly points out some dishes that he thinks I should order, but instead I surprised him and dishes food he would’ve never expected me to because, honestly, I’d never ordered them before lol.
What we ordered
We ordered “Niguiri Socarrat” Spanish red tuna, Indonesian Rendang Beef taco, both the fish and veggie option of La “Pedroche” croquettes, and the Vegetable Pekinese dumpling.
From the slightly larger dishes, we ordered Pad Thai with baby red shrimps, Robata-pigeon Tandoori and Robuchon meets Peru Lamb Shank.
Right now, you’re probably thinking “where is the chicken … what did Shiima eat!?” Lol. But the beef taco and the pigeon were actually mine. Amen was shocked but excited that I ordered them without him having to convince me.
Drinks
I love a cocktail, non-alcoholic of course, and there were a lot of choices for both alcoholic and non-alcoholic. I had the “Virgin Liquid Madriz DriverXO”, which has a violet shrub, lime, ginger and jasmine perfume. When it arrived, I was surprised because it came in a huge cocktail glass. When I say huge, I mean HUGE. My head could easily fit in the glass. But, it tasted amazing.
Review of the Food
Everything is supposed to be shared at StreetXO, it’s a bit like Tapas but the dishes are larger than usual tapas. We shared almost everything.
Smaller dishes
Amen loved the Tuna “Niguiri”. He finished it so quick that I didn’t even see as I was focused on how delicious my beef taco was. I was in love with it. There were chunks of beef, which I normally would not like but these were so tasty. I was being nice, but not too nice, so I gave Amen a half-eaten taco instead of a whole one lol.
The dumplings with the strawberry hoisin were DELICIOUS. They were unbelievable really. The dish looked like a beautiful creative mess, but tasted insane! The croquettes were incredible too and we are fast becoming croquette aficionados lol. These were among the best we’ve ever eaten.
Larger dishes
At this point we are extremely happy with everything and we were so eager for the rest.
Amen had the Pad Thai with shrimps and it’s different from any other Pad Thai he’s eaten or even seen, but it’s definitely the best! He loved it.
Amen wasn’t too sure whether he should get the lamb shank or the octopus. Our waitress said they were both nice but she preferred the lamb and it was spicier. Amen was sold. He enjoyed it as it was succulent and delicious but not as spicy as he would have hoped.
Now, the pigeon … I’ll admit that I was thinking why the heck did I order it, I probably won’t like it. I was wrong, so wrong. My first ever pigeon dish was so good! It was cooked perfectly, not chewy and not too pink. The flavour was incredible, with the perfect amount of spice. The little papadums with chutney were tasty. Everything about the dish was amazing. I offered some to Amen and he agreed that it was incredible and it was also much spicier than his lamb.
Desserts
Amen had the “Guava cheesecake” with caramelized popcorn, Limon cello cream and butter cookies. I had the “Sacher XO Version” which had creamy cookies, dark chocolate, yuzu and blackberry foam. They were both essentially ice-creams and they were delicious, light, and a perfect end to a delicious meal. We were very pleased that they were light desserts as we were super full at this point, but we can’t say no to desserts.
However, I wasn’t a huge fan of the blackberry foam so I ate around it, getting ALL the chocolate. As Amen went to the restroom, our amazing waitress Elisabetta came over and asked if something was wrong. Nothing was wrong, I just didn’t like the foam but it wasn’t an issue. She insisted that she get me more chocolate ice cream, I politely declined, but after a couple minutes she surprised me with a bowl of chocolate ice cream. I thanked her and happily enjoyed the chocolate ice cream. Amen returned and he was even more pleasantly surprised than I was and he enjoyed the ice-cream as well.
Verdict
StreetXO is like a foodie theme park. It’s not your typical restaurant, it’s so much more fun. The décor, cocktails, food, and the enthusiastic service gives you a unique experience. Although StreetXO dishes are infused with fun, wacky flavours, and creative presentation, there is also a lot of substance. You won’t be disappointed and if you’re not sure about any of the dishes just ask any of the serving team, they know every detail about the dish. They would happily and easily help you come to a decision. StreetXO is perfect for foodies, romantic dates, and group dining. However, it is quite pricey, but you won’t be left hungry!
Cuisine: Asian-European
Dress Code: Smart casual
Shiima’s Star Dish: Pigeon
Amen’s Star Dish: Pad Thai
Price: £50+ (excluding alcohol)
Rating: 5 out of 5
StreetXO London
15 Old Burlington Street
Mayfair
London W1S 2JR
Book a OpenTable
or call 0203 096 7555
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