Hammersmith's Gate Restaurant Opens Third Branch
Queen Caroline Street celebrates
The Gate, one of Hammersmith's most unusual and individual restaurants, is celebrating 27 years at the top by opening a third branch in Seymour Place in Central London.
Its second restaurant in St John Street in Islington has been open since 2012.
However, its branch in Queen Caroline Street just off Hammersmith Broadway is the longest established restaurant, offering its unique and eclectic style of food for over 25 years.
Founders Adrian and Michael Daniel describe their food as an 'Indo-Iraqi Jewish' cuisine - and as regular diners know, it is also completely vegetarian.
Michael, the younger of the two brothers, says part of the recipe for success is maintaining a focus on what The Gate excels at, and ignoring fads or trends in the rest of the trade.
“We just focus on what we do and keep on doing,” he said. “We can’t be distracted by fads unless it’s something like game changing technology which helps our business.”
It is that ethos that has seen the restaurant develop a menu that mixes flavours and cultures like you'd find in few other places.
Listing, for example, a Thai green curry with shiitake mushrooms and aubergine, next to grilled halloumi in Indian spices with chickpea salsa.
There is also a renowned Sunday lunch menu featuring, among others, a root vegetable and goat's cheese wellington, and a slow-roasted leek tart with raw beetroot salad.
Michael is clear on what matters in a menu: “Intense and subtle flavours, unusual and wild ingredients – that's what appeals to us. And presentation is a must, first you taste food with your eyes.”
Hammersmith's discerning palate has taken The Gate to its heart, and Michael believes that doing business in this particular part of London has added to the flavour of what The Gate has to offer.
“I love the people,” he said, “love west Londoners. I’ve been working here for most of my life – 28 years.
“I love being next to the Temple Lodge, which is a sanctuary in itself; and I love walking by the river and going to the riverside studios when they were open.”
Michael says he will never grow tired of 'people looking ecstatically happy when they eat at my restaurants'.
But, now The Gate is open to a whole swathe of London diners, where next for the Daniel brothers?
Here's Michael's vision: “I'm looking forward to cleaner, more sustainable attitudes in the trade. And more transparency in the supply chain. Plus, possibly one or two more restaurants.”
The Gate is well and truly open for business – in Hammersmith and beyond.
For more details, visit: www.thegaterestaurants.com.
The Gate restaurant in Queen Caroline Street
Micha
