LDNReview
photo credit: Aleksandra Boruch
Miznon
Included In
Quite a lot about Miznon is eccentric. The Israeli restaurant is part of an international mini-chain—what started in Tel Aviv and has gone via Paris, New York, and Melbourne is now here, in London, in the heart of frenzied Soho. This suits Miznon. It suits its menu, which is printed in Comic Sans and reads like the top shelf of a newsagent (customers are ‘creatures’ and tomatoes are ‘naked’). It suits the industrial space, where customers pop in for a pita at the counter, or a slap-up Israeli feast at a banquette. And it suits the service, which can make you wonder whether you’re part of a secret You Me Bum Bum Train production. Most of all though, it suits the food, where Miznon have put cottage pie into pita, dubbed it ‘an English heaven’, and made something really quite good.
What you’ll notice once you escape the mania of Broadwick Street is that you haven’t actually escaped at all. You’ve just entered Miznon’s world. There’s tinnitus-inducing Hebrew chart music, staff who may or may not acknowledge your existence, and a kitchen producing pitas that are actively worth seeking out. These pockets are much-heralded. You’ll get a charred and caramelised cauliflower-stuffed one, laden with tahini and pickles for under £10. Others, including those regional London specialities (cottage pie or fish and chips) cost a little more. Sitting at the counter, watching the chefs at work, with a pita the size of a volleyball in hand, is very much what you should be doing at Miznon.
photo credit: Aleksandra Boruch
One thing you shouldn’t be doing is expecting a seamless experience. The service is as eccentric as everything else, while the sharing plates blow hot and cold. A generous bag of chilled and satisfyingly crunchy green beans covered in oil, lemon, garlic, and salt are a treat, but the self-described “best hummus plate you will ever eat” is missing ‘watery’ from its description and the lamb ragu on top is there in sight but not in flavour. In fact, quite a few dishes have a fistful of salt missing from them.
This can be frustrating if you’ve gone all out on the menu, but a pita each with some beans, or a whole cauliflower in between you is guaranteed to be a good order. It’s generous too. Which is worth knowing given you’re in Soho. More than anything, Miznon is just one of those restaurants where you need to know how to make its eccentricity and weirdness work for you. And there’s something very compelling in that weirdness. It’s characterful, it’s confident, and that in itself is cool. You just need to remember to try and keep yours in there.
Food Rundown
photo credit: Aleksandra Boruch
Bag Of Beans
photo credit: Aleksandra Boruch
Falafel Pita
Cottage Pie Pita
Cauliflower Pita
photo credit: Aleksandra Boruch
Four-Layered Feast Plate