The Sanderson hotel has deservedly maintained its reputation as one of London’s hippest joints, and the food and drink sides of the operation certainly live up to these high standards, whether it’s the perfectly stylish Long Bar (haunt of many a celebrity) or Suka, the much-acclaimed Malaysian restaurant that took over from the brief tenure of Alain Ducasse’s Spoon.
Suka – the one-syllable name a mark of the kind of company that all Asian or pan-Asian restaurants of quality like to keep – specialises in a selection of small-to-mid-sized portions of Malaysian food, beautifully cooked and presented, that are served up like tapas for diners to share. Dishes include such delights as sea bass in lemon chilli broth, thinly sliced sirloin steak, papaya and pork belly salad and scallop skewers. They recommend 3 plates apiece, but to be honest you’re better off ordering 4 or so each, as that gives you a fantastic overview of the menu.
The wine list has several excellent vintages at sensible prices, such as a very good 2004 Riesling from New Zealand, and there’s a suitably extravagant cocktail and spirits list. It can get a little noisy in the evenings – the price to pay for soaking up the fantastic atmosphere – so if you want a quieter and more contemplative meal, head here for lunch, where, in addition to the a la carte, there are some great value set tasting menus that allow an overview of the restaurant’s best dishes.
50 Berners St, London W1. www.sanderson.com/suka
