BEN ALLEN

Ben Allen in The Parakeet. Photographed by Justin De Souza

It’s a quarter to seven on a Monday evening at The Parakeet, a gastropub in Kentish Town, and already the room is 80 percent full — impressive for such an early hour. A gentle hum of conversation fills the space, the guests, a varied mix that seems to mirror the community, and it is clear that The Parakeet offers something for everyone.

Words by Leigh Maynard.

To find a restaurant so busy on a Monday night is both surprising and exciting. In a climate where the cost of living has made dining out an occasional indulgence, this level of popularity feels like a true testament to Ben and his team’s culinary talent. We could not wait to taste what was to come.

My dinner partner this evening is 5ELEVEN’s fashion editor, Tasha who explains that a seat here for the legendary Sunday roast must be booked weeks — if not months — in advance. With accolades from The Guardian, The Times, The Evening Standard, as well as the Michelin Guide, we are both full of anticipation. Our attentive waiter, Miguel, guides us through the concept and details of each dish. The main premise, Miguel explains, “Everything is cooked over fire, so, you can see behind the guys there in the kitchen, we have a big hibachi wood fired oven as well and we use beautiful fresh ingredients. The cuisine takes inspiration from everybody.”

Photographed by Justin De Souza

Situated at the back of the pub of the same name on the main stretch of Kentish Town Road, the restaurant is revealed through a pair of curtains that lead into a dining room of dark wood panelling, green leather seating, and original parquet flooring and a striking Moroccan centrepiece. Stained-glass details are echoed by carefully positioned Tiffany lamps and an ornate ceiling fan. Greenery throughout the restaurant gives a warm, homely air while modern block-coloured paintings add contrast.

In the prelude to dinner, in the quiet dining room, we take a moment of pause to talk to the man behind this renowned and highly popular restaurant, chef Ben Allen. Born and raised in Highbury, not so far from The Parakeet. Ben’s childhood was deeply rooted in an area of diverse community with a family that has called the area home for generations, Ben’s grandfather settling there as part of the Windrush generation. Here Ben learned the importance of community and food’s cohesive power, with family meals a central focus every Sunday. “My family has always been creative. My dad's a tailor, so he's always using his hands, and my mum is the one that got me into cooking because I was always with her in the kitchen.” He explains.

As the years progressed, a career in food became Ben’s prime focus, and, as early as his school days, he sought a placement with a highly regarded establishment to begin his culinary career. With The Four Seasons Hotel Parkway in his sights, Ben showed up three days in a row asking for a chance and persistence paid, with an offer soon following. “I started off as a pastry chef as an apprentice and was there for nearly four years. Following this, I moved over to work with Jun Tanaka at Pearl which is where I fell in love with the restaurant scene. I was also the pastry chef with Alyn Williams at the Westbury, a one star. This was before I moved to Austria, Vienna at a two star. It was there I fell in love with Vienna, but eventually I ended up coming back here.”

The opportunity for Ben to head up his own kitchen at the Parakeet came when family acquaintance Riz Shaikh, co-founder of the Columbo Group alongside Steve Ball, asked him to head his latest venture with part of the draw being the offer to exercise his creative freedom with the menu and concept. “The concept just kind of happened”, explains Ben. “We all got together, and me and my Sous Chef Edward said, let's just cook. We didn't really plan what we were doing to be honest, but it did fall into place. Sometimes the best things are that way.” The sense of community that Ben found in his upbringing also infuses the atmosphere he brings to the kitchen, “it’s very much a team led kitchen, and that's what we aim to do here, have fun. Everyone in the kitchen's very much involved in what we do and if someone's got an idea we like working through it together.” 

Today, Ben’s role at the Parakeet is all encompassing, watching him work across the counter we see a head chef that is a team player and both principled and passionate. Though he now has the creative freedom to develop the menu to his standards, he is careful to take lessons from his past at Michelin establishments like Brat and Steirereck where he learned his craft, restaurants with ethos’ that have infused his work in his current role. “I definitely learned a lot of discipline from Steirereck being two stars with everything being so specific. I also learned how important the ingredients are, such as in Vienna the farmers would bring everything to the restaurant and we would pick it in the morning and then we would play around with it until we were happy with the results. At Brat, although it also had a farm to table ethos, it was rustic with the focus on the flavour of the food, not so much the presentation. I learned it doesn't have to all look like a work of art.”

Photographed by Justin De Souza and Rob Jones

These aspects, as well as Ben’s upbringing underpin the menu and values at The Parakeet today. We noticed this, not only before our meal where we entered a bar filled with locals, for locals (with a great happy hour on Mondays worth mentioning!) but also in the dining style with shared plates and rich conversation. There’s definitely an element of fine dining here, but it is softer, more relaxed, approachable and welcoming. Echoes of those early Sunday dinners where Ben’s family gathered around plates and shared stories. Today at Parakeet guests are invited to experience that same ambience, with elevated dishes that take inspiration from his classical French training and his personal tastes, along with an affection for Asian flavours.

This starts with the produce. Ben’s approach is through a regenerative agricultural lens, with a core philosophy around sustainability. “We try not to waste anything. So, if we get something in, we'll try and get the biggest part of the animal that we can fit in the fridge and then break it down from there. We get all our fish from Kernel, Finn and Founder and that's all sustainable.”

To ensure the best quality ingredients Ben also fosters community through his work with his suppliers, choosing companies whose values are aligned with The Parakeet’s. The wines on the menu continue this philosophy. “Our food is full of flavours, and we use British wines. We've got some English sparkling at the moment, which is very good.”

We savoured our dishes in our thoughts long after our visit. The delicious juicy Gordal Olives and poached oyster, sea buckthorn granita were standout and the latter, our Fashion Editor Tasha labelled the freshest and best in London, while she noted that the Hoisin Duck tartlet was crisp and flavourful and, “gone too soon!” With other dishes like Herwick Lamb and haricot beans, Swaledale pork collar and John Dory in a lemon sauce, there’s a perfectly curated menu for everyone including vegetarians with the braised leeks in pecorino sauce so scrumptious we would return, just for that. And, finally, that incredible chocolate mousse, served from a huge bowl that leaves you wanting more, not only did we enjoy it, but our neighbours also followed suit and agreed it was to die for.

With a menu this incredible, it’s evident that Ben Allen continually strives, and succeeds, in striking a delicate symbiosis between the relaxed and innovative that reflects both pub food and fine dining. “It just came together naturally,” he explains. “We didn’t overthink it, we trusted our instincts, followed what felt right and it worked. I love what we’ve created.”

Ben develops the dishes with his team with a seasonal, versatile philosophy, continuously changing. However, there are a few signature dishes that are so beloved of the customers, that they have remained since the restaurant’s inception, including our favourite. “There are two dishes that have stayed so far, which was an accident, one was the whole sea bream and also the leeks. I didn't think anyone would like it so much but now we can't get rid of them.”

Photographed by Justin De Souza

While the dining room is decorated to reflect The Parakeet’s relaxed yet fine dining ethos, Ben is careful to ensure that the bar area in the front has a more tranquil, but no less curated feel, and while the food in the restaurant is ultimately, much more exacting in its quality than that informal, fine dining ambience may have you think, Ben is proud to have headed an establishment that is also inclusive, and he remains steadfastly committed to that welcoming approach. “We have a great mix of locals and tourists of all ages, but mostly those who live in the area. We aspire for the two spaces to have their own identity, but have the same relaxed energy. We also have an incredible private dining room upstairs which definitely keeps to the vibe of The Parakeet.”

As we dine, we take note of the precision and attention from the staff and the team in the kitchen, and it is apparent that this is a restaurant in capable hands. It's been two years since the Parakeet opened its doors and Ben seems pleased with the results of his work here, “It's going well. Well, at least, since the station reopened! We are now always busy!”

And as if Monday’s crowd was not testament enough, we are intrigued if there is a particular moment of which Ben is most proud. “Opening the doors. There’s a lot of stress before opening, but it's all been so worth it”. 

Though the future seems bright for this seemingly unassuming, yet oh so successful gastropub, Ben does not rest on that success and understands the importance of dynamism. “We want to focus on collaborations, hopefully next year. We've got one at the end of October with Rambutan. It will be great”. 

There’s a quiet, unpretentious quality about Ben that is not to be underestimated. In some ways he’s a man of measured words but in contrast, his food speaks volumes, and we are sure that’s how he’d prefer it. The depth of his ambition, knowledge and talent is echoed not only in the incredible dishes and flavours we have experienced, but also in the architecture and atmosphere of the Parakeet. As our night draws to a close, I reflect on that moment when we first entered. This is a place that is down to earth, welcoming, filled with locals but also those who come from far and wide based on the restaurant’s incredible reputation. While from the outside, it may seem like another gastropub on a busy London thoroughfare, what lies behind those doors, behind that curtain is so, so much more.

Photographed by Justin De Souza