400 Rabbits is the newest addition to Crystal Palace’s ever-increasing trendy cafe/restaurant/boutique scene. So of course I eagerly awaited it’s opening, especially since I followed the former hair salon’s renovation into restaurant nearly every day. I’m not going to lie, once inside it does look like a hipster-Pinterest dream come true. Succulents, fancy rabbit art, pastels, peg board walls – I can’t deny that I loved it.
Since its opening in August, I’ve now been twice and each time the food has been brilliant. I’ve gone once with Sam and once with Lindsay. Who can resist a good woodfire sourdough pizza, especially when it’s in your neighbourhood? The pizza toppings are seasonal, and I’ve now tried the plain mozzarella pizza (mozzarella, basil and san marzano tomatoes) as well as the chorizo pizza (chorizo, pickled chiles, mozzarella and basil). Both were delicious, but faced with those two options, I’d pick the chorizo pizza just because it has more depth of flavour, but the San Marzano pizza is a great neutral option. Sam had the beef pizza (ground beef, green chili, onions, tomatoes and mozzarella) which even got a smile out of a beef-pizza sceptic like myself. And a word to the wise: as someone who always drenches their slices in chile oil, their’s packs a punch. I also had the seasonal side salad with toasted seeds which I found weirdly delicious. I don’t know if it was the piles of freshly shaved parmesan, or the fact that I love seeds, but I will always order this salad as long it is on their menu.
But most importantly, you have to save room for dessert. I’ve mentioned before that Bocca di Lupo is one of my favourite restaurants in London and Bocca has a little side gelato store, Gelupo that arguably sells some of the best gelato in London. Who am I kidding? It’s no argument. Gelupo is some of the best gelato in London and I am so throughly over-the-moon to get to tell you that 400 Rabbits serves Gelupo for dessert. The hazelnut is extraordinarily divine, but the salted caramel is a close second!
They also have a carefully cultivated selection of beer. Usually this is something that I’d skip over, but after having tried the Beavertown Pale Ale, which both Sam and Lindsay ordered independently of each other, I may be a beer convert. It was really crips and fresh and it tasted a bit like grapefruit soda (to my novice beer palate, at least.)
There’s quite the quick restaurant turn-over in my neighbourhood, and I am fairly confident that 400 Rabbits will buck this trend. At least, I need them to because where else am I going to go to get my salad and gelato fix?
