On the site of a former kid’s café, Perilla was launched in 2016 by former The Square chef Ben Marks and Polpo front-of-house man Matt Emmerson (the former’s mentor Phil Howard is one of a number of high profile backers).
The beautifully-designed restaurant, on the very southern end of Green Lanes near Newington Green, is flooded with natural light and is on the grown up side of hip with pendant lighting, a mix of marble and wooden tables and some distressed elements, like a characterful bare brick wall behind the bar.
Don't be fooled by the unusually compact kitchen space, Marks and his team maintain a focus on high-quality ingredients. Its food is a modern interpretation of classical European flavours, using seasonal ingredients for a menu that changes daily. The style is informal and relaxed, despite the fine-dining background of the kitchen team.
