Our love language is sharing food
By Natasha Dowie
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One of my favourite things about eating out is being able to try as many dishes as possible and sharing it with the people I love. Sharing food to me is a gift, we attach memories to a meal together, the sights, and smells. It becomes a community experience, a moment shared. This last year I have been on the search for as many independent restaurants which champion the familial nature of sharing food and it appears that all over the world we share a love for eating together. But there is one place in particular that has not only stolen my heart, but my taste buds as well. Ceru in South Kensington is a Levantine restaurant, which is centred on all things shared.
Nestled between shops on a side street in South Kensington and sitting alongside many of London’s greatest museums, Ceru is a charming getaway in an area of London giants. Ceru is everything I love about small restaurants: cosy, warm, and vibrant. Not only does the setting make the nature of sharing food even more friendly and communal, but the staff really do make you feel right at home. It’s no wonder Ceru describe themselves as “a home away from home.” Levantine food is a mystery to many diners, it refers to the Southeast corner of the Mediterranean and incorporates food and flavours from Cyprus, Turkey, Lebanon, Israel, Palestine, Jordan, and Syria. With such a wealth of influences it is no surprise Ceru uses nearly one hundred ingredients with a tantalising blend of twenty spices in their dishes. It is not only the flavours, but the history that brings depth to this cuisine. The Levant is built on over ten thousand years of civilization, culture, and food -the skewered meats of the Levant even appear in Homer’s Odyssey!
It is fair to say Ceru has something for everyone. For people with special dietary requirements, like myself, sharing food can often be a bit of a misery. With little choice and the prospect of cross contamination too high to risk for those of us with severe allergies, this type of dining does not always appear as inclusive. But that could not be further from the truth at Ceru. From a wealth of vegetarian, vegan, dairy free and gluten free options no one misses out. Before I found out I had coeliac disease I was perhaps even more of the foodie I am today. As a young girl I had a particular interest in one specific food, calamari. Wherever I was, whatever country I was in, if calamari was on the menu, I was having it. For the first time in over five years my calamari dreams came true at Ceru. Crispy, juicy, and filling a large bowl to the brim I was so excited. I’m not exaggerating when I say I was on the verge of tears, and that’s without mentioning the zingy harissa yoghurt that accompanied it. It’s fair to say Ceru was off to a phenomenal and wonderfully nostalgic start.
The menu at Ceru offers plenty of opportunities to step out of your culinary comfort zone with fresh and original ingredient combinations like their zucchini and feta fritters with a mint and dill yoghurt. One of my favourite things about the Ceru experience was the incredible dips and yoghurts which accompanied the dishes — never what you expect, and often something you’ve never tasted before. During my meal at Ceru I was pleased to find that the communal nature of sharing food isn’t exclusive to the customer. The staff seemed genuinely happy to talk you through the dishes, to explain the menu and introduce you to this style of eating. On this occasion the staff seemed to find particular joy in our sheer disbelief as we sunk our teeth into each dish for the first time. Being sat just next to the kitchen, the chefs eventually realised I was completely captivated by their cooking that they smiled, laughed, and I hope, found joy in our own bliss.
Antoni Porowski, the chef known for his role on Queer Eye, has said that food is not only part of our mundane life as we pass from place to place but it connects us, it allows us to show love and gratitude to those around us. Porowski perfectly summarises how I felt at this moment. Sharing a meal allows us to pause, to create time not only to enjoy food but to savour moments with friends and family as we talk away the night. When you taste something delicious, you share it with the person across the table from you. Sharing food allows us to not only show love to each other but also the restaurants that make us feel right at home. It connects us to a series of people, foods and cultures not just on our table but far beyond us as well.
My evening at Ceru was full of firsts as well as delicious food, but most importantly it was brimming with shared moments. Ceru is a tiny restaurant full of surprises. It is dining at its best — an inclusive experience for everyone. Ceru alone is reason enough to try this style of dining, to step out of your comfort zone, and taste what you have been missing. Sharing food has elevated my love for eating out, making it a cherished memory rather than a forgotten meal of the past.
Find a full list of London’s Best Restaurants For Sharing Food on my Bimble here.
All photos courtesy of Ceru’s Instagram. Find them here https://www.instagram.com/cerulondon/
If you have a story you’d like to share about a great little place or other bimbling experiences, get in touch with us at hello@bimble.com.
