Kudu

Kudu is the brainchild of Amy Corbin and Patrick Williams, who met in London and began dating before opening the restaurant in 2018. Corbin is the daughter of Corbin & King co-founder and restaurant royalty Chris Corbin, while the South African Williams oversees the group’s food operations. The pair added bar Smokey Kudu to the newly christened Kudu Collective in 2020, with Mike Shier and Eloise Dawes taking head chef roles as the group expanded operations.

Food at Kudu is often rooted in South African flavours and includes, as you’d expect, a fair amount of meat grilled in the style of a South African braai. Many of its dishes are so eclectic you’d hardly notice the group’s heritage in them. Small and large plates are fairly priced, while the oft-mentioned Kudu bread with melted seafood butter and baby shrimp is always a great way to kick things off.

Like its neighbour Pedler, the restaurant was born from a former chicken shop – not that you’d know it from the sleek fit-out from Italian designer Alessio Nardi. The pastel-pink walls and crisp, contemporary furniture create an approachable interior that still adds up to a special-occasion restaurant.