HM Visits: Ceru
Offering up Levantine crusine Ceru, based in South Kensington, London is ceratinly one of those restaurants you just fall in love with. Whether it be becuase of the food, the enthuisatic staff, the warm welcoming or the inimate setting theres so much to this restaurant as we found out on our visit to the home of Levantine food in London.
Based just minutes away from South Kensington Undergroud station, Ceru have themselves an ideal venue. Not too big you that you lose the relaxed & chilled vibe, but then again not small that you finds yourself shouting over the table next to you to have a conversation. Serving up Levantine cruisine they have certainly managed to set themselves aside from other local establishments.
The menu at Ceru has around the perfect amount of dishes on, with between 3/4 dishes under at heading they are offering up a good variety of choice topped off with some signature meat dishes and a 'Specials' menu, customers certainly are spoilt for choice nor are they bombarded with a heap load of options.
Continuing on with the food at Ceru, if there was one word I would use it would be 'sensational', not a word I would usually use to describe food but I feel here its the perfect fit. The dishes are packed with incredibles flavours which work prefectly with eachother, they give your tastebuds a 'sensation', it's like there is a party on your tonge. One of the establishments main dishes is there Lamb Shoulder which is 'Slow roasted for 5 hours' and coated in Ceru's 'secret blend of 12 Shawarma spices' was one of the highlights of our visit, with the lamb just falling apart in your mouth and the 12, YES 12! spices were phenominal. Usually I get concerned when i see so many spices on one piece of meat but it just goes perfectly. During our visit we tasted other dishes including; A Crisp Apple, Mint & Pomegranate salad, fruit based salads you have during you meal are becoming more and more popular with more people are enjoying them more often its about finding new flavours that combine together well and thats what Ceru have done here. We also tasted the Seared Atlantic Scallops, which once again did not let me down, perfectly cooked with a touch of spice adding depth to the dish.
The founders of Ceru, are very much hands on people with both Barry and Patricia being present in the restaurant, something they have certainly achived with Ceru, is making it a home from home feeling. You genuinley do feel relaxed and comfortable when dining here. Bringing the incredible flavours on Levant, Cyprus and the surrounding mediterranean area to London and this is something they have done with such a great menu.
A few other things really stood out for me at Ceru, including their own branded beers, the restaurant offer 3 off-site brewed beers for thier customers, all very different types and flavours it just shows a lot of thought has gone into the designing the menu for the full experience for their customers. During the Coivd-19 pandemic, like all other establishments they had to close. During this time they developed a sustainable 'Cook At Home Kit' for their customers to order to taste the same dishes they have served to them at the restaurant, available to cook for themselves at home, something which a lot of thought has gone into with the restaurant boasting the fact it has been designed with the enviroment in mind meaning they are using; local suppliers, British made produce and biodegradable & reuseable packaging.
Ceru has certainly placed itself on Londons food map and it's no suprise they have plans for a second venue in Queensway, London. If you haven't yet checked out Levantine food in London, get yourself to Ceru - You certainly won't be dissappointed.
