No. Forty Nine is a new all-day bakery, bistro and wine bar on St John’s Wood High Street, from the team behind nearby live-fire restaurant Cinder. Led by first-time head chef Ella Williams, whose background includes Hausu, Crispin and Mountain, the restaurant takes its cues from New York bistros and Mediterranean cooking. There’s also a strong bakery element, with pastries, canelés, financiers and savoury swirls made throughout the day.

It’s still early days (it officially opened on the 2nd of June), but the combination of an ambitious young chef, the Cinder connection and a format that blends bakery, bistro and wine bar makes it a promising new addition to St John’s Wood.

We visited the restaurant recently for dinner – here’s all you need to know about it.

What are the vibes like?

No. Forty Nine looks and feels like a neighbourhood favourite – the kind of restaurant you’d go to every Friday night with the family. Brown leather banquettes, lively upholstery, candlelit tables and pop art scattered throughout the exposed brick walls give it an industrial chic aura that turns the family-feel up a notch and adds a sprinkle of elegance and occasion.

It’s relaxed nevertheless – airy, welcoming, and open all day – now even with a new bakery menu for those who can’t part ways with a slice of premium freshly baked bread for breakfast. The array of flaky, buttery, blistering hot goodness includes Pastrami pain suisse, Burnt Leek, Cheddar & Marmite Swirls, as well as a rotating selection of cakes and bite-sized sweet treats such as Miso Butterscotch Canelé, and Candied Orange Financier.

What’s on the menu?

Not to boast, but we got to try No. Forty Nine’s brand-new menu just a few days after it launched. It’s considerably more expansive than the previous version, with a whole new cast of starters: Padrón peppers with butter chicken sauce, sea bass ceviche, freshly baked sourdough from the restaurant’s own bakery, guacamole and tortilla chips. It’s quite the spread, and there’s plenty of hopping about between flavour profiles, but the grilled Padrón peppers were easily the standout.

Despite the name, the butter chicken sauce is actually vegetarian, so order away. Charred, smoky and pleasantly bitter, the peppers come scattered with crisp dried garlic and peanuts – and should be dipped liberally into the rich, deeply spiced sauce. It’s an unexpectedly brilliant combination: the bitterness and char of the peppers provide just the right counterpoint to the sauce’s richness. We polished the lot off and could very easily have eaten it as a main.

And for mains?

There’s a selection of sandwiches and mains, and we opted for the lobster roll from the sandos menu, with roasted sweet potato on the side, and the two-sheet pasta with pesto sauce.

We have enormous respect for a lobster roll that is actually laden with lobster. Too many restaurants rather cheekily bulk theirs out with shrimp, leaving a token amount of lobster to do the heavy lifting. This is lobster through and through, and generously packed at that. The bread is substantial, though, and we did find ourselves wishing for some kind of sauce to cut through it. Still, a minor gripe. The roasted sweet potato was wonderfully sweet and pillowy.

Talk about making an entrance – the two-sheet pasta arrives as an entire tray of two pasta sheets stacked together and generously slathered with pesto and sundried tomatoes. Satisfyingly crisp edges and beautifully al dente pasta through the middle, with plenty of pesto running between the layers. It’s a sizeable portion and, if value for money is a consideration, very good bang for your buck. Importantly, it’s inventive and a decidedly successful take on pasta.

Desserts

There are only two desserts on the menu, which was much appreciated as our stomach was already operating at full capacity.

If you’ve never had crack pie, you might be better off not knowing what you’re missing. The name comes from its famously addictive quality: an oat biscuit crust with a rich, buttery, gooey filling that dances between a custard tart and an indulgent flapjack.

We shared ours between two because we’d already stuffed ourselves, but would happily recommend having one to yourself. It’s rich, gooey, buttery and seriously moreish, and quite possibly one of the best desserts we had. We’ll be hunting down crack pie wherever we can find it from now on (tiramisu who?).

Drinks

All the classic cocktails are available, plus an extensive list of wines from all over the world. Apparently, the vinho verde from Portugal is a highly requested one, but you’re spoiled for choice here so will most likely find your match.

Verdict

The best restaurants are understated, unassuming, and often underestimated by passers-by. But that just makes us love them a tiny bit more. No. Forty Nine is one of those almost-too-cool-for-school spots where the curtains don’t match the drapes: the food is so good it’s almost alarmingly addictive, and you’d never infer that from its laid-back, don’t-look-at-me feel of the space. We’d be back for breakfast, lunch and dinner – so long as the Padrón peppers and crack pie remain on the menu.

Key details

Address: 49-51 St John’s Wood High St, London NW8 7NJ

Website: nofortynine.co.uk

Socials: @nofortynine_london

Other recent reviews

The terrace at The Broadcaster gives luxe beach club energy, and we’re here for it

Little Neon Door is the fun, eccentric house party you actually want to be invited to

Lady of The Grapes London Bridge is a charming French bistro with unique wines and excellent food