Spring rarely arrives all at once. One afternoon feels slightly warmer. A table outside fills earlier than usual. In the kitchen, the ingredients start changing.
Greens return. Herbs become more present. Plates begin to move back toward the kind of Mediterranean food that feels right when the days get longer.
That shift is usually when the spring menu takes shape.
Some plates naturally belong to this season.
Labneh Beets & Berries comes back with beetroot over labneh, citrus, berries and caramelised hazelnuts. Bright, earthy and easy to share.
The Ginger Honey Goat bowl returns as well. Goat cheese, roasted sweet potato, greens and ginger honey dressing. A bowl that feels generous but still light enough for longer lunches.
Spring also brings a few new combinations.
Crunchy Tuna Tartare arrives on a crisp corn tortilla with tuna, yellow chilli, soy mirin and passion fruit, finished with coriander and crispy leek.
The Green Harissa Bowl builds around greens, black rice and white beans with asparagus, peas, fennel and herbs, finished with harissa and sumac.
This bowl reflects the kind of healthy food we lean toward in spring. Many of the combinations also happen to be vegetarian or vegan, simply because vegetables tend to lead the menu this time of year.
The warmer plates stay anchored by the charcoal oven.
Piri Piri Chicken returns with a new recipe. Free range chicken thigh grilled over charcoal with hot honey piri sauce, coconut and coriander dressing, corn and chilli. Honest Salmon sits alongside it. Charcoal baked salmon glazed with soy, miso and rice and finished with homemade furikake.
Spring also shows up in the sides.
Asparagus with labneh and pink tahini. Moroccan rice with lentils and spices. Roasted pumpkin with feta and chipotle. Glazed aubergine with herbs and hazelnut dukkah. Individually they are small plates. Together they fill the table.
Sometimes the moment stretches a little longer, often over a cup of Honest Beans specialty coffee. Spring tends to arrive quietly. A few new dishes. A few returning favourites. And suddenly the food begins to look like the season again.