London's culinary scene is pushing boundaries with a host of unconventional new food trends, from savoury patisserie at Harrods to champagne popsicles at Selfridges. Harrods has launched a savoury patisserie range featuring a choux pastry éclair stuffed with goat's cheese and cream, glazed with balsamic vinegar and caramelised walnuts (£5.95), as well as a salmon gateau.
Vegetarian restaurant Ethos is reimagining seitan, or wheat meat, serving it as barbecued ribs with sticky-sweet smoky sauce, alongside Scotch eggs and Tuscan stews (dishes sold by weight, around £10 per head). Meanwhile, The Crispy Club has launched pimped-up cereal bars at Meatopia, with flavours like chilli chocolate, honeycomb, piña colada, and pecan and bourbon crispies (two for £5, four for £10).
For those seeking a boozy treat, the world's first champagne popsicle, the Pops Classic (£5), is available at Selfridges' new in-house Everyman cinema. Chocolate wizard Paul A Young has introduced a truffle made with roasted garlic and ganache (£2), proving that slow-cooked garlic can be sweet and nutty.
At Bump Caves, a bar inspired by 1960s psychedelia, the Electric Kool-Aid Acid Test cocktail (£10) is served with a 9V battery and a small bag of citric acid, which makes the drink fizz and tingle the tongue when licking the battery. For a truly daring experience, diners can eat supper strapped to a platform 100ft up in the air at Canary Wharf until 21 September, with chefs from Michelin-starred restaurants cooking for 22 buckled-up diners.
Other trends include the Bears Pizza Burger, a limited edition from 22 September made from two margarita pizzas sandwiching a double bacon and cheese burger (£15.95), and poutine from Quebec, available at Brick Lane stall Poutinerie or Stacks pop-up in Dalston (from £5). For sophisticated cocktails, try the Black and Blue Swizzle at Gong in the Shard (£17) or the Roasted Cosmo at Duck & Waffle (£14).
