Going Up In The World | Dirty Bones, Kingly Court, Carnaby Street, Soho, London W1B 5PW

Plastering is sooooo overrated! Photograph: Dirty Bones

Marina O’Loughlin‘s Top 50 Restaurants feature is so on our wavelength. We rate wherever we go to eat on one simple question: would we go back? Another major aspect is if we can still remember what we are ate (and if we liked it, obviously), if we can’t then it’s a no-brainer.

To be honest, a lot of places we wouldn’t bother with a return visit. I think coming up with a Top 50 would be a bit of a struggle, perhaps we’re just too fussy? We tend to try not to revisit places we’ve reviewed on the blog unless we really, really like them, there’s just too many others on our list to get to, it’s like going on holiday to the same destination over and over. What about all the other places in the world?

Anyway, I never thought it would be the case when I first heard the name, but Dirty Bones has now been frequented three times. The first trip was with my sister, I liked it so much and knew Ade had missed out big time so we went together a short while after. Now they’ve opened another outpost recently in Kingly Court and along with it, a brunch menu. Two pretty good reasons to return.

Can cocktail bring happiness? We think so

Straight away we decided we loved this branch more than the first. Not just because of the central location but the homeliness of it. The decor is more toned down and casual – granny-esque fringed lamps hang from the ceiling, back-lit pinball machine scoreboards double up as art on the walls.

Bottomless coffee to get you buzzing

Initially we were the first there, even the deliveries hadn’t finished, we felt like we were way too early. But then others soon arrived thank God, interestingly a few families – the type you’d expect to see in T.G.I. Friday’s. Dirty Bones isn’t exactly located somewhere you’d just stumble across whilst on a tour of the West End. The sight of these families trying something ‘different’ really pleased us.

The best chicken and waffles that Saff has had since LA

Fries for breakfast? You betcha!

Having survived the morning on just a satsuma and a coffee, we were ravenous and ready to be greedy. The Chicken and waffles (£10) were the best I’ve had since LA (not counting Duck & Waffle as that’s duck, not chicken). The waffles were picture-perfect and the chicken super tender and juicy with a substantial crust. Plus there was loads of it meat, no stingy portions here. I blatantly didn’t need the side of Breakfast fries (£4) but enjoyed them nevertheless. Who wouldn’t love fries topped with a couple of fried eggs and in-house smoked tomato ketchup?

Look at that ooze!

No sharing my mac & cheese…

Ade had massive food envy when he saw my plate of food, he actually looked really sad that it wasn’t his. Of course I let him have some, but just a little bit. Some things are too good to share and it’s not like he could return the favour – his was laden with hollandaise and cheese. The Benedict burger (£8) 6oz aged steak burger with treacle bacon was cooked perfectly pink, oozing hollandaise sauce and suitably messy. On the side Ade had Mac & cheese (£4) – am sure he chose things he knew I couldn’t eat on purpose.

Not an ordinary bowl of Frosties…

… told you!

We were too full for dessert but we had one anyway. Again I felt obliged to share but there was no way on earth Ade was getting more than two small mouthfuls of the Milk and Frosties (£6). A novelty pudding of sweet and milky panna cotta with a mini box of Frosties – Kellogg’s Variety Pack style to scatter on top.

My lack of sharing meant I was only entitled to a couple of slurps of his monster-sized glass of Buster (£4.50) – a gorgeous banana, kiwi and strawberry ice cream shake (chosen purely as Buster is Ade’s son’s nickname).

Neon problems… Literally not a good sign!

Kingly Court is brimming with more and more great restaurants every time we go, you could have an exceptionally good bar/restaurant crawl here, what with Cahoots, Pizza Pilgrims, Whyte & Brown, Shoryu and Señor Ceviche to name just a few. Plus right next to Dirty Bones is a Walk-In Backrub. I can’t resist anywhere that offers me a quick ten minute rub down so I popped in after, Ade owed me one.

The combination of an overloaded stomach followed by a massage led to me requiring an afternoon kip when I got home and I hadn’t even touched the Bottomless Prosecco (£15). Either the Bottomless filter coffee (£2.50) must have been decaf or I was (and am) ridiculously worn out.

dirty-bones.com
Kingly Court, Carnaby Street, Soho, London W1B 5PW
Email: carnaby@dirty-bones.com
Telephone: 020 7920 6434

Opening hours: Mon – Thurs 11am – 12am
Fri 11am – 12:30am
Sat 11am – 12:30am
Sun 11am – 11pm

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Nearest station: Oxford Circus (5 mins walk) Piccadilly Circus (7 mins walk)

We ate as guests of Dirty Bones, this does not affect our review in any way. We always write with complete honesty.