Papi Review Review - London Fields - London - The Infatuation
"Girls just wanna have fun and so do diners. In Papi, London has a much-needed restaurant that understands that. The small plates spot is as eclectic as a restaurant in a box-fresh apartment block in London Fields can be. The disco ball twinkles, the playlist pumps everything from Drake to jungle, and there’s a waffle topped with cheese ice cream. Charming, sometimes chaotic service is fuelled by a funky wine list and for all the shiny Shoreditchification of Hackney, Papi has personality. So much so the vibrations of this room are even better than the food. There’s no lack of fine restaurants in this area, but Papi feels a little less serious. The downstairs bar fills up fast and the red pleather chaise lounge in the toilets tells you that people are here for a long time, as well as a good one. Sit at the counter and you’ll feel the bubbling heat of the kitchen first-hand. Only no one seems to care because tasters from that far-reaching wine list are being poured all over the room. Dates are giggling and staff are swooping in with a light-as-a-feather, ricotta-smothered garlic bread when the moment is right. The menu is similarly fun-loving, lawless, whatever you want to call it. Brilliant, dinky marinated cuttlefish summer rolls, so-so prawn toast wings. Creative inconsistency is just part of Papi’s nature. Excitement and experimentation aren’t top of mind for everyone. So if you’re looking for a dependable meal, you’re better off going elsewhere. But if twists and turns get you going, then Papi is a restaurant worth sticking with. The menu changes more often than your coloured-lense sunglasses, and t here will be dishes that triumph and those that need to try less. What’s guaranteed is knowing service and a good time. Which goes to show that Papi isn’t performative, it’s just finding its place. " - Jake Missing
