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Now that the autumn chill is in the air, game season is well underway and the London restaurant scene is throwing up some real corkers. Here are the places to go for the wildest dishes in town. Bring your game face.
The Cinnamon Club
Get your fix out of the way early at The Cinnamon Club, which is celebrating the first shot of the season with a unique Shikaar breakfast of curried grouse and venison mince, a fried egg and Bombay spiced veggies. The Old Westminster Library, 30-32 Great Smith St, SW1P 3BU.
Gunpowder Spitalfields
Exclusively for game season, Gunpowder Spitalfields has added a special dish to their small plates menu of Kerala Pepper Fried Quail with Crispy Raw Dosa. Its best-selling spicy venison doughnut is also avaialble all year round. Gunpowder, 11 White's Row, E1 7NF.
The Jugged Hare
Living up to its name, The Jugged Hare is serving up a whole hare in a traditional tall jug. Not for the squeamish, the slow-braised hare meat is finished off with a sauce of its own blood. The Jugged Hare, 49 Chiswell St, EC1Y 4SA.
Holborn Dining Rooms
The Holborn Dining Room has a strong Instagram game with Head Chef Calum Franklin’s grouse pithivier. What’s a pithivier, you ask? Glad you asked. This one is two grouse breasts cooked pink and cradled in a light mousse of confit leg meat, heart, liver and girolle mushrooms. The whole thing is then wrapped in spinach and a light, crispy pastry. Holborn Dining Rooms, 252 High Holborn, WC1V 7EN.
Mac & Wild
Venison specialists Mac & Wild have venison chateaubriand on the menu at £12/100g, but the real star is the Veni-Moo, which combines a beef patty, a venison patty, cheese, onions and Bearnaise sauce in one juicy burger. Mac and Wild, 65 Great Titchfield St, W1W 7PS.
Native
Covent Garden's Native is best known for its game all year round, but the wood pigeon kebab, served with beetroot hummus, pickled cabbage and harissa, is something special. Native, 3 Neal's Yard, WC2H 9DP.
Paradise Garage
Foodie favourite Paradise Garage has a whole sharing bunny on the menu. The dish, which costs £45, includes roast saddle, confit leg, turnover, offal and rabbit bacon, served with sauteed chicory, capers, radish and artichoke piccalilli. Paradise Garage, 254 Paradise Row, E2 9LE.
Gymkhana
And finally, Michelin-starred Indian restaurant Gymkhana is offering an entire tasting menu of game-based dishes, including partridge samosa, quail seekh kebab and muntjac biryani. It’s going for £80pp (or £135 with paired wines). Gymkhana, 42 Albemarle St, W1S 4JH.
For more meaty goodness, check out London's best Sunday lunches.