Redemption Bar feels like a healthy-eating restaurant and bar built for the social media requirements of a millennial. Its glowy angel mural provides an Instagram opportunity before you even get inside; the cocktails are showy enough for any digital feed (they’re alcohol-free, by the way); and, of course, there’s free wi-fi for tweeting through your visit. And the food looks good enough to eat, too.
Which isn’t to say the food is purely about aesthetics – some dishes tasted great. Like the tart yet creamy can’t-believe-it’s-not-dairy rhubarb fool. Other dishes held their own: the veg and quinoa sushi was nutty and had a nice crunch, although a dose of wasabi wouldn’t have gone amiss, and the black rice risotto was substantial and nicely vinegary. But there were dishes spoiled by their apparent need to be photographed. A grilled aubergine was delicious at first, but because it was drowning in sauce it quickly became cloying. Similarly, the lime in the cheesecake was decimated by a raspberry sauce artfully scribbled all over the plate.
But hey, if your Instagram feed is hungrier than your belly, you’ll probably be pretty happy eating here.