Temper

Temper sounded perfect for a cold January night: meaty, smoky and a little naughty. The entrance bar upstairs did not make the best first impression. It was badly organised and involved a ten-minute wait before we were served, which is a long time when the evening is supposed to be getting started. Downstairs, however, the mood changed. A buzz around the central open kitchen gave the basement the energy we had been promised, with a comfortable place to watch the room and the cooking gather pace.

Scotch-bonnet nachos were the winner — spicy, but not mouth-burning. The tacos were underwhelming apart from the aged-cheeseburger taco; the beef-fat taco was exactly that. English pink sparkling wine added comedy when the waiter struggled to open and pour it. Chopped smoked and grilled meats on fresh bread were better, with lamb and beef the favourites, but the sides were the real winners: smacked cucumber, charred gem and grilled corn. Burrata was over-ordered and over-hyped.

Desserts rescued the meal. The deep-dish brigadeiro cookie with condensed-milk custard was unbelievably amazing, and the butterscotch kouign amann was nearly as good. Mezcal flights were pure alcohol. This was a decent meal, but the standard of the desserts did much of the saving, and we would try Blacklock first for meat. At 35.5, Temper is a convivial night out with genuine smoke and spice, just not the most consistent expression of the brief. The basement atmosphere is persuasive enough to make a return plausible, but the kitchen needs the savoury side to catch up with the confidence of its sweet finish.