Kopapa is the latest restaurant to be added to an already bustling restaurant mix in and around Covent Garden, London, so the big question is how it’s going to stand out from the crowd. The most significant thing about Kopapa is that it’s cuisine is based on a fusion cuisine style of cooking with some antipodean flare from the Maori and New Zealand owners.
Kopapa itself is a Maori word that encompasses a village gathering, to be crowded and a building to store food, so the word itself is a fusion with island influences, making it a pretty fitting name for the cool little restaurant. Set up by co-owners Peter Gordon, Michael McGraph, Adam Willis and Brandon Allen, the new all day cafe and restaurant is set to go down a treat.
Located on Seven Dials in Covent Garden, just around the corner from the Donmar Warehouse, Kopapa has a brilliantly varied menu that changes often. From red lentil, beetroot & pomegranate molasses soup to seared scallops with chickpea panisse, there’s a massive range to choose from.
Small plates range between £5.50 and £9.50, while main meals are between £18 and £23, but there are also tapas dishes to choose from, including chickpea battered lambs brains with tomato masala for £5.30 for the more adventurous palette out there. It’s got some pretty mean side dishes to go for too, like the Grilled broccolini, tamarind glaze & crispy shallots, so you might want to work that into your plans when you visit.
Menu highlights include the Spiced sweet potato soup, crispy spinach dumplings & watercress; Jamaican goat & plantain samosa, cucumber raita; Crispy twice-cooked Middle White pork belly, tamarind & kaffir lime broth, rice noodles, choi sum & caramelised peanuts; and Pan-fried halibut, roast watermelon, watermelon and ginger velouté. For desert, you might want to try the Passionfruit brûlée, crème fraîche, lime sorbet and crispy yoghurt at least once.
Open all day, from breakfast, through lunch and dinner, Kopapa brings a bit of something different to every meal, so whether you’re looking an interesting pre-theatre restaurant, somewhere for some post work dishes or you’re a tourist looking for something a little less bland then it could be a good shout to add to your list.
