When chef Jonny Lake and sommelier Isa Bal opened Trivet in London at the end of 2019, the pair, who had worked together at Heston Blumenthal’s iconic Fat Duck, had no idea what was coming. They’d spent a long time conceptualizing Trivet, which they imagined as both a neighborhood spot in Bermondsey and a destination restaurant in London. The pair were initially inspired by travel as a way of understanding the convergence of food and wine, something that resulted in the creation of a signature dessert known as the Hokkaido Potato, which pairs potato mille-feuille pastry and sake cream. The indulgent dish came about after a drunken experience in Japan, and has manifested on the menu in several forms since the restaurant opened. But like many hospitality businesses, Trivet was forced to pivot when Covid-19 shut everything down in March 2020.
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“That whole idea of us being able to travel fairly regularly and visit these places we wanted to go to—that stopped very quickly,” Lake tells Observer. “And we still hope to do those things and go to those places. But, in general, it’s important to deliver something that’s interesting without being gimmicky. Some dishes happen that way, but not every dish has to have a story. You’re lucky if you can have one dish you’re known for and that one [Hokkaido Potato] is ours. It’s one our guests are always asking for.”
Since getting back on their feet post-Covid, Lake and Bal have seen significant success with Trivet, which was awarded its second Michelin star earlier in 2024. It’s currently the only two Michelin-starred restaurant in the U.K. without a........