I first fell in love with Deep South American classics when we visited New Orleans a bit over a year ago.

The weather this past few day had me reminissing about that trip, craving the heat, the Bourbon Street atmosphere, the music, and most of all, the food!

Luckily, there’s no food you can’t find in London, and if you’re after some soul-warming American South comfort food, I know just the place!

Nestled at the heart of always bubbly Soho, Absurd Bird feels like a little slice of the Deep South, with all the contradictions it involves.

Nostalgic and modern, humble and sophisticated, comfortable and innovative…

Upstairs is all about the open kitchen and Absurd Bird’s signature Moonshine lampshades, but downstairs is the true hidden gem.

An inviting basement den, complete with an intimate hideaway bar and cosy dining space, all absolutely NOLA-worthy…

The cocktails truly live up to the expectations as well.

Moonshine’s Mary

A fiery take on the bloody classic made with the restaurant own distilled Absurd Moonshine.

Hillbilly Iced Tea (Monshine, Lipton peach iced tea, syrup, lemon juice)

A light & refereshing drink that’s perfect to accompany all the spicy, crispy deliciousness to come.

Starting with an all-round favourite: the Spinach and Artichoke Dip, served with giant fried tortilla chips.

Creamy & zingy, this classic American dip is absolutely addictive and perfect for sharing!

Jalapeno Cheese Biscuits with apple butter

Crumbly, cheesy and spicy, they’re an absolute triumph.

Not that it takes away from the star of the show at Absurd Bird.

The chicken.

Superstar, free-range chicken from Fosse Meadows farm, all marinated in Absurd Bird’s secret sauces and cooked in a variety of ways, each more delicious than the next.

The wings come in 5 different flavours, ranging from the classic Crispy fried buttermilk version to the more unexpected Smoked garlic, parmesan & lemon one and seriously fiery Buffalo wings.

All are finger-licking good, the perfect balance of super moist chicken, crispy batter & amazing sauces.

The kind of thing you can’t just wing!

Big Mama’s Favourite

A generous helping of perfectly-cooked, Southern style smoked chicken served with sweet gravy

Dirty Buns (fried chicken, spicy mayo and pickle served in sweet milk buns)

Chicken and Waffles with smoked sweet gravy & maple syrup

Popcorn chicken waffle cone.

A quirky, genius take on the chicken wrap, complete with fresh tomato, salad and a generous drizzle of spicy mayo.

Fried Chicken Sliders (with bacon jam, pimento cheese, potato bun).

An obvious winner.

 

Especially when served alongside some irresistible sides…

French fries and Spicy sweet potato fries

The kind that’d give the old ‘Fries before guys’ thing a whole lot of sense!

Jalapeno Mac & Cheese 

Almost an exact twin to my own recipe and an absolute must-order.

…and the divisive Sweet potato bake with toasted marshmallows (not really my thing, but if you’re into that sort of things, go for it!)

All topped off with insanely good, home-baked desserts, including Crack Pie (just as addictive as the name suggests), a rich & indulgent Peanut Butter Cheese Cake (perfect for sharing) and impossible-to-resist warm Choc Chip Cookies, served with the cutest mini milk bottle.

The (Deep South) American dream, in dessert form and definitely one of the many, many reasons to chicken Absurd Bird menu!

I’m sure you won’t have too much difficulty finding friends to come along, the place’s an absolute chick magnet, but if you do go with a big(ish) group, make sure you book ahead!

Absurd Bird, 5 Peter Street, London W1F 0AH