There are food street festivals and then there is Night Tales. It is as much a celebration of delectable street food and drinks, as well as a musical celebration. The venue is decorated in the hippest possible way, converting an old stone merchant and car scrap yard to one of the coolest summer hangouts of 2016.
Getting to Night Tales isn’t easy, unless you are conveniently connected to the overground system. Also I often detest having to pay an entrance fee before being able to enjoy my dinner; however this is one venue I would gladly travel half-way across London for and pay any sum to enter. The amount of detail they have put into the project from sun terraces to concept bars to even just the flooring is astonishing.
Case in point is the Singha pop-up bar with its exotic decor, traditional birdcages and umbrellas hanging from above. There are retro Thai film posters decorating the walls. It might only serve 1 type of drink, but the bar is constantly filled with satisfied visitors. The sweet, spicy and earthy flavours are perfect for matching with street food.
In fact, it was matched so well with the chicken wings from Wingmans wingery, they did a special collaboration together using sriracha sauce and honey. Having managed to try one of each of their main flavours: buffalo, oriental, signature hot and sweet and smokey BBQ, it is safe to say they are all deliciously irresistible. The wings are meaty, sticky and each one an explosion of spices and flavours. If anything, I would say they were too flavoursome and it was almost essential to combine the wings with some singha beer. Unfortunately, they are situated on opposite sides of the pop-up.
If you are looking for more substantial food at Night Tales, then Nanny Bill’s famous buttermilk fried chicken buns is the ideal option to satisfy your hunger pangs. They even have a sit-in area indoors, if you want comfortable seating with your food. Although, patience is a virtue here, with queues almost constant throughout most of the night. It’s popularity is unsurprising, given the dedication and thought that has gone into creating the burgers. Tender pieces of chicken breast are marinated in seasoned buttermilk and double dipped in their own special dredge, the bun is a special demi-brioche version and comes with baby gem lettuce, slaw, sriracha mayo and pickled gherkins. I struggle to think of any venue where I’ve tried a better tasting fried chicken burger.
On the night of our visit, the music came courtesy of Road to Nowhere, who blend art, technology and music together and have worked at the best festivals in the UK such as Secret Garden Party, Glastonbury and Wilderness festival.
Photo courtesy of Neil Collins Photography.
Whether it is the food, the drinks or the music, there were only delighted faces from the customers throughout the whole night. To me, a small entry fee of £3 seems like a bargain and I personally can’t wait to visit Night Tales again whether it is for summer 2016 or their next imaginative creation.
baldwin@townfish.com