Cinder team to launch second St John’s Wood venture

This June, the team behind Cinder will launch a No. Forty Nine, a bakery-bar-bistro concept in north London’s St John’s Wood, where guests can bag fresh pastries in the morning before returning to taste a revolving array of Old World wines at night.

Next Tuesday (2 June), north London suburb, St John’s Wood, will welcome a new restaurant, No. Forty Nine, which posits itself as a blended venn diagram of a bakery, bistro and wine bar.

Chef owner Jake Finn, who first brought live-fire restaurant Cinder to Belsize Park in 2021 and a second site to St John’s Wood a year later, has teamed up with Hausu alumnus Ella Williams, who will lead the No. Forty Nine kitchen as head chef.

Coming to 49 St John’s Wood High Street, just a stone’s throw from Cinder, No. Forty Nine will open daily from 8am, serving a morning menu of freshly baked breads and pastries, with some of the more elaborate creations including Pastrami pain suisse, Burnt Leek, Cheddar & Marmite Swirls, as well as a selection of sweet treats such as Miso Butterscotch Canelé, Candied Orange Financier.

From midday, an all-day menu will be served, drawing influence from New York-style bistro dishes, with a Mediterranean edge. The No. Forty Nine snacks will include Cornbread Madeleines with scotch bonnet honey butter and Polenta batons with whipped ricotta and sage, while starters will range from Crab choux buns to Steak tartare with sour cream and onion crisps. Daily-changing salads, such as Asparagus and Romano bean salad with kalamata dressing, and Red cabbage salad with orange & hazelnut dressing will also be on offer.

What’s on the menu?

Larger plates on the menu will include dishes such as Tagliolini with prawns & bisque, Roasted aubergine with ajvar & kumquat dukkah, and Steak haché with five peppercorn sauce, in addition to a limited 7-inch pizza menu, with toppings such as Oxtail & Guindilla and Courgette, peaso & rocket. To finish on a sweet note, guests may want to try desserts such as Baby Guinness Sundae with coffee fudge and graham cracker crumble, and Crack Pie with sea salt and crème fraîche.

By night, No. Forty Nine will transition into a wine bar, spotlighting a constantly evolving list of approachable Old World wines, predominantly from across Europe. A small selection of low-intervention bottles will also feature, alongside a  list of classic cocktails and a selection of non alcoholic serves. 

At the front of the space, guests will find the bakery counter and takeaway offering, alongside high-top and banquette seating designed for relaxed, all-day dining. Towards the end of the restaurant will be larger tables, while a street-facing terrace will offer al fresco dining during warm weather. The back of the restaurant, which will also house a piano, is intended to host private dinners and one-off events.

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