Cadet
Two wine importers and a charcutier took over a chicken shop on Newington Green, and the charcutier's terrines are the reason to come (Cadet, The Infatuation).
Why go
Tom Beattie and Francis Roberts import wine. George Jephson cures meat and sells it under his own name. In summer 2022 the three of them opened this in the room that used to be Chicken Express, and Mike Murphy now runs the kitchen, which the venue describes as cave-a-manger with a daily changing menu (Cadet, The Infatuation).
The charcuterie is the specialism and it is worth understanding how it works. Only one or two of Jephson's terrines are on at a time, so what you see is what there is that week: fromage de tete one visit, a pork, pistachio and apricot pate the next, rillettes, mousse de canard. Jake Missing's advice on that is direct, order both (The Infatuation).
The room holds half its seats for walk-ins, in writing, with a waiting list when it is full (Cadet). Reservations cover dining only. That is a real walk-in policy rather than a claim, and it is why this works at ten on a Sunday.
Order this / avoid
- Order: the pate en croute, which The Infatuation named one of London's best new dishes of 2022. Whichever second terrine is running, since it will be different next month. From the eight-to-ten dish board, the monkfish with beurre blanc or the grilled onions with peach and ricotta, depending on the season.
- Avoid: Mondays, when it is shut. Booking a stool at the bar, because reservations are for dining only.
What locals & experts say
- Jake Missing, The Infatuation, August 2022, scoring it 8.3, on the charcutier:
George Jephson is an expert, no, artist, in meat collages. From terrazzo-like fromage de tête - a cold cut terrine of meat chunks in jelly that makes English brawn look like a simpleton - to that pâté en croûte.
2 - The same critic on why the room works:
Cadet is a reminder that all you ever need is charming hosting and a quickly poured glass of something crisp and fizzy... having somewhere to drink pinot noir and lazily spread mousse de canard at 10pm on a Sunday night is something that London could do with a lot more of.
2 - The venue, on its own kitchen:
wine, charcuterie and a cave-à-manger style kitchen helmed by head chef Mike Murphy, with a daily changing menu.
1 - No chef has named it. The industry-vote file holds no pick for Cadet under any spelling, checked on 1 August 2026.
Good to know
- Where: 57 Newington Green N16 9PX. The Infatuation's page says 56; the venue and the food-hygiene register both say 57.
- Timing: evenings, closed Mondays. Tuesday and Wednesday the bar runs 5pm to 10.30pm with the kitchen 6pm to 10pm; the rest of the week was not captured, so check.
- Booking: reservations for dining only, and half the room is kept free for walk-ins.
- Groups: private hire seats up to 26 for a feast or 40 standing.
- Take it home: the wine and the charcuterie are both sold separately by the businesses that make them.
- Hygiene: FSA rating 5, inspected 24 October 2025, Islington. All three components scored 5. FHRSID 1535294.3
Verdict
should-visit — Make the detour to Newington Green, mostly for the charcuterie. Cadet opened in summer 2022 in what used to be a chicken shop, put together by two wine importers, Tom Beattie and Francis Roberts, and a charcutier, George Jephson, who cures the meat that carries the menu. Jake Missing scored it 8.3 for The Infatuation weeks after it opened and singled out the pate en croute, chicken and pork belly and ham hock and booze set in pastry, which the outlet went on to name one of London's best new dishes of 2022. The trick with the charcuterie is that only one or two of Jephson's terrines run at once, so order both when you see them. Mike Murphy now runs a kitchen of eight to ten dishes that is rewritten daily, monkfish with beurre blanc in one week, grilled onions with peach and ricotta in another. The room holds half its seats back for walk-ins and says so in writing, which is rare enough to plan around. Held at should-visit because the only critic voice on it is four years old and no working chef has named it.