Wood-roasted celeriac
Hazelnut butter, sage, aged parmesan, wood-fired breadcrumbs
£18Four ingredients, a wood-fired hearth, and a kitchen that believes the best food needs nothing more than patience and good heat.
Ember started in a small space on Stoney Street, tucked between the market stalls and the railway arches. The idea was simple: build a kitchen around an open hearth, source ingredients from the farmers who arrive at Borough Market before dawn, and let the fire do the rest.
We don't have a freezer. We don't own a microwave. What we have is a wood-fired grill, a team of cooks who understand heat, and a daily changing menu that follows the seasons rather than the trends.
The dining room seats forty. The kitchen is visible from every table. The music is low. The wine list favours small producers. Nothing here is designed to impress — just to feed you well.
The menu changes daily, but these have earned their place.
Hazelnut butter, sage, aged parmesan, wood-fired breadcrumbs
£18Brown butter, capers, lemon, samphire, charcoal-grilled leek
£36Dry-aged for 45 days, roasted bone marrow, pickled walnuts, watercress
£42Dark chocolate mousse, rye crumb, smoked caramel, sea salt
£14Chef-patron, Ember London
Marianne Cross spent a decade cooking in kitchens that taught her everything about discipline — The Ledbury, Maaemo in Oslo, and a year at a small vineyard restaurant in Piemonte where she first cooked over an open fire.
She opened Ember in 2018 at twenty-nine. Three years later, it received its first Michelin star. The second followed in 2023. She was awarded Young Chef of the Year in 2022.
Her cooking is direct and ingredient-led. She believes that if the produce is good enough, you don't need to do much to it. The fire does the work. She just watches the heat.
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"The turbot was the best fish I've eaten this year. The kitchen works with such clarity — every ingredient has a reason for being there."
"Cross is cooking at a level that rivals restaurants twice her price point. The wine list is thoughtful, the service unpretentious. A rare combination."
"This is what London dining should be: confident, unfussy, and deeply satisfying. The celeriac dish alone is worth the trip to Borough."
We serve dinner Wednesday through Monday. Tables release two weeks in advance.
Tucked behind the market, between the railway arches.
14 Stoney Street, Borough Market
London SE1 9AD