Best exotic restaurants in London

London's restaurants have heard the call of the wild. Judging by the menus of some recent arrivals to the dining scene, the next big thing is exotic, alternative meats such as springbok, kangaroo and crocodile.

The trend isn't solely about piquing the interest of London's novelty-hungry diners — these unusual products actually offer all the iron and protein content of more familiar red meats only without the off-the-scale fat and cholesterol. As for the taste well, they don't all taste like chicken. Take a culinary walk on the wild side with our guide to exotic meats...

Zebra at Chakalaka
The zany, zebra-striped frontage and vibrant interior in sunset shades of yellow, orange and red decorated with animal prints and spears takes diners at Putney's Chakalaka on a joyful South African safari. Named after a spicy South African tomato and onion salsa, it specialises in the game, wines and sunny atmosphere for which the country is known.

Dishes include starters of kudu (a kind of antelope) carpaccio, £7.50, dressed with pesto and parmesan, or marinated ostrich salad, £6.95, and a special game duet: both zebra and ostrich, £17.95. Don't be alarmed to see "monkey gland sauce": no primates are hurt or killed in its making — this South African steakhouse speciality is made of onions, garlic, ketchup and chutney. A second, not quite so colourful branch, is over in Chiswick.
Chakalaka, 136 Upper Richmond Road, Putney, SW15 (020 8789 5696)

Crocodile at Vivat Bacchus
The biggest hit at the Farringdon and London Bridge branches of this restaurant are the spring rolls, £8.95, made from crocodile tail fillet. So popular are they, the chef daren't take them off the menu for fear the regulars will snap...

The tender white meat from South Africa is neither fish nor foul, somewhere between chicken and monkfish in taste and texture, and low in fat and cholesterol. Other faves include smoked kudu risotto with a rooibos foam, £8.95, and char-grilled springbok with a chocolate chilli jus, £19.95. Don't forget to explore the restaurant's vast wine collection while you're there. South African chenin blanc goes particularly well with crocodile, apparently.
4 Hays Lane, SE1 (020 7234 0891)

Squirrel at St John
There'll be bright eyes and bushy tails at St John this month as the new season's squirrels arrive. Yes, you heard right. The newly Michelin-starred Smithfield eatery, never a wise choice for the squeamish, puts Tufty on the menu in grey squirrel season, mid-March to mid-April.
Some may see them as rats with bushy tails, but for chef Fergus Henderson they're a delicious treat, tasting like wild rabbit. This year, they're served either deep-fried or gently braised with dried porcini, shallots and bacon. Diners should check the menu on the website beforehand (stjohnrestaurant.com/menus) as supplies are sporadic.
26 St John St, EC1 (020 7251 0848)

Insects at Archipelago
Giving a new meaning to the phrase safari supper, the menu at Archipelago reads like a bush tucker trial of chocolate-covered scorpions, £6.50, a locust "love bug" salad, £7.50, and honey crème brûlée complete with real honeybee, £7.
The very thought may give you the willies, but the waiters soothe any first-time nerves and an interior of peacock feathers, pebble floor and palm trees puts you in the mood. You may be surprised to find the creepy-crawlies ("tactfully kept to optional side dishes") are really rather tasty.

Hallmark main courses include wildebeest, peacock, gnu and crocodile, all responsibly sourced from farms or certified culling programmes, then made extra-exotic with an array of globetrotting garnishes — seared zebra with sour green mango soba noodles, £19.50, a case in point.
110 Whitfield Street, W1 (020 7383 3346)

Kangaroo at The Meat and Wine Co
Steaks are the speciality at this recently opened spot in Westfield, but when we heard they had deliveries of kangaroo, we had to try it. Skippy arrived cooked medium in three chargrilled fillets, with potato gratin and redcurrant sauce, £17. Stronger than venison, it's a healthy choice, lean and low in cholesterol. The Meat and Wine Co was founded in South Africa, and the menu offers "Out Of Africa" game specials of kudu and springbok, salad with biltong (cured beef), £10.50, and boerewors sausage, £9.50. Big, bold flavours in a big, bold restaurant.
South Terrace, Westfield, W12 (020 8749 5914)