Zorita’s Kitchen is a modern Spanish eatery nestled on the North Bank of the River Thames. It offers a glimpse of gastronomic life in the Duero Valley of Spain from where the restaurant sources nearly all of it’s food and wine. It is rooted in a lovely, romantic concept of localism where staff are proud … Continue reading »
Ever since trying a ‘Porn star martini’ (vanilla infused vodka, citrus & passionfruit served with a measure of Moet) in Hix’s Champagne bar, Selfridges, I’ve been doing my best to drink as many of of Mark Hix’s cocktails as financially and socially possible. The opportunity to sup on a ‘Twitter and Bisted’ (pink grapefruit mixed … Continue reading »
Whatever the culinary consequences of my dinner at Mamounia Lounge, Knightsbridge (practically opposite Harrods) on Saturday night, I had a lot of fun. I never usually eat at places that favour really loud clubby music and cocktails, apart from when I’m on holiday, so when they asked me to attend as a guest for dinner, … Continue reading »
Last week the team over at bookatable.com asked me to visit Michel Roux Jr’s restaurant at The Landau near Oxford Circus, London, and try out the set menu dinner menu for them. The meal was pretty impressive, though not faultless. You can see one of the highlights below, a stunning dish of spit-roast legged partridge which came … Continue reading »
It turns out that I’ve never actually eaten decent mozzarella before. I mean, I thought I had, but after sampling what was on offer at newly opened Obika in South Kensington I realised that everything I’ve ever tried beforehand has been second rate bland stringy generic cheese. Inside the sleek sushi-bar inspired interior of Obika, a couple … Continue reading »
On my way home from work last week I thought I was pretty damned lucky when I saw some builders fitting the interior of a shiny new Burger & Lobster. I turned the corner feeling pretty smug and bumped into a massive queue outside a restaurant, the sort of queue that only can be associated … Continue reading »
‘Sausages That Make You Smile’ is scrawled across the side of The Big Apple Hot Dog stand right round the corner from Old Street Station. Those sausages or ‘dogs’ as I was calling them by the end of my meeting with the founder of the successful street stall, Abiye, did exactly that. I stuffed my … Continue reading »
There were a few times over dinner at Santa Maria that I had to pinch myself to remember I wasn’t eating pizza from Franco Manca. The fresh interesting selection of toppings, quick speed pizza cooking time in the wood fired oven and the laidback vibe all lured me into a false sense of Franco Manca … Continue reading »
Until I moved to London, I thought that a burger was and could only ever be a good one or a bad one. How wrong I was. Recently, Londoners have led a burger movement backed up by passionate chefs like Yianni Papoutis (MeatLiquor) who is constantly striving to serve the perfect bun, bloggers who have … Continue reading »
If you manage to do one thing on this bleak June Sunday, then make it brunch at Caravan. Right on the corner of Exmouth Market it’s a beacon of comfort, wafting rich warming coffee smells all the way down the street. Inside it’s all wooden table, airy space, large filament light bulbs and bright windows, … Continue reading »
The revolving door to the Gilbert Scott cocktail bar leads the way into a world of old school glamour, glitz and mouth-watering cocktails. It’s the perfect start to an evening at the Renaissance Hotel, one of the new jewels within the absolutely huge renovation of St.Pancras. It’s a shame that I only found this sneaky bar at … Continue reading »
The team behind the infamous Meatwagon/easy/liquor have returned to its roots with its newest venture, MeatMarket. It’s all about fastfood burgers done quickly, greasily and awesomely. Carrying on MeatLiquor’s tradition of being hidden a stone’s throw from a tourist hotspot you’ll find MeatMarket in that crappy tourist-focussed market in Covent Garden you’ve often walked past … Continue reading »
On my visit to Capote y Toros, I got a little bit too involved in the sherry and forgot what variety I was drinking. When I tried to order another glass the lovely waiter picked it up, took one graceful sniff of it, and returned to my table with a full chilled glass of the … Continue reading »
When you visit Ceviche on Old Compton Street, don’t expect to be transported to gritty, colourful and wonderfully chaotic Peru. Instead, be prepared for the Soho dining experience of 2012, a shiny and extremely well designed and dimly lit bar adorned with large filament light bulbs leading to a restaurant packed with closely laid tables, perfect … Continue reading »
The place is beautifully lit, with lamps so stylish that they were verging on works of art. It has a quiter, neat and formal bar which leads onto a really bustly restaurant area with a view into the kitchen and revolutionary dessert bar where you can finish your meal whilst watching pastry chefs prep your pud. Continue reading »
Food can be so evocative, especially when connected to travel. I haven’t eaten an Empanada since leaving Argentina in 2009, and when I bit into one from Portena whilst sitting by Southwark cathedral I was taken back to the sun. Portena in Borough Market offer fresh, delightful little Empanadas for a slightly steep £2 each. … Continue reading »
The Meat Fruit Mandarin, chicken liver parfait & grilled bread was the real winner. The combination between the silky smooth, soft parfait and the crunchy charred bread was heavenly. Then the flavours. My lord, the parfait was just the best I have ever eaten. Rich, creamy but intensely meaty, it was cut through perfectly by a subtle hint of sweet orange. Continue reading »
AppleBee’s in Borough Market is a wonderfully reliable fish-mongers who have both a fabulous fresh fish counter that makes your mouth water and a relaxed affordable restaurant that serves up its displayed seasonal produce. On market days it has an open grill with staff serving hot fish wraps to those willing to wait in the … Continue reading »
Overall I did enjoy the experience, but if the sandwiches got a little chunkier, the service got a little tighter and the other dishes got a little more exciting Mishkins would become something really special, rather another decent opening in the Polpo (don’t-call-them-a-chain) chain. Continue reading »
Franco Manca in Brixton is very well known (and adored) for their sourdough pizzas, with glorious bases which when baked rise to be charred and smokey on the outside, yet soft and light on the in. They have great pride and are extremely careful when sourcing their ingredients to ensure that everything looks and tastes … Continue reading »
