Showing posts with label London. Show all posts
Showing posts with label London. Show all posts
Tuesday, 25 June 2013
Viajante, great food in unlikely places
A dark corner of the east end of London is a strange place to find one of London's most interesting restaurants. Claiming to serve a (very) modern take on Portuguese cuisine Viajante, fittingly for us after our recent excursions, meaning "the traveller", is based in the old Tower Hamlets town hall. The frontage is very impressive and the dining room is quite grand although the chairs do look like they may be ex council stock. The main menu choices you have are whether you want 6 or 9 courses (we obviously went for the more is better plan) however you have no real indication of what the courses are. Once that is sorted the only thing that remains is to decide if you want a matching wine (much better value than buying it by the bottle) then you should sit back relax and enjoy a crazy culinary adventure.
Thursday, 20 June 2013
Dinner by Heston? I bet he'll serve snails again!
There is no such thing as a sure thing in life, but you can usually bank on a couple of things at a Heston Blumenthal restaurant, 1) there are going to be snails 2) there is probably going to be a lot of dry ice and 3) I am going to really enjoy my meal there.
Our trip to Dinner by Heston (which shortly after my trip appeared at number 7 on the world's top 50 restaurant list) was a lunch time visit to celebrate our return to London and also the arrival of my soon to be in-laws in London. We booked in on one of the very reasonable lunchtime set menu deals which includes 3 courses for 36 pounds.
Our trip to Dinner by Heston (which shortly after my trip appeared at number 7 on the world's top 50 restaurant list) was a lunch time visit to celebrate our return to London and also the arrival of my soon to be in-laws in London. We booked in on one of the very reasonable lunchtime set menu deals which includes 3 courses for 36 pounds.
Saturday, 8 December 2012
All sweetness and night at The Duck and Waffle
For my final London fine dining experience for a while (I am going travelling for the next 6 months so this blog will be taking on a more international flavour) me, my partner (now fiancée) and my best friend headed to the top of heron tower in an express glass elevator which covers the 40 floors in under 30 seconds!
As the London skyline at night burst into view I thought that perhaps the journey up would be the most impressive thing of the evening, however the view from the restaurant at the top is even more impressive and the food itself manages to still be the highlight of the night.
The food on offer is a series of strange, well presented tapas, most of which has a sweet tang, which is also mirrored in the wine list with many options being off dry.
We started with pigs ears, which I would recommend to anyone who, like me, loves pork scratchings. Then between 3 of us we shared 4 of the smaller plates, the excellent rabbit rilette, a really interesting fois gras all day breakfast, the octopus and ox cheek donuts with apricot jam. All the food made a good sharing and talking point and set us up for the signature duck and waffle, which is one of their large plate options.
The duck and waffle itself was a really nice flavour combination, it is served with maple syrup (who needs gravy?) and although while eating it you occasionally find yourself thinking you are having a dessert, I would still definitely recommend it.
As you'd expect from a restaurant with such an obvious sweet tooth the desserts were also stunning, both in looks, taste and the amount of sugar they managed to get into them, we tried one each (a pear, a chocolate fondant and a chocolate raspberry one) and they were diabetes good, although my partner found hers too sweet (which was great as I got more of it!)
The only slight downside would be the cost of most of the wines, there isn't a lot of choice at the 20-40 pound price point although the bottle we plumped for in the end did go really well with the food.
Obviously, as with most fine dining experiences, you would be well advised to book a long way in advance, with tables for more than 2 people often requiring over 6 weeks notice, even on quieter week nights. Price wise expect to spend 45 per head on food and as much as you feel like on drinks.
I have to say that it was an excellent way to leave London on a high (not least from the sugar)
As the London skyline at night burst into view I thought that perhaps the journey up would be the most impressive thing of the evening, however the view from the restaurant at the top is even more impressive and the food itself manages to still be the highlight of the night.
The food on offer is a series of strange, well presented tapas, most of which has a sweet tang, which is also mirrored in the wine list with many options being off dry.
We started with pigs ears, which I would recommend to anyone who, like me, loves pork scratchings. Then between 3 of us we shared 4 of the smaller plates, the excellent rabbit rilette, a really interesting fois gras all day breakfast, the octopus and ox cheek donuts with apricot jam. All the food made a good sharing and talking point and set us up for the signature duck and waffle, which is one of their large plate options.
The duck and waffle itself was a really nice flavour combination, it is served with maple syrup (who needs gravy?) and although while eating it you occasionally find yourself thinking you are having a dessert, I would still definitely recommend it.
As you'd expect from a restaurant with such an obvious sweet tooth the desserts were also stunning, both in looks, taste and the amount of sugar they managed to get into them, we tried one each (a pear, a chocolate fondant and a chocolate raspberry one) and they were diabetes good, although my partner found hers too sweet (which was great as I got more of it!)
The only slight downside would be the cost of most of the wines, there isn't a lot of choice at the 20-40 pound price point although the bottle we plumped for in the end did go really well with the food.
Obviously, as with most fine dining experiences, you would be well advised to book a long way in advance, with tables for more than 2 people often requiring over 6 weeks notice, even on quieter week nights. Price wise expect to spend 45 per head on food and as much as you feel like on drinks.
I have to say that it was an excellent way to leave London on a high (not least from the sugar)
Sunday, 13 November 2011
Foxtrot Oscar: restaurant review
What better way to follow an Evening with John Torode than with a spot of Sunday lunch with Gordon Ramsey at his Foxtrot Oscar restaurant (obviously we saw neither of them, but you know what I mean)
Foxtrot Oscar is set in the heart of Chelsea, right next door to Ramsey's head office and I think it could be considered a perfect location for Sunday lunch after a leisurely stroll through Battersea Park and along Chelsea Embankment. I have to say I have been before and I really like the small intimate feel, it is more gastro pub than fine dining, but I really do enjoy the experience.
Currently you can get some really good deals on the Sunday lunch menu, we managed to get a deal for on 3 courses for 25 quid. The selection is slightly limited, but if it isn't for you you can always go for the very reasonable a la carte menu (which comes in at about 8 pounds for a starter and 15 for a main).
The starter I chose was a very tasty French onion soup, my only issue with it was I would have preferred a bit more soup. My girlfriend and the friend who came with us chose to have the roasted marrowbone, although my girlfriend didn't particularly like hers, I think this was mainly because she hadn't tried it before and was surprised by how fatty it was (our guest was rather more glowing about it, pointing out, quit rightly, that the best bits for flavour are in the fat)
The main course options were roast sirloin, roast pork belly, a cheese burger or an aubergine pasta dish. Being the carnivores we are we ordered the first 3 options, I went for the burger as having had a big slab of pork the night before I fancied a lighter option, I was given a chance to choose how I wanted it cooked (pink or well done) which was a nice touch and also a good sign of the quality of the meat (I chose pink and it certainly didn't let me down). Our guest was also given the option on how cooked he wanted his sirloin to be, which, like any one of taste would chose, was as rare as the chef recommended. He was treated to an excellent piece of beef, slightly bloody in the middle, but with crispy fat around the outside. The port belly my girlfriend was served up also looked amazing (again a good sign is that I can't comment on the taste because despite its generous size she finished the lot!)
This bought us onto the desserts, where accompanied by a really quite excellent Hungarian Tokaji we had a cheesecake and sticky toffee pudding. My vanilla cheesecake really was tasty (although by this time I was starting to feel slightly full) and again I am assured that the sticky toffee pudding was also good (I could have tried this but I have to be honest, I ran out of space to fit it in!).
So in summary I would highly recommend a trip to Foxtrot Oscar as good value and with its calm laid back and comfortable decor one of the best locations for Sunday lunch I have found in London
Foxtrot Oscar is set in the heart of Chelsea, right next door to Ramsey's head office and I think it could be considered a perfect location for Sunday lunch after a leisurely stroll through Battersea Park and along Chelsea Embankment. I have to say I have been before and I really like the small intimate feel, it is more gastro pub than fine dining, but I really do enjoy the experience.
Currently you can get some really good deals on the Sunday lunch menu, we managed to get a deal for on 3 courses for 25 quid. The selection is slightly limited, but if it isn't for you you can always go for the very reasonable a la carte menu (which comes in at about 8 pounds for a starter and 15 for a main).
The starter I chose was a very tasty French onion soup, my only issue with it was I would have preferred a bit more soup. My girlfriend and the friend who came with us chose to have the roasted marrowbone, although my girlfriend didn't particularly like hers, I think this was mainly because she hadn't tried it before and was surprised by how fatty it was (our guest was rather more glowing about it, pointing out, quit rightly, that the best bits for flavour are in the fat)
The main course options were roast sirloin, roast pork belly, a cheese burger or an aubergine pasta dish. Being the carnivores we are we ordered the first 3 options, I went for the burger as having had a big slab of pork the night before I fancied a lighter option, I was given a chance to choose how I wanted it cooked (pink or well done) which was a nice touch and also a good sign of the quality of the meat (I chose pink and it certainly didn't let me down). Our guest was also given the option on how cooked he wanted his sirloin to be, which, like any one of taste would chose, was as rare as the chef recommended. He was treated to an excellent piece of beef, slightly bloody in the middle, but with crispy fat around the outside. The port belly my girlfriend was served up also looked amazing (again a good sign is that I can't comment on the taste because despite its generous size she finished the lot!)
This bought us onto the desserts, where accompanied by a really quite excellent Hungarian Tokaji we had a cheesecake and sticky toffee pudding. My vanilla cheesecake really was tasty (although by this time I was starting to feel slightly full) and again I am assured that the sticky toffee pudding was also good (I could have tried this but I have to be honest, I ran out of space to fit it in!).
So in summary I would highly recommend a trip to Foxtrot Oscar as good value and with its calm laid back and comfortable decor one of the best locations for Sunday lunch I have found in London
SOS: restaurant review
Smiths on Smithfield was the venue for a friends party on saturday night and as we were there I thought it would be a good idea to try John Torode's eating establishment for a spot of dinner first.
SOS is an interesting place, split into four levels with restaurants and food for different occasions on each floor. The ground floor is a nice bar with some good snack food, the first floor has an impressive stocked wine room where they serve pizza and more simple fayre. There is also a private dining room on the first floor that caters for parties.
The top floor is the fine dining room, with views of St Paul's and most of the city of London, but sadly we were a little short of time for a full tasting menu so we had settled on the second floor which specialises in grilled meats.
I started with chicken liver parfait which was served on a toasted brioche
with a homemade pickle, the whole ensemble worked well together, with the pickle cutting through the richness of the parfait. My girlfriend was less impressed with her choice of French onion soup, although it was solid it was a little acidic.
For main course I settled on the pork belly and mashed potato, while my girlfriend went for a classic steak frites. The pork was well cooked and the meat was tender and juicy, although some of my crackling had failed to crackle properly (which always a bit of a disappointment) it was served with an interesting parsley garnish which really complimented the fattyness of the meat.
My girlfriends mild disappointment continued with her sirloin steak, although it was cooked exactly to order she said it was the meat was good, not great.
The wine list was also pretty darn good, and in reality it would have been nice to have a red wine with the meal but as we were there for a night out afterwards we ended up going for a very nice 2008 Izadi white Rioja.
To sum up I personally thought that the food was good, and the general decor was really cool as was the night out later, I would recommend it as a solution to a number of eating and night out conundrums. I am definitely keen to go back and try the top floor soon.
SOS is an interesting place, split into four levels with restaurants and food for different occasions on each floor. The ground floor is a nice bar with some good snack food, the first floor has an impressive stocked wine room where they serve pizza and more simple fayre. There is also a private dining room on the first floor that caters for parties.
The top floor is the fine dining room, with views of St Paul's and most of the city of London, but sadly we were a little short of time for a full tasting menu so we had settled on the second floor which specialises in grilled meats.
I started with chicken liver parfait which was served on a toasted brioche
with a homemade pickle, the whole ensemble worked well together, with the pickle cutting through the richness of the parfait. My girlfriend was less impressed with her choice of French onion soup, although it was solid it was a little acidic.
For main course I settled on the pork belly and mashed potato, while my girlfriend went for a classic steak frites. The pork was well cooked and the meat was tender and juicy, although some of my crackling had failed to crackle properly (which always a bit of a disappointment) it was served with an interesting parsley garnish which really complimented the fattyness of the meat.
My girlfriends mild disappointment continued with her sirloin steak, although it was cooked exactly to order she said it was the meat was good, not great.
The wine list was also pretty darn good, and in reality it would have been nice to have a red wine with the meal but as we were there for a night out afterwards we ended up going for a very nice 2008 Izadi white Rioja.
To sum up I personally thought that the food was good, and the general decor was really cool as was the night out later, I would recommend it as a solution to a number of eating and night out conundrums. I am definitely keen to go back and try the top floor soon.
Saturday, 12 November 2011
La Rueda: restaurant review
It doesn't always have to about fine dining, I really appreciate somewhere that is a bit different, has a decent atmosphere and also offers good value for money. With that in mind I thought I'd write a bit about La Rueda on Clapham high street, which me and a small group of friends visited for a Friday night meal before heading out for a few drinks.
The restaurant itself feels fairly authentic with a number of the staff who's first language actually appears to be Spanish, which we took to be a good sign. there was a wide array of tapas on the menu, covering many of the usual favourites (causing one of the group to comment that it was a fairly English style menu, although I would suggest that this is more because of the crowd they are catering for rather than a genuine lack of authenticity).
The wine list was certainly authenic with a decent number of both very nice red and white Rioja's (we went with the Marques of Carcares Red and White at around 15 pounds a bottle each).
We all ordered the recommended 3 or 4 dishes each (21 dishes between 6 of us) but I would say that this was far too much food, I suspect we could easily have fed another person and still have had something left over.
I always think that a good bell weather at all tapas restaurants, regardless of the claimed quality, is the calimares. They are always the first thing I try as I like to know how skilled the chef is. I have to say I was pleasantly surprised as they were excellent, tender and tasty, which set the tone for the rest of the meal really. The seafood was all really well cooked and I thought the sausage in wine and several of the other dishes were very good. I was slightly disappointed by the patatas bravas but on the whole I would recommend it to a larger group who want to try something different before going out for a few beers elsewhere.
The restaurant itself feels fairly authentic with a number of the staff who's first language actually appears to be Spanish, which we took to be a good sign. there was a wide array of tapas on the menu, covering many of the usual favourites (causing one of the group to comment that it was a fairly English style menu, although I would suggest that this is more because of the crowd they are catering for rather than a genuine lack of authenticity).
The wine list was certainly authenic with a decent number of both very nice red and white Rioja's (we went with the Marques of Carcares Red and White at around 15 pounds a bottle each).
We all ordered the recommended 3 or 4 dishes each (21 dishes between 6 of us) but I would say that this was far too much food, I suspect we could easily have fed another person and still have had something left over.
I always think that a good bell weather at all tapas restaurants, regardless of the claimed quality, is the calimares. They are always the first thing I try as I like to know how skilled the chef is. I have to say I was pleasantly surprised as they were excellent, tender and tasty, which set the tone for the rest of the meal really. The seafood was all really well cooked and I thought the sausage in wine and several of the other dishes were very good. I was slightly disappointed by the patatas bravas but on the whole I would recommend it to a larger group who want to try something different before going out for a few beers elsewhere.
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