1. My mate Will got married to the lovely Becky last Saturday and instead of the traditional wedding meal, we tucked into afternoon tea while sipping cans of Budweiser. My ideal wedding really. 2. Padella Pasta in Borough Market keeps getting better and better. To celebrate grouse season we ordered the pappardelle with grouse ragu. Lush. 3. Not long ’til the new Chick ‘n’ Sours … Continue reading The best dishes of last week 12.09.16
1. The old Pitt Cue Co in Soho has turned into Little Pitt and it’s very good. This pork crackling was just the ticket. 2. To The Colony Grill Room at The Beaumont for my gentleman companion’s birthday. It was a feast of grilled cheese sandwiches, popcorn chicken and Bananas Foster (flambéed table side) but it was this Aberdeen Angus 21oz t-bone that stole the … Continue reading The best dishes of last week 29.09.16
1. To three Michelin starred Alain Ducasse at The Dorchester where we were treated to a masterclass in how to make the perfect rum baba – which is a lot harder than I could ever have imagined. Masterclasses will be held on 17 September and 1 October and you can book by emailing AlainDucasseReservations@AlainDucasse-Dorchester.com 2. Xavier Rousset (the chap who created Texture and 28-50) has … Continue reading The best dishes of last week 25.08.16
1. The guys behind Hotbox have opened their second Chuck Burger, this time on Commercial Street in Spitalfields. This plate of wings, fries, bacon n cheese burger and mac & cheese balls was superb. It’s a cool space too – make sure you check out the loos. 2. Another sequel here; Rök have opened a second one in Islington and it’s a real charmer. This … Continue reading The best dishes of last week 18.07.16
1. Lunch at Aqua Shard where the kitchen is now being headed up by Dale Osborne. The weather may have been crap but the food certainly wasn’t. In particular, this Blythburgh pork belly and roasted fillet with baby turnips and crackling. 2. The sun came out for the Soho Food Feast, now in its 6th year, which raises money for the Soho Parish primary school. … Continue reading The best dishes of last week 04.07.16
1. To dinner in Peckham at Ronnie Murray’s new supper club. It was a tasting menu of peas and this pancake, using pea flour, topped with salmon smoked in his garden was pea-rfect. 2. The Blood Shot Supper Club at The Dairy in Clapham certainly aint for the faint hearted as it kicks off at midnight – and we left at 4am with it still … Continue reading The best dishes of last week 27.06.16
1. To this year’s Taste of London in Regent’s Park. London’s biggest foodie festival fed us good and proper but the highlight? Roka’s lamb cutlets. 2. Jamie Oliver’s Fifteen near Old Street is a non profit restaurant which helps unemployed young people have a career in professional kitchens through its apprentice programme. At a recent dinner this Jersey Rock oyster with peach granita, Aperol and … Continue reading The best dishes of last week 20.06.16
1. It might be raining today but John Lewis have prepared for a Summer of glorious sunshine by opening The Gardening Society, a restaurant cum bar on their Oxford Street roof. It’s an impressive space with 3 impressive restaurants, Bob’s Lobster, Shotgun and the Dairy, all taking month long residencies in the kitchen. On a preview night we couldn’t choose a favourite between them. 2. … Continue reading The best dishes of last week 30.05.16
1. To a specially hosted lunch at Zelman Meats showcasing the very best of Nebraskan USDA beef. This corn fed meat (sirloin and picanha) was sweet with fat like nothing else. 2. When the best thing you eat last week is a chicken carcass then you know it’s got to be a pretty darn tasty chicken carcuss. It’s from Chinese Laundry in Islington and you … Continue reading The best dishes of last week 23.05.16
1. A 24 hour trip to Cumbria reminded me how much I love the place. The Forest Side Hotel, described as a ‘fairytale gothic mansion’ in Grasmere, is a restaurant with 20 rooms and it’s quite simply lovely. From a tasting menu of knockout dishes, this Cumbrian plaice with mussels, salsify and wispy leeks showcased the kitchen’s talent most perfectly. 2. Breakfast the next day: a … Continue reading The best dishes of last week 16.05.16
1. It’s all about roofs this week. The top of the Marriott Hotel, with views down Oxford Street, has created another rooftop bar/eatery called Notch (previously Roofnic). The Negronis come in tins, other cocktails in jam jars and these pork buns do just the job at soaking it all up. 2. There’s a new menu on the roof of the Boundary in Shoreditch. Now the … Continue reading The best dishes of last week 09.05.16
1. To a chocolate masterclass at the Café Royal hotel. A small group of us “bloggers” were treated to a lesson from the queen of choc herself Sarah Barber, the hotel’s exec pastry chef, where we made salted caramel truffles and giant chocolate handbags. They have a new dessert-only restaurant which is definitely worth checking out. 2. Craft LDN, Stevie Parle’s restaurant by the O2, … Continue reading The best dishes of last week 25.04.16
1. It’s no secret Tonkotsu is a favourite of mine but it’s not just their ramen I’m in love with. Salt and pepper squid here is the best I’ve found. 2. Keeping on that theme, salt and pepper prawns from Kings in Odiham, my parents’ local Chinese restaurant. The decor and staff haven’t changed in 30 years which is exactly why we love it and … Continue reading The best dishes of last week 02.05.16
1. It’s been quite a week for fine food and it kicked off with dinner at 50 Days by Albert Adria (you know, that bloke who used to cook at El Bulli in Spain.) A tasting menu like no other, some of it was weird, some of it was whacky, but it was all delicious. Particularly this rubia gallega (beef). 2. Black Roe is a new … Continue reading The best dishes of last week 18.04.16
We’re all going to get old, let’s face it. And I for one find it absolutely terrifying. From the superficial; I don’t want wrinkles, to the more serious; how will I afford a care home? For a while now I’ve been volunteering with a charity called Contact the Elderly, where a group of us meet up once a month, both young and old, usually in … Continue reading You’re never too old to enjoy food
