Restaurant

March 1, 2015 British

Corrigan’s, Mayfair

Everyone has their favourite place to eat in a gang, whether steakhouse or Indian, pizzeria or tapas bar… My personal favourite at the moment is Corrigan’s… When we first visited it a few years ago we were practically the only people in the vast room, and the atmosphere was frayed to say the least. Now it’s my go-to place for any group over three, having both prompt, but not lightening service, being crowded and therefore having a decent atmosphere, and actually allowing you to sit over your stickies at the end, cackling with your chums. There are also a number of private spaces available for hire, from the two kitchen tables to the more formal Lindsay Room. Do look out for the Restaurant Manager, Magdalena Gorska – formidable but utterly charming, every request is handled with a can-do attitude, and a graceful smile!

One of the joys of eating here is also the observance of seasonality, with a menu full of the delights of each month – including rhubarb, the last remnants of the truffle season, and a huge rib of beef on the specials.

HERITAGE BEETROOT SALAD, WITH GOAT’S CURD, MERLOT

SHELLFISH SALAD, WITH TEMPURA PRAWN

CORNISH CRAB SALAD, CHILLI & LIME

ROAST LINE CAUGHT COD,
CARAMELISED CAULIFLOWER, TRUFFLED LEEKS

ROAST RIB OF BEEF FOR TWO

ROAST RIB OF BEEF

T-BONE STEAK WITH ONION RINGS

RHUBARB CRUMBLE SOUFFLÉ, GINGER CUSTARD

February 6, 2015 1 Michelin Star

Angler, Moorgate

Angler, hidden in the heart of the City of London, is one of my favourite restaurants and was another on our hit~list now we’ve returned. Tony Fleming set up Angler three years ago, and since achieving his first Michelin star within a year, he’s taken the restaurant from strength to strength ~ there’s a constant and steady hum of diners in the glittering mirrored room. I’m a little bit obsessed with meticulous attention to detail, and there’s nothing to fault here.

The glory of being in a fish restaurant is that I can literally eat my way around the menu, and where dishes do contain a meat element {such as veal cheek}, Tony replaces it with something {to my mind} more luscious, such as a plump and juicy langoustine.

Angler always delivers ~ do check out the dessert offerings, which are more beautiful and delicious each time we visit.

Cauliflower cheese {soup}, with a parmesan galette

Crab cocktail, deep fried Porthilly oyster, rouille

Onto which is poured a crab bisque

Shellfish ravioli, chive and tomato butter, fennel and ginger slaw, lime

Scallops, langoustine, carrot purée, ginger, jus

Brill, ragout of squid, fennel purée, sea purslane

Lime posset, spiced bread {dehydrated and fresh}, mango, meringue

Flourless orange cake, grapefruit, Grand Marnier, roast almonds {salted}, roast almond ice-cream

Petit fours including a salted caramel truffle {divine}, and Earl Grey fudge {already snaffled by Hubby}

The second the sun shines, you’ll find me here, on the Angler Terrace

Angler
South Place Hotel
3 South Place
London EC2M 2AF
020 7215 1260

February 5, 2015 1 Michelin Star

Alyn Williams, Mayfair

We’ve been so busy over the last few months that we’ve neglected our favourite restaurants… Now that we’re back in London, Alyn Williams was front and centre of our hit list, and there’s nothing nicer than finding out what’s new on Alyn’s menu {or checking out London’s only Michelin~starred glittery carpet}.

The menu holds a perfect combination of rich umami dishes alongside light and fragrant ones – particularly nice for me as a non-meat eater… That’s not to say that Hubby didn’t receive is fair share of protein, but we were particularly impressed by the bright notes, which revived the palate and provided contrast to the depth of some of the dishes.

Giancarlo, the utterly charming restaurant manager, was front and centre as always, and the room was relaxed but buzzing. Still ridiculously good value at £70 for a 7 course tasting menu, it’s one of the five restaurants I recommend the most for those looking for a fine-dining treat. Even better, at lunch time you can have three courses for £30!

My favourite dishes on this occasion were the cauliflower cheese {divine}, the rhubarb dessert, and the mint and chocolate – the mint being particularly clean against the rich chocolate. No need for umami overkill, the dishes were nuanced and full of flavour.

Langoustine, sand carrot, blood orange and carrot jelly with a crème fraîche bavarois, blood oranges, dates, cashew, garam masala

Blow-torched mackerel, buckweed, sea urchin, miso, buckwheat ‘chop suey’, dashi

Miso eel, beetroot, hispi cabbage, celeriac, cream cheese

Cauliflower cheese, croutons, winter truffle

Sea bass, truffle, burnt pear, braised and grilled red and white endive, salsify, frisée, vanilla purée

Kale crisps, cauliflower, hispi cabbage, greek yoghurt, barbecue sauce

Crème caramel, rhubarb granita, poached rhubarb

Chocolate, mint snow, crème fraiche, chocolate soil

October 20, 2014 1 Michelin Star

Fera, at Claridges

I’m an unashamed fan of Fera – I’ve been several times now, and it’s one of my favourite places to eat. Though the dishes are multi-dimensional and intensely flavoured, there’s complete clarity of flavour. As a cook, I can also appreciate the variety of techniques employed, and though Mr Rogan is keen on his gadgets, their use never overshadows the dish.

Absurdly, even though it’s just won its first Michelin star, it’s easy to get a table at lunch time – do try an early walk-in. Fera is required to keep a number of tables free for the hotel, so it’s highly likely that you’ll be successful.

Benjamin Hofa was running the pass on this particular visit, and my pescatarian spanner barely caused a hiccup in service. For meat eaters, there’s plenty of variety in the menu, but the test of a decent kitchen, is coming up with suitable alternatives – and my dishes were comparable to Hubby’s.

Indeed, for me the joy of the menu is the sheer variety of vegetal ingredients. A kaleidescope of herbs have different effects on the palate, combinations can be combined to create lightness and vivacity, to cleanse the palate, or provide a hit of intense, savoury umami… Flowers aren’t just there for decoration, mushrooms can mimic flesh, and vegetables, pudding. I can feel that I’m losing some of you with that last statement, but ultimately the dishes are more than gimmicks, they’re simply delicious.

The proceedings always kick of with a selection of very tasty morsels…

August 30, 2014 Restaurant

Hutong, The Shard

I love Northern Chinese cuisine, so have wanted to go to Hutong for some time now. Having finally managed to obtain a table last week, I’ve been twice in a week. Why? Well – on the first occasion we were so impressed by the plumptious kung pao prawns that I just had to have some more!…

April 13, 2013 3 Michelin Stars

Sant Pau, Spain

Sant Pau, the flagship of Carme Ruscalleda, is based in the small town of Sant Pol de Mar, just north of Barcelona. Right on the sea, the restaurant’s raison d’être is seasonality and local produce, though often cooked in unexpected ways. Carme also runs a restaurant in Tokyo, and her strong Japanese influences are palpable. When we visited, the restaurant was celebrating the 9th anniversary of the Toyko opening, and a number of dishes originated at the Tokyo San Pau.

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April 13, 2013 2 Michelin Stars

Lasarte, Barcelona

Lasarte is the Barcelona outpost of the Basque chef Martín Berasategui, and the kitchen is run by Paolo Casagrande. The restaurant is spaciously laid out, and the tiles on the walls replicate the Gaudi tiles on the Paseo de Gracia – a nice touch.

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April 13, 2013 2 Michelin Stars

Moments, Barcelona

Moments, at the Mandarin Oriental Hotel, is the Barcelona outpost of Carme Ruscalleda’s Sant Pau restaurant at Sant Pol del Mar. The kitchen is run by Carme’s son, Raül Balam, and serves Catlan food in a modern style….

April 13, 2013 2 Michelin Stars

Enoteca, Barcelona

I’m in Barcelona, it’s 20ºC on the terrace, and Femme D’Argent is blasting on my headphones – what’s not to love? Add to that an agenda that includes three 2* Michelin restaurants, and one 3*, and you know my mood is going to be relaxed, expansive, and happy…

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April 13, 2013 Restaurant

Blanc Brasserie, Barcelona

The Blanc Brasserie is the main restaurant at the Mandarin Oriental in Barcelona, though they also have the Michelin starred Moments.

Food is well executed, and the kitchen turn out a wide variety of Catalan, Spanish and Oriental dishes. We particularly enjoyed the miso octopus, which was succulent and tender, and I loved the inclusion of pink peppercorns in the yakitori which gave it a piquancy not usually found.

It forms a quiet oasis in the centre of the city.