 If ye olde English pubs are your thing, then the Punchbowl will be right up your street. Brimming with quirky touches that add to its charm, this 350-year-old Georgian pub in the heart of Mayfair is the second oldest in Britain.
Tucked away down a quiet street, the pub shot to fame during its ownership by director Guy Ritchie. Ritchie hung up his pub landlord shoes six years ago, which means you’re much less likely to see celebrities tucking into a roast here these days, but it’s still plenty buzzing with punters who come all days of the week to scoff the hearty lunch and dinner options.  The Vibe The pub is split over three floors with the main floor consisting of a large bar area with cosy tables and booths tucked into every nook and cranny. The long wooden bar with it stools neatly lined up in a row takes centre place and is the perfect place to sip a pint or two of real local ale.  On the second floor, there is a contemporary dining room that feels distinctly modern compared to the ground floor restaurant thanks to its neutral colour palette and more refined furnishings, making it a great place to take a date for a romantic meal.
Our favourite area, however, is the private dining room on the third floor. Bursting with funky décor, this area has a much moodier and more playful feel to it than the other floors of the pub – think playing cards wall paper, an oversized chandelier, quirky paintings, Chesterfield sofas to sink into with a Negroni and an assortment of bric-a-brac scattered throughout the two adjoining rooms, which make it the perfect place for enjoying a wicked cocktail party!  The food Traditional pub fare is what they do best here. From Sunday roasts to fish and chips, burgers or Cumberland sausages and mash, they’ve got all of the classics covered. We were ‘feeling fish’ the day we visited, so for starters, my husband selected the crab fish cakes (which he rated a solid 8/10) and I had the leek and potato soup (a classic that you really can’t go wrong with). Mains continued the fish theme. I opted for the traditional fish and chips (a massive piece of perfectly cooked cod that nearly hung off the plate) and my husband went for the monk fish wrapped in Parma ham, which was superb.
Our youngest restaurant reviewer, our 16-month-old son Evan, tucked into his own portion of creamy mashed potatoes. He seemed suitably impressed and actually exclaimed ‘oh wow!’ upon their arrival! All of the staff went out of their way to be extra accommodating during our visit, which made dining out with our young child a much less stressful experience, which any parent with a child under five can appreciate.  Now, to be honest, we shouldn’t have had dessert because frankly we were stuffed to the gills (sorry, I couldn’t resist the fish pun), but we managed to stretch our stomachs to squeeze in a brownie with banana ice cream, which was very rich and the perfect end to our meal.
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 Autumn is one of my favourite seasons. I love retreating indoors to curl up on the sofa with a mug of hot chocolate as I gaze out the window watching the leaves turn. So, when I heard one of my favourite restaurants, Sake No Hana, was also embracing the season with an installation and a menu celebrating the Japanese maple leaf season, I had to visit.  The last time I popped into Sake No Hana was to try their Sakura menu, which featured a gorgeous installation celebrating the beloved Japanese cherry blossom season, so I was interested to see how they’d transformed the space for autumn. From now until 24 November, the front entrance of Sake no Hana is bedecked with a striking autumn leaves installation, inspired by the ‘momiji-gari’ (the Japanese tradition of viewing the maple leaves).  The experience continues indoors with food and cocktails, which also nod to the season with a focus on seasonal ingredients and autumnal flavours. The vibe One could easily forget they’re in the heart of London’s bustling West End once they step inside to this sleek space. The striking interior – designed by esteemed Japanese architect Kengo Kuma – is stunning thanks to linear bamboo that covers the main walls and bamboo blinds that help to create a cocooning shelter from the outside world.  We reckon this has to be one of the nicest places to escape from the pre-Christmas shopping crowds, giving you a sense of smug satisfaction for discovering such a chic space away from the madness.   The limited-edition menu created by Executive Head Chef Hideki Hiwatashi includes a variety of mouth-watering dishes such as: kinoko misojitate; shitake tofu (shiitake mushrooms filled with homemade tofu and wasabi sauce); salmon kurumi miso yaki and tori sumiyaki.  The starters were fab. I particularly enjoyed the crispy truffle rice balls with seasonal mushrooms, which were a bit similar to Italian arancini, and the comforting wild mushroom and chilli yuzu miso soup was the perfect cure for warming the cockles on a chilly autumn day. Surprisingly, the tofu, which despite its reputation for being bland and joyless, was also delicious thanks to seasonal mushrooms.  For mains, we had the pan-fried Loch Duart salmon with walnuts and Kyoto miso, which was really scrummy thanks to its melt-in-the-mouth texture and sweet caramel-like sauce and the chargrilled miso chicken with sesame chilli, was tender and juicy, while the charred peppers gave a bit of oomph to the dish. Greedily, we accompanied the meat dishes with a large bowl of sticky rice, which given how much we’d already consumed, wasn’t necessary, but we couldn’t help ourselves! 
 After the mains we devoured a selection of sushi. A real box of delights, the sushi arrives in a beautiful plexiglass box, with the waiter lifting the lid to unveil the treats within. Beautiful little morsels of joy, each lovingly prepared piece of sushi was seriously moreish. A special shout out goes to the Waygu beef with asparagus and caramelized onion and kizami wasabi, which was rich and flavourful (I could easily live off these).
The star of the show, however, was the hazelnut and chocolate parfait with a mascarpone mousse, which is quite possibly my new favourite dessert. In fact, I think I might weep if it disappears from the menu! Delectable and delicious, it had a lovely balance of textures thanks to the liquid chocolate centre, which is set off nicely by the delicate crunch from the base.
The limited-edition drinks For those who like their cocktails toasty, there’s a limited-edition maple toddy (a warming cocktail comprised of Hennessy Fine de Cognac, Akashi-Tai Umeshu sake, ginger, maple, chocolate and topped with edible rice paper art) and for those who like their cocktails sweet, there’s the Shisho 54, made with Belvedere vodka, Midori, lime, shisho, Fever-Tree slimline tonic and Prosecco. Our favourite cocktail (and the most beautiful), however, was made with Belvedere vodka, cardamom, mandarin, yuzu and edible rice paper art fashioned in the shape of a maple leaf.
The verdict If you want reasonably priced sushi in swanky surroundings, then look no further. Priced at only £40pp the limited-edition menu (with the option to add a sharing cocktail flight for £23.00), means you really can’t go wrong for such great quality Japanese cuisine smack bang in the middle of London.
Mish is delish!You can't beat a hot roast sandwich! Café Mish is a welcome addition to the marvellous array of cafes and pubs that are scattered around the Shepard’s Market, in the heart of Mayfair, London. Opened in August 2015, ‘Mish’s’ friendly and attentive staff have been serving customers delicious roast sandwiches, with fresh meats delivered daily. In collaboration with ‘The Bread Factory,’ these hot roast sandwiches are topped off with the highest quality ingredients and the freshest of breads.  I tried the medium sized ‘Roast Angus', peppered roast rib of beef with homemade horseradish’ and wild rocket (£10.25), with a side of ‘mish slaw’ (£1.75). I was pleasantly greeted with a juiciest of steak sandwiches one could hope for. The flavours of the meat belted through, with the sharpness of horseradish complementing the Heaven that was held within my hands. If you are wanting a quick bite and are in the area, then look no further, Café Mish is the place to be! Cafe Mish 1A Shepherd Street Mayfair London W1J 7HJ Bradley Miln   Quaglino’s, the iconic restaurant and late night venue in the heart of London’s Mayfair, St James, announces a curated program of live music.
Marianne Faithfull’s performance on Wednesday 5th November marked the start of Quaglino’s bespoke music programme, providing Londoners with a haven to enjoy first-class dining and unforgettable late-night experiences. A dedicated music line up of established and future stars has already been confirmed. Alongside the music, Leica Camera and Quaglino's have collaborated to dedicate a wall of their restaurant to Leica photography. Every four months the work of a professional Leica photographer will be exhibited. Photographer Ram Shergill kicks off the series with a selection from his portrait portfolio featuring legendary British icons, including David Gandy and the creations of the likes of Philip Treacy for Alexander McQueen. Internationally acclaimed British fashion and portrait photographer, Shergill has worked on editorial and advertising commissions for Vogue, Harper's Bazaar, i-D, Dazed & Confused and W magazine, and with illustrious subjects including Amy Winehouse, Diane Kruger, Naomi Campbell and Dame Judi Dench amongst others. The David Gandy image was captured for The Giving Back Foundation. Quaglino’s officially re-opened mid-October following a multi-million pound renovation, and has already hosted some of London’s biggest names including: Prince Harry, actor Benedict Cumberbatch, models Jourdan Dunn and Alexa Chung, and artist Tracey Emin. For a full list of upcoming performances, visit http://www.quaglinos-restaurant.co.uk/whats-on-mayfair. For reservations, call 020 7930 6767. 16 Bury Street London SW1Y 6AJ |
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Bon Appetit!There's nothing more delicious in life than indulging in a sensational meal. |
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