The vibe One would be forgiven for not being familiar with Dukes London. Tucked down a sleep side street in St James’s, it’s gem of a find, located moments from Green Park and yet seemingly in another world from its contemporaries. Nestled on its lower floor is GBR (Great British Restaurant), a bright, spacious all-day dining venue. The menu which is overseen by Norfolk-born Executive Head Chef Nigel Mendham features traditional British dishes with contemporary twists. The Food Every Saturday and Sunday from 12-4pm is Bottomless Brunch. For £24.50 guests can indulge in two dishes from the menu with unlimited bubbles for an additional £15. I’m a big fan of a bottomless brunch but admittedly, I usually end up in a raucous Clapham pub, so swapping for a change of scenery to a civilised dining room made for a pleasant change. The menu features a selection of brunch staples with delicious additions including confit duck hash and kedgeree. The Eggs Benedict featured a succulent slab of ham and a fabulous Hollandaise, though the portion was slightly on the small side. I chased the eggs with a plate of waffles, smothered in a devilish caramelised banana sauce and sticky toffee walnuts; something so delicious I’ve since tried to recreate it at home. My date enjoyed the smashed avocado with rich duck egg and chilli pepper, followed by a much-lauded round of French toast with sweet cured bacon and lashings of maple syrup. I’m not sure how we had space for dessert after all that and in between all the prosecco, but the raspberry trifle was a delight.
The details
GBR (Great British Restaurant) at DUKES London 35 St. James’s Place London SW1A 1NY *During my visit I was hosted by GBR (Great British Restaurant) at DUKES London. All views and opinions are my own. Laurel Waldron
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If you find yourself in Manchester and fancy indulging your taste buds with unique ingredients, then look no further than The Botanist. Centrally located on Deansgate, this stylish restaurant and bar offers an impressive selection of food and drinks that spark the imagination. As the name suggests, The Botanist prides itself on entertaining your palate with plant-based ingredients. The classy venue has a mix of customers from couples enjoying a romantic night out, to groups of friends catching up over a cocktail. A selection of eating areas, a high-end bar and an orangery provide plenty of options to choose from whether you’re popping in for a drink or staying for a meal. Dining options at The Botanist In addition to top-notch drinks and meal options, The Botanist also offers an interesting selection of nibbles to enjoy with a post-work tipple including, Cumberland and Pork Chipolatas and sharing boards that include tasty dishes such as Lamb Meatballs and Smoky Beans Hot Pots. The extensive food menu features mouth-watering barbecue favourites such as Flattened Rump, 10oz sirloins and a variety of different chargrilled burgers, plus hanging kebabs and rotisserie chicken. The Home Comfort range offers Flat Iron Steak Sandwiches and Malaysian Curry, or for something even more comforting, why not goes for one of their scrumptious short-crust pastry pies including Butternut Squash, Goats Cheese and Mushroom or Steak and Ale – the perfect option when winter nights draw closer. For those seeking a healthier option, The Botanist’s salad selection is very colourful and includes Prosciutto, Watermelon and Feta, Tenderstem Broccoli, Beetroot and Avocado, as well as the popular Caesar or Crispy Salt and Pepper Beef. My lunch at The Botanist I began my lunch at The Botanist with one of their nibbles, Salt and Pepper Onion Petals (£3.95), which were dusted in a mix of ginger and Chinese five spices and served with soured cream. Thankfully, they were nice and crunchy and not overly oily. For my main I enjoyed a dish from The Botanist’s Home Comforts range – the Prawn and Chicken Gumbo with Bacon, Rice and Peas served with coriander seasoned rice (£12.50), which was amazing. The chilli provided just the right amount of heat and the generous portion of prawns and chicken were moist and cooked to perfection. To finish, I tried the Baked Camembert with Smoky Bacon and Crispy Onion Crust (£6.95). The apple slices provided a nice sweet contrast to the cheese and the bacon topping added a lovely crunch. Botanical Cocktails The Botanist has a wide range of eccentric cocktails. To kick things off, I started with their signature cocktail of Ketel One vodka, rum and elderflower liqueur. Its fresh ingredients and jasmine syrup offered a simple and balanced flavour profile, making it very drinkable! Next up, I tried the Pear and Kiwi Cup from their Pots and Planters range, which was presented in a teapot with tendrils of fog! The dainty cocktail featured kiwi, lime and apple juice shaken with Licor 43, pear cognac, green apple liqueur and a splash of green tea and served with dry ice. Science it seems is not confined to a laboratory. It was well balanced, if slightly on the sweeter side for my personal taste, but they certainly achieved their desired outcome - to reconstruct botany through cocktails. Bravo! The resident head bartender, a very knowledgeable and personal chap by the name of Pete, saved the best till last. Every month the team are challenged to create a cocktail that resonates with a specific charity. During my visit, the host charity was Barnados, so in keeping with its green branding and echoing the current ecological trends in cocktail design, The Believer was born. The cocktail features a pipette of chlorophyll (the stuff that makes plants green) and it also has great detoxification properties. Thankfully, unlike many healthy ingredients such as wheatgrass, it doesn’t really taste of anything horrible.
The details The Botanist 78 Deansgate Manchester M3 2FW http://thebotanist.uk.com/locations/deansgate-manchester *During my visit I was hosted by The Botanist. All views and opinions are my own. Prices and menu options correct at time of review. Ben Ricci The second September is upon us all foodie thoughts undoubtedly turn to autumnal comfort food. Hearty dishes, full of delicious seasonal ingredients and indulgent, warming flavours are the perfect remedy for dull and drizzly autumn days, which is why the new pie menu at Smith & Whistle hits the spot. Each pie has been expertly paired with its perfect mash partner as well as a unique alcoholic beverage designed to complement and enhance the flavours on each plate. The pie menu includes six pairings featuring traditional ingredients as well as modern takes on the celebrated dish. While each of the pies were delicious in their own right, there were definite standout dishes including Best of British, which featured a mouth-wateringly tender filling of short rib beef, seasonal root vegetables and potato enclosed in a light and flaky puff pastry, accompanied by a sweet caramelised onion and bacon mash. Paired with a Curious IPA, the perfect partner to cut through the beef, it was a seriously hearty dish. Our favourite pie, however, was Fishing for Clues; with salmon, crayfish, smoked haddock and mussels in a creamy sauce, paired with a dangerously moreish cauliflower cheese mash and a sparkling rosé from Kent vineyard Chapeldown, to cleanse the palate and complement the oily texture of the fish with a refreshing, fruity contrast. Perfection.
The exclusive Pie & Mash Menu is available daily at Smith & Whistle until the end of November (available Monday - Saturday: 12pm – 12.30am and Sunday: 12pm to 6 pm). Prices start from £9. Smith & Whistle Park Lane Hotel Piccadilly Mayfair London W1J 7BX www.smithandwhistle.com Laurel Waldron Founded by Giovanni Quaglino in 1929, Quaglino’s has long been a symbol of decadence. Loved by royals, celebrities and the public alike, dining here has always had an air of exclusivity. In the 1950s the restaurant was said to have had a table permanently reserved for the regular visits by Princess Margaret, the Duke and Duchess of Kent and Princess Alexandra. Other notable royals who have graced the establishment include Queen Elizabeth, King Edward VIII, and most recently, Prince Harry. And what’s a hip place without a celeb following? Celebs who have visited include Judy Garland, Barbara Cartland, Elton John, Mick Jagger, Benedict Cumberatch, Alexa Chung and Lindsay Lohan, to name a few. In the 90s Quaglino’s was revered as the hottest restaurant in town to see and be seen, thanks to it being a favourite spot of Ab Fab characters Patsy and Eddie and its reputation as a place to let your hair down in style. The signature ‘Q’ ashtrays that were scattered throughout the bar, were often nicked by guests as they were seen as a status symbol. Rumour has it that over the years more than 25,000 ‘Q’ ashtrays 'mysteriously' disappeared. The vibe Today, Quaglino’s retains its style and charm thanks to a £3 million facelift by owners D&D London in 2014. There is a sense of 1920s grandeur throughout the restaurant, thanks to intimate lighting and a moody colour palette of charcoals, burgundy and gold, which creates a sexy atmosphere. As guests sip cocktails in the upstairs bar, they can relax on black quilted leather banquettes, which encourage you to stay a bit longer than you probably should. Even the bathrooms are seriously stylish with striking monochrome zigzag decor, which has given us serious bathroom design envy. At the heart of the restaurant is a grand staircase with illuminated stairs with a gold tortoise shell design, that simply begs for guests to make a fabulous entrance as they shimmy down the stairs to the dining room below. The expansive dining room is an impressive space with a circular gold bar and a stage flanked by red velvet curtains, which serve as key focal points. Each night guests can enjoy performances by either live bands or a DJ, which adds to the sense of occasion. Saturday brunch at Quaglino's We visited on a Saturday afternoon for the Q Brunch (available Saturdays and Sundays from 11.30am-2.30pm). If you’re feeling festive, there is the option to add unlimited prosecco for £18 per person, when eating two courses or more for the duration of your meal. The Saturday brunch offering features standard options such as Eggs Benedict, smoked salmon and scrambled eggs (a safe bet), sandwiches (croque monsieur or demoiselle), a variety of fish dishes (sea bream, cod, stone bass), a sirloin steak and egg or venison tartare and oysters as well as a selection of sides and desserts. The salad with mozzarella, tomatoes, nectarines and endive was fresh and light and the croque monsieur in all its cheesy, carby glory is the perfect cure if you’ve indulged a bit too much the night before. Service is top-notch, as you’d expect, and is refreshingly friendly rather than stuffy, which makes it all the more welcoming. The verdict We’ll definitely be making a repeat appearance, but next time we’ll be indulging in dinner and sipping classic cocktails. Get your glad rags on and give it a go – it’s the cat’s whiskers. http://www.quaglinos-restaurant.co.uk
Hot Pot, Soho
Hot Pot is an Asian restaurant in Soho that was inspired by the Mongolian tradition of sharing a ‘hot pot’ (a large pot filled with broth and various ingredients) with family and friends. This communal style of eating later became popular throughout Asia and today there are thousands of hot pot varieties that can be found in Vietnam, Thailand, China and Korea, amongst other countries.
The vibe
The 4,500 square-foot restaurant covers two floors and in addition to the main dining room, there is a private dining room that can be hired for larger groups. The décor features oxblood red booths, simple tables with wooden chairs and crackle-glazed jade tiles and industrial style light bulbs suspended from the ceiling behind the bar.
The food
At Hot Pot guests are the star chefs as they choose every ingredient that goes into their own unique hot pot creation. Each table comes equipped with an induction burner, which guests use to prepare their own hot pot, filled with their choice of broth and fresh ingredients from meat to vegetables.
The concept encourages diners to savour the experience as their selected ingredients bubble away while they visit. As variety is the spice of life, you can split your hot pot into two sections, so you can have a different broth and ingredients in each side of the pot.
To begin making your hot pot, you first select from one of five broth varieties, each of which comprises more than 50 ingredients and is made fresh daily. Next, you select your ingredients – there are more than 60 dizzying options to choose from, which can be slightly overwhelming if you’ve never been before! There is also a sauce and toppings bar, so you can further customise your creations to your heart's content.
Some of the ingredients on offer include British rib-eye, marinated chicken, sea bass, king prawns, shrimp wontons, fresh abalone, shitake and golden needle mushrooms, sweet potato, fresh tofu and quail’s eggs, to name a few.
The classic goya pork starters were lovely and fresh and the homemade spare ribs slathered in a sweet, sticky glaze were divine – we could have eaten about 20 of them!
The hot pot making proved to be a fun experience as we waited in anticipation to see how our concoction of marinated beef, sliced pork, ho fun noodles, morning glory, shiitake mushrooms and fried tofu, would turn out. Thankfully, our selections proved to be a great choice. The only thing we weren't crazy about was the chicken broth, which we found to be a bit on the bland side for our liking, but the fiery Mala Sichuan broth with dried chillies, Sichuan peppercorns, herbs and fermented beans was fabulous – although seriously hot – the servers warned us beforehand to ensure we were confident we could handle the heat!
Raymond Blanc’s collection of French brasseries has expanded to include Brasserie Blanc at Fulham Reach, which sits only a stone’s throw away from Hammersmith Bridge. The restaurant occupies a pivotal riverside site where the Haig whisky Distillery once stood overlooking the disused 19th century Harrods Furniture Depository, which only adds to its charm. The ultra-modern floor-to-ceiling glass exterior is exquisitely lit at night and ensures that this bar and restaurant is the most eye-catching on the waterfront. Inside is a rather classy affair with a striking bespoke brass bar with suspended decanter lighting, parquet flooring throughout, velvet banquettes and leather armchairs which create an intimate dining space – making it the perfect mix of classic and contemporary. The open-plan kitchen provides an insight into the fast-paced cockpit of the restaurant and allows you to watch the skilled chefs in action while you sup on a gin and champagne cocktail – aptly named the ‘French’ – at the bar. The cuisine Quite rightly the menu honours the French classics such as garlic butter escargot, moules frites, beautifully fresh bouillabaisse, hearty beef Bourgignon and the luxurious chateaubriand for two but more contemporary plates of rock lobster, potted Cromer crab with sourdough and an outstanding burger in brioche shine through. It must be said I often think of their celebration of anchovies (the ultimate amuse bouche washed down with a glass of fizz) and the steak tartare as some of the best I’ve had the pleasure of eating. Desserts offer something for all tastes with the ubiquitous tarte au citron, a rich chocolate delice as well as a summer berry pavlova and pistachio soufflé. The set menu changes every month and is a steal at £11.95 for 2 courses. I have no doubt their roast sirloin or Bretagne chicken on a Sunday, which is served all day and is very much en famille, would be a triumph. What to quaff The quote featured on the drinks menu seems to reflect the generosity of options here – “Once during Prohibition I was forced to live for days on nothing but food and water”. There is a section dedicated solely to Gin encouraging you to tailor your own perfect G & T, the cocktails are expertly designed with your French classics but also some more adventurous seasonal offerings like rhubarb and honey Martini. The cellar is also as diverse with good solid French bottles as well as European and New World varieties. The house champagne though, Blanc de Blancs, is just outstanding, full of peach and apple notes, and is very reasonable at £28.50 a bottle. This is a brasserie in the truest sense of the word. It brings the glorious taste of France to London’s riverside scene in the most welcoming fashion, and I just couldn’t get enough of its stylish sophistication and charm.
Vintage Afternoon Tea by the Sea Just when you think all of the good ideas have vanished from our midst, Frieda’s Tearoom and all its wonderful originality come to light. Family owned and operated, Frieda's Tearoom is an afternoon tea experience like no other. Set on-board a vintage shabby-chic double-decker bus, guests are individually greeted and the personal hospitality continues right through your one and a half hour experience along the beautiful Bournemouth coastline. The return journey starts at Bournemouth Pier and heads to Boscombe Pier and Southbourne’s historic Hengistbury Head. During our tour, we experienced exceptional sunshine with glorious 28C temperatures. As we watched the sea shimmering like the Mediterranean, it was difficult to believe we were in the UK. From the top deck of the bus, the sea views were fantastic and afforded us views of majestic yachts, jet skis and powerboats speeding across the horizon. Afternoon tea on a vintage bus Frieda's pulls out all the stops to ensure a quality experience. The plates, sugar bowl and milk jug are all served in beautiful gold plated bone china for a sense of occasion. Given that the afternoon tea experience takes place on a moving bus, extra precautions are taken to avoid spillages - tea is served in lovely ceramic handle-less mugs with rubber lids and the three-tier cake stand is affixed to the table so it doesn’t fall over. The delicious afternoon tea consisted of homemade cakes and sandwiches (cheese and coleslaw, smoked salmon and cream cheese, egg mayonnaise and cheese and chutney) and oven fresh scones that were still piping hot from the oven and served with clotted cream with homemade strawberry jam and delightful Rainforest Alliance certified Dorset Tea.
The desserts were a piece of art with options such as lemon slices, sensational macaroons (fruity and lightly chewy in the middle), mini chocolate cupcakes and strawberry slices on offer. For a memorable afternoon tea experience unlike any other, Frieda's is in a league of its own. Frieda’s Teabus Tours operates every weekend and departs at 2pm from Bournemouth Pier. http://www.friedastearoom.co.uk/tea-bus/ *My afternoon tea experience was hosted by Frieda’s Tearoom. All opinions are my own. Ben Ricci When Kiln Soho opened last year, everything about it excited me: Northern Thai food, cooked entirely over fire in front of your eyes and relaxed bar seating – two of my favourite things. So, when we rocked up at 7pm on a Saturday night, we were more than willing to wait our turn, and wait we did. Instead of hanging about, we pottered off into the depths of Soho, where we enjoyed several exorbitantly priced but marvellous cocktails (in The Den @ 100 Wardour Street). When our spot at the bar was ready, we received a text from Kiln informing us that our spot at the bar was ready, which was lucky for my wallet as our drinks tab was starting to make me nervous! One of my favourite dishes was the chicken – the finest I’d eaten all year, with its crispy skin and a juicy thigh with all the barbecue char of summer. I also loved the dinky lamb skewers dusted with Sichuan pepper, cumin and a hefty amount of salt. Next up was the langoustines ceviche, which epitomised the taste of Thailand – heady chilli, zesty lime juice and fragrant sweet mint. We also devoured the rich and unctuous brown crab meat and the pork belly and glass noodle claypot. We rounded all of this off with a ridiculously moreish Southern-style dry, minced pork curry spiked with heat and providing a huge hit of umami. We also had a rich, short rib Burmese curry, which according to my partner, was the best dish he’s ever eaten. The chefs here all cook with mesmerising skill. Within the restaurant, there’s a gorgeous hum, and a sense of the here and now, which helps keep you present, focusing on the food and the atmosphere. The cooking station is covered with burnt embers and ash and is laden with precariously balanced claypots that have seen better days alongside ready and waiting red-hot woks. We watched as mussels were scorched momentarily over naked flames until they opened to provide them with a smoky flavour. Despite the chaos, there is a surprising calm, and the presentation of the food is sophisticated. All the dishes we enjoyed were beautiful, intriguing, feisty morsels that I simply couldn’t get enough of. Quite simply, it’s a place that brings me so much joy it makes me happy to be alive.
58 Brewer Street London W1F 9TL www.kilnsoho.com Luci Lyne Our family has been dining at Grill on the Corner for a number of years now, making it a firm family favourite. It had been a while since we last visited, so we decided we were long overdue for a visit. When we arrived, the restaurant was buzzing and packed with diners. While there was background music playing as diners tucked into their meals, it was unnecessary given the diners' incessant chatter, which filled the room. Despite welcoming families as well as adult only diners, the only children in the place were ours, which they were well chuffed about. The location is as the name suggests, a corner site. The sleek, stylish restaurant boasts floor-to-ceiling windows adorned with fairy lights, which create a welcoming atmosphere. The restaurant's mission is to serve no-nonsense food, focused on wholesome ingredients. The dishes on the menu are primarily locally sourced and are a mix of traditional and modern dishes alongside a few classics. Unable to decide which starter we wanted, we opted for the Blackhouse Sharing Plate, a selection of crispy salt and pepper calamari, spiced chicken skewers, BBQ pulled pork bon-bons and sweet potato wedges. For good measure, we also ordered a prawn and avocado salad and a side of DIY garlic bread. The DIY Garlic bread proved a big hit with everyone. The warm grilled bread was served in a little wooden box with fresh garlic and a little dish of oil, so you could make your own garlic bread to your liking. The crispy calamari served with lemon mayonnaise, was great, although the children were a bit surprised that they came served with tails, but despite their initial reservations, they enjoyed them! The restaurant has a reputation for fine seafood and excellent steak, so I went with the grilled lobster and my husband had the 28-day aged steak. The rose red lobster was perfectly grilled, and had tender flesh and a divine flavour, enhanced by garlic butter. It was so delicious I was loathe to share it with the others - family or otherwise. The traditionally reared steak was tender and flavoursome. Every month the menu offers a different breed of cattle sourced from the finest British farms to ensure the highest quality meat and impeccable flavour. The children both ordered the award-winning chicken burger, topped with smoked bacon and cheddar and served with home-cut chips. The mains were all hearty portions, so there was no need for us to order additional sides.
My husband and I normally love indulging in dessert, but we were so stuffed from our fabulous starters and mains, we didn't have room. The children, had no such problem and refused to leave without having their favourite dessert - sticky toffee pudding. Be warned, it is a big portion, which was great because it meant we we were all able to have a try! The verdict The service is outstanding and the staff make you feel welcome. The restaurant will soon be getting refurbished and it will also be launching a new menu, so we'll need to pay it another visit later this summer to check out all the new changes. The Grill on the Corner 21-25 Bothwell Street Glasgow G2 6NL http://blackhouse.uk.com/glasgow *Images courtesy of The Grill on the Corner Raj Gill With the smorgasbord that is Camden Lock market, you'd be forgiven for thinking NW1 was saturated for good food, but there's one restaurant you need on your radar. Asian restaurant Inamo has migrated north and added a new location at Mornington Crescent to its portfolio already including Soho and Covent Garden. Influenced by the flavours and dishes of Japan, China, Korea, Thailand and beyond, the food is great, but that isn't the best part of it... THE VIBE The chain is passionate about creating a point of difference delivering an experience for the diner that brings a sense of fun to add to the flavour, and so with the help of sister company Ordamo, they were the first to launch an interactive ordering system. Trust me, it's fun. Through an overhead projector, diners can set the table ambience by changing the background, see an illustrated food and drink menu on the table, check out what's going on in the kitchen via Chef Cam and play games while they wait. Not just for kids - we were a bit gutted that our food arrived so quickly, to be honest. THE FOOD
About the food; it's tough to choose - it was all delicious. Fresh, sharp flavour pairings, seriously moreish sauces - your eyes WILL be bigger than your stomach. Though the extensive sushi offering looked pretty divine, we went for a selection of Asian tapas. The chicken satay was succulent and juicy, with a fantastically fresh peanut sauce (sounds obvious but I've tried some really bad ones that tasted like they came from a can). We tried the beef tataki on the waitress' recommendation, a classic Japanese dish of rare British rib-eye steeped in ginger and ponzu sauce - so melt-in-the-mouth delicious we easily could have devoured two! The pork Char Sui Buns were perfectly fluffy, while the sticky Korean Chicken Wings in a tangy sauce came sprinkled with dessicated coconut - a tasty touch that added an extra layer of flavour. I'm a big fan of the Chicken Karaage, marinated in ginger, garlic, soy fried & served with teriyaki. In fact, the only thing that didn't work for me was the Baby Crispy Seaweed, baby tiger prawns and squids in Japanese tempura that had a little too much batter and not much flavour. Make sure you hit up the cocktail list as well; I can heartily recommend the Lychee Martini - Absolut vodka shaken with fresh lime juice, lychee liqueur & juice. There's also a rather lovely looking terrace to enjoy on a lovely summer's day. THE VERDICT For delicious, fuss-free Asian cuisine, Inamo's the one. Food and drink: ★★★★★ Ambience: ★★★★★ Staff attentiveness/friendliness: ★★★★★ Laurel Waldron |
Restaurants, Bars and food/drink pop ups and reviews
November 2020
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Bon Appetit!There's nothing more delicious in life than indulging in a sensational meal. |