London Stuff

Meard St, Soho W1

2012-02-07T09:58:00.000Z

I love Soho in general but I particularly love the relatively untouched Georgian facade and street-scapes that are still quite prevalent (I have previously written about Broadwick St). It's unbelievable to think that in the early 70s the majority of Soho was earmarked for demolition and redevelopment (read about it here) - the recent Crossrail activities are a bitter taste of what could have been much larger scale destruction of one of London's most interesting neighbourhoods. In terms of Georgian Soho, Meard St (yes - like anyone else with a smattering of French, it makes me snigger, despite the different spelling) is one of the best examples. Running between Dean St and Wardour St, Meard St is an absolute gem. Famous more recently as the address of Soho

dandy Sebastian Horsley, Meard St began its life in the early 18th century and much of it was built by John Meard Junior and his father (and as such was originally called Meard's Street). I have always hankered to live in one of the flat fronted, wooden-shuttered Georgian terraces but these days you probably need a cool £2m+ (maybe I should start putting ads on the blog....). So in your wanderings around Soho, make sure you take a stroll down Meard St - as well as a great east to west shortcut it's a truly lovely reminder of the Soho of old.

Mishkin's - Catherine St WC2

2012-02-03T17:32:00.001Z

This has been a week of awesome sandwiches for me, starting with a mouth watering pulled pork bun at Pitt Cue in Soho and finishing with a sensational Reuben sandwich at Mishkin's in Covent Garden. I am a big Russell Norman fan, especially Polpo and Spuntino, so I already knew there was a good chance I would like Mishkin's. I love the way they describe themselves as a "kind-of Jewish deli with cocktails" - given I have always loved traditionally Jewish food (load me up on the pastrami, bagels, challah bread, soup with matzah balls etc) and I am also rather fond of cocktails, this also boded well. My friend Ryan and I went there for lunch today - unsurprisingly, given the fantastic venues Russell has fitted out to date, Mishkin's looks fab, outside and in. The menu is great - whilst we wanted to try as much as possible, both Ryan and I could not go past the traditional Reuben

sandwich. Made with corned beef, toasted rye bread and melted Swiss cheese, this is a mighty fine sandwich at the best of times but Mishkin's version was amazing. With some pickles on the side and with sharing plates of slaw and fries/onion rings in front of us (the latter called "Half & Half") we were two happy lunchers. Ryan is a bad influence and guilted me (calories wise) out of having a malted shake and instead forced me (so hard to twist my rubbery arm...) to have a cocktail. I went for the gin rickey (basically gin and lime) and it was great - I felt very "Mad Men" drinking gin at lunchtime. I can't wait to go back to Mishkin's and try other things on the menu and hammer those gin rickeys again - this is a really great place and may even become my favourite in the Russell Norman stable. So bubbalas, don't be schmucks, ignore the kvetching from some well known food critics and go check out Mishkin's, it's ace.

Pitt Cue Co. - Newburgh St W1

2012-02-02T19:08:00.000Z

Oh my, oh my oh my oh my - I have tasted sandwich perfection and its name is the pulled pork bun from Pitt Cue Co. OK, let me mop up the drool and take a step back. For those of you who hung out at Southbank in the Summer (I am a total Southbank junkie - not literally, I mean I just like the place a whole lot...) the name Pitt Cue Co will conjure up a cute food van, under the Hungerford bridge serving delicious BBQ meats with equally delicious and dangerously strong cocktails. Sadly as the long warm days drew to a close, so did the era of the funky Pitt Cue truck. So it was with great delight and aforementioned drool that I read about Pitt Cue opening a permanent location in one of my favourite Soho streets, Newburgh St. Some of you may remember Canela that was in this spot before - I didn't mind it but I'm really glad they moved on and made space for Pitt Cue Co (sorry Canela!). This is a really dinky space and there is a no booking policy, but there are stools at the bar and around the window so be patient. I was on a bit of a rushed lunch time so I chose the take away option and went for the pulled pork bun. I couldn't wait to get back to my desk to eat

this baby - and here it is in all its glory. I literally let out an orgasmic groan as I took my first bite - it was that good. The tender meat, the perfect glazed, charred bun and the crunchy slaw inside - it was just perfect. I am going to eat many of these buns - I'm telling you now and I will be back to Pitt Cue Co to sit in and enjoy some of their fine alcoholic beverages. So if you find yourself in the charming cobbled enclave of Newburgh and Ganton streets then do yourself a huge favour and walk in the door of Pitt Cue Co for some pulled pork magic.

Meat Liquor - Welbeck St W1

2012-01-30T20:21:00.001Z

I finally made it to Meat Liquor on Saturday after several tries when I just couldn't face the queue - and before you judge me people, the other half and I waited 2 hours for a burger at #Meateasy so back in your box. Man, this place is a total headf*ck - perhaps because I was jet-lagged, perhaps because I was a little drunk, perhaps because I had just eaten a burger so dirty and downright frigging delicious as well as some equally dirtily delectable chili cheese fries, I started to feel a little crazy in Meat Liquor. Helped by the low lighting, hillbilly soundtrack and frankly scary graffiti art (my friend Ryan said it looked like somewhere you'd find a trussed up body hanging from a meat hook) - I actually needed to get out of there in the end and breath some non meaty air. But hey, this is seriously good food and if you want to surrender yourself to the vibe, fortified by the equally superior cocktail list then you could lose your mind quite enjoyably in Meat Liquor. You may just wake up the next morning in some abandoned warehouse, reeking of burgers and feeling violated but happy though - I warn you.

Sensory Lab - Wigmore St W1

2012-01-30T20:11:00.001Z

I really miss the Penny University - which existed briefly but beautifully in Redchurch St in Shoreditch and was run by the Square Mile guys. It was all about the coffee and focused on brewed coffee in lots of weird and wonderful (at the time - now every joker (i.e. me) has a an Aeropress) ways. So I was really excited to check out Sensory Lab - opened by the St Ali folk from Clerkenwell (and originally my home town of Melbourne). Sensibly adding espresso to the line up, which makes this place a bit more accessible than Penny University (although not quite as ascetic and pure), this place is still ALL about the coffee - I didn't see any food on offer. The other half had a pretty decent flat white and I had a really delicious and unusual Rwandan brewed coffee (in the aforementioned Aeropress) which was all citrusy and complex and stuff and made me feel like a true coffee connoisseur. I love the fact that London is so into coffee now that places like Sensory Lab can open and exist - and on Wigmore St of all places. Nice one - we've come a long way folks.

The Earlsfield Deli - SW18

2012-01-30T19:57:00.000Z

OK so bear with me now - I know The Earlsfield Deli is in deepest, darkest SW18 but hey, it's my 'hood and I am super excited that there is somewhere serving really good coffee just near my house (finally an entry on my Central London Coffee Survival Guide map that I can walk to on weekends). And you know what - you should make the trip to Earlsfield because it's great. So there. Anyway (*deep breath*) this is a really lovely little deli. Behind the jaunty blue facade, there is a great selection of breads, produce, meats, cheese, cakes, the usual deli fare as well as delicious sandwiches and (here's the best bit) really great coffee made with Nude Espresso beans. These guys have been trained up in the art of espresso making by the Nudists themselves and also sell their beans. Without the fancy latte-art for now, these are still top notch flat whites. Their plan is also to open later and serve wine and nibbles - which I am looking forward to. Top this all off with friendly service and I think, even if this was not a hop, skip and a jump from my front door, I'd still love it. So come south my friends and fortify yourselves with coffee and a sanga (as we say in my native country) at the Earslfield Deli.

Salt - Great Queen St WC2

2012-01-14T20:41:00.000Z

I had heard about Salt but was not really sure exactly where it was so thanks to Rebecca for alerting me pre Christmas exactly where to find this little gem of a cafe. For those fans of 32 Great Queen Street (and I am definitely one) Salt is a few doors down. You can sit outside and stare at the slightly spooky grandeur of the Masonic "United Grand Lodge" (you feeling the Da Vinci code vibe yet?) opposite. Inside, this dinky cafe serves top notch flat whites made with Square Mile beans and also offers a selection of really lovely looking food. My friend Rob and I shared a delicious chocolate brownie - we would have eaten more but we'd just pigged out at Fernandez & Wells at Somerset House (review to come). This is a long, thin cafe (no sniggers please) with more seating out the back when you tire of staring at the Masons. I really like this cafe and this area - so check it out.

My Top 3 Cafes of 2011

2012-01-02T11:54:00.000Z

Firstly, apologies for my blogging slackness in the last months of 2011 - one of my New Year's resolutions is regular blog updating. This post should really have come a few days ago but before embarking in 2012 I just wanted to give a shout out to my top 3 cafes of 2011. It's always a tough one because I love them all really - I am just so stoked at how amazing the London coffee scene is these days. For those of you like me that have been here for over a decade, just cast your mind back to the coffee wasteland that was London post Millennium. Groups of desperate, hollow-eyed Antipodeans would huddle round an espresso at Bar Italia in Frith St, dreaming (in my case) of places like Mario's in Brunswick St in Melbourne and wondering if tea could be a good substitute. Fast forward a decade and things were completely different and now going into 2012 we are almost spoilt for choice and what a great problem that is to have. So I suppose what I'm saying is, if you're not one of my top 3 for 2011 it's not because I don't think you're awesome, it's just because there are so many great places now that you can actually single out 3 amazing cafes and by doing so leave out another 10 just as amazing ones. Anyway, here they are, my Top 3 in 2011 - based on quality of coffee (of course - for me, this is most often a flat white) but importantly also the vibe, the friendliness and the overall feeling I get when I sit in. The reason some of my old favourites have slipped off this list is the latter considerations - whilst the coffee quality remains high, I have felt less welcome in some of these places, as they become more popular the service slips (I suppose inevitably) and in a few cases, a smidgen of attitude creeps in. Anyway not at these places:

Nude Espresso - Soho Square W1. Given its proximity to where I work, this has become my go to cafe and as well as top notch flat whites, I just love the vibe here. So friendly and so laid back - I often wish I could just spend the morning hanging out in Nude, Soho Square, shooting the breeze. Plus their beans are our home brewing coffee of choice right now.
Speakeasy - Lowndes Court, W1. The streets off and parallel to Carnaby St are much cooler than Carnaby St itself and the arrival of Speakeasy on tiny Lowndes Court backs up that assertion. Small but perfectly formed, this is a really great addition to the London coffee scene. Sister cafe to the wonderful Department of Coffee & Social Affairs in Leather Lane, these guys make great flat whites using Coffeesmiths beans. Still haven't visited the Brew Bar downstairs but plan to do that early in the new year!
Birdhouse - St John's Hill SW11. Anyone who lives in SW London will appreciate the joy at a new cafe serving good coffee (those spoilt brats in East London have had it all their way for too long). Still buzzing from the news that Brewed Boy would be located at the lovely Ben's Canteen, I couldn't believe the news that another coffee destination would be opening on the same street. Owned and run by two top fellas, Cameron & Alexei, as well as serving top notch flat whites (Climpsons beans) this has to be the best fit out of 2011. I just love the way this place looks - every time I go I see something else to make me smile. This cafe would be great anywhere in London but the fact it is my neck of the woods makes it even better!

Birdhouse - St John's Hill SW11

2011-11-28T10:07:00.001Z

I can't tell you how much I am loving the fact that the coffee revolution is spreading through SW London. Despite being a loyal and long time resident of the leafier boroughs, I have had to admit (reluctantly) that on the coffee front we were lacking. Then Brew in Northcote Rd upped its game coffee wise, then The Roastery in Wandsworth Road opened, followed by Grind in Putney, recently Ben's Canteen and now, joining Ben on St John's Hill is the wonderful Birdhouse. I liked this place as soon as I saw the cheery, bright yellow stools sitting outside - one of the many really cool, quirky design features of Birdhouse. I really liked the look of the interior - I loved the art work on the walls (lots of birds obviously - see the snap below for one wall's display), I loved the old wooden and steel cabinets and lamps (almost surgical - in a good way), the tap water in old fashioned giant brown glass lab bottles (surgical vibe again?) was also really cool, as were the old fashioned paper straws....basically I loved it all. But most importantly I loved the coffee - brewing Climpson's Estate blend (originating from Brazil and Kenya apparently) the flat whites were top notch and we just had to sample the "chipster brownie" - an inspired creation with brownie on the bottom half and chewy biscuit on the top half. Bliss. This place is really great and I plan to come back again and again - so happy that St John's Hill is becoming such a cool strip and loving the addition of another coffee destination in my beloved SW London.

Sacred Cafe & University of London, Bloomsbury WC1

2011-11-25T11:04:00.000Z

I had an unexpected walk this morning (don't ask, forgotten passport, Eurostar debacle) through the environs of the University of London in Bloomsbury. Readers of this blog (you 5 know who you are) will know I harbour a deep love for Bloomsbury but I am not as familiar with what I suppose you would call "north Bloomsbury", bordering on Euston. As with other parts of the area, lovely Georgian squares abound, but there are some real architectural gems from other eras - the lovely, honey coloured Church of Christ the King on Gordon Square being one and the imposing art-deco grandeur of the Senate House, built in the early 30s as part of the more permanent incarnation of the University. I always find

it a bit odd walking around a university campus, suddenly I am transported back 23 years (eek) to being a fresher, which is nice on some levels and not on others! Being the cynical old roue I am now, I realise how totally un-prepared I was for adult life when I arrived at Melbourne University, with more than a touch of the wide-eyed country boy about me. But that's a whole other story... Anyway the walk around these calm, lovely streets really improved my morning and what made it even better was finding this dinky little booth at the corner of Gordon Square (which interestingly was designed by Thomas Cubitt in the 1820s, as one of a pair with Tavistock Square, which is a block away and has the same dimensions.) I like the Sacred Cafe in Ganton St (off Carnaby St) - they make good coffee and have a really laid-back un-pretentious vibe. This tiny outpost, staffed by a friendly Antipodean lass, carries through that vibe and my flat white was pretty good. I'm sure the students love this place - we could do with a few more of these booths around London, kinda like a coffee lovers' equivalent to Cabbie Shelters.

Dinner by Heston Blumenthal SW1

2011-11-24T19:15:00.003Z

I actually went to Dinner, Heston Blumenthal's restaurant at the Mandarin Oriental Hyde Park in Knighstbridge, over a month ago and haven't had a chance to write about it so my memory is a little blurry. Plus we could only get a 9.30pm sitting and the Other Half and I had both been working hard and sleeping little, so by the end of the meal we were in a total daze - but importantly in a happy, full-of-good-food daze so it was actually kinda nice. In fact if they had said we could curl up under the table and sleep I would have felt quite comfortable doing just that. Anyway I digress - basically Dinner is ace. The service was really fantastic and the food was even better - of course I had to have the Meat Fruit (pictured) to start. I love chicken liver pate and this creamy parfait version was cleverly disguised as a mandarin. I don't need to write too much - others much more qualified than me have done so but let me just say that everything they say is true, this is a joy of a starter and had me smiling from the first bite. All the dishes are a homage to recipes from the past and the Meat Fruit supposedly originates from 1500 - I had always thought the 16th century sounded interesting - the Reformation, Copernicus, Shakespeare but now I know they had Meat Fruit to eat, I am searching for a time machine. My main course was a little more up to date, from 1860 to be exact - a Black Foot Pork Chop with Spelt & Robert Sauce (which appealed because I am Robert...anyway). I'm not sure what exactly came from 1860, I'm sure they were eating pork chops long before that, but it was super tasty. Interestingly they warned me that it was cooked a little pink - immediately I flashed back to my mum teaching me that the two meats you should always make sure are cooked through were chicken and pork but I had faith in Heston that he wouldn't knowingly expose me to salmonella, so I chomped away at my slightly undercooked, very delicious pork chop. Of course we had to share the Tipsy Cake - having heard so much about it and seeing the wonderful spit roasting pineapples doing their thing in the kitchen. It was booze soaked briochey wonderfulness with the aforementioned pineapple on the side. Lovely, all lovely in fact. Pricey, but oh so lovely. Treat yourself - and order the Meat Fruit.

Ducksoup - Dean St W1

2011-11-22T15:00:00.004Z

Dean Street is fast becoming one of my favourite Soho food streets - I have written before about Dean St Townhouse and the wonderful Cay Tre and now I can add Ducksoup to the list. Stripped back, pared down almost to the point of shabbiness, Ducksoup reminds me of places I liked in Melbourne in the 90s, maybe along Brunswick Street or in St Kilda (as they were then). A turn-table and a stack of records greet you as you enter and they are more than happy for you to bring something from your own vinyl collection to play. A simple hand-written menu has limited but delicious sounding options - I went for the lamb chops, which were cooked to perfection, salty and with a wedge of lemon to squeeze over. Accompanying the incredibly delicious chops we shared pumpkin, spinach and goats curd, as well as courgettes cooked with mint & chilli - all top notch also. I loved the fact that there were no standard soft drinks available (Coke etc) but only ginger beer and Sicilian lemonade. Also loved the fact that booze was front and centre - and on any other day I would have partaken. I loved this place and definitely plan to come and prop up the bar one evening - plus I need to get me some more of those spectacular lamb chops!

Postcard from New York - Blue Bottle Coffee, Brooklyn

2011-11-21T10:38:00.000Z

If your travels take you to New York (as mine did recently) and you are hangin' with the hipsters in Williamsburg, make sure to check out Blue Bottle Coffee. I actually sampled their wares at their mobile/coffee-cart location on the funky High Line Park (which you also should check out) on the lower west side and the flat white I was served was top notch.

Ritzy Cinema - Brixton SW2

2011-11-21T10:29:00.001Z

I have been feeling a lot of Brixton love recently and realised that I had not written about one of the things I love most in Brixton, the Ritzy Cinema. The Ritzy has been there on the corner of Coldharbour Lane and Brixton High Street since 1911 (at which time it was called The Electric Pavilion and showed silent films), but was reinvented as an art house cinema, after a brief closure, back in the late 1970's. I love the fact that the Ritzy has watched the evolution of Brixton - when it was built Brixton was still a relatively prosperous middle-class suburb, probably still proud of the fact that Electric Avenue (close to the Ritzy) was the first street in London to be lit by electricity 30 years before. The Ritzy managed to survive both the heavy bombing during the blitz and the all-engulfing riots of 1981. It has witnessed the transformation of Brixton, due to the post WW2 immigration from the West Indies, into one of the most vibrant and interesting areas of London (to see what I mean, take a walk down the afore-mentioned Electric Avenue and through Brixton Market and into Brixton Village Market one weekend - then finish up with a burger at Honest Burgers and maybe a movie at the Ritzy). The Ritzy was cool before Brixton became cool, it pre-dates the clubs, the bars, the restaurants, the funky market stalls and it remains as always, one of the centrepieces of Brixton. Since they scrubbed up Windrush Square, this little precinct looks great - in particular the vista from the Ritzy, past the square, St Matthew's church looming in the background, finishing up at the imposing Town Hall. My introduction to the Ritzy came as a result of living in Streatham Hill when I first arrived in London in 1999. I have always loved art house cinemas and during that crazy 6 months, when I was often feeling a little fragile after dancing the night away at Escape from Samsara at The Fridge club across the road (some of you will be nodding and saying "oh yeah" right now), a movie at the Ritzy was a real treat. I have tried to get back there at least a couple of times a year and each time I do, I am struck by how great it is and encouraged that something as cool as this survives and (hopefully) thrives. There is so much to see and do in Brixton - if you are a dyed-in-the-wool North Londoner I can recommend a trip and when you do, make sure the Ritzy is on your itinerary.

New Row Coffee - WC2N

2011-11-15T18:39:00.000Z

Apologies for my general crapness as a blogger lately - my day job (which has turned into a day and evening job) has prevented me from spending the time I want on London Stuff, which is kinda annoying. I have been to lots of places in the last 2 months that I wanted to write about but it's almost at the stage now where it's been so long I will need to re-visit to make sure my reviews are accurate (which is actually a really good excuse to go back to places like Dinner and Da Polpo - hooray). Anyway in the interests of actually getting something done in November, I wanted to give a shout out to a really cool new cafe in New Row, just off St Martin's Lane. Usually when I am in this locale, my coffee-needs take me straight to Notes (which I love with a deep passion) however there is now a rival - New Row Coffee is only weeks old and is super cute. Lovely staff (who were really keen to get my views on the flat white they made me - which BTW was great), some really yummy looking food - with a heavy focus of mini sandwiches, meaning you can try lots of different ones - and a really lovely space. New Row is a funky little street - we actually bought our Rancilio Silvia espresso machine at Drury Lane Coffee over the road from New Row and they are a good source of coffee making paraphernalia. These guys are using Union beans and the coffee was super tasty. So make sure you go and check out New Row - I really liked everything about this place and I'm sure you will too.

Notes - Wellington St WC2

2011-10-25T18:45:00.004+01:00

So the Twitter buzz was true and the wonderful Notes Music & Coffee has cloned itself - hooray! Diving deeper into theatre-land from their original St Martins Lane location they have opened a lovely dual level shop on Wellington St, just near the Strand. As well as the mighty fine coffee they are known for, this is a great place to have an evening glass of wine and plate of charcuterie (you can see some delicious meat being sliced in the snap). The DVDs and CDs are downstairs and the whole place has a really chilled out vibe (does that make me sound like a hippy?). Anyway - love these guys, love the fact they have opened a new gaff - all power to the mighty Notes.

Honest Burgers - Brixton Village Mkt SW9

2011-10-25T10:57:00.001+01:00

I have written before about the wonderful Brixton Village Market but had not yet sampled the fare from Honest Burgers - which, given what burger junkies the other half and I are, is kinda surprising. I had actually wanted to go there on my birthday London fiesta but after Broadway Market, Shoreditch, Knightsbridge and Soho we ran out of steam - so we rectified that on the weekend and popped in before going to the Ritzy. Oh man, this was a goooooood burger - the reviews have been positive and the provenance of their meat is top notch (Ginger Pig) but it was even better than expected. We went for the plain beef version and the coarse, perfectly seasoned patty sandwiched between exactly the right type of burger bun (so often this lets a burger down - but not here) was delicious (to give you an idea of how good this was, as I write this I am drooling like Homer Simpson - why oh why aren't Honest Burger open on Monday nights). Triple cooked rustic fries are the perfect accompaniment - just get down there and try for yourself. Oh yeah - I should add, great location, cool shopfront, great service, great vibe in the market itself - it's all good folks, what are you waiting for?!

StArt Coffee - Columbia Rd E2

2011-10-21T18:01:00.000+01:00

An appendage to StArt Space, a gallery in Columbia Road, StArt Coffee is probably the smallest coffee bar I have encountered. We visited at the end of a heavily caffeinated day - Hurwundeki, CapheVn, Prufrock - but still managed to sample the wares and they were pretty good. As you can see our friend Rob was pretty happy with the whole experience. Columbia Road is lovely on a Saturday - no crowds, quite peaceful - obviously no flowers but still lots of the shops are open and you can browse without the rubber-neck crowds. I love the walk from Broadway Market through Columbia Road, over Shoreditch High St, through Arnold Circus to Redchurch Street and it's a caffeine wonderland. I would happily do it every weekend.

Hurwundeki - Cambridge Heath Rd E2

2011-10-21T17:42:00.000+01:00

I wish it wasn't so far to go for me to hang out in Broadway Market but it is, so I seem to only get here every couple of months. Anyway, this post wasn't meant to be a whinge, it is to tell you about a really quirky and cool cafe that makes a fun pit-stop if you get weary in between Bethnal Green tube and Broadway market (or just can't wait another second for caffeine and food - which was the case with me and the other half on the weekend). As you wander up Cambridge Heath Road/Mare Street (which is it at that point I wonder?) you come across Hurwundeki. At first glance this place looks like a tyre shop but on closer inspection, the mismatched tables and chairs and garden ornaments out the front indicate that there is something else going on. We had a lovely flat white and a delicious egg muffin - perfect fare to fortify us for the remainder of the hipster trail.

Speakeasy - Lowndes Court W1

2011-09-26T19:19:00.000+01:00

Alerted by Twitter (the word "free coffee" always get my attention) and by a friend on Facebook (I am so new media) I trundled along at lunch time to check out Speakeasy, a very cool new "Espresso and Brew Bar" just off Carnaby St. A sister cafe to the wonderful Department of Coffee & Social Affairs (with the same friendly Kiwi in attendance), this place not only has a cool name but makes great coffee and serves a damn fine plum cake (amongst other delicious looking food). The coffee, for some reason, was free today, maybe because it was Day 3. Whatever the reason I was happy to drink a top notch flattie that also happened to be free - I did feel slightly guilty though so I forced myself to buy the aforementioned plum cake. There were several other people snapping photos when I went in - making me wonder if they were fellow coffee bloggers (I felt like the poor relation taking photos on my crappy Blackberry). Anyway, this place is really great and is in close proximity to the cool enclave of Newburgh and Marshall Streets so check it out (even if you have to pay for your coffee).

Staple Inn - WC1

2011-09-14T21:36:00.000+01:00

Anyone who has been to the Chancery Lane/Holborn area will have seen these amazing Tudor relics - stuck in the middle of busy High Holborn, Staple Inn dates from 1585 and escaped the great fire of 1666, but got badly damaged in a WWII air raid. Over the centuries there have been various additions and repairs but what you see is still a largely intact Tudor building, which is so cool. Behind it, as behind so many of the busy streets in this area, are some of the wonderful Inns of Court (more blogging on that to come). So take a moment in your busy day to stand on the traffic island in the middle of the road and admire this truly amazing structure.

Bea's - One New Change EC4

2011-09-12T15:46:00.002+01:00

I was in the vicinity of St Paul's today so decided to check out the new(ish) One New Change shopping centre and my main reaction...meh. I am not a fan of these mall-type shopping centres and particularly next to the magnificence of St Paul's Cathedral. Anyway - I'm sure it's lovely for the people who work there to have some concentrated retail therapy to occupy their lunch breaks. Anyway, the best thing by far about this development is that there is a Bea's there (is it still Bea's of Bloomsbury if it's not in Bloomsbury?) I am a HUGE fan of the original Bea's in Theobolds Road WC1 and so as far as I'm concerned the more Bea's (and also bees) there are in the world the better. In fact Bea - how about SW18? Hmmm? As much as all the food at Bea's looks delicious I can never go past their version of the red velvet cupcake - not as sickly sweet as Hummingbird and the like, these babies are cup cake perfection and the Square Mile flat white I had with it was spot on. I sat staring out at a corner of St Paul's and decided that whilst One New Change was pretty naff, the fact it's provided a new home for Bea's makes it a winner in my book.

If you miss Brewed Boy...

2011-09-12T14:57:00.002+01:00

..then head to Battersea
http://benscanteen.com/2011/09/12/something-is-brewing/

NEWSFLASH! New Notes Music & Coffee - Wellington St WC2

2011-09-07T16:49:00.000+01:00

Exciting news - Notes Music & Coffee announced on Twitter today that they are opening a new venue in late September in Wellington St. Hurrah!

Maltby St SE1 - Part 2

2011-09-04T19:29:00.002+01:00

I have written about the foodie enclave that is Maltby St and its surrounds in Bermondsey before but that was almost 9 months ago, just before Christmas and things have got even better. Due to the growing visitor numbers and some weird goings on at Borough Market the number of producers selling their wares has increased.

This Saturday, on what felt like the last day of Summer, we had a very chilled and delicious wander around Maltby St, Druid St, Stanworth St and a little further afield to Voyager Railway Arches to visit the wonderful Kappacasein. Any of you who have been to Borough in the past will have seen their amazing cheese sandwiches being made and for now this new location is the only place where you can find them, as well as their ever popular raclettes (although they tell me they should be back at Borough very soon - while still keeping the Voyager Arches location). The plan is to also use this new space to make cheese and there was some construction going on out the back to do just that. It was so nice to eat one of their toasted cheese sandwiches (which are totally up there in my sandwich hall of fame) in such chilled surroundings - it was always a little hectic around their Borough stall. Of course once you've done savoury you need sweet (we alternated several times during the day...) so we headed a couple of arches up to chat to the friendly fella at the Ice Cream Union - who was super generous with samples (gotta love that) and up for a chat. The ice cream is fantastic too. Back on Stanworth St at

No.55 there are several great producers in one space - Fern Verrow's organic veg looked amazing (I was eyeing up some golden beets that were particularly beautiful) and the Borough Cheese Company was very tempting (there is certainly no shortage of cheese in the Maltby St area - Neal's Yard Dairy is also there plus Mons and others. At No.55 it was Coleman Coffee Roasters that caught my attention though - these guys are a small batch coffee roastery in south-east London and as well as selling beans (which we used this morning at home and were delicious) they were serving top notch piccolos. So all in all it was a lovely day - if you haven't checked out the Maltby St area make sure you do and soon - we started the day with a flat white at Monmouth, got a sugar rush from one of St John's custard donuts and then powered around the arches. The day finished in the wonderful Tower Bridge Antiques, which is right there also. I love this area - with Borough Market itself and the wonderful Bermondsey St a short walk away, this is fast becoming one of my favourite parts of London.

Capel Bedyddwyr Cymreig - Eastcastle St W1

2011-09-03T19:01:00.000+01:00

I really hope I got the Welsh name of this building correct in the post title - I have a sneaking suspicion I may have slipped an extra "d" or "y" in there somewhere. Anyway I wanted to give this really unusual and cool building in Fitzrovia its proper name. Otherwise I would have called it the Welsh Chapel, which is what it is. Built in 1889 this ornate fronted building has always intrigued me although I have never managed to see inside. Stuck in the middle of media and fashion land it seems a little out of place, like an architectural wedding cake. I think that's part of the reason I love it and of course it's in Fitzrovia which is also a bonus. Check it out - a little gem just behind Oxford Street.

CaPhe VN - Clerkenwell Rd EC1

2011-08-31T17:19:00.000+01:00

I have written before about how much I love CaPhe VN's Saigon street cafe in Broadway Market in Hackney and I was super excited to hear about their latest opening in Clerkenwell. I am still holding out hope that these guys will open an outlet in Soho or Fitzrovia but at least Clerkenwell is closer to my workplace then E8. This area of Clerkenwell is so cool - the Zetter, the Zetter Townhouse, The Modern Pantry, St Ali, St John St around the corner - foodies are spoilt for choice and CaPhe VN is a welcome addition. I love the fact that CaPhe VN have kept the street cafe vibe by having beach chairs out the front of their Clerkenwell store - there is such a friendly vibe with these guys and that combined with delicious bahn-mi is a winning combination. Predictable as I am , I once again opted for the classic pork bahn-mi and it was as excellent as always. Given the slight Autumn chill in the air I did opt to have my Vietnamese coffee hot rather than cold today - I prefer it chilled but the hot, strong, sweet coffee and condensed milk combo was a winner also. If you haven't yet sampled the delights of bahn-mi then there is no better place to start than Caphe VN - although I warn you, one visit and you'll be hooked like me!

Everyman Cinema - Hampstead NW3

2011-08-30T14:49:00.000+01:00

I do love me an art-house cinema - whether it's The Electric, The Ritzy, the Curzon Soho or Mayfair, the Renoir or the Barbican, I am always happy with a sub-titled film, some organic chocolate coated raisins and a glass of wine in an in-house bar afterwards. One I had not been to and had been wanting to for ages was the Everyman in Hampstead. I finally got there on the weekend - to see a rather charming Italian film about an older guy who feels like he has lost his mojo (I also like to see films I can relate to). As well as loving the film I loved the Everyman - the location is tops of course (I get such suburb envy in Hampstead) but everything from the friendly staff, the cool little bar, to the velvet sofas in the cinema were just spot on. I plan to visit again soon and if you haven't so should you - this place is a total gem.

Mayfair Ramblings - W1

2011-08-30T13:13:00.000+01:00

I had a really annoying meeting at work last week and I needed to get out of the office and walk off my frustration - I didn't have any particular destination in mind but soon I found myself crossing Regent Street and heading for Berkeley Square. As soon as I walked into this most graceful of West End squares I felt immediately better and decided to work out where I was actually heading. As it was lunch time and food is important to me (as you may have gathered) I decided to venture deeper into Mayfair and check out the Mount St Deli, which I had read about on Beanhunter as somewhere that did good coffee. I got slightly lost but ended up on Mount Street near The Audley pub (know to the post Ivor Novello Award revellers as the "DisAudley" - if you've been on that particular day you'll know what I'm talking about). Mount Street is Mayfair at it's most pristine and perfect - as well as the aforementioned pub there are some very high end antique shops, the wonderful Scott's restaurant and up a little on the right, the Mount St Deli. I do love a cafe with a grocery section and the Mount Street deli had all manner of deliciousness on display. I ordered a flat white and a quesadilla with taleggio and grilled peppers - the coffee was good (not outstanding but pretty decent) but the quesadilla was amazing. I admit I was ravenous but seriously this thing was all melted-cheesy deliciousness. I will be back just for that (and maybe save the coffee fix for Taylor St nearby). After lunch I strolled into the lovely and serene Mount Street Gardens - if you have never visited

this little oasis you must. Whenever I'm here I always feel like I should be meeting with someone from M15 and slipping them a brown folder with photos of the Russian embassy inside, but maybe that's just me. I suppose it's because it feels quite old fashioned and "old London" (which lots of Mayfair still does - at least those bits not over-run with silly banker/oligarch money). To cap off my stress-busting sojourn I went and had a look inside the Church of the Immaculate Conception on Farm Street - which is just lovely. I had first come across a reference to this church in one of my favourite books, "Brideshead Revisited". The

conflicted Julia Flyte, struggling with a Catholic upbringing and an American lover (divorced no less) "took her problem to Farm St" which I eventually worked out must be referring to a church, which it was and it's this one. If all this church-going is too much for you you could instead visit the Punch Bowl also on Farm St - a cute little pub made famous by having Madonna's ex as one of its co-owners. All in all I had a very pleasant hour or so and I got back to my desk refreshed and ready for the afternoon. Mayfair therapy I call it.

T J Boulting Building - Riding House St W1W

2011-08-23T19:56:00.000+01:00

I may have mentioned before how much I love Fitzrovia... but just in case you missed it, I LOVE Fitzrovia, in fact I love a whole swathe of London that stretches from Fitzrovia east through Bloomsbury and Holborn to Clerkenwell and Farringdon. I have lots of love for lots of bits of London but it is these parts that have really captured my heart. I long for a big Georgian house near Fitzroy Square, or perhaps within walking distance of Lambs Conduit Street. I just love the tranquility you get walking around the streets of Fitzrovia, compared to what you would experience a few hundred metres away in Oxford Street or Tottenham Court Road. As well as some great pubs, excellent cafes (think Kaffeine, Tapped & Packed, Lantana...) there are some lovely buildings and one of my favourites is the old T J Boulting building on the corner of Riding House Street and Nassau Street. Whilst the plaque dates the company (who were gas & electrical engineers and in later years made stoves and range cookers) to 1808 the building is actually from around 100 years later and has fantastic mosaic lettering on the corners and sides. When I walked past the other day there was construction going on inside - I really hope whoever is moving in here and refurbishing it is sensitive to what a gem this is.

Flat Cap Fleet St - EC4

2011-08-22T08:37:00.000+01:00

The wonderfully located caffeine experts Coffee by the Clock have had a name change - they are now called Flat Cap Fleet St to link them more closely with their progenitor (who knew I would ever use the word "progenitor" in my blog...) Flat Cap Coffee in Strutton Ground SW1. These guys know what they're about when it comes to coffee and whether it's at one of these cool coffee carts or the lovely lovely Notes Music & Coffee you will get great service along with your primo flat white. Keep breeding Flat Cap, we need more of your coffee carts.

Lina Stores - Brewer St W1

2011-08-18T14:19:00.000+01:00

There are some great Italian delis scattered around London but the best, in my humble opinion, is Lina Stores on Brewer St in Soho. Looking mighty fine after a 2010 refurb - the green tiling and old fashioned typography are spot on. I love just staring at the produce on display in the window but it's hard to resist going inside and I always end up coming out with something that I didn't realise I needed. Yesterday it was some top quality tuna in olive oil and a can of chopped tomatoes (I'm a sucker for Italian canned tomatoes - I usually go by how cool the can is, kinda silly I know...) There is so much deliciousness on offer in this wonderful shop - fresh (daily) pasta, amazing meats and cheeses, olives, canned goods, fresh herbs, basically every Italian staple you could ever want. This place has been in business for over 50 years (with a location change at one point I believe) and really has the feel of a family run store, with owners and staff who have lots of passion and commitment for what they do. I absolutely love this deli - long may it thrive.

Berwick Street Market - Soho W1

2011-08-17T11:44:00.000+01:00

Over the 12 years I have lived in London I have watched the gradual gentrification of the southern end of Berwick Street. [As a contrast, the northern end of Berwick Street, which used to be heaving with record shops makes me sad - the decline of the music industry can be seen right here in these few Soho blocks. Anyway, we will leave that part of the street (immortalised by Oasis on the cover of "What's the Story Morning Glory") and focus on the narrower, market-end.] Given its proximity to "Porn Alley" (otherwise known as Walker's Court) this part of Berwick Street always had that same whiff (literally sometimes) of seediness, with several dodgy looking doorways with hand-written signs or neon lights in upper windows promising a "Model". There was the herbal-high/smoke shop and the vegetarian food shop (Beatroot) which I would patronise on my health-kick days, plus there were fabric shops and a pretty dodgy pub. All in all Berwick Street felt a bit sketchy and I looked on it more as a shortcut through to further Soho adventures (back in those days it was probably too many vodka tonics and the rest at the Alphabet Bar...). Then things started changing - the dodgy pub, The Endurance, got a face-lift, the pioneering and incredibly welcome Flat White opened in 2005 plus the street market, which although it had great heritage (a market having been in situ since the 18th century) had always been a bit rag-tag, started to get a bit more interesting. Over the last couple of years the dodgy, porny-bit of the street has seen the construction of new retail space (ousting the "models") with these new shops housing Foxcroft & Ginger (whose ham and cheese French toast with maple syrup is one of my favourite heart-threatening breakfasts) and (I noticed yesterday) the super cool graphic-novel shop Gosh. On top of the improvement in the retail/food/drinking establishments lining the street, I love the fact that there is an outdoor street market bang in the middle of Soho that operates daily and has some really great stalls on top of the fruit and veg staples. My personal favourite (pictured) is the bread/cake stall (surprise, surprise) - usually situated just near Flat White, these guys sell amazing bread, including a fruit loaf that has whole dried apricots studded through it and is basically the perfect weekend breakfast fare. They also do great filled bagels and most importantly amazing cakes - this is not the place to visit if you on the Atkins diet. I heard a rumour that the wonderful Gelupo has set up a stall in the Berwick St market - how cool is that? Of course if you are in the mood for posh (and delicious) dim sum you can visit perennial favourite Yauatcha, another sign of the improving fortunes of Berwick Street when it opened in 2004. So if you haven't visited Berwick Street or perhaps you haven't been there for a while, make sure you check it out - in my book this is one of the coolest streets in Soho.

Farewell Brewed Boy Coffee Cart

2011-08-16T18:10:00.000+01:00

Sad news started filtering around the coffee loving folk of Soho over the last couple of weeks. Brewed Boy was packing up his cart and moving on - no more would we see his smiling face framed by the giant muscle-men on the side of the Prowler store, there would be no more witty banter as we waited for our delicious and expertly poured flat whites, no more would we be entertained by his stories of battling Soho drunks, junkies and local cafe-owners. The Brewed Boy cart basically brought lots of pleasure to lots of people and it's absence leaves Rupert St feeling a little depleted....but it's not all gloomy for these two important reasons:

There are still other fantastic coffee carts out there - Indie Coffee, Coffee by the Clock, Weanie Beans and Flat Cap to name four outstanding examples to satisfy your al fresco caffeine habit.
Brewed Boy is still around - he is part of the team at Ben's Canteen (see below) - which is super exciting in itself but even more exciting for people like me who live in SW London.

Bubbleology - Rupert St W1

2011-08-16T17:40:00.000+01:00

I am a big fan of bubble tea. In fact I have written before about Jen Cafe in Chinatown - there is something so cool about wandering around in Summer sipping a sweet iced tea, with rubbery tapioca balls floating in it, through a giant straw (stay with me people). So it's no surprise really that bubble tea has gone mainstream and there is now a branded chain store specialising in bubble tea - Bubbleology. There is a concession in Harvey Niks and also a cute store in Rupert St in Soho (just near where Brewed Boy used to be...sniff). I visited the Rupert St shop today and had a delicious passion fruit tea with tapioca balls and extra flavoured lemon jelly slivers. Sounds weird right? It was - but in a good way. I love bubble tea - I still have a fondness for the old-school Jen Cafe version but I must admit the glitzy, colourful Bubbleology store is pretty cool and the version I had there today was delicious. My tip - try them both out.

Ben's Canteen - St John's Hill SW11

2011-08-13T18:27:00.001+01:00

I was very excited to hear that a new cafe, Ben's Canteen was opening in my 'hood that was about good food and importantly good coffee (the fact that Brewed Boy was involved augured well). We finally got there today and it was good - to be honest I would say there is great potential with some kinks to iron out (more on that below). St John's Hill is a funny strip - really well placed and attractive but there has never been any (in my humble opinion) knock out food and drink places. There's a cute French deli, a posh fish 'n chips place and others - there actually used to be a place called Louvaines that I liked but that went under. The cafe that was in the Ben's Canteen location before was OK but kinda bland. Ben's looks good - I like the blue and white and the casual, stripped back wooden vibe inside. This has all the makings of a great brunch place and this corner of SW London really needs that. The other half and I had two pretty decent flat whites (important to note that BB was not in situ when we went so they weren't to his usual standard), I had a tasty full English and the other half had a sausage and egg sanga. The quality of the produce in my fry-up seemed really good - yummy bacon, great mushrooms, nice dark-yellow yolked eggs. The only short-coming was the bread - I saw some great sourdough going out on a sandwich but my breakfast had nice but generic white sliced - good bread can change a good full English to a great one. OK - so these guys are only in week two and I know they are finding their feet but I am going to play the know-it-all customer and give them some tips because I really want this place to succeed and thrive and I want to have lots more breakfasts there. So here we go - London Rob's tips for making your pretty cool cafe truly great:

when people walk in, particularly when it's super quiet, make sure they have glasses of water delivered to them ASAP
make sure your waiting staff are on the ball - the waitress who brought us our menus took our coffee order and then promptly forgot it and never came back to apologise. Having said that the other waitress was super nice and really efficient.
make sure the vibe is up beat (although not intrusive) - enthusiasm is infectious
as above, good bread with the fry-up is a must
make sure you check if people want more coffee when you pick up their cups - on the weekend most people will take you up on it

Anyway enough preaching - if you live in the St John's Hill area, this is a great addition to your neighbourhood. Make sure you support these guys - we need more places like this in London.

Taylor St Baristas - Mayfair W1

2011-08-05T14:40:00.000+01:00

Tucked away behind Claridges, in Brooks Mews (also home to the amazing French restaurant - La Petite Maison which make the best creme brulee in London, but that's a story for another day....) is another outpost of the top quality Taylor St Baristas gang. Using Union beans, these guys brew a mighty fine flat white and the one I had today was the best coffee I've had in a while. In addition I had the most delicious chicken (actually it could have been turkey, which would be more logical...), cranberry & brie toasted sandwich - perfection. The cafe itself is really cool - for those of you used to Taylor St's hole in the wall incarnation near Liverpool St this is a totally different story - lots of space to sit, a stripped back, almost rustic kinda vibe and all in all very chilled. Funny that within walking distance is all the glitz and glamour of Bond St, totally in contrast to the lo-fi brilliance of TSB.

Leeds - Laynes Espresso

2011-07-28T06:48:00.000+01:00

For coffee lovers living in or visiting Leeds... http://www.laynesespresso.co.uk/

NEW Tapped & Packed - TCR W1

2011-07-27T10:24:00.003+01:00

Tapped & Packed in Rathbone Place has been like my mistress. Let me explain - I was married to Milk Bar and I was very much in love, sure I cheated now and again but I always came back to my main love and I never wanted to stray far or for long. Then a sexy newcomer entered my life, just that little bit closer to where I worked and I found myself spending more time with them and then one week I realised I hadn't been to Milk Bar at all that week. After the flood of guilt, the recriminations, the soul searching I decided that that's life - sometimes you meet someone and it is for ever, other times you have an intense, wonderful year or two and then you realise that actually you are better off as friends - catching up with them now and again, always pleased to see them, a touch of poignancy about those heady days when you were lovers... OK now I've got that off my chest, back to Tapped & Packed, that saucy minx who won my heart. The combination of excellent coffee, great staff, cool premises and delicious food makes the original Tapped & Packed a winner so hooray that they have decided to replicate this formula at the unlovely end of Tottenham Court Road. With a great corner location and a more spacious feel than the original, this Tapped & Packed is sure to be a winner - my coffee was totally up to Rathbone Place standards and the same excellent food selection is avaiable. There was even a face from the mother-ship there to make it all feel very familiar. So lucky you if you work around Warren St - you just got a new hang-out.

Smithfield Market - EC1

2011-07-27T10:05:00.000+01:00

Hearing visitors to London say that they want to visit all the markets - Spitalfields, Columbia Road, Portobello, Smithfield. I always wonder if they realise that Smithfield Market is not full of chi-chi clothing stalls or organic chocolate brownies - but is rather a working wholesale meat market. Hopefully when they get there though, they end up loving this area as much as I do. Whilst the current market building is a magnificent Victorian structure, its stands on a site that has seen the meat trade being plied for over 800 years. In the days when London was a walled city, Smithfield lay just outside the city wall on the banks of the River Fleet and as such was perfect grazing land for livestock gathered for sale. Also used as site for public gatherings and more gruesomely executions (Smithfield saw the demise of William Wallace - and the less you think about how he died the better...ouch) the area around the market is so dense with London history it's almost palpable. As well as the heritage of this place and the wonderful architecture (market buildings and associated structures included) it is also home to one of my favourite caffeine-refuelling stations, Dose Espresso (now in larger premises), plus great restaurants and of course a short walk to the wonderful Barbican Centre. I had a brief and fairly uninspiring stint at a new media agency nearby and I used to tube it to Farringdon and walk through Smithfield every morning when the traders were sluicing out the blood from their stalls - quite a way to start a working day (and to be honest probably the high point). I have always loved Farringdon and Clerkenwell and the area is getting better by the day - particularly around the junction of St John St and Clerkenwell Road (I give you the Modern Pantry, St Ali and the Zetter Townhouse to name but three must-visit spots). For those of you of the clubby persuasion in the early 2000's (and beyond) you will have seen this area at all hours whilst stumbling in or out of Fabric (I may have thrown a shape or two there myself...). I always loved the proximity of this establishment to the meat market - maybe it was because it gave it a 1980's New York vibe. As always in a big city, some of the wonderful market buildings have been threatened with demolition by *gnashes teeth* property developers, especially given the proximity to the ever encroaching City, but fingers crossed it looks like the threat has been averted - except for the demolition of some buildings in the cause of f*cking Crossrail (go here for further rants). Anyway - if you haven't been to Smithfield or Farringdon, do yourself a favour and head there this weekend, take the time to wander around the beautiful main market building, make sure you check out the church of St Batholomew the Great (which has existed here in some form since the 12th century) and just take a moment to think of all that has gone on in this particular pocket of this amazing city.

Pitt Cue Co - Southbank SE1

2011-07-18T18:16:00.002+01:00

Have I mentioned before how much I love Southbank? I did? Well I'll say it again - I LOVE Southbank and last Sunday was one of those prefect Southbank days. I had been wanting to try out the Pitt Cue Co. BBQ truck under Hungerford Bridge for ages and in fact I had gone down there last week but was too early so this was my second mission (the first time the ever generous Pitt Cue crew gave me a couple of pieces of tasty brisket and some confit onions from their "crew lunch" to keep me happy - how cool is that?). I couldn't believe it when the other half and I got there at 1pm a couple of Sunday's ago and the guys at Pitt Cue told me they had been caught in a traffic jam on the way to set up so were running late - I felt like the fates were trying to stop me sampling that BBQ loveliness. Luckily the guys from Milk & Honey had set up a cocktail stall next door (the cocktails were actually raising money for Pitt Cue to buy a new smoker) so we sampled some mighty fine gin based beverages while we waited for Pitt Cue to get going. We got a little squiffy on the delicious cocktails and just in time Pitt Cue began serving their amazing BBQ goodness - the pulled pork is their signature dish and it comes with black beans, homemade crunchy coleslaw and the aforementioned confit onions. This is seriously good food - in fact it's groan out loud good (although that could have been the cocktails talking). Trust me on this - if you are in the vicinity of Waterloo, just GO!

CaPheVn - Broadway Market E8

2011-07-11T20:01:00.000+01:00

Ah bahn-mi, how I love thee. Something about the crispy baguette, the crunchy herbs, the savoury pate and meat just makes the perfect sandwich. My favourite place to get them to date had been City Caphe near Bank tube (if you haven't been there - go, it rocks) but now I have an equal favourite, the lovely CaPheVn stall at Broadway Market. I love Broadway Market - any food and/or coffee lover has to love Broadway Market - but I had never tried the bahn-mi from CaPheVn. The first thing you notice is what a cool stall this is - with outdoor deck chairs and umbrellas galore, this is a place that feels so welcoming and the people on duty at the stall back this up. I felt good just being there but boy did I feel better once I took the first bite of my classic signature bahn-mi (take a look at the little beauty below). The secret is definitely the baguette (which is one of the reasons why, despite visiting I have not blogged about either Keu in Old St or Bahn Mi Bay in Theobold's Road - although I plan to give them both a second chance) but I think part of the reason that City Caphe and CaPheVn's bahn-mi are so good is that they are lovingly put together. Nothing compliments a bahn-mi better than a sweet Vietnamese coffee, made with strong black coffee and sweet condensed milk - this time I had it poured over ice and it was sen-fucking-sational! I still hold out hope that someone will open a bahn-mi shop in Soho - for a while we had Viet Baguette but then that closed and never re-opened. C'mon City Caphe and CaPheVn - pool your resources and open a bahn-mi shop in W1 - I promise I'll visit at least 3 times a week.

Mouse & De Lotz - E8

2011-07-11T19:54:00.000+01:00

I had been wanting to check out Mouse & de Lotz for a while but as it's in the wilds of Hackney, I always felt it required planning, which lately I can't seem to manage. Luckily it turns out that it's actually right across the road from my good friend Doug's place so I could combine a visit to him with a caffeinated beverage from M & DL. And as for the "wilds of Hackney" bit - well I also discovered that the under-rated London Overground trains go directly from Clapham Junction (in my neck of the woods) to Dalston Kingsland. Admittedly on a Saturday these trains only go every 45 minutes so you need to plan a bit - which obviously meant that I missed the train I needed but even so, it was super easy to get there via SW Trains, the Victoria Line and the last bit of the London Overground from Highbury & Islington to Dalston Kingsland. Anyway - at the risk of becoming a London transport bore, back to Mouse & De Lotz. Super cute, this place would be a winner for any neighbourhood, but of course it's the hipster East Londoners who get it (don't you have enough people - we need more of this stuff in SW London...). The flat white was spot on, the fruit loaf was super tasty and sitting outside with Doug (you can spot him in the picture) I was very content. So if you live around here or indeed if, like me, you have discovered speedy routes from your part of London to Hipster Central then make sure you check out this great little cafe serving really good coffee.

Dose - the new digs, Long Lane EC1

2011-06-08T16:06:00.001+01:00

I have written about Dose before, in fact it was one of my early blog posts and I have not managed to get back there nearly as much as I would have liked. The fact they have upgraded to larger premises next door to their old site was a good excuse to visit again, so I Boris-biked there with my friend Andy to check out the new look Dose. One of the things I really love about them is that they serve a "Gibraltar" which is like a pint sized latte - even though the picture to the right looks like a full size glass, this is actually a cute mini-version and was about 6cm high. Not sure I get the difference between a Gibraltar, a Piccolo, a Cortado and a Stumpy, but I like them all and given the amount of coffee I drink it's nice to cut down on the milk. We also partook of Dose's delicious food selection - a toasted haloumi, avocado and bacon ciabatta-thing was super tasty. We also shared a "fully loaded Blondie" which was nice enough but to be honest it tasted a bit too healthy for my liking - I prefer the chewy, dense, definitely not-healthy Lantana blondie (SO good). Anyway - nice to see that Dose is thriving and expanding - it is a really great cafe serving top notch coffee (using Square Mile beans) and decent nosh. I love the Smithfields area (and will be blogging more about some of my favourite bits over the coming weeks) and having Dose there makes me love it even more.

Cay Tre - Dean St W1

2011-06-07T19:05:00.000+01:00

I finally got to Cay Tre last week for lunch and came out of there a very happy man. I also stank of garlic for the next 3 days, but it was worth it I tell you (the other half may not agree...) Although I have not been to the original restaurant in Kingsland Road, I had read glowing reports from Greedy Diva so I knew I was in a for a treat. I can't remember what was on this site before but the fit out is lovely and my colleagues and I were greeted with lots of smiles when we came in. We shared starters and they were an indication of the deliciousness to come. Fresh, herby, wonderful summer rolls were stuffed with juicy prawns and were a delight. The Cha La Lot was probably my favourite dish of the day - spicy ground pork wrapped in wild betel leaves with roasted peanuts and nuoc cham (Vietnamese dipping sauce). These little parcels of joy were so moreish, I could have finished off the whole plate myself (and definitely took more than my share). Choosing a main was tricky but I think I hit on a winner - I went the Bun Sa vermicelli bowl - wonderful noodles with herbs and Vietnamese salad, flavoured with nuoc cham and chock full of juicy wild red sea prawns. This was a bowl of pure happiness and I slurped, munched and generally chowed my way through it in record time. I can't wait to go back to Cay Tre and work my way through the menu - I just wish they did a bahn-mi take away service, then my happiness would know no bounds!

Fourth Plinth - Trafalgar Square WC2

2011-06-02T19:48:00.002+01:00

The Fourth Plinth is one of my favourite London landmarks. Taking advantage of a 19th century funding crisis that left the plinth vacant, it became home to temporary artworks in the late 90s before a formal commisoning procedure was put in place around 2005. For those of you who lived or visited London back then, you are bound to remember the confronting Marc Quinn statue of Alison Lapper - people couldn't decide if they were shocked because she suffered from thalidomide, because she was naked or because she was pregnant, or perhaps all three. Personally I really liked it and my love for the fourth plinth project began back then. The current resident is a really cool giant ship in a bottle by Yinka Shonibare and the 2012 and 2013 winners have just been announced. The Anthony Gormley project for the fourth plinth involved inviting members of the public to basically do whatever they liked on top of it, which was also kinda cool. I love Trafalgar Square - I love Nelson's Column, I love the lions, I love the grandeur of the National Gallery and St Martin's in the Fields and I love the view down Whitehall to Big Ben - and for me the fourth plinth is a wonderful and quirky reason to love it even more.

Nude Espresso - Soho Square W1

2011-06-01T11:27:00.001+01:00

Hurrah - Nude Espresso has opened a new branch in Soho Square. These guys roast their own (excellent) beans and turn out top notch caffeinated beverages. My flat white this morning was so good it actually brought tears to my eyes (OK I am being a tad over-dramatic, as is my wont, but it was bloody good). I only made it over to their Spitalfields cafe once and loved it and also loved their pop-up collaboration with Rapha in Clerkenwell last year so I am super excited about having a Nude branch right on my doorstep. Although it does present me with a dilemma - I already feel guilty that I have pretty much forsaken my beloved Milk Bar for Tapped & Packed over the last 6 months (given I work on the north side of Oxford St it's just easier to go to Rathbone Place than Bateman St...) but now I will have Nude to hijack me when I am heading through Soho Square. As I write this though, I realise how wrong this is so let me use this blog to make a pledge, that I will endeavour to make at least one visit to Milk Bar per fortnight. Anyway not sure how this entry about Nude became a way for me to assuage my guilt at abandoning Milk Bar... Back to Nude Espresso - situated in the "forgotten corner" of Soho Square the cafe has the familiar stripped back, banquette, wooden seated decor that instantly makes me want to mainline coffee and hoover up cakes. Speaking of cakes I was persuaded to have a rather gorgeous orange friand-y thing this morning. Everything on offer looked good - it says something about my psyche that whilst I mentally rejected an amazing looking brownie as being unhealthy, I rationalised having the cake because it contained orange and had a raspberry perched on top. Anyway this is a lovely little cafe on one of my favourite London squares, serving amazing coffee and delicious cakes. Plus they're open all weekend - life is good people, get excited!

Cox Cookies & Cake - Brewer St W1

2011-05-31T17:58:00.000+01:00

If you are a fashionista or maybe fancied yourself as a 90s trend-setter in your "wannabe" loafers then you are well aware of who Patrick Cox is. For those of you who have nfi, he is a designer (mainly of shoes), is Canadian, is often pictured in the society pages with David Furnish (Elton John's hubby) and is gracing the esteemed pages of this blog because late last year he opened a cake shop in Brewer St in Soho. Brewer St has always been a little seedy and to me that adds to the allure, however it is also has some great places to eat and drink - Randall & Aubin and Hix Soho to name but two. Cox, Cookies & Cake is at the Rupert St end of Brewer St and so the inevitable double entendre is apt. To be honest, the cakes are just OK but they look amazing. Plus the place itself and the cupcake decoration are so OTT (yes, there are cakes with cocks on them) that it is worth visiting just to check them out. The lemon cupcake I had was nice but unremarkable and the reviews have been a bit harsh, but something about this whole experience made me smile so I have no issue with recommending that you check it out. Just make sure that if you are in the area you pop round the corner into Rupert St and say g'day to Brewed Boy.

Postcard from LA - Intelligentsia Coffee, Venice Beach

2011-05-31T17:35:00.001+01:00

America has always seemed to me like the land that coffee forgot, even though the yanks are big coffee drinkers. I was always intrigued by the coffee percolators on US TV shows when I was growing up and the concept of the "bottomless cup" you got at roadside diners. When I finally got State-side in 1991 most of the stuff I got served, in particular the "bottomless" variety, tasted like arse. In the years since I have drunk better coffee in the US but have never managed to get a decent milky coffee - it seems that whilst America embraced the Starbucks culture whole-heartedly and actually became OK at making decent brewed coffee (those last two things were not related by the way) I still struggled to find the sort of cafes that I had come to love back in Melbourne and then more recently in London. That was until my friend Lisa introduced me last year to Intelligentsia on Abbot Kinney Blvd in Venice Beach, CA (one of several US locations). Firsly, if you ever get to LA, make sure you get to Abbot Kinney - it is a really cool area and there are some great places to eat (in fact I had one of the best sandwiches I have ever eaten at a restaurant on Abbot Kinney called Gjelina - fried egg, harissa aoili, confit tomatoes, rocket and speck...oh yeah), drink and generally feel like a hipster. Most importantly though fellow coffee-junkies, it is where you will find LA's best coffee at Intelligentsia. The place itself is really cool - there is often a queue but the system seems to work well and before you know it you are presented with a pretty damn fine beverage. I went there afgain a couple of weeks ago and when I asked the guy if he could make me a flat white (it wasn't on the menu) he not only knew exacly how to make a textbook variety (see photo above) but also name-checked Gwilym Davies (is there any coffee-corner of the world that GD has not infiltrated?) and was super chuffed when I said his latte-art was "Gwilym-worthy". Anyway, this blog is meant to be about London so I will stop wittering on about Intelligentsia, but I do feel like it is part of my duty to ensure that wherever you guys are in the world, you can satsify your need for a primo flattie.

Southbank - SE1

2011-05-09T14:28:00.000+01:00

I have waxed lyrical about the Southbank precinct before, when I reviewed Canteen some time ago but I decided that this wonderful area of London needed its own post. As the weather gets warmer I tend to walk from Waterloo in to Soho rather than take the tube (particularly as recently the Crossrail ....grrrrr.... project means the Northern Line doesn't stop at TCR for another thousand years). Often there is a temporary market in the space behind the Royal Festival Hall, right outside Canteen and the other day it was a Tea & Coffee Festival (pictured). Maybe I was in a good mood that day but I suddenly got all misty-eyed and sentimental about the Southbank and the fact that hidden behind it was this cute little mini-festival celebrating tea & coffee, with passionate producers and distributors touting their wares. Combine that with all the great cultural venues on offer within a short stroll - the National Theatre, the BFI Southbank, the Hayward Gallery, great places to eat and drink plus the joy of the south bank itself - the second hand bookstalls under Waterloo Bridge, the promenade, the people watching - what a place! Here I go getting misty-eyed again, but please, please, if you have never been to the Southbank Centre or any of the surrounding areas or you haven't been there in a long time or you just don't know it that well, spend some time there. Summer is a wonderful time to visit - there is always something going on. Case in point, the other day as I wandered across the footbridge from Embankment I came across Billy Bragg playing outside Festival Hall - that pretty much sums it up for me.

Royal Victoria Patriotic Building - SW18

2011-05-09T11:29:00.000+01:00

Whilst I'm in gothic revival mode (I feel like I should be wearing eyeliner and listening to Sisters of Mercy) it seems appropriate to blog about another architectural gem - the Royal Victoria Patriotic Building. Built in the mid 1800s as an orphanage for children of Crimean War veterans, the building was subsequently used as a 1st World War soldiers' hospital, an interrogation centre for German spies in the 2nd World War, a teachers' training college and a school, before lying derelict for years. Finally offered for sale for £1 but requiring the purchaser to undertake millions of pounds worth of repairs and restoration, the building was transformed into a unique combination of apartments, studios and workspaces and a restaurant and bar. The other half and I were lucky enough to live here around 5 years ago and it was amazing to move into a building like this one. Slightly spooky I must say - there are all sorts of ghost stories associated with the place (not surprising given its history) and there were times, walking around the corridors of the main building at night that the hairs on the back of my neck stood up. The building contains two lovely courtyards; the nicest has two fish ponds with fat, colourful goldfish in them. Our apartment, which had an amazing vaulted living area and the original church-like windows, overlooked the other courtyard which led off the restaurant and bar (called Le Gothique). This wasn't necessarily ideal as anyone who lives above or next to a restaurant or bar will tell you - but it was kind of handy to be able to be able to buy ready made jugs of Pimms in the summer. When the building was first renovated some of the early residents were 80s pop-tastic, supposedly a Duran Duranite and also the male half of the Thompson Twins (who still lives there) and there is still a bit of a decadent vibe going on, or at least there was in our part of the building. Again that was not necessarily a plus for us - as we both had jobs that required us to be up and at it early during the week and there were regular Tuesday night 4am benders going on at our neighbour's place. Sleepless nights aside, we really liked living at the RVPB - if you ever get the chance, have a look inside at the main hall with its heraldic painted ceiling, it's amazing. Perched on the edge of Wandsworth Common, this building is a landmark to SW residents but largely unknown to the rest of London - it's definitely worth a visit and you can get a Pimms buzz up afterwards at le Gothique and then go and wander round lovely Wandsworth Common. Go on - get your gothic on.

The Gilbert Scott at St Pancras NW1

2011-05-09T10:19:00.000+01:00

So firstly, let's have some love for the wonderful, amazing St Pancras and old Midland Grand Hotel building - one of my favourite buildings in London (I do love a bit of Gothic revival architecture). It defies belief that it almost got demolished in the 60s - but then again that was the decade of "out with the old and in with the new" so perhaps not so surprising. Anyway thanks to, amongst others, John Betjeman demolition was avoided and this wonderful building lived on and is now the Eurostar hub, a snazzy new hotel plus the site of super-chef Marcus Wareing's new venture The Gilbert Scott - named after the architect responsible for all this splendour. The other half and I were lucky enough to get a sneak peak at the restaurant before it officially opened, thanks to some friends who know the main man himself. I have to admit, getting to shake Marcus' hand on the way in did make me slightly star-struck - in this age of instant celebrity, meeting a true master of their craft is actually something worth getting excited about. (On that note - I include in that category novelists, musicians and actors who can actually act). Anyway, enough name-dropping - on to the place itself. The bar as you walk in is really cool - great seating, fantastic lighting (including enormous bells hanging from the ceiling) and most importantly brilliant cocktails, including one that was delivered out of a soda siphon (very carefully!) We could have happily spent the evening downing cocktails but were shepherded into the main room - which is grand in all the right ways and harks back to the days when dining at a railway station was a real event. It reminded me of a pared back version of Le Train Bleu at Gare de Lyon in Paris (if you haven't been - go). Unfortunately I was in the middle of a 5 week battle with a super-cold virus and I could barely smell or taste anything, which was hugely frustrating so it's hard to report on the food. What I can say is that I loved the menu - very traditional British dishes, local produce and fully in keeping with the overall vibe. I can't wait to go back and actually taste the food properly - my 3 dining companions loved everyting they ate. I know it's a little weird to blog about a restaurant and not describe the food but come on, it's Marcus Wareing, the food is going to be good. Plus the location is amazing and you can jump on a train to Paris after dinner -what's not to like? And if you can't get a booking at the Gilbert Scott (important to note that the bar is open to non diners also), buy yourself a sandwich and stand and admire the magnificence of this building - even more beautiful given how close we came to losing it forever.

Federation Coffee - Brixton SW9

2011-05-01T16:52:00.003+01:00

My trip to check out Federation Coffee today reminded me of my early days living in London in 1999 when I shared a house in Streatham Hill with three really good friends, Beth, Steph and Paul. I had forgotten how fast the Victoria Line tube trains go between Vauxhall and Stockwell (seriously folks, it's like a roller coaster), then as the escalator took me up towards the rowdy reality of Brixton, I was suddenly a wide-eyed 29 year old Aussie again (please don't calculate how old that makes me now - it's just cruel). Turning left on to Brixton Road and then left again on to Coldharbour Lane, I gave a friendly nod to the good old Ritzy Cinema and as I walked I remembered late night adventures on this very thoroughfare, trying to look cool and "street" and then ending up with a cling film wrapped piece of tree bark, or a baggie of chamomile tea. It has really changed very little in 12 years (although no-one offered me spliff today) and my old haunts, Club 414 and the Dogstar are still there. What wasn't familiar was Brixton Village Market - or at least it's current incarnation as a home for various funky eateries. I seem to remember this as a pretty uninspiring and slightly dodgy shopping arcade but it is really cool now. Inside is Federation Coffee - dispenser of fine caffeinated beverages to SW9 locals (and coffee tourists like me).

Friendly Kiwis behind the counter, cool little shop, delicious looking brownies and a really great flat white (made with Nude beans) - this is a cracker of a place. After my coffee I had some scrambled eggs on toast at a really cute little cafe just down from Federation called the Relay Tea Room and felt very content with the world. I am keen to come back and check out more of the food on offer in the rejuvenated Brixton Village Market - sounds like there are lots of cool activities going on as well, apparently Felix from Basement Jaxx was DJing in the market the other night. I'm sure if you live anywhere near SW9 you already know about Federation Coffee and Brixton Village Market but for you others I would definitely recommend a trip down south to check it out.

Piccadilly Arcade - SW1

2011-04-30T18:38:00.001+01:00

Somewhat over-shadowed by the flashier Burlington Arcade across the road, I prefer the Piccadilly Arcade, running south from Piccadilly towards Jermyn Street. As well as some very grand outfitters (this is the perfect arcade to go to if you are looking for hunting gear or a silk dressing gown...as you do) there are some wonderful little shops here - my favourites are Iconastas - specialising in Russian art, from the ancient icons that give the shop its name to more contemporary Soviet era pieces; and St James Art Books - which despite its name is not a book shop, but instead a rather lovely shop selling original artworks that are pricey but fascinating (and we can all dream right?). Weirdly there's a bit of a focus on Soviet painters of the 50s and 60s - not sure why this rather grand St James Arcade has a recurring Russian theme, maybe there's a story behind it. Anyway - if like me, you are fond of an old fashioned arcade (which I think stems from my Melbourne heritage - we do a mighty fine arcade there) then make sure to visit this one, perhaps after stopping off for a browse at Fortnums or buying some books at the lovely Hatchards.

Riding House Cafe - W1

2011-04-29T17:23:00.000+01:00

I have a new favourite place - the Riding House Cafe on the corner of Great Titchfield Street (home to my faves Kaffeine and Scandi Kitchen) and surprise, surprise Riding House Street. It's a big old place (the photo doesn't do it justice) and I seem to remember it being some sort of run of the mill cafe/restaurant before - but perhaps not the whole space. I went there once for a work lunch for a job I had briefly many years ago at a really crappy TV company. Anyway I digress - whatever was there before, the entire block is now the wonderful Riding House Cafe and you just have to go! The decor is brilliant - I do love a Frenchy, New Yorky, quirky brasserie feel and this place has it down pat - great wooden panelling, really cool lighting (including some fantastic wall lights that incorporate stuffed squirrels), a fantastic bar that just begs to be sat at for long cocktail-soaked evenings and wonderful leather banquette seating. And the food - well my friends, prepare to be delighted - the other half and I shared a selection of small dishes that were all delicious, try this on for size - beetroot carpaccio with sheep's ricotta and a merlot vinaigrette; chicory with pear, radish and gorgonzola; goats curd, figs and honey; veal & pork sausage with lentils, mustard & sage; sea bass ceviche with lime & chili; and a lovely fresh chopped salad with avocado and palm hearts. And it all tasted as good as it sounds. Plus we finished off with a really top notch flat white. This is the latest opening from the team behind Village East and The Garrison in wonderful Bermondsey so they know what they're doing. I can't wait to get back here and have breakfast (I'm thinking I will make it a weekly thing given how close this is to my office), eat many more lunches and dinners, settle in for evening cocktail sessions and hang out at the aforementioned bar and just generally make this place my local. Hip hip hooray for the Riding House Cafe.

St Ali EC1

2011-04-18T18:56:00.003+01:00

So finally the long awaited London opening of Melbourne's much loved St Ali has happened. I went along to their opening party at 27 Clerkenwell Road and whilst my friends Gen and Rosie guzzled the free champas I was determined to sample their coffee - the pictured flattie was perfect and I will definitely be back for more. It is a huge space (check out the always excellent photos on Gourmet Chick's blog), with their own roastery plus upstairs eating space which apparently will also be a late night venue so lots to check out here - which dear readers, I will endeavour to do on your behalf!

J P Guivier - Mortimer St W1

2011-04-18T18:47:00.000+01:00

I don't play the violin or in fact any stringed instrument but I have a fascination and a fondness for England's oldest violin dealer - J P Guivier on Mortimer Street. I love the jaunty window display, the sense of calm that seems to reside inside and just the fact that here in busy central London there is a shop wholly dedicated to selling violins, violas and cellos. Anyone who has read Howard Jacobson's The Finkler Question (and if you haven't you should - it's great) will recognise Guivier's as the location of the main character's mugging. But don't let that put you off - I have stood and stared into this wonderful shop many a time without being assaulted (at least to date). It seems as though shops like this are increasingly rare in central London - perhaps driven out by high rents or the demand for a new Pret or Starbucks so I feel particularly protective of them. So if you are in the market for a violin, please buy it here! Otherwise, give yourself a moment of calm in your busy west end day and spend some time, just like Finkler, staring in at one of central London's loveliest shops.

Scandinavian Kitchen W1 - revisited

2011-04-18T18:21:00.000+01:00

I have already written about the wonderful Scandinavian Kitchen but after attending their bloggers' night a few weeks ago I decided that they were worthy of another shout-out. Why? Let me count the ways - (1) The food is delicious - if you haven't tried Scandi open sandwiches (known as smorgasbord) then you need to rectify that situation and fast. Plus these guys have amazing cakes and all sorts of other goodies. (2) I love love love the Scandi groceries they sell - I am a sucker for foreign supermarkets and products so this sort of shop was always going to appeal to me but beyond the funky packaging and snigger-inducing names (try asking for Plopp or Spunk with a straight face) there are some delicious Scandi goodies for sale - my new favourite breakfast is dark crispbread with delicious Danish cheese and organic raspberry and blueberry jam, all bought from the Scandi Kitchen. (3) These guys are just really lovely people - Jonas and Bronte put so much love into this place and that was evident at their bloggers' night. They are passionate about their region's food and keen to pass on that passion to the people of London. It was so refreshing to see their approach - it was actually a marked contrast to another event I went to the following week (which shall remain nameless...) where it felt super corporate and you really got a sense of the money men behind the scenes. Long live the Scandi Kitchen way of doing things. Anyway - this is a super cool place with great food in a really cool part of London - Great Titchfield Street in Fitzrovia has become a real food/coffee destination with Scandi Kitchen, Kaffeine and now the Riding House Cafe all in close proximity. Have I convinced you yet? Get down there!

Spuntino - Rupert St W1

2011-03-30T18:12:00.000+01:00

Last night I checked out Spuntino, Soho restaurant du-jour and latest offering from Russell Norman of Polpo and Polpetto fame. I was dining with one of my favourite bloggers, Gourmet Chick and we also got a visit from the equally fab Greedy Diva. To cap off the London blogger presence, the LondonFoodie was also in attendance! So there I was, surrounded by the cream of London food bloggers, in the super funky surroundings of a buzzy, totally "of the moment" eatery, being served delicious morsels (more on that shortly) - I felt very content and very "London". I couldn't remember what had been in this space before Spuntino but apparently it was a Tandoori restaurant, with the associated decor - but underneath the false walls was amazing tile-work and mosaics, possibly from a butcher's shop (Gourmet Chick and I had speculated either that or a public toilet, but in a good way...). Anyway it looks amazing, particularly in combination with the pressed metal ceiling and low lighting. There is a no bookings policy and that, along with the buzz on this place made for quite a crowded and somewhat chaotic environment, with most people seated around a U-shaped bar and I did spend a large part of the night with an elbow shoved in my kidneys (I shall not name and shame you here semi-famous female journo, but you know who you are...). But in a way that all added to the fun of Spuntino - not somewhere for a quiet dinner or even somewhere you can really manage with more than 2 or 3 people, but definitely somewhere to come with a fun drinking and eating buddy (thanks GC you filled both roles admirably) when you're in the mood for a rock 'n roll nosh-up. So - the food. This was posh comfort food, all done well and all with an element of fun and irreverence. We started with the complimentary paprika popcorn and moved swiftly through egg and soldiers (tasty) ground beef & marrow and lamb & pickled cucumber sliders - otherwise known as mini burgers (delicious) and a salad of beets, salted ricotta and pistachio (our attempt to introduce something vaguely healthy, this was nice but unremarkable). Having washed all this down with a carafe of rose and then two of red wine (hic), we prepared ourselves for the richest of our dishes - truffled egg toast. Man this was good, but seriously unhealthy! It's kinda hard to describe and I almost feel like it was slightly narcotic, because when I try to focus on what it looked like or tasted like, a voice in my head just starts saying "mmmm cheese" over and over again, so that probably tells you something... Determined to also try the much lauded mac 'n cheese, we loosened our belts and managed to make it two thirds of the way through a creamy, savoury bowl of macaroni goodness, with some eggplant chips and fennel yogurt thrown in for good measure. And yes, we did have dessert - who could resist a Nutella pizzetta? Not us! It was sensational. We had a lovely waiter called Ahmed (you can check him out on Gourmet Chick's review) - which is always a plus. So my advice - get there early and I mean early people (we got there at 6.20pm and had to wait around 20 minutes for a seat) and definitely try the super trippy truffled egg toast. (P.S. Thanks GC for the use of the photo!)

Hanway Street - W1

2011-03-29T10:34:00.000+01:00

I feel the need to blog about Hanway St because I have a fear that it is changing, particularly as there is some worrying demolition work at the Tottenham Court Rd end, which I understand is to do with Primark moving into the old Virgin Megastore site (read about it here). Some may say Hanway St needs sprucing up, others may question why I feel a fondness for an often smelly "less a street, more an alley" that runs between TCR and Oxford St. These days I like it most as a shortcut between our two offices (avoiding possibly the most horrible stretch of Oxford St) but I also love it for it's time-warp record shops, in particular On The Beat (pictured) that blares out (mostly) 60s pop and 70s funk and makes me smile every time I walk by. Anyone who has been drunk late at night in Soho and wanted to keep the party going is bound to have visited some of the late night Spanish bars along Hanway St, or perhaps the intriguing "Troy 22" (which I first thought was a sex club - hey, that's the way my mind works). In 2001, Hakkasan opened in Hanway Place, an even smaller alleyway that runs off Hanway St. The very incongruity of walking down a dark alleyway smelling of piss, going through a door, down some stairs and emerging into a super glam, over the top eatery was part of the appeal and I have to admit, I loved it. There was definitely a bit of a wank-factor and I do remember some friends Mark & Jaine who were departing London around that time to head home to Melbourne, desperately wanted to go to Hakkasan before they left - they rang to try and get a reservation weeks in advance and were told they could have a "midnight sitting". Needless to say they politely declined. But that was Hakkasan in the early Millennium, people were so desperate to go there that they would wait until midnight for a table (although given we waited 2 hours for a burger and chips at #Meateasy, perhaps not much has changed). Anyway I digress - back to Hanway St. It's the mixture of late-night drinking haunts, retro vinyl stores, DJ equipment shops and random eateries, all squeezed along this ancient laneway dating from the 1600s (although largely rebuilt in the 1800s - read about it here) that is a winning combination. Long live Hanway St and it's seedy glamour - boo to High St chains and blandification.

Wahaca - Wardour St W1

2011-03-28T21:02:00.000+01:00

I think I was one of the few people in London that hadn't been to Wahaca - either the original Covent Garden branch or the snazzy new Wardour St incarnation. But now I have. In fact my friend Don and I were going to go to the temporary Modern Pantry (at Meza in Wardour St also) for lunch but after walking in there and finding it empty and being looked at kinda funny we realised it was only open in the evening...awkward. Anyway Don was singing the praises of a particular pork sandwich at Wahaca so in we went. The place is really big and bright and fun looking and I actually felt really happy sitting down - amazing how decor can totally influence your mood. I let Don do the ordering as he is a Wahaca veteran. The aforementioned sandwich, actually called a Pork Torta was AMAZING - seriously I could have eaten 3 of them. Pork pibil (slow roasted pork), guacamole, refried beans and lettuce in a really delicious bun, oh man - I want one right now! We also had tasty frijoles (black beans and cheese), excellent guacamole and some pretty decent spicy slaw. This was all really good food - I had heard some mixed reviews of Wahaca but my experience could not have been better. The advice from Don was to avoid the typical, standard Mexican dishes and go for things like the pork torta - this was where Wahaca excelled. I am considering emulating the excellent Young & Foodish and doing a review of my top London sandwiches and the Wahaca pork torta will definitely be included.

Fleet St Dragon - EC4/WC2

2011-03-28T13:28:00.000+01:00

I do love a good London dragon (look around people, they're everywhere!) and after the weather vane on St Mary-le-Bow in Cheapside, the handsome specimen on a plinth in the middle of Fleet St is a favourite. It stands at Temple Bar, the point where the City of London becomes the City of Westminster (hence the two postcodes) and also marks where Fleet St morphs into The Strand. Handily it is also really close to Coffee by the Clock coffee cart so you can sip a primo flat white whilst gazing at this fine statue.

#Meateasy - New Cross SE14

2011-03-24T14:37:00.002Z

I had never visited the Meatwagon, Yianni Papoutsis' hugely popular travelling burger van but became aware of it once it got stolen and Yianni ingeniously decided to strike a deal with Goldsmiths Tavern in New Cross Road to take over the upstairs room and turn it into a burger joint. The blogs have been humming with praise and as lovers of a fine burger, the other half and I made the trek to New Cross last night. I am a bit of a SE London novice, we have some friends in East Dulwich, I've been to Greenwich and have driven through New Cross on my way to the O2 but I have never hung out there, as much as in my head I am sometimes a groovy Goldmsiths' art student, writing beat poetry and smoking reefer while looking grubbily handsome...anyway....back to #Meateasy (hash-tagged because of the use Yianni makes of Twitter to update his many fans). We were guided by scrawled messages on the outside of the pub to a side door and up some grungy stairs, hearing what sounded like a really wild party going on up above. Entering the room, it was a bit like a party - super crowded, good music playing, lots of booze and the funky waitresses/hostesses occasionally banging on a tin bucket when someone had deposited a tip. We were told that the wait for food (we arrived at 8.30pm) was around an hour and despite being starving we decided the burgers being carried past us looked worth the wait. We consoled ourselves at the bar with excellent New York Sours (as pictured - I know it's weird to not have a picture of the burgers but the one I took is really just of a bun and doesn't do it justice so you get the drink picture instead). The woman working behind the bar was obviously an expert mixologist 'cause these babies were sensational. The one hour turned into almost two and we were getting delirious with hunger, also a little squiffy after two sours and a beer but the upside was that the place had started to empty slightly (it certainly couldn't have got any fuller) and we managed to nab a table. I almost wept with relief when they called our number and shortly afterwards we had the main event put in front of us. I had a cheese burger, the other half had a chilli burger and we shared the famous onion rings and some chilli cheese fries. So was it worth the wait? Oh yes people. If you are a fan of burgers this is the nuts - soft, lustrous, savoury, meaty, perfectly seasoned goodness - I had to stop myself from wolfing it all down in one go. The onion rings were also fantastic and the chilli cheese fries took me back to the end of big nights out in my younger days in Australia - there is nothing like fries covered in some sort of sauce and cheese, simple but delicious! This place is a real experience and I loved the huge mix of people that were there - from the aforementioned Goldmsiths' students to ageing hipsters, businessmen and food geeks (whilst I may be a lithe art student in my head, in reality I like to think I am a combo of the last two categories). But be quick people, this "residency" only lasts until April 16th - and my advice, get there as close to the 6pm opening as possible and definitely try out the New York Sours.

St Ali - opening in EC1

2011-03-18T15:35:00.000Z

I am excited that Melbourne coffee gurus St Ali are poised to open a London outpost. Word on the street is that it will be in Clerkenwell Road, just back from the corner of St John St, which is a really cool area. Right across the road is The Zetter and also the Modern Pantry. For those of you who wondered, could Clerkenwell get any better? The answer my friends is yes.

Les Deux Salons - William IV St WC2

2011-03-11T10:39:00.000Z

I am a massive fan of Arbutus and also loved Wild Honey (the one time I visited) so I was really excited about checking out Will Smith and Anthony Demetre's latest venture Les Deux Salons (I say "latest" but LDS has been open for around 6 months I think). I was a bit concerned after reading Greedy Diva's blog post but luckily we seem to have had a better experience. Overall I really liked this place - it definitely has some way to go before the absolute excellence of Arbutus but there is lots to love. First impressions were good - it is styled as a Parisian bistro but to me it was more Prohibition era American, a bit "Boardwalk Empire" if you will. I love that vibe - Dean St Townhouse, Hawksmoor all have an element of this as well and something in it really appeals to me. Basically I am a sucker for art deco lighting, banquettes and a slightly louche, cocktail-ish feel. Anyway - on to the food. The other half and I decided to share everything so we could both sample more dishes and we were steered resolutely by the waiter to the specials (I am always slightly suspicious of this but tend to be persuaded anyway...sucker) - in this case a salad of Sicilian tomatoes and olive oil and the Thursday special, cassoulet of duck confit, Toulouse sausage and white beans. The cassoulet was delicious, meaty, earthy and comforting. The tomato salad was OK but not amazing - the tomatoes could have been a bit riper think. The standout dish for me was a classic country terrine with fruit relish. Oh man it was so good - I could have happily munched away on another serving (as it was I definitely had more than my half share). We also had an oriechette pasta with artichokes, pecorino and pine nuts which was my least favourite dish of the night. Poor old vegetarians, often left with the least interesting dish on the menu and I think this was probably it. After two hits, one OK and one disappointment, we struck a winner with dessert - glazed lemon tart with creme Chantilly. Just the right mix of tartness, sweetness and crumbly pastry, this was a perfect way to finish the meal. Service was good if a little fraught (and this seems to be a theme) - our neighbours had an issue with a cold cassoulet and some corked wine so there was lots of attention to their table for a while to the detriment of us trying to order dessert, which took some time. Putting that aside, this is a great place and a welcome addition to the London dining scene - a beautiful building, well fitted out, some flashes of brilliance in the cooking and somewhere you could easily imagine whiling away an evening. I will most definitely be back - and look forward to when the kinks are well and truly ironed out because then this place will be outstanding.

Prufrock Coffee - Leather Lane EC1

2011-03-09T15:15:00.001Z

I have been hanging out to visit Gwilym Davies' new Prufrock Coffee location on Leather Lane. Having already had amazing coffee at the first Prufrock site in Shoreditch High St and having enjoyed many a fine coffee from Gwilym's stands at the Columbia Road and Whitecross Street markets, I was fairly sure I was in for a top notch flat white. And I was right - it's amazing that now that we are so spoiled for good coffee in London you start to distinguish between "good" coffee and "excellent" coffee. Just think, a few years ago I was forced to drink double tall lattes at (gasp) Starbucks and now I can take my pick and critique from at least 6 great cafes within 5 minutes walk of my office. Anyway I digress - the flat white I had at the new cavernous Prufrock space in Leather Lane was sensational. I am a little confused by the aforementioned cavern though - so much space and so little furniture! Don't get me wrong - after crowding into many a teensy cafe (yes Flat White I mean you) it is nice to have some space (one of the reasons I really like Notes and Store St) but they don't seem to be using half of it. Anyway - I am super excited about this opening (snigger) and I look forward to seeing how it develops and what they do with all that space. Leather Lane is fast becoming the new coffee destination - I am very fond of Department of Coffee & Social Affairs just down the way. I am surprised that the cafe called "All About Coffee" further down towards Clerkenwell Road still has the audacity to keep that name, given the contrast. In case you are visiting Leather Lane around a weekday lunch time as I did I can highly recommend the lamb, halloumi and salad wrap stall - man, so tasty. Also my other "insider tip" (although I'm not sure I qualify as a Leather Lane insider...) is that if you want a quiet spot to munch on your lamp wrap and slobber into your flat white, take a short wander into Dorrington St and find the church of St Alban the Martyr where there is a lovely peaceful courtyard with seats - a great little oasis, unknown to most.

Save the Cleveland Street Workhouse!

2011-03-09T14:57:00.000Z

I was so disappointed to hear about the plans to demolish one of London's best preserved Georgian workhouses in Cleveland Street in Fitzrovia. Also thought to be the inspiration for the workhouse in Oliver Twist, the site faces demolition and lacks listed status through one of those annoying loopholes - apparently due to its use by the NHS. Given the shocking demolition of the Middlesex Hospital nearby (and years later the site remains unused - thanks Candy & friggin' Candy) I can't believe that another amazing old building is under threat. Please, please sign the petition to save this historic site here.

Curzon Soho - Shaftesbury Ave W1

2011-03-07T16:51:00.002Z

I have considered (and may still do) a post on the great small cinemas of London - obviously including The Ritzy, The Renoir, The Electric and others - but if I had to name a favourite it would be the Curzon Soho on Shaftesbury Avenue. I think it's partly to do with the great films I have seen there (including "Howl" on the weekend) but it's also to do with the cool little Konditor & Cook cafe on the ground floor, the equally cool bar downstairs, even the movie posters in the toilets. Every now and again I like going to a big fuck-off Multiplex, buying a giant sized bag of pick 'n mix and a bucket of Coke (the drink) and watching some Harry Potter-esque blockbuster but the majority of the time I want to watch a cool movie in a funky little cinema, surrounded by true cinephiles, buzzing on good espresso and nibbling on wasabi peas and I can't think of any better place to do it than the Curzon Soho.

Tea & Tattle at Arthur Probsthain WC1

2011-03-02T17:24:00.000Z

I had walked past Arthur Probsthain - Oriental & African Bookseller on Great Russell Street many times but had never been in. What finally got me in there was noticing a sign for Tea & Tattle, the tea room downstairs. I had a really good flat white (made with Monmouth beans I think) and a delicious danish pastry. The surroundings are "old fashioned tea room with a twist" - which is fine with me. I also checked out the bookshop upstairs which as well as a wide range of interesting books with an Oriental or African theme, had some interesting artwork for sale. I love this precinct - there are some great places within walking distance of the British Museum (as well as some tourist-targeted crap) and Arthur Probsthain and Tea & Tattle downstairs are definitely in this category.

The Modern Pantry - St John's Square EC1

2011-02-15T10:20:00.000Z

An alumni of The Providores, Anna Hansen opened this little gem in Clerkenwell in 2008. I love Clerkenwell in general but I am particulalry fond of St John's Square - the Modern Pantry sits opposite the Zetter Hotel (home of the much lauded Bistrot Bruno Loubet) and just around the corner from St John St so food lovers are spoilt for choice. I had a really great breakfast there last weekend - anywhere that serves soft boiled eggs and vegemite soldiers is a winner in my book. The coffee was decent, if a little weak (but hey, the majority of people seem to like it that way - sigh). I had always wondered what the beautiful stone arch was in St John's Lane - across the other side of Clerkenwell Road and apparently it is the Museum of the Order of St John - charting the history of the Order from the Hospitaller origins to the current day incarnation as St John's Ambulence. I plan to go and check it out next time I'm over there.

Hunterian Museum - Lincoln's Inn Fields WC2

2011-02-14T15:04:00.001Z

I made the mistake of visiting the astounding Hunterian Museum before lunch - not a good idea. Situated in the Royal College of Surgeons building in Lincoln's Inn Fields (I feel like LIF needs its own blog post - it is such a beautiful square), the Hunterian is focused mainly on the work and collection of John Hunter, eminent scientist and pioneer surgeon of the 18th century. The thought of having to endure any sort of surgery back in those days is horrific but at least Hunter approached it from a position of expertise - as a result of amassing an impressive collection of anatomical specimens, human and animal and it is these that are on display. This place is like a mad scientist's lair - jars of weird and wonderful objects stacked to the ceiling, ranging from armadillo fetuses to still born infants (I always find these a little disturbing), a "giant's" skeleton to human feet from an elephantitis sufferer. It was when I found a series of jars containing the material scraped from the inside of subcutaneous abscesses that I felt the desire for lunch disappear, but having said that I found this place fascinating. Not for the faint-hearted, the Hunterian is truly amazing and a relatively unknown gem. While you are there - also have a look in the library on the same floor that is open to the public and looks out over Lincoln's Inn Fields. One of those amazing 19th century reading rooms that makes you feel like you are in a Sherlock Holmes story or about to research an expedition to find the lost tribes of the Amazon (or maybe that's just me...)

Terroirs - William IV St WC2

2011-02-08T09:20:00.001Z

As often happens (at least in terms of blogging about London restaurants) I am kinda late to the party - if you want the latest news and top notch reviews of where to eat well in this town then you should visit the excellent Greedy Diva or Gourmet Chick. Having said that, my raison d'etre is to share with you the places in this town that I love - food, coffee, architecture, neighbourhoods, whatever really and with that in mind I just had to write about the wonderful, wonderful Terroirs. Opened around 2 years ago, Terroirs is positioned as a wine bar with food and the wine list is certainly top notch (note picture of delicious Burgundy...) but the food was the highlight for me. We sat upstairs where the modus operandi is small sharing plates - predominately French in nature but with other Mediterranean influences, including a plate of amazing Jamon de Teruel (from the charcuterie selection) which melted in the mouth. The pork and pistachio terrrine was my highlight - meaty, vinegary and rich, I could have eaten two! Other dishes included Potted Shrimps on Toast (amazing), a selection of three wonderful cheeses (including the creamiest goat's cheese I have had in a long time) and another highlight - Cantabrian Anchovies with finely sliced shallots, rustic bread and unsalted butter. We shared two puddings and one of them was the only bum note for me - the floating island of panacotta, rhubarb and pistachio. The other one was a perfect end to the meal though - a wonderfully bitter dark chocolate pot. We had a great bottle of red from the Languedoc and stumbled out of there with grins on our faces that can only come when all the elements align - food, place, wine and of course company. A winner people, a winner.

Leila's Shop & Deli - Calvert Avenue E2

2011-02-07T13:11:00.000Z

I have already blogged about how much I love Arnold Circus in Shoreditch (I have this Utopian fantasy about all my friends living round the Circus and meeting for a chat at the bandstand in the middle...) but I am also a fan of the surrounding streets, in particular Calvert Avenue which radiates from Arnold Circus towards Shoreditch High Street. There are some cool shops and a fantastic deli and cafe called Leila's which would be a gem in any neighbourhood but luckily for local residents is bang in the middle of this oh so groovy corner of East London. The delicatessen is full of amazing produce but I have to mention one thing, amongst all the wonderful fruit and veg and generally healthy stuff, that stood out for me - dark chocolate covered clementines. At the risk of sounding like an SMS from Paris Hilton - OMG, they are amazing. Some people don't like the chocolate/orange pairing but I definitely do and this is the ultimate, nay the zenith of that particular taste combination. I will dream about it until my next visit... Anyway on to the cafe next door - bustling and full of 30+ hipsters we had a lovely late breakfast with decent coffee (although you're better off going round the corner to Allpress or Prufrock if caffeine is your mission). I had a sizzling plate of ham and eggs, served in a cute little skillet with fantastic rustic bread and proper butter. the cakes looked amazing but as I had already had a pain au chocolat earlier in the day and I'd just scoffed the aforementoined choc clementine I nobly abstained. Next time I am definitely going for one of the brownies. This is a really great place in a really great neighbourhood and I will most certainly be back.

Allpress Espresso - Redchurch St E2

2011-02-05T19:27:00.002Z

I had a very nice meander around the Spitalfields/Shoreditch area today - kinda nice to go there when the market is not on and the tourist hordes are elsewhere (probably at Borough). I had heard about Allpress Espresso and wanted to check it out so persuaded my friend Rob to accompany me on my caffeine mission. Allpress originates from Kiwi-land and you can read their story here. They have broadened their NZ/Aussie operations to include this outpost in Redchurch Street (the street on which the much missed Penny University used to be located - sniff). It is a really cool space - housing their roastery as well as the cafe. We had exceptional flat whites and I had a perfect pain au chocolat. I was enviously eyeing up the next door table's avocado and tomato on toast - that is definitely ear-marked for next time. I really liked this place and will definitely be back. It is amazing how widespread this coffee revolution has become, we are truly spoilt for choice in London. Turn the clock back even 3 years and it was a very different story. My Central London Coffee Survival Guide Map is getting crowded (I just wish there were more pins in south-west London).

Giaconda Dining Room - Denmark St WC2

2011-02-02T15:02:00.001Z

I have written about Denmark Street before - one of my favourite streets in central London, partly due to the heritage but also due to its rough and ready charm, despite being somewhat past its heyday. It's hard to escape the looming Central St Giles development when you enter Denmark St from Charing Cross Road these days - but in a weird way it kinda works, a crazy multi-coloured lego palace at the end of this quirky little street that is still half living in the swinging 60s. Anyway this post is not a further paean to Denmark St, it's an acknowledgment of what I think is one of the best restaurants in London, The Giaconda Dining Room. I love the fact that this place is out of the way, I love the fact that the room is marginally bigger than the average living room, I love the service (the Aussie waitress is absolutely top of her game - I wish she would run a master class for other London waiting staff and pass on her considerable skill) but most of all I love the grub. I have been several times over the last couple of years but have never got around to writing about it (not sure why) so I was determined to rectify that today. I had the most amazing grilled brill in a wonderful buttery sauce with string fried potatoes and a watercress salad - it was nothing short of superb. I succumbed to their amazing pudding selection and had Eton mess, which was spot on and not as sickly sweet as it can sometimes be. My macchiato to finish was perfectly made and topped off one of the nicest meals I have had in a long time. I have never been here in the evening - I imagine it would be super cosy, particularly at this time of year. If I had to level any criticism it would be that when the room is full it's a tad hard to hear - but that could be more to do with my advancing years than the acoustics. Anyway, this place is sensational - if you haven't been already, just go.

3 Little Pigs at Black Truffle - Warren St W1

2011-02-02T14:39:00.002Z

Warren St is a funny one - kind of at the arse end of Fitzrovia, best know for a particularly unlovely tube station, but just round the corner from the oh so lovely Fitzroy Square. There are also some funky shops around here and Black Truffle is definitely one of them. After starting in Broadway Market, these guys opened their Warren St outpost, selling shoes, bags and other stuff. More interesting to me is that they are now serving coffee from a dinky little concession just inside the shop - called 3 Little Pigs, they use Nude Espresso beans and the flat white I had there today was really good. Not super fancy in terms of latte art, but a nice strong drink with well steamed milk. Plus they serve piccolos, which is always a plus in my book. So if you are languishing in the coffee wasteland of north Fitzrovia ("NoFo"?) then pay the 3 Little Pigs a visit.

Liberty - Great Marlborough Street W1

2011-01-31T19:18:00.000Z

Ah Liberty - once best known (at least in my lifetime) for posh floral blouses and scarves worn by county, Mitford-esque women of a certain age but over the last couple of decades reinvented as a bastion of cool. I love this shop - in fact if I could design a department store, it would be a lot like Liberty. Firstly I love the building itself - an over the top Tudor tribute built in the 1920s from the timbers of two ships (the HMS Impregnable and HMS Hindustan) with an amazing exterior (complete with a huge golden ship weathervane) and an even better interior, with the beautiful central light wells and wooden staircases. For the fellas, the menswear section in the basement is probably the best in London and the addition of Murdock Grooming, a contemporary twist on the traditional mens' barber shop is really cool (my dream is to ditch the morning Gillette routine and come here for a proper wet shave three times a week). Also in the basement is the champagne and oyster bar - what better way to celebrate a close shave than a few glasses of bubbly? I am a bit of a (wannabe) furniture aficionado so I love their home furnishings department - the prices are at the high end so I am more of a looker than a buyer (sorry poor misguided sales assistant who thought I was a sure thing to buy the £6,000 sofa...). I know this is beginning to sound like a Liberty PR release but I think this place is a gem - I always feel good coming to Liberty and even if you are firmly anti-consumerism, if nothing else the building itself warrants a look. So long live Liberty of London - a beacon of cool sophistication in Great Marlborough Street.

Crossrail - a small positive...

2011-01-31T18:49:00.004Z

Those of you who read this blog will know I am not a fan of the Crossrail development - particularly as I have watched from my office window whilst a whole Soho block (including some really cool old warehouse buildings and a proper old Soho boozer) was demolished. Don't even get me started on the Astoria.... Anyway, trying to look on the bright side - the demolition of the block bordered by Dean and Great Chapel Streets has revealed a better view of the old St Patrick's Schools Soho building - now one of those slightly shady English language colleges but originally I assume (I can't find any info on it) a school for local Soho RC children, perhaps associated with St Patrick's church in Soho Square? I have always liked the building, in particular the writing on the front, but I had never realised there was a covered basketball court on the roof - I thought they only existed in New York. Whilst I really like the building, it does have a certain grim quality so (perhaps unfairly) I imagine it was not exactly fun and games for the 19th century pupils. At some stage though (most likely in the 20th century) they got a covered sports area (I imagine it must have been for football originally?) so at least that's something. So one fringe benefit of the relentless Crossrail destruction/construction is these little glimpses into parts of Soho that have been hidden up until now.

Coffee by the Clock - Fleet St EC4

2011-01-31T14:52:00.000Z

Alerted by my friend Gen that those lovely people behind Flat Cap and Notes Music & Coffee had started a coffee cart in Fleet St, I mounted a Boris bike and cycled eastward on my lunch hour to suss it out. Situated in the picturesque courtyard of St Dunstan-in-the-West, just near the corner of Fleet St and Fetter Lane, Coffee by the Clock (so named because of the giant clock attached to the church) is run from a cute little red van. Not sure if it was because of the chilly ride but my flat white tasted really amazing - it's not as if I am a stranger to expertly poured Square Mile coffee and steamed milk, but this one just really hit the spot. As I sipped happily away I gazed on what is apparently the only known statue of Queen Elizabeth 1st - which originally adorned the old "Lud" gate on Ludgate Hill, then languished in storage in a pub basement and was finally mounted on the wall of St Dunstan's in 1839. Quite a story - and a very

impressive statue of Good Queen Bess. I did feel sorry for the friendly barista, shivering away but as she pointed out, when the weather improves, her job will be the envy of all her friends. I love everything these guys do - Notes in particular - so I am delighted that they are bringing good coffee to the needy workers of Fleet Street.

In case you are in Birmingham...

2011-01-27T10:39:00.001Z

Good news for coffee lovers heading to Brum...http://sixeightkafe.co.uk/

Broadwick Street - Soho W1

2011-01-24T18:30:00.002Z

I have several Soho streets that I love and Broadwick Street is right up there. I love the cobbles (although it's a killer in flip flops), I love the row of perfectly preserved early 1700's terrace at Nos 48 to 58 (pictured), one of my favourite pubs is there, the John Snow - site of many a boozy evening over the last decade, buzzing on the cheap Sam Smith's Ayingerbrau lager (oh the hangover from that stuff). The pub is named (ironically given he was a teetotaller) after the man who fought against the cholera epidemic and chained the water pump on Broadwick St to stop its spread - I also love the memorial water pump in the middle of the street, put there as a tribute to the great man. Yauatcha is also on Broadwick St (love some posh dim sum) plus two of my other favourite streets run off Broadwick Street - Berwick Street (Flat White, Foxcroft & Ginger, the market and more) and Lexington Street (Andrew Edmunds, Mildreds, Fernandez & Wells to name a few). I've been meaning to do a blog post on the few remaining great independent record shops in London and one of the coolest ones is right here on Broadwick Street, up the Wardour St end - Sounds of the Universe, the place for all your reggae, disco, funk, soul and world beat needs and linked to the Soul Jazz label. There's also a really cool art supply shop from which, over the years, I have bought many a handsome sketchbook, most of which are still in their pristine, un-sketched in state...sigh. At the western end of Broadwick Street you can sashay right into Marshall Street (I love the enclave of Newburgh and Marshall Streets) or you can continue on and check out Carnaby St and Kingly Court. So really, when you think about it, Broadwick Street rocks - in fact I may even venture to say Broadwick Street is the centre of Soho, at least in my book.

Kopapa - Monmouth St WC2

2011-01-21T18:54:00.000Z

There are two reference points for Kopapa - one or both of which you may relate to dear reader, depending on how you roll. The first is that it is the latest venture from the mighty Peter Gordon (along with his partners Michael McGrath, Adam Wills and Brandon Allen) of Providores fame. The second is that it occupies the site of what was one of central London's most well known "A-Gay" bars The Box - site of many a gym-honed pec and skin-tight t-shirt. My friend Ryan and I had a hilarious time sitting in the window at Kopapa and spotting those passing who obviously were expecting Box to still be there. Anyway, on to Kopapa. I loved this place - anyone who has been to The Providores will know how innovative Peter is and the menu at Kopapa reflects this. We shared some small plates/tapas - I can't lie and say I absolutely loved all of them but they were all super interesting and one of them was really amazing. The one slight let down for me was the cassava chips, which I found a bit bland, but I think that's probably more to do with the cassava itself as the chips were presented beautifully, with avocado, sriracha chilli sauce and crème frâiche on the side. The coconut sticky pork ribs and the pork, chilli, coconut & gapi salad on endive with crispy shallots were really both good but the stand out winner for me was the parmesan and bone marrow sauce on toast with chrain (beetroot relish). This was a truly delicious dish and the contrast of the rich bone marrow and parmesan mix and the vinegary beetroot was just perfect. We finished off with a top notch flat white(they do take away coffee in the morning - I had one today and it was great) and left contented. The new owners have completely re-done the interior (which is probably a good thing) and it looks really good - I particularly like the inverted tulip shaped lights. I can't wait to go back here for weekend brunch and also work my way through the rest of the tapas menu.

Bermondsey Street Coffee - SE1

2011-01-21T18:28:00.000Z

OK so Bermondsey St is my new obsession (don't worry Bloomsbury - I still love you) so only days after eating at Zucca I dragged four willing coffee drinkers on a chilly walk from Borough Market to Bermondsey Street Coffee (made easier by the fact that Monmouth at Borough is closed for renovation, at least the coffee making part - you can still buy beans). I had spotted this place and had wanted to go back and it didn't disappoint - it has that sort of laid back studenty vibe with mis-matched sofas and lots of retro posters on the wall (including Sam Fox in the loo!) which I have always liked - we nabbed a corner leather sofa combo and it was super cosy. The coffee was great and the food looked good too - another reason to love Bermondsey St and another pin in my Central London Coffee Survival Guide map!

Harvest at Jimmy's Festival

2011-01-21T18:13:00.000Z

I don't go to many events as a blogger - mainly because my humble little blog is probably not going to make or break a new restaurant or cafe (particularly as my policy is only to write about places I like) but last night I made an exception and went along to The Eagle in Farringdon Rd (which I have still never eaten at - what is wrong with me?) at the invitation of Emily from Taste PR to talk about Harvest at Jimmy's - a festival of food and music at Jimmy's farm in Suffolk. For those of you who don't know who Jimmy Doherty is - he's the likable dude who first hit our screens with his pig farm and most recently on the very entertaining show where he recreates convenience food (like soft serve ice cream or prawn crackers). There is something really likeable about this whole enterprise and there is nothing like a late Summer festival as a last hurrah before Autumn sets in - so if you fancy an escape from London keep it in mind. The other great thing about last night was meeting another blogger - albeit one who has considerably more success, longevity and credibility than me. Nice to meet you Gourmet Chick - great blog and a thoroughly nice person to boot.

Zucca - Bermondsey St SE1

2011-01-12T10:01:00.001Z

I seem to have been getting area envy lately - on the weekend it was Broadway Market, this week it's Bermondsey Street. The other half and I went to visit "the Steves" who were house-sitting a cool, warehousey style pad just off Bermondsey St and had suggested dinner at Zucca. I had been wanting to go to Zucca for ages and was ravenous by the time we sat down for our 8.30 sitting so was in just the right frame of mind to enjoy this rather special Italian restaurant in a rather special street. I wrote before Christmas about the changing nature of Bermondsey and nowhere sums it up more than the eponymous street at its heart. Cool cafes, bars and restaurants jostle for space and the fact that Zucca was packed and buzzing on a chilly Tuesday night in January says it all. I started with home-cured bresaola, rocket and parmesan (actually if I'm honest I started as always by hoovering most of the bread basket) which was a perfect salty, savoury plate with the almost startlingly brightly coloured air cured salted beef at its heart. I was in a pasta mood (it was carbs-a-go-go last night I tell ya) so had the rigatoni with roasted pumpkin and ricotta as a main, which was hearty and comforting. We really didn't need dessert but we all ordered it - the table was divided, two went for affogato which came with three large scoops of dark yellow vanilla ice-cream (which was too much but hey it all got eaten) and the other two (including me) went for pana cotta with rhubarb. The panna cotta was amazing - flecked with vanilla it was incredibly rich but the soft, sour rhubarb was the perfect accompaniment to take the edge off the almost overpowering creaminess. Again it was a huge serve and I probably shouldn't have scoffed it all but my "finish what's on your plate" upbringing, combined with my greed, took over so I polished the whole thing off. It was sublime. A pretty decent esperesso capped off what was a fantastic meal. I have lots more spots ear-marked to come back and try on Bermondsey St so stay tuned.

Climpson & Sons/Broadway Market E8

2011-01-09T14:14:00.005Z

So I finally got back to Broadway Market in Hackney after about 8 years...and guess what, things had changed! I always remember thinking it was a cool area, with the canal at one end and London Fields at the other and I remember really liking The Dove but now you are spoilt for choice with all the cool stuff around this little corner of E8. I actually had two missions - one was to check out the Saturday market and the other was to have a coffee at Climpson & Sons. I have really struggled with being able to call myself a London coffee blogger without having sampled a flat white from this afficionados' favourite. Anyway the good news is the coffee lived up to the hype - it was lovely. As I had been told the place was packed but my local resident buddy Rosie and I managed to get seats so we could enjoy our flatties, chat and watch the hipsters troop in and out. The food stalls on Broadway Market were top notch - I did the Aussie thing and had a meat pie and tomato sauce from one guy and it was great (not as good as a Four 'n Twenty though...). I also bought some great bread from one of the many bread and cake stalls. The shops on Broadway Market were also great - I particularly liked Broadway Books (thanks for the tip Ben). I will be returning to F. Cooke to have authentic East End pie and mash (no jellied eels) and blog about it - it's important to remember the heritage of this area as well as it's groovy current incarnation. I must say as I wandered off, full of meat pie and top quality caffeine from Climpsons, swinging my bag of bread and books, I was really jealous of Rosie living round here - I would love to have Broadway Market in my neighbourhood.

Flat Planet - Great Marlborough St W1

2011-01-07T15:58:00.001Z

I had walked past this place a few times and thought it was called "Fat Planet" and thought it was a weird name for a cafe, although perhaps quite honest... Anyway silly me - it's Flat Planet and I think it could be a winner. I finally went in today and wasn't really super hungry but luckily the lovely woman behind the counter offered me bite size samples of two of their flat breads. Maybe I should take a step back before I start describing them - this place specialises in wheat free spelt flatbreads with a variety of toppings (so very much not Fat Planet actually). Got it? Good. So the two I tried were both friggin' delicious - I can't wait to go back and try the full size versions. One was called El Diablo and was amazing - spicy chorizo, rocket and parmesan among other things. Yum. The other was called a Moroccan and was also super tasty - with sour cream, hummus and tabouleh. The one I am hanging out to try is their all day breakfast - pancetta & egg - sounds like hangover cure potential. I ordered a coffee and whilst they didn't have flat white size cups the very friendly barista made me one in a latte cup and just poured less milk. My coffee expectations were low but you know what, it was pretty good - too hot (as most places are) but really well steamed milk and pretty decent beans. If all "non-coffee expert" cafes/sandwich joints in London could make coffee like this it would be a wondrous thing. Even though I wasn't hungry I couldn't resist the chocolate brownies sitting on the counter (I mean I'm only human - stop judging me) so I had one - pretty darn fine. Also they were just so nice in there - I really want them to succeed, so get on down there and get chomping on a delicious flat bread, you know you want to.

Great article on the London coffee scene

2011-01-06T13:26:00.000Z

London rides the new wave BeanScene Magazine

Grind Coffee Bar - SW15

2011-01-03T16:20:00.002Z

Ah Putney - home of rowers, rugger fans, Nick Clegg and now a really decent coffee place called Grind. Actually this particular part of Putney reminds me of an old job - which was across the bridge in a really dull bit of Fulham. I used to walk over the bridge and along the Lower Richmond Road sometimes for lunch - how I wish Grind had been there back then. A perfectly formed fern leaf on the top of my flat white was a good first sign and the coffee itself lived up to the decoration - lovely. What made it even better was that I accompanied it with a perfect, chewy giant Anzac biscuit - a surefire winner for any homesick Antipodean. So if you are an SW resident (like me) the good news is we can add one more location on the good coffee map - keep 'em coming I say.

Cabmen's Shelters

2010-12-30T18:26:00.000Z

It's hard not to be intrigued by these cool little green houses that you see dotted around London - unfortunately there are a lot less of them than there used to be, 13 to be exact. They are maintained by the Cabmen's Shelter Fund - which was established in 1875 to run shelters for drivers of what were then known as hansom cabs and hackney carriages. Equipped with small kitchens and able to squeeze in at least a dozen cabbies, these shelters must be a welcome respite when you're on an all night shift. Unfortunately this one in Russell Square is looking a bit run-down so I hope that's not a sign that the funds are running out to maintain them - these little beauties should be preserved and treasured. If you want to check out the remaining ones - have a look here or here to find out where they are.

Department of Coffee & Social Affairs - EC1

2010-12-30T15:06:00.001Z

Leather Lane in EC1 is a funny one - I have always liked it but have never really had either a food or coffee reason to go there, traditionally the cafes have been more of the greasy spoon variety. Years ago I also used to like going to a bar called Clerkenwell House on Hatton Wall, just off Leather Lane. Anyway I digress - the good news is that there is now a top notch coffee destination on Leather Lane, specifically the wonderfully named Department of Coffee and Social Affairs at No. 14-16 (which is the High Holborn end). It has only been open for 2 weeks and was pretty empty when I went there today (mainly because we are in the "in between" week when most people are still on hols) but I predict this place will be heaving in the new year once the coffee-starved locals catch on. Up until now you would have had to walk 10 to 15 mins to either The Espresso Room or Dose to get your quality coffee fix but now those lucky EC1 workers and residents have their own local gem. I was served by a friendly bearded Kiwi (I feel like David Attenborough, investigating the barista species in their natural habitat) and was presented with a really great flat white and a pain au chocolat. These guys will have a broader selection of sandwiches and breakfast stuff in the new year so make sure to go and check them out - a welcome addition to my Central London Coffee Survival Guide Map.

49 Bankside - SE1

2010-12-28T15:37:00.000Z

I love the house at 49 Bankside for a number of reasons. I love it because it's a beautiful 300 year old house; I love it because it is stuck there on Bankside next to the Globe theatre, with tourists streaming by, the last remnant of a row of houses in an area that is no longer residential; I love the crooked front door; but the thing that really seals it for me is the plaque on the front of the house which claims all sorts of glories for this rather unassuming residence - all of which are apparently untrue. The plaque says that Sir Christopher Wren lived here whilst re-building St Paul's Cathedral after the Great Fire, but as the house dates from around 1710 when work on the cathedral was over, this is unlikely. Even more unlikely is the claim that Catherine of Aragon rested here when she first arrived in London. Who knows what the true history of the house, know as Cardinal's Wharf, is - it certainly represents the gentrification of an area that was formerly occupied by brothels and disreputable taverns (which were frequented by players from Shakespeare's Globe) and it's certainly a survivor - both from demolition and from the blitz - and that makes it pretty special in my book, whoever lived there.

Leadenhall Market - EC3

2010-12-28T12:03:00.002Z

I stumbled across Leadenhall Market early on in my time in London and loved it so try and get back whenever I can - which is actually not that often as I am not a City worker and it's not really on the way anywhere. I went today when it was closed because I wanted to have a good look around and not be jostled by hungry bankers on their lunch break - it was quite cool to wander around alone in this beautiful Victorian structure (which has been used in films, TV shows and music videos - most recently as Diagon Alley in the Harry Potter films). The site of Leadenhall Market is significant in the history of London as it is located pretty much in the centre of what was Roman Londonium (I am obsessed with the history of London but will refrain from boring you with the Briton, Roman, Saxon, Dane timeline...whoops almost did). Anyway there has been some form of market here for hundreds of years but the current incarnation is Victorian and built in the late 1800s by the same guy that built Smithfields, so the look is somewhat similar. Like everything retail-driven it is now chain store central, albeit the better end but for me it's all about just walking around, appreciating this beautiful market, built on top of its medieval forbears and deeper down the remains of a long gone Roman town.

Maltby St - SE1

2010-12-23T18:53:00.001Z

Maltby Street in SE1 and the surrounding streets (in particular the wonderfully named Druid Street) is a hidden gem for food and coffee lovers. I tubed it to Bermondsey today for their pre Christmas Thursday opening - but usually it's a Saturday destination. Coming out from the station and walking up Jamaica Road I pondered on the "gentrification" of Bermondsey - the place seems to be one big construction site with new apartment blocks named things like "Bermondsey Spa" and "the jewel of SE1" and other such crap. Overlooking all this are the original estates and old warehouses and as such Bermondsey will always seem slightly grim and urban (and so it should - there is a place for this in a city like London, I hate it when there is a relentless push to make everywhere twee) and as I walked to Maltby Street there was one point where I thought the Krays were going to step out of the shadows and take a pot-shot at me (I really need to stop drinking so much coffee). Anyway back to Maltby Street - the first thing I came to was the Monmouth Coffee HQ (pictured) where I fortified myself with a flat white (top notch as always) and then wandered round to the new St John bakery on Druid Street and bought a custard donut and then wandered further up to the space shared by Kase Swiss (cheese), Topolski (Polish smoked meats) and Jacob's Ladder Farms where I bought some lovely smoked trout with dill. My food shop finished at Neal's Yard with goats cheese, quince paste and blossom honey. If I sound pleased with myself it's because I was and when I wandered down to Borough Market later in the day and found myself in a total scrum I realised why the Maltby St enclave is so special - lots of space, unhurried and no tourists. I love this part of London (even the grim bits) so I will be a regular visitor on Saturdays - check it out, but don't tell too many people!

Koya - Frith St W1

2010-12-13T17:53:00.000Z

Koya has been the bloggers' and food critics' darling for the last 6 months or so and I finally got there today (that pretty much sums up my life, I used to be so organised, so cutting edge..sigh). As you push your way through the blue curtain and open the door, Koya does feel like an oasis of calm in busy Soho [Quick diversion, when I first typed this I mistakingly wrote "an oasis of clam" which gives a whole different slant. Just thought I'd share] despite being pretty much always packed to the rafters. The pared back decor and chilled out (but really friendly) staff add to the vibe. I liked the fact that I got a bottle of water as soon as I sat down and I loved my cute little silver teapot full of nutty Japanese tea, but like all the other reviewers the thing I loved the most was my udon noodles. This is the focus here - handmade udon, either hot or cold, in broth and with various additions. I had Atsu Atsu (hot udon in hot broth) with tempura, which was basically one giant prawn. It was delicious - although tempura in broth is always kind of a weird one as the batter naturally comes off, but in a way that made the broth even more comforting, adding bulk to the savoury goodness. The noodles were slippery, warming and perfect and the whole slurpy experience was pretty much spot on for both the weather and my mood. Compared to the usual noodle crap you get around Soho this is not just another league, it's another universe so if you are a noodle fan you have to check out Koya - just be sure to get there early.

Exchange Coffee

2010-12-13T13:03:00.000Z

Residents of Lewisham in south-east London have had the benefit of Exchange Coffee's superior product as part of the Saturday street market for some time. For those that don't live in SE13 however it's a bit of a trek, even for the beautifully crafted specimens that these guys turn out. So you can imagine my delight when I was greedily shuffling around the stalls at the Southbank Chocolate festival (which was on over the weekend, just behind Festival Hall) and noticed that Exchange Coffee had set up a stall. The friendly Neil Le Bihan was manning the stall and I have to say that the flat white I had there on Friday evening was absolutely sensational. I paired it with a chocolate tiffin slice from the stall next door (you can just see their stacks of biscuits in the photo) and I was a happy man. Neil mentioned he was off to Australia for the cricket (boo) so I'm not sure what that means for the Saturday coffee lovers in Lewisham but I'm sure he'll be back there soon - I for one will be making the trek over there.

My Top Fives

2010-12-07T15:48:00.002Z

Well the year is almost done and the overwhelming need to create "best of "lists has got too much for me. So here you go...

Top 5 Coffee Places (in no particular order):

Milk Bar - I just love this place and the coffee is great and it makes me happy going there. My only issue now is it's too bloody popular
Tapped & Packed - I had my best flat white of the week there this week and it's close to where I work and the food is great
Caravan - top notch caffeine, great place, in the wonderful Exmouth Market, say no more.
Brewed Boy - because Rob is a legend
Kaffeine - others have questioned the consistency here but I have always had a great experience and the Aussie barista who sounds a bit like Kylie Minogue is one of the friendliest in London

Top 5 Restaurants (not all of which I have blogged about):

Chez Bruce - consistency, great service, amazing food, lovely location (although I am biased on this point) and just all round superb
Andrew Edmunds - prior to Chez Bruce stealing my heart this was my favourite London restaurant. So why haven't I blogged about it I hear you ask? I don't know is the answer.
Arbutus - not everyone's favourite but they had me at the squid and mackerel burger (and kept me faithful with the tarte tartin)
Bob Bob Ricard - I did not expect to even like this place and I ended up loving it. Fun, crazy and the best chicken kiev I have ever eaten.
Dean Street Townhouse - I think this place gets it spot on in terms of food, atmosphere, service - like the perfect New York bistro with high-end comfort food. Love it.

Top 5 London Things (that aren't coffee or restaurant related);

Columbia Road Flower Market - go early to avoid the inevitable crowds and take the time to wander around the surrounding streets, this is London at it's best.
Bloomsbury - from the British Museum to shopping on Lambs Conduit Street, cakes at Bea's, coffee at The Espresso Room, a movie at the Renoir at the Brunswick Centre and browsing for books at The London Review Bookshop....I could go on and on.
Spend the day south of the river - from Borough Market via the Tate Modern to Southbank - start the day early at Borough, fortify yourself with a Monmouth coffee and a sublime chorizo sandwich from Brindisa, then wander to the wonderful Tate Modern (ensuring you take some time to browse the gift shop), finish up at Southbank, maybe take in a movie at the BFI, shop for second hand books under Waterloo Bridge and check out what's on at the National Theatre. I could do this every Saturday.
See a band - I don't do this nearly as much as I used to but my first few years in London I would see some sort of live music every couple of weeks and there is no better city to do it in (and I come from Melbourne so that's a big call) - whether it's at the Shepherd's Bush Empire or the Brixton Academy or smaller venues like Dingwalls or the Barfly you just need to get out there, get a plastic cup of lager, stand shoulder to shoulder with your mates and some random stranger who knows all the lyrics and lose yourself in live music.
Surround yourself with green space - you can easily spend a sunny day meandering from Kensington Gardens, through Hyde Park to Green Park and finish at St James' Park, but don't forget the wonderfully quirky (peacocks anyone?) Holland Park, grand Regent's Park or the wild open spaces of Hampstead Heath, Richmond Park (complete with deer) and Wimbledon Common. On a more local note, Wandsworth and Clapham Commons, Victoria Park, London Fields and Primrose Hill are all brilliant. Walks, picnics, festivals, concerts, boozing, riding, sun-tanning, eating, people-watching, rowing, snogging, meeting friends (old and new), taking some solo time, the amazing profusion of green space in this city is one of the best things about it and not to be wasted. So get out there!

Wimbledon Village - SW19

2010-12-06T17:01:00.000Z

I am a big fan of London's "villages" - Hampstead, Richmond, Barnes, even Primrose Hill has a villagey feel (although that's pushing it). My closest and the one I am growing increasingly fond of (as I turn middle-aged before your eyes/monitors) is Wimbledon Village. Wimbledon proper, near the station is functional, has some good things (like the HMV Curzon cinema) but is ultimately a pretty typical suburban town-centre. However trundle up the steep slope of Wimbledon Hill Road (great for the glutes) and you enter another world - certainly posher and definitely more picturesque and charming. Some find that a negative, I suppose it's horses for courses - if you prefer more of an exclusively London Fields, Bethnal Green type vibe then you may despise Wimbledon Village, but I love the fact that there are places like this in London and I think they are equally valid. Firstly it is really pretty - the picture above of St Mary's church is a case in point. The village shops are fairly high-end and you soon realise you are not in the average High St (Dianne von Furstenberg anyone?) but there are some great places to eat and buy food - my two favourites are (i) The Grocer on Wimbledon which won my heart by selling Aussie confectionery and snacks (Twisties, Violet Crumbles, Cherry Ripes etc - nice one!) alongside amazing cakes, super-snazzy pre-packages food (the berry and vanilla panna cotta is awesome) and pretty decent coffee and (ii) Bayley & Sage - which is one of those high-end food shops where you think "Ooh I really need that jar of Argentinian chocolate sauce at £8.99" and for which I am a total sucker. If you are exhausted by all this snazzy food shopping and feel the need of a restorative pint, I can highly recommend walking along Southside Common (which as it's name suggests skirts a small southern spur of Wimbledon Common), past the King's College School to the Hand in Hand pub on the wonderfully named Crooked Billet. This is like a Richard Curtis vision of what an English pub should be but it also manages to be totally un-pretentious and welcoming. So apologies to all you leafy South-London haters but I think Wimbledon Village is a lovely little gem, perched high up in the SW (the view across the city from Wimbledon Park is amazing) and well worth a visit.

Mooli's - Frith St W1

2010-12-06T14:05:00.001Z

I had been to Mooli's several times but hadn't gotten around to writing about it. As today marked my first sampling of the goat mooli (on the advice of trusty Greedy Diva) I felt like it was time to give a shout out to these guys. Mooli's (they should remove the apostrophe...) unsurprisingly specialises in moolis - which I discovered on my first visit are basically hot Indian wraps made with roti bread. The fillings vary - chicken, beef, pork, chickpeas but the top tip from me is go goat. I have always had an ambiguous relationship with goat meat - some bad travel experiences, some misguided impressions that it is always tough as old boots, general Anglo-Saxon fear of the unknown (as much as I fight against it) but one bite of the goat mooli and I am an evangelist for the stuff. The meat was tender and slow-cooked and full of flvaour, the soft spicy potato gave it an extra zing, balanced perfectly by the tangy, fresh salsa. Man this was GOOD - and perfect for the frozen London day. The nice man at Mooli's informed me of the "bonus side dish" week that I had unwittingly become part of so I got a free super-food salad which was crunchy and sprouty and delicious and went perfectly with the sublime goat mooli. You seriously need to get down to this place - and fast.

Wild Honey - St George St W1

2010-11-26T11:39:00.000Z

I am a big fan of Arbutus (the best tarte tatin ever) and had been curious to try it's posh sister, Wild Honey in Mayfair. I finally got to go this week for a very pleasant lunch. First impressions were that the room was a bit hushed and restrained, but as it filled up that improved. It is a great looking space - there is some lovely wood panelling (love a good panel I do) and we sat in a nice private booth (also fond of a booth). It was very "Mayfair" and there was a disproportionate number of suity hedge-fundy looking dudes, but that shouldn't put you off. The food was really good - I started with a personal favourite of mine, a beetroot salad - I just love seeing the different types of beets and this one was really beautiful to look at. Luckily it was also beautiful to eat - combined with creamy goat's curd and a yummy sweet, lemony dressing, this was delicate, tasty and just enough to get the tastebuds going. My main on the other hand, whilst also being delicious, filled me up to that "I'm a bit uncomfortable" stage, mainly because it had risotto as a side dish, which I always find odd (albeit tasty). I had misread the menu item and thought it was going to be chicken risotto, however it was a plate of perfectly cooked, crispy skinned roast chicken pieces with the aforementioned side pot of risotto. Of course me being the glutton I am, I polished off the whole pot which I really shouldn't have. Anyway it was great. The only let down was a pretty uninspiring carafe of Russian River chardonnay - I just can't seem to get Californian wine right. So overall I was impressed with Wild Honey - I'll be back when I'm in a Mayfair state of mind.