Attendant - Foley St Fitzrovia W1

When I first started this blog back in 2009 one of the main reasons was to highlight the growing London coffee scene - I would faithfully visit every new cafe and write it up.  Then as the cafes started opening thick and fast, I realised that I was falling behind - my Central London Coffee Survival Guide Map was actually looking a bit out of date.  Eek!  Anyway - I am determined to set that right, fill in the gaps over the coming months but also make sure to alert all my fellow caffeine-addicts to new openings.  Attendant in Foley St is a great example of the latter.  Cleverly taking an abandoned old Victorian public lav (I am a big fan

 of old fashioned public loos - not in a cottaging/Joe Orton sort of way but because they are often really beautiful, with amazing tiling and huge old porcelain fittings.  For fellow toilet enthusiasts, check out this blog and pay a visit to the loos at RIBA.) the Attendant crew have turned this space into a really lovely cafe.  There is a dinky little take away hatch as soon as you enter, a communal table at the back and round the edges some rather wonderful seats in the old porcelain urinals!  I can only imagine how much disinfecting and bleaching must have gone on to clear a century of pong but the result is unique and super cool.  The

 doorway with the "Attendant" sign still on it is a nod to the naming inspiration and importantly the coffees are top notch.  Brewing Caravan beans and using wonderful creamy Somerset milk, I really loved my flat white.  Gail's hot cross buns were on offer as well as other tasty looking treats.  This is a really fantastic cafe, in a quirky and well designed space, serving excellent caffeinated beverages and yummy food - what's not to love?  I for one will be back - readers of this blog will know how much I love Fitzrovia and Attendant is just another great reason to visit this corner of London.

Bone Daddies - Peter St W1

I have eaten so much good food in the last week - on the high end it was at Hawksmoor, Air St (which by the way - rocks, so save up and go there people), on the rough 'n ready but freakin' delicious end was a Lucky Chip burger at the Feast street food thingy in Islington on Sunday evening but the meal that wins for me was a lunch I had (with some of the same disreputable work colleagues that accompanied me to Patty & Bun) at Bone Daddies in Peter St.  Peter St is that small, forgotten street that is the border of Berwick Street and "Porn Alley" and I struggle (up until recently) to remember anything that is or was there, other than a few doorways with the obligatory "Model" sign.  This area has definitely been snazzed up over the last few years (see my earlier Berwick St entry here on that topic) and whilst I often bemoan the relentless reality of gentrification I do love a lot about what has happened around this locale.  I am a big fan of Gosh! (call me a geek if you will) and Bone Daddies is a total winner so in my opinion, the gentrification of Peter St has been

 relentlessly positive.  I think there was maybe an Indonesian restaurant on the Bone Daddies site before, I really can't remember and to be honest I don't care - hooray for its demise, given the wonderful new tenant at No. 31 Peter St.  As with any place that is getting blogger buzz (and I must say it was Faerietale Foodie's tweet of her ramen bowl that got me there) Bone Daddies was packed by the time we got there for our Friday lunch but we managed to squeeze ourselves at the counter against the back wall.  Our waiter was a classic trippy, mellow Japanese hipster who was keen to get us to try some Japanese whiskey (we declined) but was totally cool man that we went for a juice instead.  We ordered what we found out is the standard order of all Bone Daddies newbies and no wonder - for starters we shared fried chicken and soft shell crabs - the latter came with an amazing green chilli ginger dipping sauce (seriously I am drooling remembering it).  These were two seriously good starters and set a high bar for the main event but oh boy did the Tonkotsu Ramen deliver.  The "20 hour pork bone broth" made all my problems disappear and filled me with an amazing sense of well-being - OK I know I sound like I ducked out the back for a doobie with our waiter

but seriously this was happiness in a bowl.  I know people swear by Jewish mama chicken soup as a fail-safe remedy for colds and flu but I reckon a bowl of this broth would do even better.  This bowl of joy also had spring onion,  pork and two halves of a perfectly boiled, dark yellow-yoked egg that looked like it had been soaked in soy.  I really can't come up with any more superlatives to describe this dish but I wish I could and I cannot wait to go back there - the issue for me will be ordering anything except exactly what I ate last week.  So next time you are browsing for stick mags in Walker's Court (Porn Alley's real name), clean up your act and go and get a revitalising bowl of tonkotsu at Bone Daddies instead, it's much better for the soul.

Patty & Bun - James St W1

A few months ago myself and a disreputable trio of blokes from work had a delicious burger at the Patty & Bun pop-up at the Endurance pub in Berwick St in Soho (and a few beers of course).  So it was super exciting to hear that the P&B crew were opening a permanent establishment in James St, just round the corner from St Christopher's Place (or near Selfridges for those unfamiliar with the area).  The same rag tag bunch and I went there for lunch today and as much as I am all for variation I couldn't go past the Ari Gold burger - beef patty, cheese, lettuce, tomato, pickled onions, ketchup, smoky mayo (their wonderful secret sauce) on a perfectly toasted brioche bun.  Not surprisingly, given their name

 - the quality of the meat and the bun are top notch, in fact I would go so far as to say the bun is the best I have had, or at least on a par with Umami Burger in LA.  The burgers come wrapped in wax paper, accompanied by delicious "skin on chips" with rosemary salt - it's a rough 'n ready, all about the burger place and that's just how I like it.  I've tried all the fancy schmancy burgers but in the end make 'em dirty - ideally at Dirty Burger, MEATmarket or Patty & Bun.  I know there's lots of talk about the burger craze getting out of hand, "can London handle another burger joint..." etc but to be honest if they are this good - keep 'em coming.  I will personally guarantee to keep each and every one in business.

Brasserie Zedel - Sherwood St W1

I am a massive fan of everything Chris Corbin and Jeremy King do - if I could eat breakfast at the Wolseley every day I would (I dream of having my own table there - "your usual table Sir..." etc) and nowhere does the "post theatre" late supper vibe better than The Delaunay.  So of course I couldn't wait to check out Brasserie Zedel (which is no longer their latest venture given the recent opening of Colbert on Sloane Square - stay tuned for another blog post). Those

 of you who were living it large in the late 90's will have no doubt have indulged yourselves at the Atlantic Bar & Grill, which was the last high profile occupant of this vast space.  As much as I sometimes get nostalgic for some Millenium coke & champers action, Brasserie Zedel is totally more my thing these days.  I recommend you start your evening with a cocktail at Bar American - before heading in to

 this loving recreation of a grand Parisian bistro.  The food is well made bistro fare - the last time I went I had a lovely Beetroot and Lamb's Lettuce Salad followed by the Plat du Jour, which was (in true authentic French style) Chicken with Tarragon Sauce.  All perfectly delicious, simple stuff - washed down with a half bottle of French red and a bill for the two of us that came to less than £70.  Pretty darn good for a prime central London location, a truly classy establishment, tasty food and a great vibe.  A winner for Mr Corbin and Mr King - again.

TAP Coffee - Wardour St W1

Firstly dear readers (if any of you are left), apologies for the woeful lack of blog posts over the last month.  Life, as it does, has been taking me in other directions lately and I have not been able to devote the time I would like to this l'il ol' blog o'mine.  Secondly, not sure if it is as a result of the afore-mentioned slackness but the volume of spam comments has gone up considerably.  I keep getting comments from "Anonymous" in the vein of "Hello dear, this blog is truly an amazing word and changed my life, please visit me here: cheap car insurance".  I feel like London Stuff has suddenly risen to the top of some cyber-traffic-scammy thing.  Anyway - enough about that and back to the business at hand - in particular the exciting news that the lovely folk from Tapped & Packed (or TAP Coffee as they now seem to be called) have opened a new gaff at 193 Wardour Street in Soho.  The TAP formula is a simple but effective one - stripped back decor, excellent, lovingly prepared coffee and great food with lots of gourmet sandwiches and tasty salads - and they have replicated that perfectly in Wardour Street.  The space feels bigger than either Rathbone Place or Tottenham Court Road and perhaps because of this bigger space, they have decided to separate the coffee machine from the food/cash register area, which is a little weird but kinda works.  If I had to level one criticism (and I am kinda jet-lagged and snippy today so feel the need to gripe) it would be that the combination of the high seating and low-hanging lights on the right hand group of tables put me in danger of either banging my head on the lamp or at least scorching the top of my head if I lent in too far.  But you know what, that is a small niggle in what is overall a really lovely cafe, with the usual top notch flatties being churned out and a selection of really yummy food.  The TAP guys know what they're doing so if you are already a fan of theirs, or if you are yet to experience the TAP way, get your arses down to 193 Wardour and check out this welcome new arrival on London's ever expanding coffee scene.

Ceviche - Frith St W1

I was (as I often am these days) late to the party with Ceviche but had been aware of the buzz and was really keen to check it out.  Another common failing of mine (wow I'm really beating myself up this post) is going somewhere I plan to blog about and then leaving it so long that I have forgotten what I ate and what I wanted to say about it.  That is the case with Ceviche but luckily I took some good photos and also I

 liked it so much that the glow is still with me.  It was a fun lunch, with my friends Lucas and Kylie, so even though it was mid week

 we got stuck in to the Pisco Sours, which were mighty fine.  We ordered a selection of food to share - lots of ceviche of course (sea bass, salmon and scallops) plus a funky beetroot salad and even some beef heart (which was super tasty).  It was all really good - the ceviche was amazing and everything looked so beautiful.  I haven't been to Peru so can't comment on the authenticity but whatever they're doing at Ceviche they are

 doing it really well.  Service was great and the place is really fun - it definitely felt like somewhere to have a raucous night, but was equally fun for a mildly boozy, Aussie crew lunch time get together.  I will definitely be back - not least because I am a sucker for raw fish and good cocktails (particularly the latter).

Honest Burgers - Meard St W1

 It's always cool when two previous blog posts come together.  I have written before about the absolute kick-ass burger deliciousness of Honest Burgers in Brixton Village Market and I have also waxed lyrical about Meard St, the jewel in the crown of Georgian Soho.  Well blow me down if Honest Burgers hasn't gone and opened a snazzy new joint on Meard St.  Praise be.  I went with some colleagues today and sat outside in the sun, eating one of the best burgers I have ever eaten (see pic below) - a special, with a beef and black pudding patty, apple tempura (how brilliant an idea is that??) and tarragon & caper mayonnaise.  It was awesome...just friggin' awesome.  Accompanied by the usual Honest Burger rosemary salted chips, this was the lunch of champions.  These guys know what they are doing and this new outpost is really lovely.  Top it all off with great service and what is there not to love?  What are you waiting for burger lovers?  Get down to Honest Burger, soak up the Georgian vibe of Meard St and take a moment to appreciate that sometimes two great things come together and make the world a little better.

Ginger & White - Silver Place W1

Coffee drinkers of leafy Hampstead (and now Belsize Park also) will be aware of Ginger & White, serving quality caffeine to NW3 for some years now.  Walking through Silver Place in Soho last week (taking the alleys and small streets as is my wont) I stumbled across the newest member of the Ginger & White stable, a rather lovely cafe in W1.  Staffed by a couple of friendly handsome chaps, the coffee was top notch, the vibe more relaxed than I remember from their super busy Hampstead cafe and the location spot on.  So if you have resisted dropping in to Fernandez & Wells or Flat White (depending on which direction you are coming from) then you could do a lot worse than drop in to this little gem.

Burger & Lobster - Clarges St W1

I had been wanting to go to Burger & Lobster for the longest time.  Then, a few weeks ago, after I had been thwarted in my attempt to see the Hockney exhibition at the RA (I got there later in the day when the queueing time went down from two hours to one hour) I had the brilliant idea of ducking round the corner in Maytfair and trying out Burger & Lobster.  Whilst there are apparently queues (always in London, the queues...) at lunchtimes and particularly in the evening, on this Saturday afternoon it was actually pretty easy to get a table, although I chose to sit up at the bar and ended up having an instructive lesson on gin from the friendly barman.  I knew what I wanted - the lobster roll - but the burger and the lobster itself both looked good as I saw them being bussed by.

The lobster roll was everything I had hoped it would be - sweet toasted brioche, lots of succulent lobster with just the right amount of mayo and some chives sprinkled on top.  This was a rich, luxury sandwich (and so it should be at £20) but totally worth it.  Accompanied by a small, zingy salad and some great chips, this was a great lunch and I happily munched my way through it feeling pretty good about life.  I can't wait to go back and try the burger - it has also had good wraps and I do love a good burger - again my expectations are pretty high given the £20 price tag, but I suppose this is Mayfair...

The Murals of W1

I have always loved a mural and there are two in my beloved Soho & Fitzrovia that have always appealed to me.  Not because they are particularly beautiful, maybe because they are eye-catching, but I think mainly because they formed a back-drop for some key moments in my life.  I have done a lot of living in these areas, my life has taken all sorts of turns and at the risk of getting too deep (queue soundtrack) I feel like W1 is where I became the person I am today.  Anyway, blah blah blah - back to the murals.  The first is on the corner of Carnaby and Broadwick Streets and is know as "The Spirit of Soho".  Completed in 1991, this shows St Anne (so featured because of St Anne's church in Wardour Street) overseeing various Soho luminaries.  As an added bonus, on the hour 3 of the figures wink, drink and blow kisses.

The second mural is on Tottenham Court Road, at the back of the rather un-prepossessing open space know as Whitfield Gardens.  I think I particularly like this one because my first London job, at a music dot com in Charlotte St, was just round the corner.  I loved that job and I have to admit I felt pretty damn cool at the time (ahh youth) - I felt like Fitzrovia was my 'hood and so I always liked this mural, celebrating the area.  It's looking a little tired these days, with some graffiti spoiling the bottom portion but it still stands out and I hope they keep it there.  If you are interested in Fitzrovia, I can recommend a book called "Characters of Fitzrovia" - essential reading for Fitzrovia-philes.  So next time you are sauntering down TCR or sashaying down Carnaby St, take a moment to admire (or not) these two fine examples of street murals.

Pizza Pilgrims - Berwick Street Market W1

I was first alerted to the existence of Pizza Pilgrims by a tweet from the lovely Chloe, otherwise known as The Faerietale Foodie.  The thought of authentic Neopolitan pizza being produced in a bespoke converted Robin Reliant van sounded really cool to me so I was keen to check it out.  The back-story is that two brothers and a friend, inspired by Italian pizza decided to buy the afore-mentioned Robin Reliant, pick it up in southern Italy and drive it back to the UK, sampling pizza along the way.  The Pilgrims have set up their van in one of my favourite streets in Soho, Berwick St (alongside BahnMi11) and are concentrating on selling a small number of quality pizzas - on my first visit today I had a delicious "Nduja" which had spicy tomato sauce, chorizo and broccoli

added.  I have been bemoaning the lack of decent pizza in London recently so the Pilgrims version I had today made me really happy - if I had one criticism it is that, to me, truly great pizza always has a really thin base and the Pizza Pilgrims' version is quite doughy round the edges.  But hey, it's a small gripe and overall this was definitely the best pizza I'd had for a long while.  So check out the Pizza Pilgrims (you can also follow them on Facebook or Twitter).  I am loving the street food vibe that is coming to London, loving Berwick Street more every day and loving the fact I now know where to go when that pizza craving comes on.

More Georgian Soho W1

Readers of this blog know my obsession with Georgian Soho - wandering down Broadwick, Dean, Meard, Greek, Frith or Wardour Streets I am always struck at how well preserved the buildings of that period are.  As well as the typical flat fronted houses, there are some other fantastic decorative reminders of times past - this original shop-front is right on my doorstep and has just recently been  restored.  Operating now as a newsagent - I would love to know more about this building and what sort of shop it was when it was built - so if anyone knows the history please fill me in.

Aperture - Rathbone Place W1

Ah Fitzrovia, my beloved Fitzrovia - one of my favourite London neighbourhoods and luckily also where I work, so I get to hang out there at least 5 days a week.  I used to think of Rathbone Place as my quickest route from Charlotte Street and also as the location of the Jerusalem bar which was a bit of a dot-com/Millennium hangout.  The huge Royal Mail delivery & distribution centre dominates the western side of the street - but not for long as Royal Mail has sold it off and the last I heard it was going to be a major development called Newman Place (as the building runs through to Newman St).  Over the last couple of years Rathbone Place has definitely poshed up - but in a good way.  Tapped & Packed brought top quality caffeinated beverages in April 2010 and since then we have seen the opening of  a Lazarides gallery, Byron Burgers (in the old Black Horse pub) and East Street, a vast pan Asian eatery (which I must say is a tad style over substance).  Whilst some may see the last two openings as a sign that Rathbone Place is getting bland and chainy - be heartened by the opening this week of the second Aperture shop - what a gem.  Selling beautiful old cameras (lots of Leicas that I covet like anything) and developing film, this beautifully set out and peaceful shop also has a charming tea area at the back where you can discuss white balance and focal length with your fellow camera-geeks.  The original shop is in Museum St (in my other equal favourite London area, Bloomsbury) and I love the fact that such a unique, specialised shop has chosen to open an outpost in Fitzrovia.  If you are in the market for a classic camera, or you want some film developed or indeed if you just want to relax over a cuppa - be sure to go and visit Aperture.

BanhMi11 stall - Berwick St Soho W1

I am one happy luncher - finally I can get banh-mi in Soho again!  For those of you who have not experienced the deliciousness of banh-mi - they are Vietnamese sandwiches, served in crusty French baguettes but filled with all manner of spicy, tasty Vietnamese ingredients like pork belly, herbs, chilli and pickled vegetables.  One of the things I love about banh-mi is the contrast between the outside and inside of the sandwich - taste and texture.  Broadway market regulars may have sampled Banhmi11 sanwiches at the CapheVn stall (which I have written about before) and if you get the banh-mi bug like me I would also suggest a visit to the sublime City Caphe near Bank tube.  The Berwick Street market and in fact Berwick St itself is one of my favourite Soho places so the fact that I can now buy delicious bahn-mi there makes me very happy.  So check out Banhmi11 - I promise you'll be hooked.

Meard St, Soho W1

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.

Pitt Cue Co. - Newburgh St W1

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

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

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.

Ducksoup - Dean St W1

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!