Les Deux Salons - William IV St WC2

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

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!

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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.