Barretts of Belsize - Englands Lane

The concept of a local butcher is not one that I've really experienced for several years I have to admit. Not since the hazy, lazy days of my childhood has meat come from anything but a sleek looking packet, ready chopped, pre-prepped and ready to go. So when I moved into the vicinity of Barretts of Belsize on England's Lane I was intrigued.

Given the area, my initial thought was that I'd be paying through the nose for what had now become the cool way to shop - £8 for a single sausage that kind of thing - but that was not the case. I started my exploration of Barrett's burgeoning meat counter with some fantastic sausages, fat and herbed, some plump chicken breasts and a pork chop. All were rewardingly delicious and no more than supermarket prices - but it's the roasting joint that really makes or breaks a butcher if you ask me and so the day came when I decided to try out their beef.

I bought a topside - £9 and enough for 4 - and it came complete with cheerfully delivered cooking instructions and a recipe for yorkshires (I obviously looked like a bit of a roasting novice when I asked if I could cook it on a baking tray). I was also told to pinch a little hole in the bag whilst the beef was in the fridge to let it breathe - all of which made me think 'these guys know why they're doing.'

Having managed not to incinerate the beef joint and having cooked and rested it exactly to instructions, it was time to eat it with yorkshires, peas, parsnips, green beans and carrots. I don't know if I was getting caught up in the whole experience but I swear the meet tasted better. Sweeter, juicier, more tender - it made sense as it hasn't been shut in a packet since being slaughtered. It looked nicer too and it didn't have that odd chemical smell when meat comes out of a packet.

So I would highly recommend Barretts of Belsize (as would the queues that snake out of the shop door every weekend...). Whether you want a roasting joint, fry up fare or a bit of sausage banter it's a great option for a meat n greet…

www.barrettsbutchers.co.uk/‎

Gaucho Hampstead - They Don't Just Do Steak

Yet again the issue of getting a decent cocktail on a Friday night in an environment that doesn't make you want to cover your ears and run away recently reared its ugly head. This time it was trying to find somewhere decent near Hampstead tube, a spot (quite insistently) selected by a friend for a quieter cocktail evening ('maybe with something more exciting to go on to after...'). Well we started at the now defunct Dach & Sons, an establishment which had a decent sized cocktail 'room' upstairs and a fairly sparse restaurant downstairs serving greasy sliders and a single cocktail option. We were denied access to the upstairs room in a rather snooty way and as we could no long stomach the unpleasant tasting 'grog' they were calling a cocktail downstairs we started walking back towards the tube.

'But what about Gaucho?' Said my friend as we walked past the steak restaurant that looked dark and glamorous and inviting. As I looked in a noticed that actually there was a fairly good sized bar area and there were seats....

So in we went and the relief of welcoming polite service in comparison to the snobby superiority of Dach & Sons was a welcome rush. We were presented with a range of drinks to delight even the most picky of cocktail lovers with all the usual accoutrements including the proper glasses (this is key to a good cocktail experience, trust me).

The drinks were divided into Buenos Aires Classics, Bloody & Rare and Gaucho's Own Cocktails and were created by Tato Giovannoni recently named Argentine barman of the decade. We opted for Argentine gimlets and then a concoction of cognac, cherry liquor and coffee that was an instant boosting burst of taste. The flavours were defined, the drinks were well mixed and the variety would no doubt give us terrible hangovers the next day but they were that good that you just didn't care. We paid through the nose for the service but I'd say overall it was worth it.

So if you're looking to go for cocktails around Hampstead and you want something a bit more glamorous than a pub then take a look at Gaucho. They don't just do steak you know.

Flatiron Soho

It seems to be the ‘thing’ now to make people sit on shared benches, drink out of tumblers and have a menu without choices. Flatiron in Soho is the latest restaurant I have visited where this slightly ‘emperors new clothes’ approach is being pushed and because of experiences at other establishments I wasn’t that much looking forward to it.

I began my evening with a quite unpleasant cocktail in the bar downstairs. Of course you can’t book here but we were happy to wait somewhere with a decent looking cocktail list. The fact that they offered the unusual approach of icing the drinks by chipping great chunks off a big block gave the impression of being consummate cocktail professionals but this was not the case. However, where the cocktail didn’t taste good it was strong (and it came in a Babycham glass – old school) and by the time our table was ready I was buoyed with booze.

So the menu choice here is basically a steak or a burger with a small selection of sides and sauces. Most of us opted for steak with one exception of the burger, and we all wanted it cooked different ways. In terms of the wine, there were two choices of Malbec on the menu, which was a pleasant surprise – and one wasn’t a bank breaker so we opted for that. It was good! Although having to drink it out of what was essentially a school squash glass did ruin the experience somewhat (get proper wine glasses!).

The food was swift – the little thin strips of £10 steak arrived on blocks of wood accompanied by (small) portions of eggplant parm, chips and spinach. Everything was cooked exactly as we had asked and frankly the entire spread was delicious and lasted about five minutes – not what I had been expecting given the terrible cocktail. The diner in our party who had the burger even said it was the best he’d ever had.

When it came, the bill was not too extortionate either – a very reasonable £26 per head for a bottle and a carafe of Malbec, three steaks, a burger, four sauces and four sides. Pudding-wise there was one choice on the night that we went (I assume this is normal) and none of us fancied it so we left. We would probably have had a desert if there had been another option or two (we just didn't want chocolate) so they’re kind of cutting off a mini profit stream there.

All in all I would say that Flatiron is definitely worth a visit (just don’t have a martini downstairs). It’s tasty, the atmosphere is lively and you don’t walk away feeling like you’ve just been made a mug of by somewhere that is all style and no substance. But maybe take your own wine glass…

Cotswolds B&B: No. 12 Cirencester

We journeyed to Cirencester for a break. There's was nothing about the town that particularly attracted us other than that it wasn't london. We wanted to walk down streets we didn't know, get coffee from someone who didn't know our names and generally just tumble into anonymity for a few days.

We picked No 12 because we liked the look of the sleigh beds and the roll top bath, and because one of the reviews talked about an establishment scented with Diptyque candles. Perhaps not the most scientific of reasons but everyone's different.

When we arrived we were tired and it was dark, and walking inside the quaint townhouse on a typical Cotswolds esque street was like stepping into a hug. This is how most of the stay here felt - it was warm, comfortable and undemanding, like going back home only without the questions about when a grandchild is going to be produced or why you're still smoking at your age.

Our room, Room One, was positioned at the front the of house with possibly the biggest bed we had ever slept in (that's no joke - at one point when I woke in the night I couldn't even see my other half). Thickly carpeted floors, double glazed windows, beautiful vintage wallpaper and the heaviest of curtains make you feel like you're back in age when we didn't purchase everything from Ikea. The toilet was kind of in the wardrobe, which was slightly odd and not too private, but no doubt a space saving design and one that didn't intrude that much on comfort. The bath was in the bedroom - a thick shower curtain providing some privacy - with an immense shower, with the kind of jungle head that makes you feel ridiculously energised afterwards. The only thing I didn't like about the room was the picture above the bed - a woman cowering (in my interpretation anyway) which if you believe in that sort of thing seems like very bad relationship feng shui to place over a bed.

Cirencester itself is pretty enough - a sanitised version of a Cotswolds town with plenty of places to get a latte and a couple of wonderfully posh deli style restaurants where I had a lovely carpaccio of beef and sparkling crisp prosecco. But it was for No 12 that we had journeyed here and that's where we spent most of our time. If you're the kind of person who marks a B&B by its breakfasts then the spread on offer at No12 is top notch. Even when we arrived two minutes from the end of breakfast on the first morning they were still willing to make us something hot (and were nice about it).

I would highly recommend No 12 if you're visiting c=Cirencester - or anywhere in the Cotswolds - or if you're just looking for an escape. An hour from London then ten minutes in a taxi and you can immerse yourself in Diptyque fragrances, great bacon and the biggest bed on earth. 

69 Colebrooke Row

In a city so brimming with bars, it's often unexpectedly difficult to find a decent cocktail. Everyone thinks they're a mixologist these days and there are few places left where the true art of the cocktail is really practiced. 69 Colebrooke Row is one of those places. Sister venue to the Zetter Townhouse, which also has a mean team of mixologists, you'll pay the standard London £9 for a house cocktail here, but believe me you won't give a damn.

From the flexible menu that can be altered to accommodate just about any whim to the 'proper' cocktail glasses and the white coats of the waiters they do things properly at 69 Colebrooke Row. That's not to say it's in any way straight laced. Gawd no!  This is a tiny, sweaty noisy speakeasy, complete with a stealth pianist and a loud, buzzy atmosphere punctuated frequently by raucous laughter.

St James' Gate: Myers Rum, Guinness Reduction, Lemon, Sugar

The thing about 69 Colebrooke row is that it's not particularly sophisticated. You will probably have to wait even if you've booked (if you haven't booked then you could be there all night) and when you're waiting you won't know where to put yourself, as there isn't any space. But if you're the kind of person who likes to walk into a bar and say 'I'd like something refreshing. With tequila. That tastes amazing' and then have the best cocktail of your life made for you then you might just fall in love.

www.69colebrookerow.com

Brasserie Zedel - The ONLY French restaurant in London

This is rather late in the writing but better late than never!  Whilst there are many French restaurants in London – some heavy on the butter, some service-poor, some vastly overpriced – none except Brasserie Zedel will actually make you feel as if you’re dining on the rue du Faubourg Saint-Honoré in the heart of Paris.  I lived in the City of Light for six glorious months and I often have periods of craving the food, the booze and the je ne sais quoi - it was the most wonderful thing to find it right here in London, without the cost of a Eurostar ticket. 

Brasserie Zedel’s main restaurant is reached down several flights of stairs.  Walk through the little café at the entrance, a secret nod to the woman behind the bar  - as if you’re in on some kind of clandestine code, the key to the party – and then walk into the maroon and gold covered corridor, down the stairs, past the cabaret room and the coat check into the high ceilinged restaurant of what to all intents and purposes is a buzzy Parisian brasserie circa 1950.  I took my dad along for this one as he had real life experience of a buzzy Parisian brasserie circa 1950 and could confirm authenticity – which he duly did.

We arrived on a Thursday lunchtime to find the place busy – very busy – but we were seated straight away at a white clothed table, complete sparkling glassware and good, heavy cutlery.  Immediately two glasses of champagne arrived ‘from the chef’ – a great start.  The menu here is a single, unwieldy card -  simple and oh so French.  The quality of the food is such that if you pick the cheapest option on the menu – the two course pre fix – what you have will still be tastier and more satisfying than you would get in most ‘above average’ chains. 

We started with the Carottes Râpées (£2.95) – a perfect French carrot salad, tart, crispy and dressed to perfection - and Filets de Hareng, Pommes à l’Huile (£3.75) (herring) which lasted around three minutes.  Next, the most picture perfect plate of Bœuf Bourguignon (£9.75), with achingly tender beef, smoky bacon flavour and gorgeous curved scoop of mash, whilst on the other side of the table there was Choucroute Alsacienne (£11.95), a wonderfully rustic dish of potatoes, onions, smoked belly of pork and a big, comedy frankenfurter.  At this point we were wavering a little on the pudding front, but our wills were strong.  So to finish, we had Crème Brûlée (£3.50) (the crack was there, the creaminess was there, the vanilla was there – it was all there) and Pêche Melba (£4.25) with fresh peaches and clotted cream.  After that we had to go for a long walk.

What you might not be expecting from the flowery and over the top way I have raved about Brasserie Zedel is that it is cheap.  I mean, it’s not 99p or anything like that but you can get a two course meal for £8.75 and feel like it should have cost you £20 – and that doesn’t often happen.  Despite the fact that it’s a French restaurant in London, it’s unpretentious, straightforward and honest in its cooking and pricing.  They don’t try and recoup the lower cost by charging for the bread or doubling the price of the puddings and even something like champagne is within reach, without settling for something sparkling but sickly.  In the middle of a recession, when all you really want is to not feel like you’re not watching every penny, when you do want to treat yourself occasionally and you don’t want to pay over the top for the privilege, Brasserie Zedel has really hit the nail on the head.  They’ll feed you like a king, treat you like a queen and best of all they’ll bill you like a pauper.

The Booking Office Bar at The Renaissance Hotel St Pancras

If you haven't yet visited the new St Pancras Renaissance Hotel in what was formerly part of the St Pancras station building then I would suggest you get down there quick smart before the secret gets out.  Whilst Londoners might write this place off as a transient location for those coming through, to and from the city, thanks to the unique site and distinctive internal structure, the 207 rooms and three restaurants/lounges here have a lot more going for them than your average journey hotel. My specific experience was with the Booking Office Bar, a loftily ceilinged room lined on one side with a smart 29m long marble bar top and on the other with enormous windows looking out into the station.  This was the station's former booking office for trains to the north but the atmosphere in here is of a grandiose New York hotel, with bucket deep leather chairs that could have come straight from a gentleman's club, dark walnut wood and the original 19th century brickwork.  No too shabby at all.

I went to the Booking Office for Sunday brunch with a friend and to be honest it was not a great start when I arrived for the table I had specially booked for brunch at 11 and was told that breakfast finished at 11. However, my friend has a bona fide gift of the gab and we managed to get them to accept our order despite the fact that it was 11.07. For me, it was corned beef hash with a specifically requested non-runny egg (I know it's not the done thing but sometimes I can't stomach a liquid yolk) and for him eggs Florentine.

(Top: Corned beef hash Bottom: Eggs Florentine)

We chatted our way through quickly served coffees and a watermelon smoothie, watching the Eurostar hustle and bustle through the enormous Booking Office windows and feeling pleasantly secluded. When the food came, my hash was minuscule - served on an enormous plate! - but when I tasted it I could see why it was dished up small, as it was very rich. It was also utterly delicious, with a punchy hollandaise and meaty hash (complete with that specifically requested hard yolk) and some iron rich spinach that was well drained. My only criticism would be that the hash lacked the crunch that I was expecting. I wonder if this was the bowl nature of the plate (see above), which would have encouraged moistness…

(Top: Apple and rhubarb crumble  Bottom:  Sticky toffee pudding)

This brunch took place with the friend of mine who always has to do desert with brunch, and so despite feeling pretty full we perused the puddings. I allowed myself to be steamrollered into a sticky toffee pudding, rich with an unctuous sugary sauce and spongy, moist cakey consistency and an enormous bowl of clotted cream.  For my friend, an apple and rhubarb crumble. It was all delicious but too much - but that was our own fault.

The Booking Office is a good spot for brunch – not amazing as it’s more of a hotel breakfast feel place than a real brunch spot – but good food, unhurried service and a fantastic setting.  At £25 ish each for the food it did fall on the expensive side, but it wasn’t ludicrous for what we had and I didn't feel stung.  Having also spent a few very pleasurable hours drinking cocktails there a few weeks before – the kind that make you flush up and giggle lots and are served with a napkin and a little ornate tin of snacks – I’d say that if you want to be bowled over by the Booking Office then go at a time you can work your way through the cocktail list.  And then maybe do breakfast the next morning.

Made In Camden

Having lived north of Camden for many, many years, I’ve often trundled past the Roundhouse in Chalk Farm on the bus, or strolled by on foot, but it took me a while to notice Made In Camden after it opened in October 2010. When I finally ventured there for brunch last Sunday I walked into a modern, open space with the kind of laidback weekend morning vibe that is sometimes lost in buzzy brasserie type spots. The décor here is ‘contemporary yet comfy’ and thanks to an enormous window, the table we sat on was bathed in light and perfect for people watching.

Made In Camden’s Head Chef, Josh Katz, comes fresh from the Ottolenghi dynasty and that is very much evident in the food, which has the kind of non-traditional brunch components that would make a fry up purist blush.  However, amongst all the sweet spiced chickpeas and shakshuka, those with a less adventurous disposition will also find a couple of plates of relatively recognizable fare, such as the Made In Camden fry-up (bacon, eggs, tomato, mushrooms £9) and the mushrooms on toast (£6.50).  With a menu like this though it’s really a shame not go beyond bacon, so I chose the Swiss rosti, with mozzarella, fried egg, roasted tomatoes, bacon and leaves.  At first, it looked a little heavy on the grease, but when I tucked in, it turned out that there was more juice than grease.  The rosti was a little on the soggy side (I think thanks to the juice), but the flavours in that dish were outstanding in every single bite – possibly thanks to that juice - and I could easily have eaten it twice.  The bacon was crispy, the mozzarella melty and even my request for “a not too runny egg” had been met.  I washed the rosti down with a strong – slightly bitter – latte (£2.40) with just enough creamy froth to carry it off, followed by lovely peppermint tea (£2), with a warm and spicy edge.  To be honest, I could have stuck a pin in that menu and enjoyed anything on it - the stuffed crispy brik pastry, spinach, lemon thyme ricotta, egg, date syrup (£8) or the Brioche French toast, berry compote, mascarpone (£8) would have been just as thrilling and on the next table to ours the baked eggs clearly went down a storm.

The service at Made In Camden was very relaxed and it had a real Sunday morning vibe.  They did that annoying thing where they seat someone right next to you when there are spaces elsewhere (I hate that) but other than that I really couldn’t fault it.  We weren’t hassled to leave the table, despite the face that we sat there right through two hours of premium brunch time and the staff were attentive at every turn, from the ordering through to paying the bill. In fact the whole experience made me want to return and sample their lunch menu, or have an evening drink - next time I’m in the vicinity of Made In Camden, I certainly won’t be walking straight past.

Made in Camden

Roundhouse

Chalk Farm Road

London

NW1 8EH

www.madeincamden.com

St John Bread & Wine - possibly the best bacon sandwich in the world

There are bacon sandwiches and then there's the St John Bread & Wine bacon sandwich. I’ll preface this by stating that I’m aware that it’s just a bacon sandwich; that it’s not going to bring the country out of recession or win us a gold medal in the heptathlon.  However, if you are a human being with working tastebuds it may well change your life nevertheless. 

If you have so far lived life in a world of soggy bread, stringy bacon and greasy meat at breakfast time then The St John Bread & Wine bacon sandwich is going to blow your mind.  You can leave all your preconceptions about this humble piece of breakfast fare at the doorstep because this creation achieves the perfect balance of meaty, saucy and bready – and that’s no mean feat.

Two thick fresh doorsteps of white bloomer toasted on a chargrill and expertly buttered with just the right amount of dairy. I’m not even going to indulge the low fat campaigners who eshew butter for a low fat spread or just ketchup - you can't have a bacon sandwich without butter, end of. The bacon is of course the star of the show - a generous portion of perfectly grilled Old Spot, delivered at just the right amount of thickness and meaty juiciness. On the side, home made tomato ketchup of the like that would make a Heinz bottle blush – these guys know how to finish a dish.

Throw in two brutally strong lattes with perfect creamy consistency and you won't find a better way to set yourself up for the day.

St John Bread and Wine

94-96 Commercial Street

London

E1 6LZ

www.stjohnbreadandwine.com

A Stubborn American Brunch at Christopher’s Covent Garden

Christopher's in Covent Garden doesn't open until 11.30 at the weekends. It's the kind of stubbornly old school restaurant that is certainly not going to kowtow to newfangled trends like taking 'brunch' at 9am on a Sunday – God forbid! - but they know their way around a US style brunch menu, I’ll give them that.

Having managed to arrive a quarter of an hour early for our 11.30 table, I stood outside for 15 minutes watching the glorious tropical summer rain and listening to my stomach howling.  Does an 11.30 brunch necessitate breakfast first?  I’d certainly think twice about leaving the house without it in future. As the doors opened at 11.26, I waited four minutes, to avoid an air of desperation by running through the doors immediately and clawing at the bread rolls. 

Inside, Christopher's was like a grand old American dame, with plenty of opulent wood panelling, polished wooden floors, high ceilings and huge windows. Downstairs, a wood clad bar area offering a casual diner type brunch spot and upstairs a slightly more formal restaurant.  We chose the restaurant upstairs and selected our own white tablecloth adorned table as the restaurant was virtually empty.  In fact the staff seemed rather surprised to see anyone there that early and a little nervous of our insistence that we order right now. 

Empty restaurants usually make me feel self conscious but in this case I didn't feel like anyone was listening, perhaps because all I could think about was filling my face. When gradually the room did gradually fill up, it was with a huge American family with lots of young kids, several quiet couples and groups of champagne drinking 20-30 something's already with their Olympic lanyards and flags on display ready for a (presumably somewhat tipsy) trip to the Olympic Park.

The menu at Christopher’s is a very American brunch - eggs, pancakes and the like with no fry up options. In keeping with the spirit of the place (and because we were, frankly, starving) we decided to go for a brunch with several courses. First up, a fresh fruit cup for me with a dollop of crème fraiche (£5.75). The fruit was indeed fresh - melon, blue and raspberries, orange slices with pith removed - and it came in a ginger syrup that thankfully was more juice than gloopy syrup. Across the table wild mushrooms, garlic and caramelised onions on toasted bread with rocket salad (£8.95), which disappeared in around three minutes.

Next, the main event, buttermilk pancakes with bacon (£7.25) for me and Huevos California (£10.95) across the table. The buttermilk pancakes were fantastic - light and fluffy and served with a pour yourself pot of just sweet enough maple syrup. My only complaint about this dish was that it came with only two slices of bacon - streaky bacon, so the slices were pretty thin. The bacon was really good, mouthwatering in fact, but it was a stingy portion and I hate that.

The Huevos California did not impress as the tortillas, spicy tomato sauce, avocado, fried eggs and Monterey Jack were too claggy and soggy and mostly remained on the plate. My Sunday bunching partner at Christopher's was, for a while, a temporary New Yorker and without fail likes to finish off his brunch with a slice of cheesecake. Today was no different and so we shared a pleasingly thick and sweet piece of baked New York cheesecake (£7.95) with some kind of sweet cream. We didn't get all the way through it but this simply was a case of eyes being bigger than stomachs.

(Unfortunately this is the only photo I remembered to take as I was too busy eating the food to take pictures of it…)

Drinks wise, Christopher's does free refills of filter coffee (£3), which my friend availed himself of to the count of four and I had two lattes (£3.95 each) which were average and lacking in creaminess. When it came time for the bill at £29 each it did seem rather a lot for brunch, despite our several courses. The cost left me with a slightly sour taste, simply I think because I felt like I'd been duped with the bacon. Would I go back to Christopher's?  Maybe. It's the kind of safe place I know I could take my parents where they wouldn't be leaned on by hipsters or screamed at by babies. On my own though I'd probably choose somewhere more generous with the bacon.

Christopher’s

18 Wellington Street 

Covent Garden

London

WC2E 7DD

www.christophersgrill.com

The Laindons and Pomegranate - Hastings' best

Whilst you might have considered the seaside town of Hastings to be something of a chic bijou hideaway, a recent visit to that part of the coast on a weekend getaway proved it to be anything but.  In fact, after three days of inhaling air perforated with the smell of rotting fish and rancid chip fat and watching chavs have dog fights on the beach, I was ready to nip this adventurousness in the bud and henceforth always head back to Hove when I wanted a break from London.

Chippy smells...

However, there are several ways in which Hastings thoroughly redeemed itself, if not the town itself then some of its resident providers of hospitality.  The first of these was The Laindons B&B.  If you want to visit Hastings and you are looking for accommodation that is convenient, welcoming, cosy and simply and stylishly decorated then this is the place.  This seaside townhouse has only three bedrooms each one with thick carpets that immediately make you want to take your shoes off, and chic yet nautical décor that included corner baths, White Company toiletries, enormous beds with clouds of scatter cushions and chaise longues.  From the relaxing jets of the power shower, to the care taken over the breakfast (order fruit salad here and you’ll get everything from blueberries to mango, freshly chopped that day), the experience of staying here made Hastings a treat when it could have been a real disappointment.

The other saving grace of Hastings was Pomegranate, a newly redecorated restaurant with ideas refreshingly above its station.  This place has the kind of service that makes you want to immediately spend a fortune, a bohemian ambiance of the French 19^th century kind, and genuinely delicious plates of food, we were more than willing to forgive the fact that there didn’t seem to be an extractor fan through the open hatch to the kitchen and we left smelling of our dinner.

When you’re on ‘holiday,’ a meal out is always an occasion to throw away the self-control.  At Pomegranate this meant that within 20 minutes we had steamed through nearly a bottle of prosecco and two baskets of soft, home made focaccia with rich olive oil and tangy balsamic vinegar, all of which were delivered, replenished and topped up without any judgment whatsoever.  The arrival of the starters was greeted with the enthusiasm of post a half bottle of prosecco and the light, fluffy tempura prawns and fragrant pigeon and bacon salad barely touched the sides. 

Mains took a little time to arrive but we could see the chef through the kitchen hatch and it was pretty clear that he wasn’t slacking so we were content to chat tipsily and play footsie under the table.  I had ordered lemon sole and when it arrived I was a little dismayed to find it entirely whole.  But that was my own fault for not properly reading the menu and those chunks of white flesh drenched in lemony butter and capers were entirely worth the trouble of attempting to avoid all the bones.  Across the way my dinner companion was enjoying a hearty plate of halloumi and couscous – for once, a vegetarian main outside London that didn’t involved a quiche.  I think it’s always a sign of a good meal that when the pudding comes, the person eating it doesn’t speak for the first five mouthfuls.  The oozing, rich chocolate fondant and vanilla ice cream at Pomegranate was eaten in complete silence.  Right down to the kumquat garnish. 

Whilst we had consumed a substantial amount of food and booze during the evening, the usual blood-draining moment when the bill arrives proved much less terrifying, as the meal cost at least a third less than we would have paid for it in London (around £70).  Cue: relief all round and the temptation to order more food…After that delicious evening, when we returned to the corner bath and comfy bed of The Laindons we’d just about forgiven Hastings for chippy smell and the dog fights.  Perhaps we might even return…

The Laindons

23 High Street Town Centre, Hastings TN34 3EY

01424 437 710

www.thelaindons.com

Pomegranate Hastings

50 George Street Hastings, East Sussex TN34 3EA

01424 429 221

www.pomegranatehastings.co.uk 

Mad Hatter's Afternoon Tea at the Sanderson Hotel, London

Fans of afternoon tea can get slightly overwhelmed in London – from the grandeur of The Ritz to the contemporary gateaux at Sketch, there’s just too many to choose from; and that’s not even taking into account the pop up teas, themed teas and one off events, like the couture teas that you can indulge in during London Fashion Week (if you’ve never eaten a Louboutin made of cake you haven’t lived). 

When a friend suggested the Mad Hatter’s Afternoon tea at the Sanderson Hotel I realised this was new territory - a literary theme - and booked it immediately.  If you haven’t been to the Sanderson, the first striking thing about it is that from the outside it looks like an office block – off-putting.  Inside, however, there’s the kind of modern art that people stop and take pictures of  - a Dali-esque sofa of plump red lips, a retro hanging ball bubble chair, custom designed Philippe Starck furniture – and a reception desk complete with loomy ‘visual installations’ that you try not to stare at in case the staff think you’re a tourist.  From the reception desk I was directed to the outdoor courtyard, where tea was to be served around a Japanese water feature on the kind of sleek garden furniture you won’t find at Argos.

Tea here is served all day (11.30 – 5.30pm) and costs a relatively purse friendly £35, including a glass of champagne or a cocktail (compare that to £52 at The Langham).  We of course took up the offer of booze – woman cannot live on Earl Grey alone – and my tea companion had a glass of very respectable fizz, whilst I sank a ‘Vivid Hour’ (Earl Grey infused Absolut, raspberry vodka & framboise liqueur shaken with fresh raspberries and grapefruit).  The cocktail was strong and fruity and delivered just the right level of tipsiness.

The tea took a while to come (it wasn’t that busy so this was a little annoying), but when it arrived on a cake stand of wobbly, vintage plates, it certainly looked worth the wait.  We were briefed on the various tiers - the bottom layer, rainbow coloured finger sandwiches, one each of smoked salmon and cream cheese on green spinach bread, egg mayo on brown bread, ham and mustard on yellow bread (saffron) and cucumber and black pepper on a red beetroot bread.  A little stingy on the portions perhaps, and for some reason one of the groups of sandwiches came on a separate plate, but tasty fillings and no dry slices thankfully.

From there it was on to some fairly unremarkable scones with a TINY portion of clotted cream (I ordered another immediately obvs) and some rather lumpy strawberry jam.  However, the piece de resistance of this tea has to be the sweet stuff.  The ‘Queen of Hearts’ strawberries and cream mousse encased in heart shaped dyed red white chocolate was gorgeous; the Chocolate Opera Rabbit’s Clock, a mix of layers of chocolate and coffee sponge, was perfectly bittersweet; and Heston Blumenthal like touches, such as exploding lollipops and sweets that turn your mouth hot on one side and cold on the other, provided an element of adventure you don’t often get at teatime.

Service wise, we were left to enjoy our tea in peace, which was lovely, but we also had some trouble getting refills of tea and that extra clotted cream – none of which would have bothered us that much had they not charged a hefty and above average service charge.  As usual in these places where the chair I’m sitting on cost more than my outfit I find it hard to make a fuss, and we’d enjoyed the atmosphere so much in the end I didn’t bother.  You can get refills of all the plates here, just like any other tea establishments, but they’re not that forthcoming in terms of offering it so you’ve got to be shameless (especially as you may feel a little judged…).

In conclusion then, the tea itself was great value and the setting perfect if you prefer contemporary teatime style to old school pomp.  Just don’t turn up in fancy dress or they might throw you back down the rabbit hole…

The Sanderson Hotel

50 Berners Street 

London

W1T 3NG

020 7300 1400

http://www.sandersonlondon.com

Blackberry Jam Recipe

Blackberry jam.  Don’t the very words just make you think of open fires and wood smoke, Christmas and snow?  I’ve had enough of this faux, drippy extended half-Indian summer– I like my seasons to be more definite: if it’s summer it should be hot so I can have a BBQ; if it’s Autumn it should be chilly so I can wear a faux fur and bake pies.  And make jam.  In a way my jam making is a kind of autumnal offering to whoever might be ‘up there’ in return for those cold, crisp mornings when you can sit inside with tea and toast and a dose of Eamon Holmes buffooning around on This Morning.  I’m sending out jammy signals to the Mother Earth – send me some frosty mornings and dark nights; I need an excuse to buy some new boots.

Blackberry Jam

Makes around 2 Kilner jars full

600g blackberries
600g caster sugar
A teaspoon of butter (NOT margarine)

Wash your blackberries and take out the little leaves and stem things – these can make jam eating a very unpleasant experience.  Put them in a sturdy pan, preferable non-stick, heavy based or a ‘jam pan’ if you have one.

Add 30ml of water to the pan and around a tablespoon of lemon juice, plus an extra squeeze.  Bring everything to the boil and then lower the temperature so the fruit is simmering.  The fruit needs to simmer for around 20 minutes, until the berries are yield softly if you push them with a spoon.

On a low heat, add the sugar – try not to gasp at the amount of sugar that’s going in! – and then stir until dissolved.  Bring the jam back to the boil and boil rapidly for 10 minutes, don’t stir.  Don’t go off and do something else at this stage as it can boil over and it’s a pain to clean up.

Jam setting point is 105C.  If you don’t have a thermometer then after 10 minutes tip the pan a little and the jam should have become thicker.  If it hasn’t then leave it for a few minutes more but beware – if you go past the setting point for jam then when it cools it will go solid!  If you start to smell a slight burned sugar smell then take it off the heat immediately.

Put your butter on a fork and skim it across the top of the pan to dissolve any scum then leave for 15 minutes to cool.  Pour into jars – any old jar will do but I like Kilner jars as they look pretty.

Serving suggestion: whip up some hot drop scones and eat with butter and the blackberry jam.

Machiavelli Covent Garden

Despite being a lover of food, sometimes trying to find something to eat during my lunch break, day in day out, makes me want to give up eating all together. I've had so many Eat soups I can name all the flavours. If I have another Itsu rice bowl I will turn into one. That's why when somewhere foodie and new opens, with more to offer than a dried out chicken salad sandwich, it is very exciting indeed.

So, Machiavelli in Covent Garden. Inspired by "enjoying a bottle of wine in a Tuscan courtyard," they specialize in importing fresh food from Italy to London.  If you go into the shop on Long Acre, you'll be lucky to escape without burning £20 on a bottle of olive oil - it's that kind of place. Given these prices, I wouldn't recommend coming here every day - we are in the middle of a recession after all. However, when your life feels a little grey and you need a touch of that Tuscan sunshine then spending £7 (approx) on a box of thinly slice, silky beef, with tongue-tingling Parmesan shavings and mouthwatering pesto, or a real salad nicoise with firmly boiled eggs, and crisp green beens, seems like a bit of an investment.

They also have the kind of cakes that look like they could change your life, as well as a selection of little chocolate and biscuit accompaniments to coffee.  I've had mixed experiences with the coffee.  The first one I had - a latte - was out of this world - so good, I didn't even need my usual ladle of sugar.  The second coffee wasn't so good, more like warm milk.  Despite this, I'd recommend a visit, especially if you are a lover of all things Italian and food, especially if your life needs a touch of Tuscan sun...


69 Long Acre
Covent Garden
London
WC2E 9JG

www.machiavellifood.co.uk

Roast - Borough Market

The first thing you need to know about Roast is that you get to ride up to the restaurant in a lift.  I know, big.  Then there’s the floor to ceiling windows with wonderful views out over Borough Market and the surrounding streets, that make for a real 'heart of London' kind of setting.  I took my family for brunch and  - maybe because sometimes we look a bit scruffy first thing in the morning – we were shown to one of those tables that seems to be in everyone’s way, right up close to a family having a domestic. I always resent restaurants that give you a crap table if you’re just a pleb, but I resent them less if they’re happy to move you if you ask.  We did ask and were transferred to a quiet corner table with those fabulous views, with very little fuss.

The atmosphere at Roast is just the right mix of pretentious and casual.  I like the fact that it feels like an occasion type place but is not so stuffy that you can’t get away with flipflops and bad table manners.  The service was charming, maybe a little slow at times but we were happy to forgive that once we’d got that nice table.

Food-wise, this is a restaurant that takes genuine care with its ingredients and aims to “bring a new level of energy to British cooking,” so it’s good.  The Full Borough sounded a bit overwhelming on the menu (streaky bacon, Roast recipe sausages, fried bread, Ramsay of Carluke black pudding, grilled tomatoes, field mushrooms, bubble ‘n’ squeak AND eggs), but it didn't last long on the plate.  The sausages were particularly flavourful and juicy and the Bubble a 'caff' kind of addition, which I liked.

It’s good value too - for this kind of restaurant - and at £15 pretty much the same price (and similar, if not more satisfying in terms of taste and quality) as an institution like The Wolsely.

The tattie scone (a potato cake) with smoked streaky bacon, field mushrooms and a fried egg (£9) was a slightly more modest option.  I am a black pudding fiend and not a mushroom fan - when I asked to swap the field mushroom for a slice of black pudding, they did it without even a frown and didn’t charge any extra for it.

Our party also ordered the Eggs Benedict (£6.50/£12) which was pretty as a picture with nicely runny eggs and a delicious Hollandaise.

If you’re more of a fish fan, I’d highly recommend the grilled Orkney kippers with lemon and butter (£5/£9) and for something sweet, pancakes with rhubarb jam and Welsh Village Dairy natural yoghurt (£7.50).

So does Roast still live up to the Good Food Guide 'Best breakfast in London' award it won in 2008?  I'd have to sample some of the other dishes to get down off the fence.  But I'd say it's definitely in my top ten.

Roast

The Floral Hall,
Stoney Street,
London
SE1 1TL

www.roast-restaurant.com

Tandis- Chalk Farm

I know a little about Persian food, but I was never going to make the right choices without some help.  Step forward, Other Half, who grew up eating Persian cuisine and knows his sabzi pollo maahi, from his shirini tar.

Tandis is tucked away on Haverstock Hill, a short walk from Chalk Farm or Belsize Park tubes.  It's got a starkly modern feel that I wasn't expecting - apparently a throw back to the restaurant that occupied the space before - but this actually gives the restaurant an enjoyably sleek feel.  They have a decent wine list - lots of scicilian wines, unusually - and I had a really nice, crisp glass of Chenin Blanc, while Other Half had a Peroni.  I'm a huge fan of cuisines where the starters involve warm bread and dipping so perusing this menu was exciting.

We ordered a basket of Persian bread (like a thin naan, almost crispy):

and I slathered this in a thick, velvety, Greek style yoghurt flavoured with wild garlic and drizzled with olive oil:

as well as ashke bademjaan - a smoky aubergine dish with fried onions, olive oil, walnuts, herbs and garlic served with whey:

and finally, (still on the starters here - keep up), Other Half's childhood favourite, salad oliviyeh, made from diced chicken, potatoes, eggs, pickled cucumber and green peas mixed in mayonnaise and olive oil:

All these individual dishes were around £3 - 4, which made them even more delicious.

I can never resist a proper kebab so I went for Kabab barge soltani (£12.90) for my main - a mix of lamb filet pieces and a minced lamb kebab. I liked it  - the meat was nice and well cooked - but I wasn't overwhelmed by it, it was a bit like holiday food, and it could have done with something yoghurty.  The rice it came with was deliciously fluffy and topped with saffron.  I think the Persian practice of putting butter on rice is something I'd do every day if I could live in a onesie.

Other Half had khoresh ghormeh sabzi - a stew of kidney beans and potatoes cooked with fresh herbs and sun-dried limes served with steamed rice - (£7.50) and RAVED about it:

At this stage in the meal I was satisfied, but not overwhelmed.  I was also extremely full, so you can appreciate the heroic effort it took to order some baklava (£3.50). The baklava was immense - one almondy piece, so gooey with honey I almost couldn't get it off the plate, the other a beautiful cardamom - flavoured bite that was so good I had to eat it in silence.

There's a lot to recommend about Tandis - especially if you live in the area and are looking for a bit of a neighbourhood hidden gem.  Our meal cost around £50 for two and I was unable to eat again for 24 hours afterwards, there was so much food.  One word of advice: leave room for the pudding.

Kopapa Covent Garden

Kopapa is for you if you like a proper coffee and more exotic brunch options than eggs Benedict or a fry up.  The restaurant is in Seven Dials in Covent Garden and very conveniently located for filling up on fine food before a spot of shopping.  Executive Chef and co-owner Peter Gordon was also involved in setting up The Providores and Tapa Room and there are some very similar dishes on the menu.  Which is certainly not a band thing.

Kopapa has more of a relaxed vibe than The Providores.  It’s unfussily decorated, but still looks stylish. It’s buzzy and it’s already very popular so it’s busy.  Best to book if you don’t like to wait (which you can do via the website).  I kicked off with a lovely latte (£2.80) that was smooth, fluffy on top and had a real kick:

Followed by a mixed juice of carrot, apple, beetroot, ginger and celery (£4.50):

And then chorizo hash with a fried egg, rocket, salsa verde and crispy shallots   (£7.40):

My only complaint about this dish was that I could have eaten twice as much.
A bowl of ‘Turkish eggs’ from Changa restaurant in Istanbul (2 poached eggs with whipped yoghurt and hot chili butter - £6.20) was also consumed at our table.

This dish is always a bit of a shock if you haven’t seen someone else have it first, but the smooth, creamy yoghurt, punchy chili oil and the soft eggs are so successful the dish is a signature at both Kopapa and The Providores.  They recommend you should order toast with the Turkish Eggs and I think you’d be disappointed if you didn’t.

If you’ve bought your really adventurous hat with you, try the goats curd, puy lentils, samphire and grilled baby gem with pomegranate dressing and hazelnuts  (£7.80) or for something more lunch-y, grilled sardine bruschetta with roast tomato, rocket & garlic confit  (£6.80).  If menus like this make you want to yell ‘I just want some bloody eggs and bacon!’ you’ll be pleased to hear that not everything is so experimental.  There’s hot-smoked salmon on toasted sourdough with spinach, 2 poached eggs and yuzu hollandaise (£10.50) and a traditional fry up that will far surpass even the best greasy spoon with tasty eggs, crispy smoked streaky bacon, sautéed buttered field mushrooms richly flavoured slow-roasted tomatoes  (£7.80)

www.kopapa.co.uk

32-34 Monmouth Street
Seven Dials London
WC2H 9HA
020 7240 6076

The Langham Hotel - Best Afternoon Tea in London?

Some people don't consider afternoon tea to be much of a meal. I disagree.  It's got all the components for a balanced feed - savoury, sweet and clotted cream - PLUS you can have seconds (sometimes even thirds) and a doggy bag is standard.

The Langham Hotel's Palm Court won the UK Tea Guild's award for Top London Afternoon Tea 2010 -'the OSCARS of the tea world' - so it's a serious contender for the best afternoon tea in London in anyone's book and if you're a virgin tea taker it's a good place to start.  [Note: If you should arrive and find there's a screaming kid in the Palm Court drowning out the lovely tinkly piano, I'd recommend a table in the sumptuous Artesian bar next door.  Same tea and the cocktail bar is closer.]

We all ordered the Wonderland Tea (£38) which comes with a selection of teas (Earl Grey, English Breakfast, Lapsang Souchong etc) or a glass of Laurent-Perrier NV (£50).  One of these cake stands serves two people:

Starting on the bottom with the sandwiches, I didn't enjoy the salmon crème fraÎche ones, they were a bit fishpastey, but the beef with horseradish were good, the egg and mustard cress rolls were really tasty, the chicken with honey mustard delicious and the cucumber, cream cheese and chives, simple but excellent.

Next up, two light, fluffy scones, one with raisins, one without. Top these with lashings of strawberry jam and clotted cream (refillable) and then you're ready for the main event - the cakes. I think this top plate is probably the reason The Langham won the UK Tea Guild award so leave room for at least a forkful of each cake or you'll bitterly regret it.  We had (each) a deeply delicious blackforest dome, rich Valrhona chocolate mousse (topped with a tiny mini macaroon), a wonderfully moist mini cup cake with pistachio icing, blackcurrant and hibiscus syllabub and a mini handmade lolly.  To be frank, the lolly looked fun but was a bit of a waste of time, but the rest....we were a party of gossiping girls and no one said a word as the first forkfuls of cake were consumed, there was only a reverential silence.  This is some serious patisserie.


Palm Court is open daily: 8.30 - 23:00

Afternoon tea seatings: 14:00, 14:30, 16.30 and 17.00
High tea: 17:00 - 18:30


www.palm-court.co.uk