HIX

HIX is a destination venue, or lucky chance. The heavy wooden door on Brewer street under a simple neon HIX sign is unobtrusive to say the least. The cuisine - posh surf and turf with great service, presentation and quality produce. Steak and Marrow, Two Garlic Soup, Duck salad it was almost great accept for the overly salted cabbage and bacon soup. I mean top notch just takes a whopping dive when the chef over salts. Hix is much praised for its design. I don't believe designer chimes of birds and balls a la Hirst or even maybe by Hirst deserve that high a crie. Below HIX is Mark's cocktail bar. Great barmen and atmosphere, if this was a bar review blog I would give it top marks. The latter it isn't so back to HIX the restaurant venue. Definitely a must see. Group feast menu of suckling pork on the spit looks worthwhile.

The Archipelaglo

The Archipelago is a small kitschy establishment amongst a belt of small food establishments in the environ of Warren Street. Despite more than moderate prices it is packed tight with university students from the nearby UCL campus.

The food was hit or miss. The gnu antelope was succulent but over salted, crocodile dolma was great, zebra was okay, chocolate scorpion a discovery. The Archipelago is a veritable adventure, make sure to pre-book and keep you fingers crossed at what you'll find.

NUOCMAM

This tongue breaking name comes with a small modern restaurant in Great Portland street. Nuocmum is purportedly a cutting edge Japanese and Vietnamese fushion establishment revolutionsing London's dinning scene. In reality it is a small and modern, with a karaoke room for hire and a simple Asian menu of good value. Sushi was fresh, curry weak and pho lacked this oomph. On the whole it is a rather pleasant place to come for an unpretentious meal and friendly staff.

Big in Japan - Sakenohana

A great selection of sakes and free seats can be found in Sakenohana near Green Park. One can guess from the name that the cuisine is japanese - sushi, donburi, rice and noodles. The portions aren't large, however they are quite filling. After a 10 piece sushi platter and beef and smoked eel donburi, served with pickles and miso, we felt absolutely full. The minimalistic, business orientated design, spanning over two floors leaves little in way of cosyness. Great place for a business meeting where you want something more than eating to get done. Bad place for a first date.

Apsley and Lanesborough

The old glamour or Lanesborough Hotel - the Ming dynasty vases, the heavy wooden chairs, not to mention the oak panelled library bar - is very well complemented by a slightly more modern looking Apsley Restaurant. The best thing about Apsley is its star chef Heinz Back, who bears no relation to the Heinz mayonnaise clan. The great thing about restaurants that have just one Michelin star is that they try harder! The bread was still warm, we got a complementary starter ensemble with Italian Prosecco on the side. The Italian staff where extra Mediterranean macho with heavy accents that added to the ambience. We had some signature Heinz dishes like Jerusalem artichoke purée with lobster and liquorice and mains of veal with wild mushrooms and roasted pigeon royal. I usually take sweet desserts but this time I attempted a savoury cheese selection. It was a good choice indeed as I was given some unusual Italian cheeses.

Loved the Apsley, loved the food, loved the bar and the cocktails. A must see for those lacking fear of aged, white, upper class males with bejewelled companions.

Asia De Cuba

St Martin's Lane hotel houses an unusually well designed (for a hotel) fusion restaurant. When one thinks of fusion its usually amongst various Asian cuisines. Asia de Cuba takes this to a different level as you can guess from the name the dishes such as for example "Crab croquetas, jicama, mango, green apple and mirin infused slaw, roasted red pepper remoulade, chili ponzu dipping sauce". This very dish no matter how exiting it sounds tasted like crab and avocado salad with thousand islands sauce. No matter how intent I was on really liking Asia de Cuba I couldn't help but feel that the dishes, despite being quite nice, fell short of tasting as complicated and interesting as the descriptions promised. Nonetheless it is an interesting place to take a new acquaintance, has an great cocktails list and an intimate hotel bar next door. In addition it specialises in sharing platters so you do get to try a bit of everything without looking like you're playing William the Conqueror over your neighbors' plates.

To the Summerhouse

Open for the summer only, Summerhouse by the waterway is a great place to chill with a glass of Chardonnay over a fish dinner. The presentation of the dishes is thrilling to the eye - the popcorn shrimp and the salmon where a pleasure to eat and to behold. For the ichthyophobes there is the safety steak option just in case. Salmon and haddock fishcake with poached egg makes for a good late breakfast, swordfish with mango salsa and wasabi mayonnaise makes for a filling lunch. Peacefully located in little Venice, the Summerhouse is the best place to take in the brief, warm London evenings, you can relax at the bar with drinks and a selection of dips and sharers, or spend all day gossiping over watermelon platter and summer berry pudding with clotted cream.

Food Chains

It is not in my habit to review chains. But Dim t in Hampstead has struck a cord. Hampstead high street has a wide range of dinning establishments that look better than they taste and cost more than they are worth. Dim t surprised me. It was value for money - large portions and promotional offers. In addition it delivered consistently good food. Kyoto Udon soup, Dim sum, Coconut rice, aromatic duck all tasted great. The service was fast and the staff friendly. I haven't been to other Dim t's but this one is definitely worth a try.

Other chains are worth a mention - Wagamama only does good soup and desserts. The curries lack whim. Byron overcomplicates burgers and uses too much of something in the dressing, I wish I could figure out what. Pizza express if blue and that just kills any appetite - so great for those dieters out there. Chez Gerard has too much pomp and too little quality. Cafe Rouge is not bad at all for what it is. At Ask - and this has been agreed by many - either don't eat or have the Caesar salad which is nice. Itsu is overpriced but comfortable. Wasabi is a place I like to avoid . Burger king has better burgers than Mcdonalds because the former flame grill theirs while the latter does better breakfasts.

Paramount

What is open late and does breakfasts? What has a view of BOTH the City and Canary Warf? What used to be an all members bar and is now open to the public? Paramount Restaurant and Bar on top of Center Point. That's right, finally that beacon of tube for the weekend drunkards has become something more than an orientation point by night and an egg holder crying for the recycle bin by day. Center point has finally become a lighthouse for the stylish and food loving public. Paramount boasts a 360 degree, unadultered view of London and a decent chef partial to the good old British menu. There are old classics amongst the starters like a tuna nicoise or a shellfish platter, with something more interesting like haddock and lentil chowder with lemon oil and roquefort souffle with beetroot and aged balsamic. The mains are unpretentious and wholesome, if not somewhat boring. The bouillabaisse and the trio of pork were very good indeed but sank into the limelight in comparison to such exiting cocktail concoctions as Dark Chooclate and Fig Manhattan or roast pineapple and chilli Margharita . Paramount is and excellent casual establishment with surprisingly reasonable prices and excellent personel.

London's Skylon

Named after the famous grasshopper - like sculpture that adorned the South bank in the 70s Skylon restaurant at the Royal festival hall, does justice to its famous namesake.
This place is as close to perfection as can be - there is a gorgeous view on the Thames, impeccable service and great opening hours (till 1am). The menu was simple and innovative. The tartare of trout was succulent and refreshing. The venison carpaccio went surprisingly well with beetroot and hazelnut. Poached ox cheeks with aromatic consomme were soft and well seasoned while the coffee and cardamon infused rack of lamb produced bags of flavour! All the food was very tastefully presented, especially the deserts, my panettone with custard heart and kirsch ice cream was as fun to eat as it was to look at. Skylon is not the cheapest place in the world but if you want a guaranteed good time, you should try it.

Seen the Zeen?

I first heard of Zeen on the legendary Masterchef show. The contestants had to do their apprenticeship there. Located on Drummond street amongst numerous Indian restaurants Zeen really proves that there's more to Indian food that Sainsbury's curry. Zeen food looked great on television, but I was not prepared for the design or the space itself - very modern and casual. Perhaps it is not a place for a romantic meal but rather a great business lunch venue or a casual friends' meeting place.
I must say it is definitely the best Indian cuisine I have tried so far in London. We had spicy jumbo prawns , rich lamb pattice, marinated chicken bits and fragrant duck.. just for starters. Everything was perfectly seasoned and had just the right amount of hotness - the kind that makes you weep and be thankful for the bottomless glass of water that the staff helpfully feel up at regular intervals. For mains we went for the Zeen platter and the whole cooked pomfret which is a type of ocean fish with a very unique, particular flavor. It is hard to describe Indian cuisine, I will suffice to say that it was flavoursome and we ate everything! There is a vegetarian menu as well as a meat one. Zeen has definitely lived up to it's reputation.

The Villian of Villandry

Just like two in one shampoo and conditioner the Villandry food store, bakery, restaurant and bar is a great idea that doesn't really work. It has a beautiful store with gourmet french groceries adjoined to a wooden clad french restaurant with an ambitious wine menu.
We came in a large group and had the french onion and mushroom soups for starters. The presentation was good, the taste - boringly fine, it lacked a certain zest I so admire in french cuisine. The restaurant was not busy but we had to wait for forty minutes for our mains, which were simple in execution as they were mussels in white wine sauce. After I complained the mains were delivered within minutes. I am worried - were they standing ready for half an hour - all forgotten in a begone corner of the kitchen or is the chef a lazy whizkid that when reminded whipped up three mains in five minutes.
I would shop in the Villandry if I lived nearby and Waitrose didn't do online delivery and I would probably eat there again if I found myself desperately hungry on Great Portland street, but I wouldn't recommend anyone taking time off to see it.

Aquatic fushion

Aqua off Regent Street spreads itself amongst the top three floors of an ex department store, whose name I cannot recall. There is Aqua Kyoto with Asian cuisine, Aqua Nueva for tapas, and a champagne bar called Aqua Spirit.
We concentrated on Aqua Kyoto. The venue is great, unusually large for London, with excellent lighting and layout. There is a large smoking terrace with a view of a dome which looks like St Paul's. The atmosphere was great, very anachronistic. It's a very good place to visit with a group of friends before going off to party. The food - very average. We tried most of the things on the menu - the lobster, the cod, sushi rolls, mussel udon, clam miso, shrimp tempura. Only thing worth mentioning is the black cod which had a pleasant sweet sauce. The desserts fared a bit better - chocolate fondant, green tea ice cream, sake poached pear. What I will always remember though is the fried sesame ice cream.

Le Gavroche

What can I say? Le Gavroche is the first Micheline restaurant I've been to that merits its two stars. It can be found off Park Lane and has this grandiose air that tells tales of better times that is so prevalent to some areas of Piccadilly and Mayfair.
I first heard of this place while watching masterchef the professionals, hosted by Michael Roux JR - its current head chef and owner. Roux inherited the restaurant from his dad who was an Uber Chef of the seventies and gave the establishment its reputation.
Everything pleased me about Gavroche, the old school grandeur ambiance without the uncomfortable snobbery usually found in such establishments. The service was quick, I don't know the prices as ladies get a blank menu. I was in casual wear but that was a faux pas as men wore dinner jackets and some ladies had glamorous evening wear. In addition, Gavroche customises all their merchandise so in between courses I had fun looking at hand painted plates and chef-figured cutlery.
Cheese souffle was faultless and satisfying while cooked oysters had a pleasant texture and a refreshing sauce. French food has fascinating, intricate names but one does not always have the patience for them; for main we had lamb and fish stew. The lamb was faultless but what I want to recommend is the stew - the bisque was just right, a feat chefs rarely get as they usually put way to much salt. Passion fruit souffle ended the meal - I was quite full by then but I'm glad I'd tried it. Needless to say the wine selection was a vast as it was varied. Gavroche is definitely an establishment that would brighten any one's day.

What's at Steak?

Goodman's is well known for its steak. Got top reviews. It looks like a stylish pub. The staff is great - its unusual to mention service before food but here I must make an exception - despite the place being full, service was quick and the people working there must know a thing or two about customer service.
There was a very varied starter menu - something for everyone. I had the lobster bisque which was a bit too salty and as a main with my steak some creamed spinach with Gruyere which was also a bit salty and a bit fatty. Having said that, my criticism ends here. Steaks we wanted - steaks we got - great, t bone, sirloin, fillet - all the cuts were thick and juicy and melted under the knife like butter. What you see is what you get. I liked what I saw and tasted!
Warm chocolate fondant with ice cream was very heard to take inn after the hearty meal but it was worth it as it was a perfect combination of unctuous chocolate flavours and and texture.
When you visit Goodman's I suggest you leave the vegetarians at home and order some good red with your steak.

St John's

St John's is not only famous for hosting occasional master chef kitchen trials but also for its whole roast suckling pig. The glorious swine is a wonderful idea. Having said that it must be pre ordered and my visit was spontaneous so I had to make do with the general menu.
St John's boasts of in your face, minimalist, traditional British dining. It is full of middle aged architect types that speak in baritones and roll their Rs. I found the atmosphere very refreshing and unusual but the food didn't bow me over. It just didn't' "bag a punch".
Duck hearts for starters made me ponder whether they threw away the duck after extracting the hearts or kept the carcass for other dishes. The mussel starter was more rewarding. As a main we had rabbit and duck which were of excellent quality but unmemorable in themselves. The most interesting part of the meal was the desert - a combination of Eccles cake and Lancashire cheese. I added many new words from the menu to my personal dictionary that day - like mallard and chitterlings. The whole experience was washed down by an absolutely amazing house red which I intend to purchase for home the next time I'm around.

Soseki

Guided through Old street towards the City by my GPS and a desire for some quality sushi - led me through many a dark alley to Bury Street. ...Burrrryyyy Street - location of a Japanese establishment called Soseki. Bury Street is an absolutely useless address because all you got to know about Soseki's location is that it's opposite the Gherkin. And if you don't know where the Gherkin is you don't deserve to eat anyway.

Likes of Wasabi, Itsu and Yo Sushi and other mediocre establishments have really spoiled the raw fish experience for me. They made me see Japanese cuisine as something bland and boring, often containing too much rice in proportion to the fish. Soseki gave me a second chance. It was the best sushi I have yet to try. The fish really did feel fresh - something you cannot describe but know when you try it. There was obscenely more fish than rice and my salmon main was a SALMON MAIN!. Maybe they use extra fresh ingredients, maybe their chefs have special flavour enhancing saliva that they secretly inject into the food. I don't know to what the food owes its exquisite flavour. All I know is that Soseki is the kind of place I want to eat at every day.

Not to mention that they made a real effort with design, that there's a surreal view on to the Gherkin and that the prices are high but worth paying.

Ola! Mexico

London is full of everything, what it is NOT full of is Mexican cuisine. Proper hardcore Mexican. I am talking about fat, big tacos, bulging burritos and the like. Real ones, in corn flower wraps not wheat! After some searching I came up on Mestizo on Hampstead road. It's neither obtrusive, nor is it in your general restaurant area. So Mestizo we went. The bar was pretty, the walls were red, the service fast. The food ... not what I'd expected. It was sort of gourmet served Mexican. We took a taco tray for starters. The beans were served separately in a silver looking cup. Loved the beans. Next came chicken Enchiladas. I would have wanted them to have been a bit bigger, a bit messier.
All in all Mr. Average would love that place, in my opinion Mexican merits more vim.

Fifteen Delinquents

Jamie Oliver. The food "IT" guy ... goes on and opens humble Fifteen at 15 Westland Place. Fifteen is not just a posh chef's extension of his alter ego. No. Fifteen has a mission - they help rehabilitate "disadvantaged young people". It's a very nice thing to do. Five stars on Jame's moral integrity he is a successful human being.
Nonetheless - food before urchins. You've got the best organic, politically correct products, Jame's tutelage, talented young staff ... you get good results. By good I mean okay..everything is just right but not right there. Come on JAMIE OLIVER!!!! I expect fireworks in my mouth I expect to see my third eye, feel my sixth sense, cross my Rubicon. And the portions were a bit small and the tables stood a bit too close to each other.
The dessert made me happy though! I needed comfort food and that complicated chocolate brownie did the trick. Very nice.
Fifteen - it's a bit of a hit or miss case. Though pulling the Joker would make it worthwhile.

The Albion of Hope

Another successful project undertaken by the Conran group is Albion Cafe in Shoreditch. As I've mentioned before - the Conran Group design every item you will see in the restaurant themselves. Once again they've outdone themselves. The Albion Cafe looks like Petter Rabbit's kitchen. The food is in your face home grown and organic. Where you inspired by the food - there is a delicatessen store on the side that sells the natural produce. Mostly though it sells fresh bread and cakes which look very inviting. The food in the cafe is traditionally British. The English breakfast boasts perfect scrambled eggs and the devilled kidneys where in a rich, gravy sauce that made me happy. I understand where they're coming from with the whole healthy, organic thing but I was slightly disappointed with the cauliflower and cheese that I took as a side - the cauliflower was slightly too crunchy. Though the Japanese have thought us that crunchy vegetables are very good I cannot get used to the idea. Do try the sandwiches though - they're huge and big and jolly all around.
The place is trendy and full of people. The sad part is that there is not enough staff to go round and it takes ages to get your order through. However once it does go through, it's prepared and brought to you rather rapidly.