Restaurant Reviews Mapped!

With a little help from my wonderful brother-in-law, we have put together a handy map of some of my favourite restaurants in London, along with my pictures and words.

Have fun exploring!

Iberica, Marylebone

Someone told me that they think Iberica is better than Barrafina. Blasphemy I thought, Barrafina (and Jose) is the best Spanish restaurant in London. I have to check this out.

With a few outposts now Iberica could be considered - eek- a chain. They have two restaurants in Canary Wharf, another in Farringdon but I visited the restaurant in Marylebone, not far from Marylebone high street. One thing that might please some, you CAN book at these London restaurants!

The tapas restaurant is open and spacious set over two floors. Details like wood and glass and classic Spanish tiles have been carefully thought out to create a beautiful and lively surroundings. 

The first thing I noticed about the menu is that they have tried to modernise traditional spanish tapas food. They have taken the classic spanish flavours, grilled sea food, cured meats and chorizos, and updated them and put a modern twist on them.

Sadly I did not try the green Canarian mojo, but whatever it is, I want some of that mojo.

We ordered a different kind of sangria, containing prosecco instead of red wine. Interesting!! Also came in very cute jars.

Food: starting with fried chorizo lollipops with pear aioli. Lovely and not too greasy.

The best thing we ate, the squid ink risotto with cuttle fish, prawns and aioli sauce.

This was delicious, asparagus, manchego, onion confit and truffle oil. I'm a sucker for truffle.

Lamb sweetbreads, two way egg and roasted red pepper.

Serrano ham croquettes.

Crispy confit of Segovian suckling pig, apple puree and frisee salad.

Yes, we ordered a lot. Yes there were just two of us. But we still wanted dessert.

La tarte de la abuela, a kind of chocolate mousse.

All very lovely and I had an extremely enjoyable night. I admit after I came away I was on a high and thinking "Yep, that was delicious. I like that more than Barrafina too!" However, as I've had time to reflect upon the meal, as lovely it was, the modern style of tapas that they do is not making me yearn for more. There is no stand out dish that I still dream of, unlike the sobrosada on toast with duck egg from Barrafina. 

Those stronger, punchier flavours of classic tapas, which maybe more simple - for example grilled prawns with aioli and chilli - linger in my memory a lot more than the now seemingly bland flavours of Iberica.

Try it, you will like it, but it won't leave you gasping for me. I'm back off to Barrafina.

L'Autre Pied, Marylebone

Michelin starred restaurant, L'Autre Pied, awarded its one star in 2009, had an offer on Groupon for their 7-course tasting menu at half price. Well worth checking out if it's still on! Some may call it cheap, I know someone who calls it Value For Money. If the deal is no longer on, they also do a pre-theatre and set lunch menu so you can get a taste of their style for under £30.

UPDATE: L'Autre Pied is offering a special Easter menu of 5 courses for £39 between 14th - 27th April. Online bookings only, check menu here http://ow.ly/vhcwK 

L'Autre Pied is the sister restaurant of Pied a Terre, the two star Michelin restaurant, just around the corner (and pop-up Pieds Nus) all masterminded by David Moore.

The style of food is modern, set in a relaxed non-fussy atmosphere, unlike some other French restaurants out there (cough Gauthier Soho cough), so the diner can relax and enjoy their meal with no worries about uber correct etiquette and being quiet enough to hear a pin drop.

Dishes are imaginative, precise and beautiful to look at. So much detail and precision goes in the placing of every ingredient; some are very close to works of art.

Although 7 courses long, plus amuse and pre-dessert, I left feeling comfortably full and not over-stuffed. The food felt light, virtuous and *almost* healthy. 

It was a joy to eat. Without further ado, here are some pictures.

Salad of Radishes with Black Quinoa, Crème Fraiche, Fennel and Dill

Flame Grilled Mackerel with Hazelnuts, Apple Tapioca, Celery and Miso

Roasted Sea Bass with Ras el Hanout, Butternut Squash, Celeriac and Soybean

Fillet of Roe Deer with Toasted Hay, Parsley Roots, Carrots and Peanut Crumble

Apple Mousse with Lime and Olive Oil Puree, Caramel Meringue and Yoghurt

The Lockhart, This Time For Brunch.

And I thought it couldn't get much better than dinner at The Lockhart. I was so so wrong. Lockhart is fast becoming one of my favourite places to eat in London.

Warning. This post is delicious. And full of one of the best brunches I've ever had in London.

However, best to start with the bad so it's out of the way. A coffee is £4. I nearly choked. But that is London. Moving on.

Starting with the best fried chicken in London on a pecan waffle with maple syrup. There are not enough words for how good this was. It blew my mind.

Equally as interesting and delicious, though not as sweet, was smoked pork hash with a fried egg. I can't tell you what else the pork was mixed with, some kind of creamy sauce, but all I know is that it was delicious.

To finish, we went for 1235 doughnuts, made by head chef Brad McDonald himself, sold in Columbia Road market. These were a little disappointing, mostly due to the fact I've had St. John's Bakery doughnut - maybe the best in the world - and more recently Justin Gellately's - of Bread Ahead Bakery in Borough Market - Salted Honeycomb and hazelnut praline doughnuts, which are very very good indeed. 

Here the salted caramel doughnut filling didn't taste of much at all, and neither did the pastry itself. However the chocolate filling was very good. They are by no means perfect, which Brad McDonald has acknowledged by saying he wants to tweak them to find the perfect doughnut.

Still, by no means a bad doughnut. I'm just being very picky!

If you haven't been to The Lockhart yet then WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU WAITING FOR?!!?!

GO GO GO GO NOW!!!!

Chiltern Firehouse, Marylebone

Andre Balazs, the billionaire hotelier, owner of the glamorous Chateau Marmont in Los Angeles and the Mercer in New York City among others,  has opened his first restaurant outside of the USA, in Marylebone, London at number 1 Chiltern Street.

The Chiltern Firehouse is no different, glamour exudes from every pore of one of the oldest converted fire stations in London. As you walk up to the gates you are greeted by male models in top and tails, then taken along to the restaurant where you are greeted by female supermodels in the most gorgeous clothes who then pass you along to your model waiters to go to your table. Everyone is beautiful. And so is the food.

Sitting at the best seat in the house, the bar by the open kitchen, we got to see Nuno Mendes do his best work in one of the most beautiful industrial kitchens I've ever seen! A marble work surface extends to the bar, with shiny brass fixtures and grand old fittings.

We started with crab doughnuts, delicious crab stuffed in between pastry buns.

Then to start we had a deliciously spicy DIY steak tartare, which we saw being put together right in front of us!! It came with smokey special Firehouse hot sauce, which added another level (and heat) to the dish.

Then we had tender grilled octopus, finished in a big green egg, with a gorgeous smokey taste, with aubergine and ceps.

Then on to the main, we had chargrilled iberico pork with roasted garlic and lemon and textures of I' not sure what but added a lovely depth to the dish.

And then, my absolute favourite, slow roasted short rib (served on the most beautiful wooden plate) with hazelnut puree and bone marrow. It came with a huge knife that wasn't necessary as it cut through it like butter. So smokey and beautifully tender, I was in heaven. Firm contender for dish of the year….

Then to finish we had a chocolate tart, one of the richest and best chocolate tarts I've ever had. The chocolate monster inside was thoroughly satisfied. It came with beautiful texture of thin biscuit and ice cream rolled in crisp hazelnut.

We also had a dish that was reminiscint of the panna cotta from Corner Room, Nuno Mendes' old haunt. It was frozen apple panna cotta, with a herb granita. Inside the hypnotic swirls were a hidden meringue centre and the whole thing was sat on apple pieces.

Stunning. A light and delicious dessert, that almost felt healthy.

Expensive, yes. But oh so worth it. Sadly, I don't see myself going back any time soon as I hear the only people who can get in are celebrities and those who have booked 3 months in advance. But if you can, get on that waiting list. It is SO worth it. Nuno Mendes did not disappoint!

Pieds Nus, Marylebone

David Moore, the chef who runs Michelin starred restaurants L'Autre Pied and Pied a Terre, has opened up a pop-up restaurant just off Marylebone high street, in the space left by Roganic, called Pieds Nus (see a theme?).

Pieds Nus literally means bare feet, but in culinary terms it means simple, fresh, quality food. He has followed the less is more approach to food, where only a few ingredients on a plate allows the best flavours to come through. To allow the diner to fully appreciate this concept, a sharing menu has been created, where all dishes are simple and very precise. 

You know a place is going to be good when the bread is this divine. Hand whipped butter, along with a milk loaf and a bacon and onion brioche.

Pickled, raw and charred vegetables, with celeriac oil. Beautiful, vibrant and fresh, already you understand what the chef is trying to achieve.

98 degree, 12 hour slow cooked pork belly with potato and carrot. Absolutely beautiful, the pork melted in your mouth and the crackling was some of the crispiest and crunchiest I've had.

There was also 42 degree confit salmon with cauliflower and pink grapefruit - which so shouldn't have worked but was amazing, proven by the fact we ate it too fast and there is no picture proof. 

Tarte tatin.

A gorgeous, colourful dessert of a deconstructed New York cheesecake, with blackberry ice cream. So full of flavour.

Pieds Nus is only open until March 11th, so if you like what you see you don't have long to try it out but apparently the chef is on the lookout for a permanent space, so you might just be in luck!