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!

Lockhart, Marylebone

Sometimes when I look at a menu, nothing really grabs me. Sometimes I'm right, and it's not that great and sometimes it's down to my pure ignorance of the food and I'm proven very very wrong. And I love to be proven wrong when it comes to food.

I heard a lot about Lockhart's new chef and menu, but knowing nothing about Southern food, I just wasn't grabbed by the menu so I didn't bother to come. Very very stupid. Then I read about the hype. And, jumping on the bandwagon yes I know, I knew I must have been in the wrong here.

I started with an incredible cocktail of vodka, CACTUS LIQUER (amazing), lime and cranberry.

Now, knowing nothing of Southern American food, I had to ask a lot of about what was on offer. To start we had chicken oysters in a mustard and bbq sauce (top in picture) and the incredibly named catfish gumbo.

The gumbo was delicious, however I can't remember exactly what a gumbo is anymore. But it was good.

This all came along with their house bread which had salty pork crackling dotted inside - so addictive - but we also ordered a side of corn bread, which is baked fresh to order.

It's more like cake than bread, with a sticky sugar glaze. It was so moist and an absolute delight.

My favourite dish of the night was the shrimp and grits. I could have eaten a vat of this. Fat, juicy prawns mixed with chilli and grits - a gorgeous cheesy polenta sauce.

Then we had the stuffed quail, stuffed so much with "dirty rice" - a mix of offal, it was looking like a baby chicken.

By this point I was way to full with porky bread and corn bread to fully appreciate the dessert of rice doughnuts with fennel icing sugar and chocolate sauce hidden underneath.

It was nice, but I think I may have enjoyed their other offering - a deconstructed lemon meringue pie - more. I hear it's very sweet and I have the sweetest of all teeth.

The bill came in this adorable old book. I love these kinds of touches!

Lockhart is expensive, but so so worth it. A crash course in incredible Southern dining, it's real, hearty, need to go to the gym tomorrow, incredible tasty food. They have recently started opening for brunch too, which I can't wait to tuck in to - maple, fried chicken and waffles, hello! 

I feel so foolish for not heading over to Lockhart sooner. I'm ashamed to say I knew nothing of Southern food before and was proven well and truly wrong.

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!

Medlar, Chelsea

Medlar in Chelsea is a French, one Michelin star restaurant yet it could not be more different from Gauthier. This restaurant is much more relaxed; I heard a baby in the back of the restaurant, I didn't feel like I had to whisper and the waiters even wore their own clothes.  The atmosphere was wonderful, more inviting, open and friendly. I immediately felt at ease and the service was absolute perfection.

Looking at the menu, I could have eaten eveything. Medlar offer a 3 course lunch, with choice from the entire menu, at just £27. Incredible value for this level of cooking.

It was difficult, but we decided in the end. I think we did a pretty fantastic job.

We started with crab raviolo and samphire, brown shrimps, a fondue of leeks and bisque sauce.

Then the exquisite duck egg tart with red wine sauce, turnip purée, lardons and sautéed duck heart.

For mains, we had the stunning and delectable monkfish with roast baby gem, squash panzerotti, romesco, marjoram and pancetta beurre noisette.

And the best vegetarian main meal I've ever had in my life, wild mushroom and vacherin tart with autumn truffle, globe artichoke and quail egg salad. 

LOOK AT ALL THAT TRUFFLE. £27. £7.

For dessert, we chose prune and armagnac ice cream with ricciarelli. A boozy, delicious treat.

And I obviously had to get some chocolate in there….Chocolate pavé with malt ice cream and barley brittle 

It's only February, and already this meal will go down as one of the best I've had this year, and one of my favourite restaurants ever. Everything was perfect and I could not fault the food at all. One of the best michelin star restaurants in london I have ever visited.

An absolute must. It is a dream of a restaurant. 

Corner Room

In a not-often-visited corner of London (Bethnal Green), on a rather non-descript road, sits the Town Hall Hotel. Step inside and art deco interiors and classic 1930s furniture await to transport you back in time.

Something I'm pleased to say is no longer a rareity in London, but still not easy nonetheless, this hotel holds not one but two excellent restaurants, both run by the same chef, Nuno Mendes. One is Viajante, a Michelin starred restaurant, and the other is Corner Room. With a Mediterranean influence, Corner Room has all the benefits of Michelin starred quality food that Mendes produces at Viajante, at a much lower price tag, creating dishes I didn't know whether I wanted to eat as they were absolutely stunning.

Corner Room exudes a relaxed charm. Simple yet stylish decor, consisting of modest wooden tables and chairs crowned by and iron staircase at one end and a wall of lights at the other and that classic East London cool.

We couldn't resist the Iberico ham to begin, and I'm glad we didn't. Excellent quality and thick cut, accompanied by delicious sourdough, for £15 they didn't scrimp on portions. 

I won't say much from here. I think you can tell by the way it all looks that it was all absolutely incredible. It was truly some of the prettiest food I have ever eaten. An absolute revelation to see dishes presented in such an artistic way. Nuno Mendes' food truly is art.

To start, cured beef, baby artichokes and black cabbage

One I didn't know whether to hang on my wall….calf's tongue, wild leek and liquorice.

I would say with this dish, unfortunately for me the liquorice didn't really come through, but delicious nonetheless.

My favourite. Rump of lamb, peppered green lentils. Just beautiful. In looks and taste.

Iberico pork, barley, pear and onion. Again, beautiful.

And to finish, frozen panna cotta with apple and chestnut.

Gorgeous, creative, interesting and exciting food. 

All washed down with the best named wine ever.

Pim Pam Poom!!

Unfortunately Nuno Mendes is to leave Viajante and Corner Room at the end of February. He is to  become executive chef at the restaurant of new Marylebone hotel, Chiltern Firehouse. So this may be the first and only time I get to experience such wonderful, incredibly beautiful food.

Gauthier Soho

Whilst I was off work at the beginning of the year, I decided to take advantage of some lunch offers that expensive restaurants do. Pick from a set menu and get all the quality of their à la carte at a fraction of the price.

First on my list was Gauthier Soho. The French restaurant owned by Alex Gauthier is lauded as one of the best restaurants in Soho, no mean feat what with the incredible number of restaurants in soho. The formerly Michelin starred restaurant is clearly doing everything it possibly can to get it's star back.

The entrance is beautiful, especially on a sunny Christmas day.

You have to ring the bell to enter and are greeted by French waiters, decked out in classic white bibs, and a lot of "sir" and"madamming" goes on.

We started with an amuse of squash panzerotti with lashings of black truffle.

Then we had delicious pan fried foie gras, roasted apples and a crispy caramel verjus reduction.

So elegant and clever. That transparent caramel shard was a joy to crunch with the soft foie gras

Then on to roasted scallops, pickled root veg and a crustacean jus, which I don't have a picture of. But it was good.

On to main course, and I had brown butter cooked wild sea bass, braised chicory and a red chicory salad with a lemon aromatic jus.

Along with roasted guinea fowl, gnocchi, parsnip puree, and a spinach madeira jus.

Perfection! Just beautiful. Really hearty and rich. More exciting than the seabass.

Then came a lovely unexpected pre-dessert of the lightest île flottante in the world, and an incredible vanilla sauce. They should make this in large size. It was so good, and better than other choices on offer.

For the real thing we had, tart of grand cru virunga chocolate with banoffee ice cream.

Unfortunately the ice cream was overwhelmingly banana instead of a sweet mix of banana and toffee. But the tart was gorgeously thick and rich. Just how I like it!

We then went off menu as nothing else really caught our eye for another dessert. So we got a chocolate and praline tart with the shiniest ganache I've ever seen.

This didn't really live up to its description, as inside the chocolate was not rich enough, nor did the praline have much flavour, so the end result was a bit lacklustre.

I will have to go back to Gauthier for dinner sometime and choose from their entire menu. I think what lets them down most is the lack of choice on their set menu. With only two or three dishes on offer per course, they were not necessarily the dishes I would have chosen had I had their whole menu. An excellent meal, but didn't give me the wow factor.

The other overwhelming memory I have from the restaurant is the very sterile, quiet and almost tense atmosphere I experienced whilst sat down. Perhaps it was that we were just in a quiet part of the restaurant at lunch, but I felt like I couldn't talk very loudly, or really even talk at all. While I love attentive service, for some reason theirs felt almost clinical to me and I'm left feeling uncomfortable. Some people may love being waited on hand and foot, but I love a more relaxed atmosphere, even in the best restaurants. It can be done, as can be seen in Medlar in Chelsea, a Michelin starred restaurant.

I think the place was unfortunately lacking in atmosphere and therefore my overall memory of the place is not wonderful. But the food definitely spoke for itself.

My Favourite Things of 2013

As it's nearly February I thought it was time I made some kind of a roundup of 2013.

Best Place Visited

Valencia. 

And what a surprise that was, considering I have never liked any visit to Spain before.

A gorgeous old city, full of beauty, history and culture, with incredible food and wine, an amazing beach and nightlife….what more could you want from a holiday?


Best Restaurant

There are two.

Duck and Waffle, for creative food in a casual, vibrant atmosphere with incredible drinks. Did I forget something? Oh yeah. THAT view.

José, the cutest, busiest tapas joint in Bermondsey. Be prepared to wait for a tiny table, knocking elbows with everyone around. But that's all part of it's charm. It's loud, it's busy, but it's beautiful and the tapas is some of the best to be found in London.


Best Dish

Grilled Iberico Presa with whipped jamon butter, from Ember Yard.

Far and away the best dish I had last year. I can still remember how soft and tender the pork was, the gorgeously smokey charred taste it left in my mouth from the charcoal grill and the jamon butter, which should be renamed crack.

If you only go to one restaurant this year, please make it Ember Yard so you can try the beauty that is this dish.


Honorable Mention

Peckham Bazaar.

Incredible Greek food, just a little too far out of the way to make it a regular haunt - it is literally in the middle of no where in Peckham. But serves the most beautiful Greek/Middle Eastern food in all the land.


Best Drink

Experimental Cocktail Club, China Town (try to find it behind the white door!). It pains me to say I can't remember the name of this drink, but I still remember it tasted like the Caribbean. It came in a bottle as it had to be stored for 3 days before serving. It contained coconut, tea, rum, and much more and it was beauty in a bottle!

Closely followed by the smokey cocktails from Ember Yard too. If you like floral, try "Il Profuma Di Maria".

Best Bar

Dr Evans and Peel Detective Agency, Earl's Court.

Very secret. Book an appointment and have a case at the ready!

Opium, Chinatown. For reasons that shall remain secret :) 
Try and find that one too! Behind a green door this time.

My favourite thing to do?

Visit a food market. Either Borough, for Bread Ahead's Brownies, or the Real Food Market on Southbank, along with a walk up and down to look at this view.

2013 was a year of extreme highs and lows. Only 21 days in and 2014 is already kicking 2013's butt.