Restaurant Review: L'Etranger

L'Etranger is a dynamic and exciting restaurant, with each plate creating a harmony out of contradictory ingredients, techniques and styles. This is a review originally written for Blue Tomato magazine and is based on a special menu put together with Champagne Billecart.


Expectations
Set on Gloucester Road, L’Etranger couldn’t be seen in more fittingly elegant surroundings. And the feeling of the quaint terraced street gently dotted with delis and restaurants continues through the door and to the table. Pale shades are airy and regal, whilst artworks and small attentiosn to detail give a slightly funkier edge. A hint, perhaps, at the refined yet daring menu, which merges French and Japanese cuisines.

Restaurant Review: Capote Y Toros

This is a review originally written for Blue Tomato magazine and I think I need say no more than "100 varieties of sherry". Yep, it's great.

Expectations

Modern Spanish restaurant Cambio de Tercio and tapas bar Tendido Cero have put Old Brompton Road on the map as a destination for Spanish dining. The man who runs them, along with newer restaurant Tendido Cuatro in Parsons Green, is Abel Lusa, one of the most hospitable restaurateurs in the industry. When we heard that he was gracing the road with another venue, a ham and sherry bar, we knew we had to pay it a visit.

Experience
Capote y Toros is small. Tiny, in fact. There’s barely more than a handful of tables and a small bar area at which diners can sit, but no space is wasted. Legs of ham hang from the ceiling, 

Sherry Is Cool!

My love of sherry is no secret. The fact that it's now actually quite cool to do so is a revelation. This is my piece on London's burgeoning sherry scene, written for Blue Tomato magazine. Hands off, Grandma!

For too long has the fortified nectar been reserved only for Grandmas and trifle bottoms. Though revered by wine enthusiasts, the British public have never quite caught on. At least, not until now. The sherry revolution has begun.

Acclaimed hip industry man Richard Bigg, owner of Spanish restaurant Camino and guru behind Shoreditch cool joints The Big Chill Bar and Cantaloupe is at the forefront of the movement. He set the ball rolling with the opening of Bar Pepito a little over a year ago. Based in what could only be described as a glorified shed in King’s Cross, Pepito was the UK’s first sherry bar, serving upwards of 15 sherries by the glass despite there being room for barely 15 customers at a time. 

Creating ripples of ecstasy for those already on the sherry bandwagon, Pepito has also given many their first opportunity to try authentic Spanish sherry in a bar environment in London. Too often in other venues would the only sherry choices be the likes of Croft’s Original or Harvey’s Bristol Cream. These sweetened versions of the drink made especially for the British market have their fans (mainly amongst oldies, it must be said) but are a poor representation of the many styles of sherry available.

Restaurant Review: Que Viet

A bit of spice and a bit of shaking at this Vietnamese on Kingsland Road. This review was originally written for Blue Tomato magazine.

If you’re after Vietnamese food, it’s no secret that Kingsland Road is the place to head. But without careful planning, the numerous offerings can turn into a mental hurricane of confusion. Sorting your Viet This from your Viet That is a little like looking for a needle in a noodle-stack. Or some such misappropriated metaphor.

We reckon we’ve checked out a fair few of these joints in our time, but what with their proximity to the heart of Shoreditch’s nightlife, we can’t promise to remember exactly which ones we’ve nocturnally frequented.

A lunchtime trip to Que Viet made a refreshing change, then. A bottle of Vietnamese Hue beer sets the mood as we peruse the characteristically vast menu. We plump for a greedy selection of starters that includes some adventurous skewered minced snails alongside more populist summer rolls and soft shell crab.

Restaurant Review: Le Pont De La Tour

Good fish and bad burgers at this pretty Thames-side spot. Read about the meal of two-halves in this review, which was originally written for Blue Tomato magazine.

Expectations
Part of the D&D group previously owned by Terence Conran, Le Pont De La Tour takes up much of the Butler’s Wharf complex at Shad Thames. It boasts a deli, a wine shop, a fine-dining restaurant and this, the more laid back Le Pont De La Tour bar & grill. We’ve read mixed reviews and heard both good and bad things of this tourist friendly French restaurant on the Thames just by Tower Bridge, so are interested to make up our own opinion.

Experience
Our waitress is friendly and efficient as she guides us to the right part of the maze-like restaurant complex giving a good first impression that is bolstered by the riverside seating 

Restaurant Review: Tempo

It's Italy, Mayfair style at Tempo. With a Japanese chef, obviously. This review was originally written for Blue Tomato magazine.

Expectations
 A grand sounding Italian venue nestled in the heart of Mayfair, the thought of Tempo evokes ideas of luxury and extravagance. This is perhaps partly due to the association with owner Henry Tonga, a former hotelier and regular on London’s elite scene, who ran the now closed hotel 22 Jermyn Street. These high expectations are complicated by the knowledge that Tempo’s chef is not Italian at all, but Japanese. Are we in store for a touch of fusion?

Experience

There’s certainly no shortage of luxury on entering Tempo. The downstairs restaurant pulls off decidedly high-end dining in a light, spacious atmosphere that is as far from stuffy old-school Mayfair as could be. There’s an opulent operatic feel that befits the restaurant’s name, particularly in the smaller upstairs bar area, with hanging drapes, plush sofas and a grand fireplace bestowing a homely mansion-like charm. We can’t help but imagine that this would be the ideal site for a wild house party, the likes of which Mayfair squatters and members of the Skins crew have thrown over the years. We wouldn’t encourage it, though – as the food comes out it seems unlikely that any wannabe squatters could knock up dishes of quite the same standard.

Flair Bartending Gets Messy

At Blue Tomato, we like to keep ourselves on our toes. Here's video evidence of that in the form of us trying our hands at some flair bartending.

I have a feeling that my colleague may be slightly better than me here. But I'm not the one who gets hit on the head with a cocktail shaker. Who's winning? Sorry, Dave...

Thanks to the guys at TGI Fridays for allowing us to trash your bar.

Restaurant Review: Delifonseca, Liverpool

London is awash with great restaurants. People often ask me about my favourites and I struggle to answer as there are so many that come to mind. If someone were to ask me right now about a favourite spot, though, I would have to spark controversy and pick somewhere.... outside London. Not only that, but in the North. Could it be? Really?

Yes. It could. In fact, a recent trip to Liverpool (hard research for an upcoming Blue Tomato travel feature) spawned many a gem. For a city that felt remarkably small, it certainly crams in some top notch dining destinations: bistro/ coffee shop The Quarter, old-school Italian Il Forno, modern British 60 Hope Street and London Carriage Works... the list goes on. The crown goes to Delifonseca, though. A relaxed all-day eatery kind of a place with a deli and food store built in, it literally exudes friendliness and comfort. Not to mention some tasty smells.

Porto - The Yeatman Hotel

The historic Portuguese city of Porto – or the anglicised Oporto as it’s sometimes known – will always have a place in the hearts of the British. If it weren’t for this city, just what would we drink with our stilton?

The World Heritage destination which is the home of Port wine now has a new ambassador in the form of The Yeatman hotel: an unparalleled €40 million homage to the city, and the drink which has made it what it is.

Although the enormous creation offers Porto an appropriately proud centrepiece, and has been billed the best hotel not only in Porto, but Portugal as a whole, it’s hard to think of a more quintessentially English destination beyond Britain’s shores. It’s owned by the Fladgate Partnership, the company behind the Croft, Fonseca and Taylor’s Port and wine brands, who are as undeniably British as they come. From its commanding cliff side position across the Douro estuary, the hotel watches over Porto like a colonial Big Brother, serving afternoon teas and gin & tonics from lavishly made up rooms named in honour of greats including Winston Churchill.

A grand design in every way, The Yeatman boasts grounds of over two and a half hectares, containing within it an award-winning restaurant that’s one of the best in the area; a spa based around wine; and artefact-lined corridors which become a museum of Port.

Restaurant Review: Made In Camden

Dining in entertainment venues is notoriously hit and miss. Or perhaps more often just plain miss. Made In Camden at The Roundhouse gives it a good shot. This is a review originally written for Blue Tomato magazine.


Expectations
It’s hard to know what to expect from Made in Camden. Cafes and restaurants which are based in venues, as Made in Camden is at The Roundhouse, are notoriously hit and miss. What we do know is that we really want to love it. Not only so that we can get some decent grub during Roundhouse visits, but also because of everything it stands for. The restaurant’s local sourcing policy means working with businesses from the area; they’ve even recruited a local chef, Josh Katz; and what’s more, all proceeds are poured back into the Roundhouse trust. The promise of a dinner menu of small plates is a tantalizing one…

Experience
On first impressions, Made in Camden has the look of just any cafeteria, and not much more atmosphere. But as we settle down, are welcomed by the incredibly friendly staff, and take a look at a menu that you certainly wouldn’t find at just any cafeteria, the ice is broken. The end of a performance then triggers an onslaught, and suddenly the place is heaving – though still relaxed.

Restaurant Review: Mushu

A new spot to sate those West End dumpling cravings. Go on, you know you have them. Admit it. This is a review originally written for Blue Tomato magazine.

Expectations
Mushu bills itself as a Japanese izakaya restaurant. This word is formed of the Japanese “i” meaning to sit and “sakaya” meaning sake shop – the result being a drinks bar where substantial food is also served. A little like Japanese Dim Sum, then. Or oriental tapas. Whatever we call it, it’s a concept which we wholeheartedly approve of, and one which would make a genuinely interesting addition to London’s dining scene.

Experience
Welcomed into Mushu at the hands of the owners, shown to our seats and chatted to, there’s a skill to making people feel quite so at home in such exotic environments, but Mushu have it down to a fine art. At first glance, the extensive menu littered with Japanese terms, could be intimidating, but the ability to order lots of small dishes takes the pressure off.

Restaurant Review: Providores

A visit to the shrine of the King of Fusion Food. This review was originally written for Blue Tomato magazine.

Expectations
Run by Kiwi Peter Gordon, the undisputed king of fusion food and chef beloved of other chefs, The Providores is renowned for its interesting flavour pairings and uninhibited approach to cooking. It sits atop the more casual Tapa Rooms, but we’re expecting it to take a fun rather than formal approach to fine dining that’s more New Zealand than Old Marylebone.

Experience
There’s less of a distinction between upstairs and down than we’d have guessed. Plain, simple, light and modern are suitable buzzwords for the decor throughout, which acts as a blank canvas for the creativity of the menu. The sheer length of dish names is appetite whetting and we feel genuinely excited as we wait for oursweetcorn and courgette bhaji with grilled Halloumi, tomato yuzu jam, sumac yoghurt, pickled carrot, and a curry leaf salad (£10.60) to arrive. What turns up is a feast of components which, though all present, correct and quite delicious on their own, merge together to form a genuinely coherent (if very generously sized) dish.

Restaurant Review: Ora Thai

It's a case of style over substance at a distinctly average Thai restaurant with a high profile and a top class location. This review was originally written for Blue Tomato magazine.

Ora Thai is the latest restaurant from the team that have brought us Awana and Mango Tree. In this incarnation, they’ve ramped up the style factor, with a below ground restaurant that looks more like a hip club; Italian fashion-house designed staff uniforms; and an unlikely collection of cosmetics in the toilets.

It follows, then, that the food is presented in a sleek and stylish manner, with all kinds of flowers and garnishes helping transform Thai staples into artistic creations. Beyond surface level, the food is more of a mixed bag, though. A starter platter of mini dishes allows the kitchen to show off their skills, with intricate and complexly flavoured versions of crab cakes and pork dumplings making a good start.

As main courses follow, the flavour notches seem to have been turned down somewhat.