A short trip to Paris, return visits to a few old favourites and a smattering of brand new openings all across London filled up our restaurant dance card for November.
Savoy Grill (Strand) - Grand Mariner flambeed crepes with pineapple
Any London restaurant that makes it to their 135th birthday has to be doing something right and at Gordon Ramsay’s Savoy Grill they’re all about making your meal there a special experience. And nothing says special more than the flambe display you get tableside when you order this dessert.
Long Chim (Soho) - Grilled beef skewer with turmeric, galangal and coriander
The first of two great Thai restaurants to open in November, this saw chef David Thompson return to London for the first time in an age. It's a tight menu at Long Chim (which actually works in its favour) and the best of the bunch was definitely these skewers, some of the most perfectly seasoned and cooked beef on sticks we've had in a while.
Godet (Islington) - Churros with miso salted caramel sauce
There was a lot to like at this new wine-led pub on Essex Road with a burger-focused offering from their weekly kitchen residency by Perk'd Up Burger, but it was these gold-standard churros that really won our heart that night.
River Cafe Cafe (Hammersmith) - Rotolo al forrno with Italian spinach with buffalo ricotta and porcini
A private dinner gave us our first chance to check out the new offshoot of the River Cafe down by the river in Hammersmith. The artwork’s impressive (a huge Damien Hirst cherry blossom painting among others) but it couldn’t outshine the frankly gorgeous dishes of which this was a standout (FYI - it’s also the dish that Jamie Oliver says changed his life).
Yellow Bittern (King’s Cross) - Rice pudding
The amount of publicity, good and bad, that this tiny Caledonian Road restaurant has received in the past few weeks has been crazy. Our meal there was a mixture of hits and misses, but we did enjoy the old-school rice pudding, complete with vanilla pod.
Fantomas (Chelsea) - Crispy veal sweetbread with a bulgogi glaze and sauerkraut
There’s a palpable scene at this new King’s Road restaurant with the crazily creative chef Chris Denney running the kitchen. The standout for us, and one that illustrates the international cuisines inspiring the menu here was this glazed sweetbread.
Bistro de Tournelles (Paris) - Chicken Cordon bleu
Our first meal in a whistlestop 48 hours in Paris was the much-talked-about bistro in the Marais. Classic French dishes are served with aplomb; don’t even look at the menu if you’re calorie-counting. We went for a double helping of cheese and ham, an amazing croque monsieur followed by this legendary chicken dish.
La Fantaisie (Paris) - King Crab with wasabi mayo and green cabbage
La Fantaisie is a beautiful new hotel that's only a short walk from the Gard du Nord. Boutique in nature, it features a fantastic design led by Martin Brudnizki (who's designed many a restaurant in London). It has a rooftop bar that's well worth a visit, but we were also taken by the menu at their main restaurant too. This crab starter was a perfectly balanced example - and looked absolutely beautiful.
Capsule (Paris) - Oeuf mollet with oyster mushrooms and speck chips
This beautifully-cooked soft-boiled egg set in a Parmesan emulsion at new bistro Capsule in the 14th arrondissement was the first volley in a pitch perfect dinner from a talented kitchen led by chef Mickaël Falotte (ex-Loulou).
Lastre Sans Apostrophe (Paris) - Everything
We have food blogger Essex Eating to thank for putting us on to this amazing shop launched by ex-Ritz chef Yohan Lastre. The pates en croute are works of art, the rillettes are amazing, there’s a whole shelf of amazing baked goods inside and it’s the perfect place to hit up before taking the Eurostar home.
Hawksmoor (Borough) - The mixed grill
A return visit to an insanely busy Hawksmoor in Borough gave us the opportunity to try their newly-launched mixed grill. Brought in two months ago and on the menu until at least Christmas, this waistband-straining dish includes rump steak, lamb chops, a sugar-pit bacon chop, sausages, roasted bone marrow, mushrooms, tomatoes, onion rings and chips.
The Georgian (Knightsbridge) - the Georgian pie experience
If you can tear your eyes away from all the chandeliers at Harrods’ newly relaunched restaurant The Georgian, follow our lead and order chef Calum Franklin’s The Georgian pie. The slow-cooked shoulder of lamb pie comes with a ready-assembled feast of ratatouille, crispy anchovy tempura and sweetbreads on sticks.
Amelie (Belgravia) - Crab and tomato toasts with caviar
There was an unseemly fight over the last slice of this gorgeous seafood toast at new French restaurant Amelie in Belgravia. And that’s totally understandable when you try it - think deeply umami mounds of crab and tomato on fried toast fingers, with an added topping of caviar.
Anglo Thai (Marylebone) - Wok-fired long aubergine, sweet basil & soy cured yolk
Anglo Thai's restaurant in Marylebone has been a long time coming but this is very much a "good things come to those who wait" scenario. The room looks lovely and the food throughout is excellent, showcasing how the cooking by John Chantarasak has evolved over the years. This beautifully presented (before we mixed it all up) aubergine dish is not to be missed.
The Wee Sister (Chelsea) - Cashel Blue cheese truffles with blackberry puree
We popped along to chef Anna Haugh’s brand new wine bar on the King’s Road for her opening party to try a series of amazing bar snacks. We’re still thinking about these savoury truffles made with Cashel Blue cheese and topped with a tart blackberry puree - perfect for accompanying a Doran Wines Chenin Blanc.
Bouchon Racine (Farringdon) - Roast Basque chicken with tarragon, roast garlic, pumpkin and haricots
Definitively a place to enjoy a long boozy lunch, Bouchon Racine proved it was still knocking it out of the park on a recent visit. Obviously, we ended with the legendary creme caramel but this autumnal platter of chicken and roast veg, with a gravy boat of extra sauce, was the perfect end to a working week.
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