Author: Lucy Ann Watson

Voltaire Takes to the Streets

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Where Voltaire, Crown Plaza, London What Voltaire is a chic champagne bar located in the vaults of the Crowne Plaza, London. This Spring, Voltaire welcomes three food truck residencies, bringing London street food culture to the Square Mile. Experience First up on the bill is The Cheese Truck. These guys are a regular at Maltby Street Market, and a firm favourite of mine. They leave their yellow truck behind and enter the Voltaire kitchen to showcase the best of British cheese by packing the gooey goodness into a grilled sandwich. The Cropwell Bishop Stilton with sweet-cure bacon & pear chutney is a must-try. Ensure your napkin is at hand to catch any escaping stilton. The Cheese Truck is set to open their full time Cheese Bar in Deptford soon, so keep those eyes peeled. From 15 April – 1 May 2015, head down to the vaults to sample the delights of Bill or Beak. A refreshingly original choice of either spiced shredded duck or chicken (bill or beak) served up in a hand-crafted burger. The …

The Meat Co. Steakhouse

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Where The Meat Co Steakhouse What South African influenced restaurant, The Meat Co, launched in London in 2008. It caters for meat lovers who yearn for a steak house with style. Experience It was a Thursday night and the weekend was fast approaching. I needed to go shopping all week and, as usual, the London hustle got the better of me. The Meat Co is situated ideally on the approach to Westfield Shopping Centre in Sheppard’s Bush. What better place to meet my friend for a steak dinner with an hour to spare to run my errands? I met my friend Kim, bags in hand, at the downstairs bar. The deluxe decor of rich patterned furniture and tribal hangings immediately took me away to somewhere exotic. The restaurant is situated upstairs via a grand staircase, but there is always the option of ordering snacks at the bar if you are just after a post-shopping bite. Our waiter for the evening, Professor, quickly recommended The Jungle Bear cocktail. It did just fine for a sweet toothed …

A Good Feed from Pietro D’Agostino at Evoluzione

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Where Evoluzione, Hotel Xenia What Head Chef at Hotel Xenia’s street fronted restaurant Evoluzione, Angeletti, has organised a series of culinary events to take place every six weeks, each time inviting a different Italian ‘Guest Chef’ who will expertly take all guest diners on a journey through different Italian regions, tastes and traditions. Experience Being a proud East Londoner for many years now I must admit that I rarely venture West for dinner on a school night. I was however invited to the first Guest Chef Event at Hotel Xenia in Kensington with the highly acclaimed Michelin star-awarded chef Pietro D’Agostino feeding us a six-course menu from Sicily. I love Italian food. If there was one thing that could temp me, it was that. Tonight was all about Sicily and Italian-born chef Pietro D’Agostino, owner of the notable Sicilian restaurant La Capinera. The event began with a glass of sparkling wine and delightful canapés next to the virtuoso pianist setting the mood. My guest for the evening was running very late, so it was a …

London Grind, London Bridge

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Where London Grind, London Bridge What London Grind is the latest venue from the team behind the successful Shoreditch, Soho and Holborn Grind. It sits proudly riverside at 2 London Bridge on the doorstep of Borough Market. Inside, the bare bricks provide an understated decor which is effortlessly chic. Experience London Grind of course offers its name sake high-quality coffee but focus turns to their signature cocktail list and locally-sourced dishes to feed hungry brunch seekers and dinner diners alike. I knew my luck was in when my friend and I were seated at a table with a river view. We were instantly recommended the gin cocktail Clover Club and didn’t need our arms twisting. It was sweet and fresh and packed a raspberry punch. For those with a more savoury pallet try a Negroni or locally brewed beer from Fourpure brewery. Laid out on view were a selection of focaccia, cheese and meat sourced from Borough Market every morning. My friend and I opted to share plates and both loved the devine Mushroom and …