All posts filed under: Restaurants

BIRD, Shoreditch

Published by

Where BIRD, Shoreditch What Fried chicken inspired by all of the places that restaurant owners Paul and Cara have visited – Logan Square in Chicago, Sansom Street in Philadelphia, a couple of great places in Brooklyn and not forgetting Asia. The ‘Free Range & Fried’ describes the food and how it’s prepared, but it also describes the restaurant’s attitude to what they do – naughty but nice. The experience Fried chicken is having a moment in London. Everywhere I turn I see a new opening here, a new opening there. Not that it is a problem, of course, because I love the stuff. I recently visited one of the ‘talk of the town’ burger establishments and I was smug munching on my buttermilk fried chicken burger, while my friend chowed down on an unappetising looking cheese burger. So when I visited BIRD for lunch a few weeks ago, anticipation was high. I visited during my lunch hour as I work on Old Street and it was the perfect working day treat. I was there to …

Chicken, Steak and Art at Hixter Bankside

Published by

Where Hixter, Bankside What The newest restaurant from Mark Hix. The concept is simple – chicken or steak to share. Mighty-marbled Himalayan salt dry-aged steak from hand-selected cows and barn-reared chicken from Swainson House Farm in Lancashire. Starters and puddings change with the seasons. Mark’s Bar, the latest outpost of Mark Hix’s award-winning cocktail bar is located in the basement, serving cocktails that champion British drinks’ producers. The experience A few years ago I worked on the PR team for Hix, so I know the concept of the restaurants well. Since I was on the scene, Mark’s portfolio has increased to include Tramshed, HIX Mayfair, Hixter City and now Hixter Bankside. The food concept is pared back and simple dishes, cooked well with excellent quality ingredients. What sets Marks restaurants out from other steak and chicken restaurants is the stylish surroundings. It’s no secret that Mark is friends with the art crowd, and as a result, beautiful and let’s just say interesting artwork adorns the walls. My favourite was in the loos. As I was leaving …

Okan, Brixton Village

Published by

Where Okan, Brixton Village What Small but sweet Japanese street food restaurant in Brixton Village serving okonomiyaki with a wide variety of toppings along with a wide selection of Japanese home cooking dishes. The experience It has been a couple of years since I ate at Okan in Brixton Village, but I found an old photo and realised that I never did a post and I really feel I should considering the amount of times I have recommended this restaurant to people. It’s no surprise that nearly every time I have visited Brixton Village I opted for a Franco Manca. But on this particular visit I was with someone who had a huge love for Japanese food. I can’t remember fully but I’m sure I wasn’t exactly thrilled about skipping pizza for an omlette. Okonamiyake is the most popular street food from Osaka and translates to ‘as you like it’. It is a savoury pancake with a cabbage and batter base and finished with a special brown sauce, Japanese mayonnaise, green seaweed flakes and bonito …

Vapiano, Soho

Published by

Where Vapiano, Soho What The third Vapiano site in London follows the same concept – homemade pasta, pizza and salad dishes cooked fresh in front of guests. Each dish is ordered using a smart card system, which is tapped onto the till every time you order, meaning an easy and efficient paying system as you leave the restaurant. The experience I bet you think I’m going to talk about a big, juicy pizza here, don’t you? Well, guess again folks; I managed to restrain myself from ordering a pizza and instead opted for a pasta dish and a salad. We arrived on a Thursday evening at 6.30pm and grabbed a seat on one of the tall communal tables straight away. The friendly host asked if we were familiar with the Vapiano system and provided us with our payment cards. For those who aren’t familiar with the system, you order what you want to eat from one of the three stations – pizza, salad, or pasta, and touch your card on the reader. When you are …

Pizza Union – Super Fast 12″ Pizza

Published by

Where Pizza Union, Spitalfields What The UK’s first Italian all-day Pizza Bar. Thin and crispy artisan pizzas, inspired by the thin and crispy pizzas found in Rome, baked in three minutes in a traditional stone pizza oven. Pizzas are ordered straight from the counter, while a host of long, bar-style communal tables help create a buzzy, informal dining atmosphere to fit with the Pizza Bar’s contemporary industrial look. The experience I have a problem. I can’t stop eating pizza. I ate a total of six pizzas last week – SIX!!! Why is that a problem, I hear you say. Well it’s not the fact that I’m not getting the nutrients I need from fruit and veg and my waistline is expanding at a rate of knots just in time for my holiday in Ibiza, it is that I just can’t seem to stop. I’m always up for finding new pizza establishments and quite frequently travel around the capital to find the best. I tried Pizza Union a couple of months ago and although this is a …