All posts filed under: Restaurants

Viajante bar snacks

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I went to a vintage clothes fair a couple of weekends ago in Bethnal Green and the venue was a minutes walk from Viajante so we decided to treat ourselves to a cup of tea after trawling through the endless rails of clothes. Viajante is situated in the Town Hall Hotel.The reception boasts beautiful art deco furniture and the Grade II listed building has been extended and modernised but has kept it’s original character. The restaurant across the hallway from the bar is designed by award-winning architects and features installations from fashion and lighting designers as well as some of the East End’s most brilliant young artists. Brilliant! We entered the bar to see a chandelier art-installation and an extremely good looking bar attender. We were then greeted by a polite and very welcoming waiter. I looked at the menu and was disappointed to be told that they don’t serve English breakfast tea or Earl Grey! So I settled with a fresh lime and soda water, which the waiter took the liberty of adding a …

Bocca Di Lupo

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A few months ago, someone told me that a Pork dish that they had eaten at Bocca Di Lupo was a contender for the best dish that they had ever had. I’m not sure then why it took me the best part of a year to book. Valentines day seemed to be the perfect excuse – my boyfriend and I don’t bother with cards and presents but agreed that a nice meal was the best option. I booked a few weeks in advance and could still only get a table at 6pm but luckily it was at the chefs table, which I’d heard provided a better experience. My nerves about the restaurant being empty and lifeless were shattered as soon as we walked through the door. It was pleasantly busy and the chefs were hard at work behind the long sleek counter. Bocca Di Lupo is a classy and upmarket Italian restaurant. Don’t expect to find pizza on the menu but instead fantastic pasta, meat and fish dishes. Blood oranges are in season at the …

Ottolenghi, Islington

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I have already done one post on Ottolenghi but I was very hungover that time and I figure I should just do it again. Ottolenghi is a vegetarian or cake lovers heaven. It is also one the best places to go for brunch and lunch in London – in my opinion anyway! The word vegetarian has been tarred with the wrong brush over the years. People expect vegetarians to live on a diet of Linda McCartney sausages, carrot sticks and celery. Ok, maybe that is a bit far but Yotam Ottolenghi has shown us over the last few years just how exciting the humble vegetable can be. If you haven’t had the pleasure of visiting his restaurant in Islington (or the three take away cafes branches in Notting Hill, Belgravia or Kensington), you may have been lucky enough to see one of his two cookbooks. The first, Ottolenghi: The Cookbook was written by Yotam Ottolenghi and Sami Tamimi and took influence from their home towns of West and East Jerusalem. But their culinary repertoire does …

Chennai Dosa

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This post is so so so long overdue. There are two Indian restaurants in Wembley that I just LOVE and literally couldn’t live without. The first is Karahi King, which is more expensive than Chennai Dosa (although still cheap!) and it has been open for over 20 years. My boyfriends parents started going when their Red or Dead offices were in a warehouse nearby over 20 years ago. My absolute adoration for curry started around 3 years ago when I was re-introduced to it by my boyfriend and his family of curry lovers but there’ll be more on that story another time. We’ll head to Chennai Dosa around about once every fortnight for a quick, simple and CHEAP meal. It is South Indian cuisine and within a year of opening their first branch in Manor Park, they became the largest suppliers of Dosa’s in Europe! For those of you who don’t know what a Dosa is, it is a savoury Indian pancake made from rice batter and black lentils. I’m told that it is traditionally …

Hummus Bros, Soho

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I have long been a fan of Hummus Bros. I used to go at least twice a week when I was interning at a nearby company during university. It was a sad affair when I left that company to start my career – the lunch options in Shoreditch weren’t so great! I love this Cafe/Restaurant because it serves one of my favourite foods with a range of hot and cold toppings along with delicious toasted Pitta Breads. Their secret Hummus recipe is faultless – smooth and absolutely delicious. It is served smothered around the side of a dish (two sizes available, small and regular) and the topping is placed in the middle. Depending on what size dish you order, you will be served with either one or two Pitta breads. I have always opted for the Vegetable Salad because I just love the crunch of fresh Red Peppers, Red Onion, Cherry Tomato and Cucumber with the smoothness of the Hummus. I’ll also add a dollop of their freshly made Green Chilli and Coriander relish and …