All posts tagged: london restaurant

Le Menar, Fitzrovia

Published by

Where Le Menar, Fitzrovia What Le Menar is North African food with a difference. Combining core ingredients with modern cooking techniques, Chef Vernon Samuels also brings a fresh approach to presentation. The Experience Le Menar is tucked away on Cleveland Street in upmarket Fitzrovia. Seated at the low round Moroccan brass tables, you sink down into giant colourful pillows in a room that glows with warm tones of red and orange. The mezze sharing platter, served with delicious Lebanese flat bread, is filled with hummus, tabbouleh, baby okra salad, moutabel, falafel, moussaka, wareq enab (stuffed vine leaves) and mini kebbeh. Each element has intense flavour. The baby okra salad with pomegranate and coriander was particularly mouthwatering. The menu showed traces of Chef Vernon Samuels’ time spent working in Italy, and the Za atar burrata with heirloom tomato salad, sumac and baby basil was a fine example of this. Unable to leave a morsel of the starters, we were all-too-soon presented with our mains. The delicious Green harissa monkfish was served with batata harra (a sauce of …

The Imperial, Kings Road

Published by

Where The Imperial, King’s Road What An environmentally friendly British and sustainable gastro-pub in the heart of the Chelsea Design Quarter on Kings Road. Experience The Imperial is set within a distinguished and grandly restored Victorian corner building, which caught our eyes as we approached on the bus from Sloane Square. As you enter through the door, you are faced with a modern bar with exposed brick wall, which leads into the sophisticated candle lit dining room. The restaurant is all about locally sourced, good quality, sustainable food. The garden is a beautiful space used for growing produce for the kitchen – you can’t get more local than that. Newly appointed Head Chef Jason Lee Cole and Sous Chef Ollie Quelch, bring their experience from restaurants such as Jamie Oliver’s 15 and Barbecoa, to the new menu at The Imperial. Diners are in for a treat. The starter of Rare Bavette with Chichory, Chard Leek, Pickled Mushrooms stood out at me from the menu, and I’m so glad I made the choice. The melt-in-the-mouth bavette …

Big Fernand Finally Crosses the Channel

Published by

Where Big Fernand, London What Big Fernand has ventured to London to set up their burger workshop, focusing on French flavours and Parisian finesse. There are no hamburgers here, it is hamburgés that Big Fernand deals in. It marries the comforting American classic with French gastronomy to deliver the crème de la crème. Experience In 2013 I went to Paris with Food for Think’s very own Sarah Kemp. During our three day trip, our feasting would have given Marie Antoinette a run for her money; but one restaurant in particular remained prominent in our minds. Just before catching our Eurostar home, we embarked on an adventure to Big Fernand, a French-inspired (obviously) hamburgé bar with a queue of hungry Parisians spilling out of the door. We agreed we had possibly just eaten the best burger of our lives and calculated schemes to bring this unique idea across the Channel. Luckily we didn’t have to as the team at Big Fernand were already planning their next venture. I could not be more excited to try a …

Voltaire Takes to the Streets

Published by

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

Published by

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 …