The Big Black Pudding

Site under reconstruction

2010-08-27T11:08:00.003+01:00

Hello to all our readers - regulars and casual browsers alike - and thank you for visiting us.

In response to many comments we've received over the last couple of years we are now working hard to re-construct the site. What started out as 'a bit of wheeze' quickly mushroomed and TBBP now contains over a hundred in depth reviews and related articles which, if printed, amounts to a good sized book! Because of that we are looking at ways to make navigation of the site easier and the key information more succint and quick to find. So please bear with us while we do this - after all we still need time for lunch!

There's no F Word at the French Table

2009-11-18T12:46:00.003Z

I watched The F Word anxiously last night as one of our favourite neighbourhood restaurants, The French Table in Surbiton, battled it out with rivals Bouchon Bistro from Hexham in the French Restaurant category of the new Channel 4 series.

Though I'd rather have been biting into the dishes that we being prepared, instead I found myself biting my nails in anticipation of the results of the three heats. With a deservedly comprehensive win to The French Table in the first round with their unctious looking fois gras I thought this was going to be a slam dunk to Eric and Fred but Bouchon Bistro pulled back with a decent effort in the main course with their pan fried grey mullet (performing well on flavour rather than presentation) scoring well against TFT's lamb. It was almost neck and neck going into the dessert round with both teams preparing a traditional crepe suzette. Quite what happened to Eric in this round I just don't know - although Gordon Ramsay's incessant and loud babbling can't have helped - as the dishes he was sending out looked lacklustre at best, causing him to lose the round to Bouchon Bistro hands down.

So, although winning both the starter and main course rounds our friends at TFT found themselves losing on points overall simply because of the poor effort in the final round. To me this seemed a harsh result but that's the way the cookie crumbles - or the crepe collapses, so to speak. The good news for TFT however is the TV enormous exposure they enjoyed - I do hope however that I can still get a table!

Shunny' Slurps at The Greenhouse - Part 2

2009-05-31T09:00:00.000+01:00

With such a magnificent wine list further exploration was irresistable and our sommelier Michael was warming to the task. We debated the merits of the excellent 2004 Vacqueyras Clos des Cazaux Cuvee des Templiers but ultimately decided it would drown out the still lingering flavours of the Lirac. Instead he recommended a 2004 Saumur Chateau de Fosse-Seche 'Le Clef de Voute' from passionate winemaker Guillaume Keller to accompany our cheese.

A blend of (mainly) cabernet franc and cabernet sauvignon this wine had a tannic structure with earthy plant and floral aromas - characteristics of a classic 100% cabernet franc wine - but with additional layers of richness. It was initally quite closed with the tannins leaving a bitterness in the mouth but after about half an hour it had opened out, becoming much more balanced and complex. A firm, structured wine with rich dark fruit and a hint of blueberry and cassis on the palate. A clear contrast to the Lirac and one for the notebook based on the subtlety of the blend but perhaps not quite what we were looking for. Good value at £34.

Moving on again we decided to try a 2005 Nero D'Avola from the excellent Morgante estate in southern Sicily where the brilliant Umbrian Riccardo Cotarella is wine consultant. Aged for 4 months in French oak this glistening ruby red wine with its intense aromas of vanilla and sweet spice was instantly pleasing. Pure cherry fruit flavours with balanced acidity on the palate and a powerful finish. A versatile and satisfying wine, keenly priced at £30.

To complete our voyage through this cornucopia of fine wines we had a glass of a 2006 Dolc Mataro from Alta Alella in Catalonia. This sweet red is made from late harvested mataro grapes macerated for 6 months in stainless steel vats to preserve as much of the skin colour as possible then aged for 2 months in French oak after light pressing. A delicate mix of dried red berries, herbs and sugar with a touch of bitterness. The finish is long and dry and you could imagine drinking this wine as a digestif but it was a delightfully exotic accompaniement to our desserts. £11 a glass.

It would take you a long time to sample all the wines from the outstanding Greenhouse list (and many you probably would not want to being either beyond your reach financially or simply better sampled at home) but I for one plan on many return visits. Chosen carefully, using the excellent advice on offer, there are some very fine wines to be enjoyed at prices that will not break the bank.

Restaurant Review - The Greenhouse, Mayfair

2009-05-21T15:00:00.000+01:00

This elegant restaurant off Hays Mews in Mayfair, refurbished again after the departure of Bjorn van der Horst to soften the feel of the spacious dining room, is once again a relaxed setting for an haute cuisine lunch or dinner. Very much in the style of head chef Antonin Bonnet behind whose quiet and reserved personality lies a culinary skill and intensity that puts him among the top chefs in Europe. So expect a meal here to be a serious affair but one in which enjoyment is also paramount.

I visited for lunch recently with a few friends to sample the prix fixe lunch to test whether an haute cuisine experience like this could be had for £75 a head including a bottle of wine each, coffee and service. And if we had stuck to the script we certainly would have proved the point!

The prix fixe lunch menu was short - three choices for each course - but seemed to have made no concessions on quality or creativity and we were offered amuse bouches as well. To start we selected steamed tuna wrapped in Cornish greens with squid and sweet onion tempura and soy sauce and foie gras and partridge terrine with fig chutney, a chocolate reduction and sorrel leaf. The tuna was sumptuous and the tempura perfectly light, the combination of flavours distinct but integrated. The terrine was a good balance of meat and liver, the richness of the chutney and chocolate delivering an intensely luxurious taste sensation. A magnificent start!

Most of us chose the confit pork belly with pont neuf potato, apple, cider jus and mustard espuma while one chose the shellfish and butter seaweed risotto with samphire and herb jus. Although a comparatively inexpensive cut of meat the pork belly was lean with rich fat and crispy skin and beautifully presented. A generous quantity of fine shellfish lightly folded into the seaweed risotto and served with crunchy samphire made even this simple dish a work of art. These were dishes from the top drawer, visually exciting and a delight to eat.

At this point we slipped in a cheese course and, as expected, the selection was carefully judged and in perfect condition. It is available as an option on the prix fixe menu for a supplement but we also wanted to sample the desserts! I am glad we did. The black olive Madeleine with lemon curd, fresh pineapple and basil sorbet was worth it for the aromas alone and a fascinating combination of flavours. The milk chocolate mousse with crunchy praline and candied almond ice cream was a luxurious confection yet amazingly light.

In fact, lightness of touch is my abiding memory of this fabulous lunch from the magnificent cuisine of Antonin Bonnet, the friendly and precise service of Jean-Marie (together with the whole Front of House team) and the knowledge and enthusiasm of our sommelier Michael. There is no finer hommage to haute cuisine than you will find at The Greenhouse - Prix Fixe/A La Carte, Lunch or Dinner. I recommend you get along as soon as you can. Bon appetit!

Hotel TerraVina, Ashurst New Forest

2009-04-25T13:43:00.002+01:00

A slight deviation from our usual reviews - here is a wonderful review of this New Forest hotel by guest writer Graham Clarke - enjoy!

For those of you who haven’t had the opportunity to meet with Gerard Basset and his wife, Nina, at their beautiful boutique hotel, the Hotel TerraVina in the New Forest, why are you waiting ? Having a colleague arrive from Texas last week gave me the perfect chance to try out the much lauded hotel and restaurant.

Gerard and Nina bought the hotel in 2007 and spent over £1.4M in renovations and have created Heaven in the New Forest. Gerard was one of the co-founders of the Hotel duVin Group but sold his interest to explore new opportunities – the result being the TerraVina. Gerard is also one of the top Sommeliers in the world and has created a restaurant and wine list to travel miles for. The Hotel only has 11 rooms, each unique and extremely comfortable. The restaurant has 60 covers in a beautiful setting with a glass wall overlooking a terrace and in to fabulous gardens. The service is superb, relaxed, informal and unobtrusive but seemingly there when needed – I don’t know how they do it but they just seemed to sense when we needed something. Gerard and Nina glide around the restaurant, making sure everything is just right . All of the staff are very friendly and knowledgeable. Gerard’s love of wine comes across in the wine list although how much of this is his influence and how much comes from Laura Rhys, the Hotel’s resident sommelier and the UK Young Sommelier of the Year, I’m not sure so let’s agree they’ve both done a fantastic job.

Onto the food – Wayne had the blue cheese and pancetta salad whilst I decided to stay seasonal and have the British Asparagus served with a soft boiled hen’s egg. Both were excellent although I still don’t get this “fad” of serving things on slate – what’s that all about ? We both then succumbed to the Solent Sea Bass served with a homemade pasta – just supreme. Beautifully presented and finished with a spoonful of caviar, the food was incredible. Although Wayne and I hadn’t seen each other for over 3 years, barely a word was spoken during the dinner which shows we’re both either a) exceedingly boring or b) too appreciative of fine food to want to spoil the pleasure with small talk !

Being rebellious, we decided to go for a red wine from the wine list and after discussion with Gerard we plumped for a pinot noir from Bourgogne, a delicious 2003 Vielles Vignes from Pierre Naigeon. This complemented the fish beautifully and soon disappeared so on to the Champagne – a fantastically good value Remy Massin, the house Champagne.

That was it, I was done for although Wayne, being a good ‘ole Texan boy, did manfully order the Treacle and Lime tart served with homemade ice cream but even he had to admit defeat halfway through. Coffee followed before finally admitting we were satisfied !

Gerard and Nina also organise some great evening events including, on April 26^th a Sabrage Dinner – “The Art of Sabrage”, hosted by Julian White, UK Ambassador of the Confrere du Sabre d’Or. So those of you who wish to be initiated into the art of opening a bottle of Champagne with a sword and being given a certificate to prove it, should book soon !

Have a look at their website www.hotelterravina.co.uk for more inspiration – you will also see the multiple recommendations they’ve received ranging from Conde Nast Traveller – the Hot List 2008 through to the Remy Martin 2009 Restaurant Awards. Much deserved and a great place to visit – just please don’t tell too many people, I would still like to be able to get in !

Graham Clarke

Shunny's Slurps at The Greenhouse - Part 1

2009-03-22T19:00:00.000Z

It is not surprising that The Greenhouse has won the Wine Spectator Grand Award for their wine list 4 years in a row. The magnificent list covers all of the main wine producing regions and most of the best wines they have to offer - the world is your oyster, provided you have the budget! But this is also a list for ordinary mortals and includes an impressive range by the glass and many interesting selections under £40 a bottle - a high hurdle rate you may say but then this is an haute cuisine restaurant in Central London. Our sommelier Michael was both friendly and helpful and so don't be afraid to take advice. From the early selections we made he quickly established our area of interest and range of spend and subsequently provided valuable guidance with a light touch.

We settled in with a glass of the house champagne, Devaux Grand Reserve. Established in 1846 and run by one of the great characters of Champagne Madame Augusta Devaux (the house was renamed Maison Veuve Devaux in her honour) for many years champagne Devaux is typical of the Aube. That is to say the blend is predominantly pinot noir (65%) with most of the balance being chardonnay. Produced only from the first pressings and aged for at least 3 years this well structured, pale yellow wine has fine bubbles and a classic aroma of wild flowers. Elegant, well balanced and with great length this is an ideal aperitif champagne.

I had intended to order a 2002 Chablis from the admirable Helene Perrot but the 2002 had become the 2006 which was slightly less appealing so instead I chose a 2002 Marsannay 'Les Clos' from Regis Bouviers. This prestigious Cru Classe in the Cote de Nuits is often overlooked in favour of its southerly nighbours and is in any case better known for red wines. 2002 was a spectacularly good vintage for white burgundies and this well made wine was a prime example. Bursting with fresh aromas of lime and lemon, rich chardonnay fruit on the palate and a lingering well rounded finish. A perfect accompaniment to our steamed tuna starters and a wine with scope for further development (sadly for you we consumed their last bottle!). Good value at £38.

One of our group chose a foie gras and partridge terrine starter and preferred a richer style of white as accompaniment. Our sommelier graciously proposed a glass of 2006 Jurancon Sec from Charles Hours not normally available by the glass. Based on the petit manseng grape this rich dry white with its heady aromas of white clover and honeysuckle and flavours of fig on the palate hit the spot exactly. A good balance between richness and acidity it was a perfect companion for the terrine.

I have long been a fan of the wines of Lirac in the Southern Rhone nearby Tavel. In recent years the wines have become firmer due to the increased use of mouvedre in the blend. They also have greater depth and complexity, possibly due to the influx of new owners from Chateauneuf du Pape. There is no finer example of the 'new' Lirac than the wines of Domaine de la Mordoree and especially 'La Dame Rousse'. Having had the 2005 on an earlier visit to Chez Bruce I was especially interested to try the 2001 on offer here. 2001 was an exceptional vintage for this area of the Rhone with grenache and syrah dominating the blend resulting in a more supple and fruit driven style. Our sommelier decanted the wine which helped to release the grape based tannins that were a fetaure of this vintage. Generous aromas of ripe red and black plum fruits with a hint of spice led to juicy mulberry and dark cherry flavours on the palate. A well integrated wine with smooth tannins and a lingering finish. We enjoyed it so much we ordered a second - and at £32 a bottle why not!?

The Greenhouse
27a Hay's Mews
Mayfair
London W1J 5NY
Tel:+44 (0)20 7499 3331
Fax:+44 (0)20 7499 5368

Reservations:
reservations@greenhouserestaurant.co.uk

Shunny's Slurps at Thackeray's

2009-02-23T11:00:00.000Z

I recently had the opportunity to lunch at Thackeray's in Tunbridge Wells with our friend, and occasional contributor to The Big Black Pudding, John Wright. It is exactly as he says, a sophisticated but friendly restaurant serving haute cuisine to discerning diners. At lunch the prix fixe menu is sensationally good value. The main reason for this, our hostess explained, is that they want to encourage lunchtime trade but that it also provides a testbed for the kitchen to try out new recipes which may later be added to the A La Carte. A smart system and great for lovers of fine luncheons as we are!

JW provided a fine review of Thackeray's and you can read the full article here: http://www.thebigblackpudding.com/search?q=credit+crunch

The wine list sets the same tone as the food menu and is clearly aimed at the discerning drinker. Not too long and, at first glance, quite expensive but with great attention to detail. Once you get your head around the fact that the wines on offer are among the best in class then the pricing is put into perspective.

House champagne, the De Nauroy Brut NV, is a great price performer. Made from only the first fruit pressings and with 20% reserve wines in the blend this is a deep, rich and fruity wine that is immediately approachable. The fine mousse delivers a wonderful bouquet of ripe fruit and brioche. Fresh and lemony on the palate leading to a smooth and elegant finish. Top drawer product and very good value at £39.50.

On their regular visits to Thackeray's the (now) 2006 Rully from Domaine Briday has become the white wine of choice for John and his partner Lynne. And a fine choice too! Rully is the first wine district of the Cote Challonaise, effectively a southern extension of Santenay with which it shares many characteristics. Domaine Briday is in the heart of Rully and has earned a reputation for producing some of the most stylish and rich wines of the Challonaise. Michel Briday and his son Stephane (who now runs the vineyard) harvest their vines by hand and ferment in small batches in temperature controlled stainless steel vats before blending. Their wines are characterised by exceptional purity and well balanced fruit. This pale straw coloured example from the excellent 2006 vintage was full bodied with a rich concentration of fruit and powerful flavours of chardonnay on the palate. It took a little while to open out and will definitely keep well. At £42 not cheap but a deeply satisfying and well made wine.

My participation in lunch encouraged us (or perhaps it was just me!?!) to select a red wine and we chose a 2007 Dolcetto D'Alba Rosanna from Ceretto. As a result of their dedication and drive brothers Bruno and Marcello Ceretto have built their wine business into a highly respected brand recognised around the world. The Monsordo-Bernadina project is typical of the Ceretto family spirit. Taking an old farmstead on the outskirts of Alba they built up a fully equipped, state of the art winemaking operation around which are several vineyards, including Rosanna, producing grapes for many of their well known labels. This site is also the centre for their financial and commercial operations. Rosanna is considered one of the top Dolcetto crus and this 2007 was a fine example. Its glinting purple colour, delicate blueberry nose with a hint of spice and honey made it instantly appealing. Although dry on the palate, which is typical of this style, its mild tannins were well rounded with a hint of almonds on the finish. A versatile red well suited to lunchtime drinking and very good value at £34.

So, Thackeray's wine list may appear expensive but actually for the consistently high quality of wines on offer their prices are generally good value. Choose carefully and take advice from the knowledgable staff and you will not be disappointed. Life is too short to drink bad wine!

Shunny's Slurps at Tentazioni

2009-02-20T12:00:00.000Z

The review of Tentazioni which accompanies this 'slurp' can be found here:
http://www.thebigblackpudding.com/2009/02/restaurant-review-tentazioni-bermondsey.html

At my recent visit to Tentazioni I was the last to arrive and my companions had already chosen their aperitifs. That provisonally ruled out a bottle of something so I chose a glass of the excellent 2004 Berlucchi Terre di Franciacorta. Sadly it was unavailable so I opted for a bottle of the house champagne - really no point in paying the 40% odd premium for a glass. With at least one other confirmed drinker of this same champagne Roger Pouillon Brut NV at our table there was little chance of it going to waste! And so it proved! As you would expect from a house based in Mareuil sur Ay it was a pinot noir dominated blend (80%) giving it a silky texture and rich fruit flavours with 5% pinot meunier and 15% chardonnay contributing lively acidity. A classy, well balanced wine and keenly priced at £42.

The wine list is dominated by Italian wines but with a depth and range to satisfy most tastes and many of which are wines that only 10 years ago would have been hard to find outside Italy. We kicked off with a 2007 Tocai Friuliano Toh! Di Leonardo from the Friuli Grave DOC area in north eastern Italy. 'Toh' - expressing surprise at something wonderful in Friuli slang - sums up this fresh pale straw coloured white. In truth though not a surprise since this is the flagship wine of top producer Max Di Leonardo. Ripe aromas of green apple with flavours of peach and fragrant white flowers on the palate, a clear vein of acidity running throughout, an even texture and a fine finish. A versatile wine offering excellent quality for its £27 price tag.

We would have remained with our first choice red - a 2006 Dolcetto d'Alba Vigna Ciabot Rus Gagliasso - had we not run the restaurant out of their stock. More of our final selection later. From the vineyards of Mario Gagliasso in the Commune of Novello in Alba this was a very fine example from arguably one of the best dolcetto vintages of recent times. Deep purple in colour and full of ripe red fruit with heady aromas of violet. Full bodied with a hint of sweet almonds on the palate and a soft dry finish and again competitively priced at £32.

In place of the exhausted supply of Dolcetto our final selection was a 2005 'Fatagione' Nerello Mascalese from the Cottanera vineyards in Sicily where talented winemaker Lorenzo Landi has been in charge since 2004. His influence has resulted in more cleary defined, approachable wines, especially when young and this was very much in evidence with this wine. A bold ripe blend of nerello mascalese and nero d'avola grapes with a hint of spice, smooth and elegant on the palate with a sustained balanced finish. A beautifully made wine with great finesse and well worth the £41 we paid.

The wines at Tentazioni are top quality, intelligently chosen and well priced. A perfect complement to the cuisine and the hospitality on offer. A rare thing to find all three in harmony these days so make the most of it!

Restaurant Review - The Don, City

2009-02-12T12:00:00.000Z

I came across details for The Don just before Christmas 2008 and tried, without luck, to get a table then. The fact that it was fully booked spurred us on to go recently for a belated TBBP Christmas party with the whole TBBP office turning out in force! So it was that Mike and I arrived with the petty cash tin clutched firmly in hand as we took the short walk from Bank Station.

The Don is situated in the old Sandeman Port building in St Swithins Lane - fitting surroundings for a City restaurant - steeped in history going back to the 18th century. It has both a restaurant and a bistro with each having their own menu's plus 3 pivate dining rooms catering for different party sizes. We dined in the restaurant - an elegant room featuring black tableware and a variety of modern art but without any feel of being within an historic building in contrast to the private dining rooms which do give a sense of the buildings' origin.

On being seated I ordered a Bloody Mary. Now, those who have read my recent review of Alloro will know how I feel about the Bloody Mary - a complex cocktail that when enjoyed as an aperitif should, just like an amuse bouche, set your taste buds alight, tantalising them for what is to come. Alas I was once more disappointed! This time, not only was the cocktail lacking in essential ingredients it was served without ice which I had to request and had delivered separately. Not a good start.

The dining room was full - mostly suits (not surprising given the location) - and there was a vibrant feel to the place with waiting staff busily attending to the business of the day. Sadly however their business seemed to be directed at every part of the dining room other than ours! It seemed impossible to catch anyone's eye and I watched with dismay as bread was served to others then whisked quickly away before even it's aroma could reach our table.

On the plus side our wait for service gave us enough time to consider the menu and wine list with the latter being extensive, well chosen and fairly priced - indeed we were very impressed at the number of reasonably priced bottles that were available. Little surprise then that The Don was awarded a 'best of' award by Wine Spectator in 2007. You can of course read about our wine selections in the accompanying 'Shunny's Slurps'.

For the most part The Don menu comprises a relatively straightforward range of British dishes - our selections included a starter of Seared Peppered Loin of Tuna with Marinated Carrot Orientale (£8.95) with mains of Seared Sea Bass on Watercress and Crayfish Risotto (£17.95) and Supreme of Free Range Guinea Fowl with Roast Cauliflower Sauce Mornay (£16.95). Each dish was enjopyable and well executed but the cooking here is a far cry from haute cuisine and on the whole we found it a little ununspiring.

Our shared cheese board was generously assembled from a good range of well kept, fairly predictable specimens - enjoyable nonetheless.

At around 3pm most of the animated City types had returned to their desks (to be greeted no doubt by the now typical 'screens of red') and we were almost alone. The staff kept themselves busy of course by attending to the re-laying of tables though we were able to distract them sufficiently to order desserts and coffee!

On the whole, an enjoyable lunch and reasonable by City standards, though unless we have a dramatic change in our careers I doubt that we shall be returning anytime soon.

Interestingly, I believe The Don to be part of The Bleeding Heart group of restaurants - on reflection I can now see how this fits into the portfolio as when viewed from that perspective it complements the others in the group rather than competing with any. As a diner however it makes no difference of course and is to be judged entirely on its own merits.

The Don Restaurant and Bistro
The Courtyard, 20 St. Swithins Lane
City of London EC4N 8AD

020 7626 2606
bookings@thedonrestaurant.co.uk
www.thedonrestaurant.com

Shunny's Slurps at The Don

2009-02-12T11:00:00.000Z

As the restaurant is housed within the Sandeman headquarters building you would expect The Don to have a good wine list and they do! It is also quite reasonably priced which is rather more of a surprise given the location and the typical clientele.

As you will have read, Andy ordered a Bloody Mary which turned out to be disappointing and so my late arrival meant that I was able to avoid repeating the mistake and instead ordered a Manzanilla Amontillado sherry from Lustau. Glistening dark gold in colour with intense nutty aromas this elegant wine was rich but also light with a warm, lingering finish.

To start our wine journey we selected a little known wine from the Languedon Roussillon region of southwest France. A 2006 Lavandine Blanc from Chateau Capitoul whose limestone rich vineyards provide ideal conditions for the Rhone varietals (30% marsanne, 60% rousanne and 10% vigonier) which make up this rich flavoured wine. Delicate aromas of apricot and orange blossom on the nose, refined and elegant on the palate with hints of passionfruit and lime. Intense and well integrated flavours with light minerality. A triumph of careful fermentation and blending by winemaker Charles Mock. A combination of barrel and stainless steel ageing over 14 months adds to the compexity of this delightful wine. Given that the average annual production is only 700 cases this was a great find and a comparative snip at £28.

Our first red was another gem to pop out of The Don list - a 2006 Bourgogne Rouge from top producers in Rully Vincent Dureuil-Janthial. Selecting a burgundy with the summary Bourgogne AC classification is much less fraught than doing the same thing with a Bordeaux! However, it pays to choose a wine from a well known and respected producer. Vincent Dureuil is one of the top young winemakers in Burgundy and strives for fruit driven flavour in his wines taking the maximum advantage of the terroir. Aged 12 months in new oak then a further 14 months prior to bottling (without filtration) this wine has perfectly balanced fruit giving it elegance and finesse. A fine example of a Cote Chalonnaise style red and good value for money at £34.

To round off our lunch we chose a 2003 Gigondas from Domaine du Saurel which I have already spoken about in my review of Launceston Place. There really is not much of it left so snap it up wherever you find it!

There were some exotic wines on The Don wine list at some exotic prices. Choose carefully and avoid the household names and while you will not pick up a bargain you will drink well here for a modest price.

Restaurant Review - Tentazioni, Bermondsey

2009-02-11T16:00:00.000Z

Although strictly in Bermondsey this smart Italian is part of the complex of buildings that make up Tea Trade Wharf. The entrance is in an alleyway off Mill Street and has the feel of an American speakeasy. Entering the glitzy dining room with its light wood floor, plush cream leather chairs, plum coloured walls and dramatic lighting you become oblivious to the stark industrial surroundings outside. And in the skillful hands of Head Chef and Proprietor Riccardo Giacomini and his team you know that you are about to enjoy fine Italian hospitality and cuisine.

There are several fixed price menus at lunch and dinner ranging from £11.95 for 2 courses at lunch to £24.95 for 3 at dinner and a very interesting 7 course 'Degustazione' for £41.50. The tasting menu aside the choices tend to be plainer than the a la carte and portions a little smaller. Still exceptional cuisine prepared from locally sourced, free range ingredients and if the choices appeal there are few better bargains to be had anywhere else in London.

We chose from the a la carte as we were in no hurry and wanted to try a broad range of the dishes on offer. The result was exceptional, each dish lovingly prepared and beautifully presented. Our starters included sauteed mixed wild mushrooms with Spatzley gnocchi which was packed with flavour and a homemade rustic fettucine with a ragu of quail and fresh peas which was rich and satisfying. The 'Casunziet' homemade red beetroot ravioli in a butter sauce with poppy seeds was a taste sensation!

The kitchen was well into its stride as we moved on to our main courses. The pistachio crusted rare cooked tuna fillet with spicy borlotti beans and fried onion rings was wonderfully tangy and the addition of walnuts and truffle oil to the baked chicken breast and sauteed spinach put this simple dish on a different level. The venison fillet and juniper berries with savoy cabbage, pumpkin ravioli and port sauce was truly exceptional. Every dish had clearly been carefully designed and the cooking was virtually faultless. Not mainstream but definably Italian cuisine that is easily on a par with other top kitchen's in London such as Assaggi and Riva.

We shared a plate of Italian cheeses - Tallegio, Pecorino, Gorgonzola etc. - which were all in perfect condition. Beautifully served with honey and spiced fruits this was far from a sideshow to our main meal but a course to celebrate in its own right with chunks of fresh Italian bread. Although flagging a little the desserts were too tempting to pass on altogether. The homemade ice cream and sorbet selections are sumptuous - creamy vanilla with pods from Madagascar, bitter dark chocolate and Scicilian lemon sorbet for example. 'Castagnole' Italian style fritters with a mango sauce - very indulgent. And the finale - authentic Italian coffee, rich, dark and slightly bitter with a zest of lemon. Marvellous.

A splendid afternoon of exceptional cuisine served with enthusiasm and love. Perhaps we were fortunate that the restaurant was not very busy on our visit but somehow I don't think so. At Tentazioni I am sure they strive to achieve their high standards for every visitor and I hope they carry on doing so for a long time to come!

Tentazioni
2 Mill Street, Lloyds Wharf
London SE1 2BD
020 7237 1100
info@tentazioni.co.uk
www.tentazioni.co.uk

Shunny's Slurps at Le Cafe Anglais

2009-02-06T15:00:00.000Z

Le Cafe Anglais has an extensive wine list of which a good smattering (about 15%) are sub £30 and 25 are available as a 125ml glass or 250/500ml carafe. Many of those 25 are in the over £30 a bottle price bracket so it is quite feasible to have a broad choice without resorting to a full bottle. A fine system as it encourages experimentation!

While I was waiting for my lunch companion I ordered a 500ml carafe of Picpoul de Pinet, a 2007 from Domaine La Croix Gratiot. It was very fresh suggesting a good turnover of the wines by the glass/carafe or careful storage - or both! Grown on a chalky plateau in the Languedoc where the cool maritime breeze is ideal for the Picpoul grape and this 2007 combined high acidity and fruit particularly well. Yves Ricome has produced a fresh, well balanced wine with aromas of lemon and white flowers, enticingly aromatic flavours on the palate and a long dry finish. A perfect aperitif wine - and good value for £14 - but interesting enough to accompany many dishes.

We decided against that and moved straight into red with a 2005 Saumur Champigny from Domaine Le Petit Saint Vincent. This 100% cabernet franc wine from the western Loire is delightful in the summer lightly chilled and a good lunchtime option at anytime. Purple in colour as you would expect with a complex bouquet of red fruits. Nice round tannins and a flexible structure but I had expected more vibrant intensity on the palate. Not a bad wine but rather 'flat'; perhaps it had been sitting around too long or stored poorly? Fair value at £32.

Our 2004 Lirac La Fermade Rouge La Famille Maby was much more successful. This underrated region of the southern Rhone produces a Chateauneuf du Pape style blend at typically half the price of its illustrious neighbour. Lovely juicy fruit perfumed nose with a hint of allspice you are immediately aware of the grenache in the blend (others include mouvedre, syrah and cinsault). Not quite as balanced as the 2003 but nicely rounded on the palate with a smooth finish. Good value at £28.50 and definitely one to try from the glass/carafe selection.

We continued with a 2006 Dolcetto d'Alba from G D Vajra in Piedmont to accompany our cheese. The dolcetto (literally 'little sweet one') grape is a hidden gem in this region dominated by the nebbiolo. 2006 was an excellent vintage for Dolcetto d'Alba (in fact all Dolcettos!) and this dry, fresh, spicy red was bursting with flavours of black cherries, nuts and liquorice. Smooth, succulent tannins with good overall structure and spice following through on the finish this was a classic and a snip at £28.50.

To round off we had a 50cl bottle of 2006 Coteaux du Layon 'Beaulieu La Soucherie' from Claude Papin, an excellent example of this fresh sweet wine from the heart of the Coteaux du Layon. Clean, well integrated, perhaps a little green, this was a perfect antidote to our Dolcetto d'Alba and a perfect match for our tangy rhubarb and Seville orange pudding. Well priced at £31.50.

We gave the wine list at Le Cafe Anglais a good workout but with plenty more interesting selections to be had there is scope for many more outings!

Restaurant Review - Le Cafe Anglais

2009-02-03T15:00:00.001Z

For many of us who raved about Kensington Place when it was first launched in the mid 80's it was sad to witness its decline which reached a nadir in 2006 when Rowley Leigh finally threw in the towel. Happily it has recovered in the past 18 months having been taken over by D&D Restaurants; more of that in a separate review! Importantly at the end of 2007 Rowley Leigh returned to the fray as chef/proprietor at Le Cafe Anglais in Bayswater and the omens are good!

Le Cafe Anglais is located (rather unpromisingly) on the first floor of the Whiteley's shopping centre. Best to avoid all that by using the dedicated entrance at 8 Porchester Gardens where you can deposit your cloaks and take the private lift up to the first floor. The dining room is large with lots of light pouring in through tall leaded windows and art deco styling including lots of chrome and off white leather. In spite of its size tables and booths are arranged to give a level of intimacy while allowing diners to take in the comings and goings of staff and fellow diners. Opposite the seating area is the open kitchen, rotisserie grill and bar. Everybody is part of the performance at Le Cafe Anglais!

The extensive menu invites you to compose a meal in a number of different ways - a light snack, several small dishes, a conventional 2/3 course meal or a Plat du Jour. We had lunch based around the excellent value Prix Fixe menu - 2 courses £16.50, 3 courses £19.50. To start we chose from the carte - a beautifully light boudin of pike and fine herbs with a beurre blanc and a traditional beef hash with poached egg and mustard sauce. Both dishes were perfectly cooked and bursting with flavour. For our main course we chose the haunch of hare with golden beets and pepper sauce and shared a dish of creamed spinach. The sauce could have been more piquant but the hare was perfectly cooked, rare and succulent, and the portions generous.

We decided to share a selection of cheese, conveniently offered as £6 for two or £9 for three portions from a range of eight. The choices had been very carefully put together to provide a range of tastes/textures but, by offering a limited number, to ensure they would be 'a point'. And they were! Our Vacherin Mont D'Or, Fourme d'Ambert and Brie de Meaux were generously served and in perfect condition. Returning to the Table d'Hote for dessert we had a steamed rhubarb and Seville orange pudding which was tangy and light.

A splendid afternoon during which we had consumed a 4 course lunch, constructed from the menus available, sampling a range of culinary skills from the kitchen. And all this for around £30 a head including service (but not including wine!). Le Cafe Anglais is a thoroughly enjoyable restaurant cooking above average modern European style food served properly in genial and buzzy surroundings. On top of that, at least at lunchtime, it is very good value for money. I hope they prosper; I will certainly be going back!

Le Café Anglais
8 Porchester Gardens
London W2 4DB
tel: 020 7221 1415
info@lecafeanglais.co.uk

www.lecafeanglais.co.uk

Resturant Review: Alloro, St James'

2009-02-02T14:30:00.000Z

If you want to visit the best Italian restaurant in London then in my humble opinion it doesn't get better than Zafferano in Chelsea. It's been one of my firm favourites for a good number of years and is sure to get a mention whenever I'm asked for recommendations. It surprises me then that I hadn't before last week visited it's younger sibling, Alloro in Dover Street.

Like Zafferano, Alloro is owned by A to Z Group - a partnership between Claudio Pulze and John Di Stefano - and was set up with Giorgio Locatelli in 2000. Locatelli was a major influence behind the nature and style of Alloro although he parted company with A to Z , after a major row, in 2001 to go out on his own and establish Locanda Locatelli.

Although one shouldn't necessarily compare one with another, for me Alloro fails to capture the strong feel of Italy that one finds at Zafferano. The dining room here seems much more businesslike - a place for efficient meetings over lunch perhaps rather than somewhere to linger long into the afternoon.

Service echoed this businesslike feel where efficiency seemed to be the order of the day (either that or a keen desire to turn tables) but it was pleasing to be asked if I'd like to order a drink immediately after being seated - I ordered a Bloody Mary. I think you can tell alot about a restaurant from a Bloody Mary - possibly because it's not such a simple affair (as a G&T for example) and requires a combination of good ingredients brought together with skill to deliver a drink that is refreshing but not overpowering.

One of the best Bloody Mary's I've ever had was served at The Greyhound in Stockbridge; I recall it being one of those rare occasions when you take a sip and can't help but loudly pronounce how good it is. Like good food a Bloody Mary requires quality ingredients - fresh tomato juice (rather than that flabby industrial stuff that comes in miniature bottles) with lemon zest, quality vodka, Worcestershire and Tobasco sauces, black pepper and celery salt served over ice. I'm not one for the stick of celery though which can instantly turn an aperitif into a scene from Only Fools and Horses!

The Bloody Mary at Alloro was disappointing - very disappointing. I wasn't asked how I'd like it but I have the feeling that it wouldn't have made much of a difference. I strongly suspect that my drink was a simple marriage of a shot of vodka with one of those little bottles I mentioned - there may have been (I'll give the benefit of doubt) a little Worcestershire sauce added though it wasn't noticeable. I didn't finish it.

Whilst frowning over my Bloody Mary and waiting for my dining companion to arrive (an old customer who had offered to buy me lunch) I had a chance to review the wine list which, if size is the important factor, is to be applauded. However, disappointingly, it is very expensive! Of course it is to be expected that such a comprehensive list will contain a range of fine wines that carry with them price tags that are not for the faint hearted but is it too much to ask for a list that contains a selection of wines at every day drinking prices? I was hard pressed to find more than a few bottles under £45 and the Gavi di Gavi I selected was priced the thick end of a tenner more than it should be at £36.

The menu brought a little more comfort (and more reasonable prices) and to start we both chose the Spaghetti served with fresh lobster, garlic and sweet chilli sauce - pretty much identical to a the same dish I've enjoyed a number of times previously at Zafferano - and just as good. For mains I selected a rabit leg confit which was beautifully tender and the dish well constructed. My companion's Fritto Misto looked like, well, Fritto Misto - which to be honest I have never found a particularly interesting dish. Desserts didn't inspire though and we both passed in favour of a double espresso.

So, in summary, if you're headed for Alloro I'd recommend that you don't order an aperitif, that you call your bank manager before you ask for the wine list and you definitely order the lobster spaghetti. The alternative of course is simply to head just a little further west and go to Zafferano!

Alloro
19-20 Dover Street
W1S 4LR

0207 495 4768
www.alloro-restaurant.co.uk

Shunny's Slurps at Launceston Place

2009-01-27T16:00:00.001Z

Along with the dining room, kitchen and staff at Launceston Place the wine list has also undergone a major refresh under the expert guidance of Head Sommelier Daniel Britz. A much more extensive list than before representing a broad cross section of the main wine regions with over 20 available by the glass.

While the others had cocktails I began with a glass of the house Champagne, the excellent Louis Roederer Brut Premier. Owned by the same family since it was founded in 1776 Roederer is the largest remaining independent house and the Non Vintage Brut Premier pretty much defines their house style. A structured and elegant wine with a lively fruit nose but a smooth and complex palate. Blended from 54% pinot noir, 34% chardonnay and 10% pinot meunier it also contains 10% reserve wines that have been aged in oak for between 2 and 6 years. Beautiful golden colour, fine bubbles and masses of mild apple, pear and toasted almond flavours; a very satisfying glass and fairly priced at £12.50 a glass.

Chef Tristan Welch's dishes burst with flavour and I therefore selected the 2006 Akyles, an unusual white from the Priorat region just south west of Barcelona, to begin our evening. From Vinedos de Ithaca this wine is made from 100% macabeo grape giving it aromas of toasted hazelnuts, wild herbs and complex spices and intense flavours of ripe fruit. Owners Joseph Puig and his daughter Sylvia are fanatics about Greek mythology (hence Ithaca, kingdom where Odysseus was born, Akyles etc....) but also passionate wine makers. The Akyles is mouthfilling and vibrant with subtle hints of oak, underlying minerality and a long finish. An exciting and satisfying wine, well priced at £39 particularly bearing in mind its very limited production.

The Akyles was a versatile wine but not quite right to accompany our intermediate risotto and white truffle. For that our sommelier chose a glass of 2006 St Joseph Blanc from Domaine E Guigal founded by Etienne in 1946 (but now run by his son Marcel) in Ampuis, home of Cote Rotie in the northern Rhone. Based on 55% viognier, 20% rousanne and 10% marsanne this wine has a crisp, fruity style. A more smokey, floral nose than the 2005 it nevertheless had characteristically bold acidity and good depth. 2006 was a very good vintage in the northern Rhone and this high quality wine bears comparison with a Meursault at twice the price! Fair value at £12.50 a glass.

For our red we were fortunate to be offered (before it ran out!) the magnificent 2003 Gigondas 'Montirius' from Domaine Saurel. Full bodied with a spicy nose this wine had good structure and great length. Good acidity and chewy tannins given the very hot vintage in the southern Rhone. A silky, creamy texture and light oaking brought an elegance and restraint not easy to find in 2003 Gigondas wines. The 55 hectares Montirius vineyard moved to bio-dynamic production methods in 1996 and owners Christine and Eric Saurel have made it one of the best. A new winery was brought on stream in 2002 and this wine is the first real quality test. Top notch in every respect and so we had two! Good value at £40.

Winding down at this stage we could not resist a selection from the tantalising dessert wine menu. A 2004 Jurancon 'Symphonie de Novembre' from Domaine Cauhape. The Jurancon region of south west France is distinctive for its fine, richly flavoured sweet wines made mostly from Petit Manseng and Gros Manseng grapes. Henri Ramonteu at Domaine Cauhape is a master of the winemaking process used which the French call 'passerillage'. Jurancon has warm, dry autumns which enables the grapes to picked in stages when dry or raisined (as opposed to having noble rot) after which they are fermented in new oak followed by extensive oak ageing. The 2004 'Symphonie de Novembre' shows rich flavours of apricot, peach and ripe pear backed by a fresh acidity. Surprisingly subtle for such a big wine and good value at £55 for 50cl.

Exceptional wines and exceptional food in perfect harmony.

Restaurant Review: Launceston Place, Kensington

2009-01-27T14:30:00.000Z

Acquired from Image Restaurants by D&D London in 2007 - along with The Avenue and Kensington Place - Launceston Place has been catapulted back into the limelight after steady deterioration from neighbourhood star through faded glory and tired indifference to, ultimately, downright tatty. Tucked away in a quiet residential area between High Street Kensington and Cromwell Road this once cosy but stylish restaurant has undergone a major refurbishment. The subtle cream and brown colours, modern art and sophisticated lighting have transformed the rather awkward space into an elegant and inviting group of dining rooms and bar. Exceptional Chef Tristan Welch and Manager Hadi Adkin, both previously with Marcus Wareing at Petrus, have been installed to complete the transformation and the result is outstanding.

We had dinner there on a crisp autumn evening and received a warm welcome in every sense. With a dinner menu at £42 for 3 courses we expected high standards and were not disappointed. Two of us chose veal sweetbreads with chestnuts and grapes as a starter, another the West Coast scallops roasted in their shell with aromatic herbs and the fourth beetroot parcels with gently poached quail eggs and Tunworth cheese. The beetroot dish was proposed as a main course but the request for it as a starter was accepted graciously and without hesitation - a very nice touch and a constant theme throughout our visit. The sweetbreads were very lightly panfried and the blend of chestnuts and grapes was a fragrant accompaniement. Serving the perfectly roasted scallops in their shells was a great way to concentrate the aromas and flavours of the herbs so that they melded with the soft texture of the fish. The beetroot parcels (a Tristan Welch speciality) were beautifully presented to preserve the individual flavours of the dish; an unusual and exciting combination. A great start!

As it was white truffle season a special risotto starter was offered for a £25 supplement. Not wishing to disappoint the kitchen we ordered one to share between two of us. Rich, unctuous, creamy arborio rice cooked 'al dente' with generous shavings of fragrant Alba truffle - heaven on a plate.

For our main courses two of us had perfectly cooked rib eye steak served with a light jus and wild mushrooms, another chose Cornish mackerel with leek, potatoes, dill and Oscietre caviar and I had roast Denham Estate venison with chestnuts, red cabbage and spiced pears. The fish dish worked extraordinarily well with the strong flavours of the mackerel combining well with the caviar but did not overpower the leek and potato. My venison simply melted in the mouth and the combination of red cabbage, chestnuts and pears packed a delicious, spicy punch to complete a heart warming dish for an autumn night.

By now we had become full immersed in the glow of fine cuisine and immaculate, friendly service so that conversation flowed seamlessly as it does when one is well served. To finish our evening we had some cheese from the trolley - not a huge selection but each carefully chosen and in excellent condition - and desserts including 'Death by Chocolate' with a toffee mousse and rice pudding souffle with raspberry ripple ice cream which were every bit as indulgent as they sound.

No doubt we ate more food than strictly necessary but the quality of the cooking, the balance within each dish and the polished yet relaxed service meant that we finished our dinner in high spirits. A stunning return to form which will surely put Launceston Place back on the list of top places to dine in London.

Shunny's Slurps at Wild Honey

2009-01-14T12:26:00.007Z

The wine list at Wild Honey is an eclectic selection at prices to suit all budgets. What's more all the wines except Champagne and the handful of Fine Wines are available by the 250ml carafe at a modest premium! A neat idea to promote sharing without taking a full bottle and encourage experimentation with a number of wines over the course of a meal. There are half a dozen bottles of white and red under £25 a bottle and a few classics at £80 plus. Personally I would not spend over £45 a bottle at any restaurant and there are some excellent wines to be had at Wild Honey for much less than that.

We began with their house Champagne, the delightful Moutard Brut Grand Cuvee. The Moutard-Diligent family roots date back to the 17th century but they have only been producing Champagne under their own name since the 1920's. They are renowned for their soft, easy going style of wine and the Grand Cuvee, a predominantly Pinot Noir blend, is a delightful example. Elegant, firm and biscuity on the palate with fine bubbles and good length. A good aperitif Champagne with that characteristically rich aroma from the soils of the Cote des Bar.

Having a table of 7 guests meant we could experiment without resort to the 250ml carafes! Our opening white was a 2007 Verdeljo from the Jose Pariente vineyards situated in the Rueda region of Spain 100 miles or so north west of Madrid. Although grapes have been grown in this area for over 500 years their wines have only come to prominence in the last 15. Victoria Pariente is a meticulous winemaker taking care at all stages of production at Jose Pariente. This unoaked wine was delicate but firm with concentrated mineral and lime flavours. Sensuous aromas of lime and tropical fruit, crisp and fresh on the palate with a long finish. A bit too juicy for some in our group but for me an envigorating wine that stood up well to robust food flavours and great value at £27.

It is not often you have the opportunity to sample a great rose wine but of the two on offer at Wild Honey the 2007 Domaine La Suffrene from Bandol is one! The Domaine comprises 45 hectares across the communes of La Cadiere d'Azur and Castellet in Provence planted with vines trained in the gobelet (bush vine) system giving low yields and potentially greater quality and concentration. Rose is a by product of red wine production; to increase the concentration ratio of skins to juice a certain amount is 'bled off' after 2-3 days et voila! Bandol red wines are in the heavyweight league and it is not surprising that this rose is no lightweight. You can sense the underlying intense, leathery flavours from the blend of 40% Mouvedre, 30% Cinsault, 20% Grenache and 10% Carignan which give this wine its complexity. Fresh red fruit on the palate, summer in a glass for sure but this is also a seriously good wine with a price tag to match - £35.

To satisfy those in our group favouring a drier white we also chose a 2007 Sauvignon Blanc from Chateau Tour d'Auron in Bordeaux. Dry whites from this region can be a bit lean but the vines of this Chateau in Fronsac benefit from good exposure on a clay soil plateau. Brilliant pale straw in colour with a hint of green it had powerful aromas of ripe fruit and summer flowers on the nose. Smooth and elegant on the palate leading to a crisp finish this was a satisfying slurp and good value at £25.

Moving to red we first of all picked a 2006 Pinot Noir from Forrest Estate in Marlborough New Zealand. Leaving behind medical careers Drs John and Bridget Forrest set up their winery in the stony Wairau River valley in 1984. Their dark, spicy pinots have built up quite a following and this wine was a fine example. Aromas of dark berries and plums with hints of vanilla and fennel on the nose. Deep garnet in colour, firm and bright on the palate this young wine was already quite developed and integrated. Very pleasant and excellent value at £26.

Finally we chose a 2006 Post Scriptum de Chryseia, second wine of the famous Prats & Symington vineyard in the Douro. A collaboration between Bruno Prats, renowned Bordeaux winemaker, and the Symington family whose knowledge and experience of winemaking in the Douro dates back to the 19th century gave birth to the Chryseia winery. Chryseia (Greek for 'of gold' c/f Douro) wine has brought immense prestige to the wines of the Douro valley and to Portuguese wine in general because of its fine quality. The second wine Post Scriptum is also a high quality wine but made for earlier drinking (2-3 years). Made from the same blend of Touriga Nacional (the main grape of Port), Touriga Franca and Tino Cao sourced largely from the Quinta de Perdiz and aged 8 months in French oak this wine stands comparison with the principal label well. It is only produced in years where growing conditions are right. This 2006 is a very deep and plummy with scents of blackberries on the nose, a powerful wine but not to the detriment of style and character. Smooth and well integrated with a strong finish this is very impressive and a snip at £31.

It is well worth a visit to Wild Honey for the wines alone and it is a triumph that the excellent cuisine is matched by such a fine selection. Together with the innovative 250 ml carafe system and the modest average mark up (about 2.5 imes I judge) there is every excuse to fill your boots!

Restaurant Review: Wild Honey, Mayfair

2009-01-14T10:46:00.005Z

Following the runaway success of their venture in Soho (Arbutus) it was inevitable that partners Will Smith and Anthony Demetre would expand their horizons and the result is Wild Honey in St George Street off Hanover Square. The restaurant retains the oak panelled walls and soft Victorian lighting from the site's previous role as a private members club. However, adding modern artworks and changing the layout has generated a cosy, welcoming ambience encourgaing you to relax into the lively dining experience that awaits.

The prix fixe 3 course menu at lunch and early evening is a steal at £16.95; although there are only two choices for each course they are all carefully designed and constructed. We chose from the main menu which offers a wider variety and while 3 courses will set you back around £35 the quality and inventiveness of the dishes are well worth the price. Taking into account the generous portion sizes 2 courses would be enough for many!

From the starters we chose ravioli of oxtail with pecorino and olive oil, belly of organic pork with English snails, parsley and garlic and a warm beetroot tart with smoked eel and horseradish. The homemade ravioli parcel was packed with gently braised oxtail and a thick reduction, set in olive oil with fresh pecorino shavings on top. The belly pork was nice and crunchy on top, succulent underneath and perfect with the earthy taste of the snails. The flat puff pastry beetroot tart was wonderfully offset by slices of smoked eel and freshly made horseradish. All three full of flavour and cooked with precision.

For our main course we had line caught cod with Cornish cockles, chorizo and chick peas, saddle and slow cooked shoulder of Norfolk hare with soft polenta and chestnuts and Cornish skate with boulangere potato, shrimps and capers. The cod, as you would expect from a line caught fish, was deliciously tender and well complemented by the bright, tangy taste of the cockles and chorizo. Hare is a classic winter meat and this was cooked very carefully so that the texture was soft but still held together. Add the sweet chestnuts and fragrances of woodlands leapt from the plate. The skate was meaty but also succulent and stood up well to the acidity of the potato and capers.

At this point we injected a cheese course. Cheese is sourced from the outstanding La Fromagerie and a modest range is available from a board in the middle of the dining room. You can make your own selections which are charged at £3.25 for a good sized portion - an excellent system! For dessert we chose lightly spiced panna cotta with red wine and poached pears, tarte tatin of English apples with creme fraiche and homemade wild honey (literally!) ice cream with crushed honeycomb. Delicate, properly set panna cotta, soft and gooey tarte tatin and luxuriously sweet ice cream. A fitting conclusion to a high quality, hearty lunch!

The kitchen at Wild Honey is a highly skilled operation turning out bold dishes from carefully sourced ingredients with precision and finesse. This is food that is meant to be enjoyed so little wonder that there is a constant buzz from happy diners. Service is friendly and assured although it could have been a bit sharper on this visit. For top quality brasserie style cuisine it does not come much better than Wild Honey.

Wild Honey
12 St George Street
London
W1S 2FB

Tel. 020 7758 9160
info@wildhoneyrestaurant.co.uk

Restaurant Review: Assaggi, Notting Hill

2009-01-06T11:24:00.004Z

At Christmas time a little over 11 years ago a business contact of mine asked me and a colleague to join him for lunch to celebrate some joint successes we'd had in the previous year. We dined at Le Palais de Jardin in Long Acre where over lunch the three of us established a great rapport (aka had much to drink) and found that we had much in common when it came to our passion for dining out.

We resolved to meet again over lunch a few months later and met, as I recall, at Rhodes in the City. It was during this event that we decided to 'formalise' our lunchtime get togethers by establishing a Quarterly Lunch Club, or QLC, as it has come to be known. The rules were simple - once each quarter each of us in turn would select a dining venue and pick up the bill! Over time a couple more chums were roped in to the club and we have continued to meet up as planned to this day, sometimes more frequently (emergency QLC's having been called to celebrate marriages, births, new jobs, Friday's and the like) but always once per quarter.

It was a QLC that took us to Assaggi in Notting Hill recently, a restaurant that had been host to our event twice previously and that in itself speaks volumes of our liking for the establishment - for when you've lunched as often as this group has and you return to a restaurant for the third time then it really must be good!

Generally speaking I think it's the authenticity of Assaggi that draws us to it. It has a real family restaurant feel about it, a family who share a passion for both the food they cook and serve as well as a passion for serving their customers well.

The dining room hasn't changed a bit in the intervening years between our visits and I doubt that it will for some time to come. The comfortable shabby chic style helps to create the relaxed and friendly feel that is evident as soon as you enter and with the minimum of soft furnishings to dampen the sound there's a happy buzz about the place too.

Unless you have more than a modicum of Italian about you then you'll need help with the menu as it contains no English translations. However, I think this an excellent idea as it gives your server the opportunity to describe each of the available dishes in detail and allows you to ask questions which you might not raise if you simply read from the menu. It also helps develop some rapport between the table and front of house staff - an essential ingredient to ensuring your enjoyment.

The dishes created in the Assaggi kitchen add further to the feeling of authenticity - combinations of high quality, simple ingredients brought together perfectly. A starter of baked eggs with white truffle cream for example - who'd have thought that a couple of humble eggs could taste so very good? Or Crayfish in ink - generally considered by our group as one of the star performers - with wonderful, almost autumn forest like, flavours creating an inspired dish.

Top all this off with a wine list containing only Italian wines and you could almost be somewhere in Tuscany rather than Notting Hill.

Our little QLC has seen many restaurants come and go during its 11 years (neither of the two mentioned above are open any longer) but I'd lay bets on the fact that Assaggi will remain for a long time to come. It's rare blend of ambience, great food and wine and friendly service coupled with affordability has served it well thus far and I'm sure will serve it, and us, well long into the future.

Assaggi
The Chepstow
39 Chepstow Place
London
W2 4TS

0871 971 6436

Shunny's Slurps at Assaggi

2009-01-06T09:00:00.000Z

The wine list at Assaggi is a compact, no nonsense, intelligently thought out collection of very good (some exceptional) Italian wines which cover all the bases in terms of taste and cost. Uncompromising but then that pretty much defines everything about Assaggi!

We decided to bypass the token non-Italian bottles on the list (French Champagne) and opted instead for the Bellavista Franciacorta Cuvee Brut an excellent Italian sparkling wine made in the Champagne method. Light yellow with hints of green this well balanced wine has fine bubbles and a creamy, concentrated texture. Winemaker Mattia Bezzola selects from over 30 blends of chardonnay (90%), pinot bianco and pinot nero to produce this classic Franciacorta with its rich aromas of pure ripe fruit and long satisfying finish.

Moving on to white wine we chose a 2006 Vulcaia Sauvignon Blanc, a single vineyard wine from Inama in the heart of the Soave Classico region in north east Italy. Giuseppe Inama has built a deserved reputation for producing fine white wines mostly based on the indigenous garganega grape. This superb unoaked sauvignon blanc sits somwhere between a New Zealand Marlborough and Sancerre in style. Intense yellow in colour with heady aromas of citrus and summer flowers and piercing minerally fruit, nuts and citrus on the palate. A vibrant wine with a strong and persistent finish that coped easily with the strong flavours of our food and fairly priced at £33.50.

For our red we kept with the east of Italy but this time the Marche region and a 2005 Cumaro from the 60 hectares of Rosso Conero owned by Umani Ronchi. This area has an ideal microclimate and soil for the montepulciano grape from which this wine is produced. After vinification it is aged in barriques for 14 months and a further 8 months in bottle before being released. Ruby red in colour with glints of garnet this wine has intense aromas of wild cherry and forest fruits. Full bodied but elegant with soft, well integrated fruit and a long smooth finish. An outstanding wine and well worth the £36 price tag.

A well balanced set of wines in perfect harmony with our food and in keeping with the high standards that Assaggi set themselves (and consistently achieve!) in all areas of this small enterprise.

Shunny's Slurps at Murano

2008-12-12T17:06:00.005Z

The wine list at Murano is almost as exceptional as the food. Predominantly Italian (but not obsessively so), very carefully chosen and excellent value for such a high class establishment!

We began with a glass of the 'house' champagne, the increasingly popular Ayala. Pinot noir is dominant in the blend giving it fullness and intensity but with just the right balance of chardonnay added to make it lively and refined. An elegant and versatile wine and reasonably priced at £12 for a good glass.

To accompany our opening course of foie gras we wanted a gewurztraminer and our sommelier recommended a 2007 from the Cotterenzio vineyards in the Trentino and Alto Adige regions of northern Italy. This zesty, aromatic dry white was golden yellow in colour with spicy aromas of sunflowers and nutmeg. Full bodied on the palate with a long off dry, spicy finish it was a perfect counterpoint to the rich flavours of our dish and good value at £39.

With our next two dishes we chose a 2007 Savennieres Cuvee Les Bastes from Domaine des Barres. Patrice and Marina Achard have been making wine at Domaine des Barres since 1994. Their Savennieres is made in the modern style and can be drunk early (unlike more traditional Savennieres that benefit from several years ageing). This wine was straw yellow in colour, medium depth with a gentle cornflower and honey nose. The chenin flavours were well integrated with a light minerality running throughout. A delightfully fleshy, chewy wine it will likely evolve further over the next few years but for now it worked well with our pumpkin tortelli and halibut and fair value at £39.

Time for red and back to Italy, again with the guidance of our very knowledgeable sommelier! To Sicily and the vineyards of Cottanera near Mount Etna a 2005 Nerello Mascalese. The deep volcanic soil is a key contributor to the wines of this area and brothers Gugliemo and Enzo Cambria have built a reputation for high quality wines. Made from 85% Nerello Mascalese and 15% Nero D'Avola the wine is aged for 12 months in wood that gives the wine firm but refined tannins. Ruby garnet in colour with a floral and spicy nose this is a rich and elegant wine. It is fresh on the palate with a deep, satisfying finish. An outstanding wine at a very reasonable £39.

Although not strictly necessary as the Nerello Mascalese could have carried us through we opted for a rare gem in the form of a 2006 Moscato di Noto from Planeta to accompany our desserts. This wine just oozed sunshine with jasmin and honeysuckle on the nose leading into warm honey and apricot on the palate. Silky smooth and creamy with dense fruit flavours that were skillfully (mercifully?) balanced by lively acidity. A wine that deserves to be more widely known and enjoyed and a comparative snip at £49.

Approached carefully and using the well informed sommeliers as your guide the Murano wine list contains a host of interesting and affordable choices that will stand up well alongside the outstanding cuisine. Not something you can take for granted at all Gordon Ramsay Holdings restaurants!

Restaurant Review - Murano, Mayfair

2008-12-08T12:00:00.002Z

Murano is the new flagship restaurant for Angela Hartnett, undisputed queen of the galaxy of fine chefs working under the Gordon Ramsay Holdings banner. Having gained her first Michelin star at her eponymous restaurant in The Connaught Hotel Hartnett went into an enforced sabbatical when GRH failed to renew their contract with the hotel. During her sabbatical she launched an excellent cookbook on Italian family cooking and undertook several TV projects. Exploding back onto the London scene in September this year with Murano and, shortly afterwards, the upmarket gastropub/hotel in Camden York and Albany, Hartnett looks set fair to regain her Michelin star (or two?).

The interior design of Murano is discreet and compact with an expanse of white, light beige and moss green tones. Glass panels divide the room and the overall impact is light and airy. A hommage to the famous Murano glass with specially commissioned sculpted chandeliers of traditional blown glass provide a focal point to the room along with the wonderful painted fresco panels.

In charge of the kitchen is Diego Cardoso who also ran the kitchen at the Connaught. More recently he worked at The Savoy Grill and helped Ramsay launch his French adventure in Versailles Gordon Ramsay au Trianon. Angela Hartnett and Diego make a 'dream team' which will, I think, be key to the success of this small (40 covers) fine dining Italian restaurant.

We visited for dinner last month and decided to have the Tasting Menu at £70 to sample a range of what the kitchen had to offer. To begin we had grilled foie gras with sweet and sour tomatoes, a combinaton that worked particularly well with the fleshy deep flavoured small plum tomatoes. The equally powerful second dish was a roasted pumpkin tortelli set in a delicate sage emulsion with crushed amaretti. Again the flavours were in perfect synch in spite of the 'wow' factor. For the fish course our palates had a little respite with a light halibut confit in olive oil with celeriac puree and girolles, a fragrant and gently savoury dish. A lovely herb salad with apple and sesame seeds in a cider vinaigrette wound us up again for the main course. A choice of roasted veal fillet with ceps and parsnip puree or Cornish lamb fillet with artichokes and white bean puree. Both executed perfectly and presented with their jus lightly reduced. Although it was hardly necessary we slipped in a small cheese course at this point - Italian cheese strongly represented but not exclusively and all offerings in perfect condition. Another bridging course of delicious home made ice cream preceded a choice of frozen panna cotta with a black cherry compote or a vanilla parfait with caramelised baby bananas and a passion fruit granite. Exquisitely presented and absolutely delicious.

A simply stunning meal. Probably one of the finest Italian haute cuisine experiences I have had and certainly the best in London on this evidence. If Hartnett and Cardoso can maintain this standard then Murano will merit 2* Michelin status and all the accolades they will get from grateful diners.

Shunny's Slurps at The Harrow

2008-12-03T15:00:00.000Z

The wine list at The Harrow is justifiably hailed as one of the finest restaurant lists in Europe. Proprietor Roger Jones describes wine as his second love (after partner Sue and food) and he has certainly built up an impressive cellar with some outstanding examples from Champagne, Australia and New Zealand. Given the high standard of cuisine from his kitchen it is not surprising to find the same level of passion and care being taken with his wines. A large number of wines from the list (including many high end bottles) are available by the glass bringing a wide range within reach. As a party of 5 we had the opportunity, and luxury, of trying a number of bottles which of course we did!

From the dazzling array of Champagnes available we selected a Pol Roger White Foil NV to start. One of the few independent family owned Grand Marques and renowned favourite of Sir Winston Churchill Pol Roger is a full flavoured wine with fine bubbles and a light mousse. Clean and ripe on the palate with a fruity finish it is also refreshingly off dry. An elegant, refined champagne and an ideal aperitif. Good value at £58.

To complement our Asian spiced crab and shrimp roll we chose a 2003 Australian Semillon/Sauvignon Blanc from Jeff Grosset. 2003 was a low yield vintage for the Adelaide Hills/Clare Valley regions so that the sauvignon blanc crop had great intensity and acidity. The balancing effect of the semillon makes this wine rounder and deeper while retaining a vibrant, crisp acidity. A lovely plump, tropical fruit nose, good length and firmness to stand up to the spices while not overpowering the delicate shellfish it is hard to imagine a finer wine with this course. Also very good value at £36.

Our fish course of wild sea bass did suggest a fresher and more minerally white so we selected a 2005 1er Cru Montagny Les Vignes Derriere from Stephane Aladame. This dedicated young winemaker began his career at 18 by renting vineyards and today owns some prime hectares in the Cote Challonaise. Rich aromas of hazelnut and ripe appley fruit on the nose, fresh (but not acidic) and elegant on the palate with hints of minerality. A creamy dry white wine just perfect with the sea bass. Outstanding value at £28.

Moving on to red with our fillet of venison we began with a 2006 Bourgogne Rouge from Domaine Lignier-Michelot. From vineyards just below Clos Vougeot in Chambolle Musigny winemaker Virgile Lignier has created a fabulous wine. Estate bottled and shipped direct since 1992 the Domaine has built a reputation for bold and opulent wines. Aged in oak for 12 months this wine has spicy aromas of red/black fruits on the nose and is dense and fleshy on the palate with well integrated tannins. A classic Burgundy and a snip at £28.

We were tempted to continue with the Lignier but with so many contrasting pinot noirs to chose from we went for a 2005 Carrick Pinot Noir from the Central Otago region of New Zealand. Although you cannot really compare New World pinot noir wines with Burgundy this wine had many similarities with the Lignier. A lush, rich and dense wine with layers of black fruit flavours and firm tannins giving it depth and power. By New World standards for pinot noir wines quite restrained, soft but with a good structure and excellent length. Up there with the very best such as Two Paddocks and will undoubtedly age well over the next 5 - 8 years. A great wine to accompany our cheese and well worth the £38 charged.

As a cleanser with our pre dessert we chose a Ruinart Blanc de Blanc NV. Established in 1729 Ruinart can justly claim to be the oldest champagne house and for me their Blanc de Blanc is a classic. Layers of fresh white fruit on the nose and a firm structure on the palate. Creamy in texture with a perfect balance of acidity and fruit spiked by a fine mousse. Exquisitely uplifting and, perhaps, something of a luxury at £68 but in a class of its own nonetheless.

In reponse to our decision to accompany our traditional lemon tart with a sweeter wine our hosts produced a 2000 Pinot Gris 'Hommage a Jeanne' from Trimbach. A rich, off dry wine with a fine underlying structure and good length. The richness, arising mainly from some very late picked fruit in the blend, almost Vendage Tardive, was offset by well balanced acidity giving brilliance to the aromas of peach, apricot and quince. A simply magnificent wine of the highest quality and justified the £58 price tag.

I cannot remember a meal where I have been able to sample so many fine wines at one sitting. Able because not only does The Harrow have so many to offer but their mark up of 2 - 2.5 times makes them (almost) affordable. Triumphant!

Restaurant Review: The Harrow, Little Bedwyn, Wiltshire

2008-12-01T11:00:00.001Z

When a good friend and fellow wine lover recommended me to The Harrow at Little Bedwyn earlier this year my first reaction was.... and where is Little Bedwyn? In fact Little Bedwyn is a short taxi ride from Great Bedwyn which lies approximately 3 miles west of Hungerford and is remarkably well served by trains from London Paddington, whisking you there in just an hour and a quarter. Reason enough to visit this smart little restaurant awarded Decanter Laurent-Perrier Restaurant of the Year in their February magazine. I was actually driving nearby in the summer and stopped off for a short impromtu lunch that was so impressive I knew I had to return for a more leisurely visit.

Last month I returned with a few chums for what turned out to be a magnificent lunch. Roger and Sue Jones bought the run down Harrow Inn in 1998 and have spent the last 10 years building it into the fine restaurant it is today. Experienced and innovative chef Roger runs the kitchen and is largely responsible for the wine list - certainly one of the finest in the UK - but you get the sense that everyone at The Harrow is part of one team. Whether it is the Jones', General Manager Peter Hinchcliffe, Restaurant Manager Heather McKnight, Sous-Chef John Brown or any of the supporting cast their aim is to deliver exceptional food and wine and a unique dining experience.

The restaurant is small, elegantly furnished and decorated in quiet pastel colours increasing the feeling of space and light. Everything is immaculate; crisp white tablecloths, sparkling cutlery, fine china and (of course!) fine crystal glasses. The atmosphere is warm and friendly, not at all stiff, but the attention to detail is everywhere. There is a wood burning stove between the two dining areas and in front of the small bar which made it very warm on our visit, particularly while we took our aperitif. Once we were seated for lunch in the back room the heat was less oppressive.

There are a number of menu options on offer but we decided to take a tasting menu for the whole table. This gave us an opportunity to sample a number of wines from the list, each bottle providing a good glass for the 5 diners. To prepare us for the meal ahead came a demi tasse of pumkin soup, lightly spiced and delicate but also rich in flavour and very warming. The crab and shrimp roll that followed was exquisite, wonderfully clean and fresh, very quickly deep fried just enough to crisp the filo. Set in a light dressing mixed with Asian spices it simply melted in the mouth.

I would say if there is a 'signature' to Roger's cuisine it is fine ingredients, carefully matched and simply presented in a way that will retain all of the individual flavours. So the fillet of line caught (so much more tender!) wild sea bass was very quickly but gently pan fried and served with wild mushrooms, the light texture of the fish and woodland aromas of the mushrooms in perfect harmony. The seared fillet of Northumberland roe venison was beautifully rare and tender served with some juices from the searing, roughly mashed parsnips and black pudding. Lovely gamey intensity but not at all heavy.

We decided to throw in a cheese course at this point in the expectation, Sue Jones being a cheese afficionado, that The Harrow cheese board would be special. And it was; a selection of British and French cheeses in perfect condition and chosen for us by Sue to provide a variety of different tastes and textures. I regret I did not make a note of the specific cheeses (although I will next time!) but I do remember feeling that the range of tastes blended together without any one cheese dominating the course.

After our cheese the mini jelly and cream was a welcome cleanser before our dessert. A traditional lemon tart with home made vanilla ice cream. Light but richly flavoured pastry, intense lemon filling with golden egg yolk in the mix and smooth well blended vanilla (must have been Madagascan?) ice cream. The end of an exceptional, well conceived menu prepared and delivered to the very highest standards by a talented and professional team. And yet at all times we felt relaxed and comfortable and that our enjoyment was at the heart of their endeavours. An impressive feat of which everyone at The Harrow should feel justifiably proud. One of the best meals I have had in the past 12 months (and possibly longer than that!) and I will be returning again. I suggest you get along there as soon as you can too!

The Harrow at Little Bedwyn, Marlborough, Wiltshire SN8 3JP
Tel: 01672 870871 Email: reservations@harrowinn.co.uk
Open for lunch, Wednesday to Sunday.
Open for dinner, Wednesday to Saturday

Restaurant Review - Princess Victoria, Shepherds Bush

2008-11-25T16:30:00.000Z

The Princess Victoria is an imposing former pub on the edge of Shepherds Bush and Acton on the Uxbridge Road. While it fulfills all the credentials of a fine gastropub the scale of this place has allowed the owners to retain the essence of a good drinking pub - a spacious bar area with a selection of fine ales and beers on tap (Timothy Taylor Landlord and Peroni among others). The impressive horseshoe shaped, marble topped bar is surrounded by plenty of tables for those who want to have a snack or a light meal from the imaginative bar menu or simply prefer to sit. And there's still plenty of space left over for standing drinkers. But it doesn't stop there because beyond the bar is a large dining room which is where we went on our visit.

A glance at the menu tells you that they are serious about their food here. Examples included a thick white bean soup with smoked chicken and rosemary, potted Dorset crab and 28 day aged rib eye steak with triple cooked chips. I started with a terrine of confit rabbit, chestnuts and Serrano ham with a celeriac and apple remoulade. Lean chunks of rabbit and thick slices of ham carefully mixed with the nuts, well pressed and served in a generous slab with the crunchy remoulade. My companion had the pork belly, duck liver and apricot pate, equally well put together losing none of the contrasting flavours and served with tangy green tomato chutney and pickles.

After this very promising start we moved on to confit Barbary duck leg with mash, mustard braised lentils and honey roasted carrots and the aforesaid 28 day aged rib eye steak with triple cooked chips, roasted vine tomato and Bearnaise sauce for our main courses. The duck was lightly roasted and although the accompanying vegetables were strongly flavoured the whole dish worked well. The steak was perfectly cooked medium rare with vine tomatoes simply bursting with flavour and a finely judged Bearnaise. We were so excited by the quality of the cuisine that we decided to slip in a parsnip risotto with wild mushrooms, wilted spinach and roasted onion squash to find out how vegetarians would be treated. A perfectly prepared, unctuous risotto with a generous serving of mushrooms and carefully arranged spinach and squash accompaniement was the answer. No concession to quality there then!

As well as excellent chutneys and pickles the kitchen also make their own bread - deliciously rustic with a crunchy crust and soft chewy centre. It seemed logical to share a plate of cheese to go with these confections. A generous selection of well kept cheeses including a ripe Reblochon, matured Cheddar and Fourme D'Ambert came with a basket of bread and proved a delicious interlude.

In truth we had by now eaten more than enough food as portion sizes at Princess Victoria are designed for trenchermen (and women!) but I could not resist having the roasted Victoria plums with sweet vanilla cream cheese. There is nothing quite like having produce in season and the plums were rich, fleshy and full of flavour with the hint of tartness nicely rounded off by the sweet cream cheese.

The service was relaxed, well informed and friendly throughout and perfectly complemented the achievements of the kitchen. The combination of wooden tables and chairs on floorboards made the dining room quite noisy but a lot of the sound was absorbed by the high ceiling. In any event we did not find it distracting as we were too busy enjoying ourselves. This is a serious gastropub with high standards that they look like achieving more often than not.