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What are the essential food and drink experiences in London at the moment?
I arrive back for the first time in four years, and the first as a food blogger, on the 10th September, leaving on the 22nd (Right now I’m sweating it out in Dubai for some reason).
Part of my visit is for work to conduct some interview for a book but so easily it can become entwined with pleasure.
But it’s a whirlwind tour where I also have to take my mum out for lunch on her birthday, the 11th.
Here’s a shortlist in a sort of organised random order:
1. Catch up with local food bloggers if any interested. Matt from Abstract Gourmet and I overlap for a few days.
2. Acorn House. One of the de jour eco eating establishments.
3. St Pancras Station - The world’s longest champagne bar. (Maybe visit that popular English champagne maker)
4. On the subject of champagne, a glass or two at The Royal Opera House.
5. Zetter, Clerkenwell (a mate of George Biron, a Melbourne chef and blogger)
6. Visit one/two of the East Room, Match Bar and Grill and Milk and Honey. They have set up their first bar in Australia with more to follow.
7. The Company Shed and/or The Butley Orford Oysterage. Sure Australia has a seafood, or perhaps that should be prawn on the barbie, reputation. But really it can’t compete with the range of seafood found in the UK and Europe. Here are the fish that I miss:
Turbot
Sea Bass
Skate (in black butter with capers)
Dover Sole
Monk Fish
Cod and smoked cod
Haddock and smoked haddock
Proper kippers
Wild Salmon or salmon trout
Cockles and winkles
Lobster (as opposed to Cray which has no claws)
Dublin Bay Prawns
Scottish diver caught scallops
Potted shrimps
8. Cook and eat a massive slab of fresh fois gras. We can only get cooked stuff in Australia. Forget the ethics; feed the blog.
9. Drink warm hand pumped real ale with friends (although I’m guessing that they all drink NZ Sauv Blanc nowadays. I’ll sort them out on that one)
10. Cider made from proper cider apple varieties
11. Fresh porcini and other mushrooms.
12. British cheese from Neal’s Yard, some of it quite possibly made with raw milk
13. Eat at a Michelin starred curry house. Sorted.
14. Atelier Joel Rubichon. because it has Joel’s name on it
15. Drink at the French House
16. Go to the Fat Duck. Probably won’t have time and don’t have a booking but we’ll see.
17. Jersey potatoes freshly dug from the ground. Okay, my seasons may be out of whack living in Australia.
18. Borough Market. Just because I know I’ll be drummed out of food blog land if I don’t.
19. Le Café Anglais. o know the reviews have been terrible but I loved Rowley Leigh’s food at Kensington Place.
20. Chase Mr Ishii on interviewing MPW.
21. Trace the origins of Chicken Tikka Masala in Glasgow.
22. Find out where the best balti’s are in the Balti Triangle. Visit and eat.
23. Gordon Ramsay? I’m still try to decide. Perhaps Marcus Wareing.
I’m sure there’s more but I’m jet lagged in Dubai where my access is slow and Flickr is blocked.
Food fascist
- Watch out for the Krispy Kreme Ramadam dozen. Really.
- My column is in the hands of Bob Hart for two weeks now.
- Shun knife winner picked using twitter and to be announced shortly.
- Sticky sand between my fingers and really am wearing the wrong underpants for the prevailing conditions in Dubai.
- Spelling, grammar and typos worse than usual as am on the road and hunched over Macbook Pro that keeps giving electric shocks because of dodgy earthing of plugs here.
No related posts.
{ 17 comments… read them below or add one }
You might find that many of the fish you miss are now on ‘do not eat’ lists due to over fishing and low stocks. If you care about such things (which, if you’re heading to a “du jour eco” place maybe you do) a bit of research at fishonline will help keep your piscatorial conscience clear.
I’ve read some pretty good reviews of Le Cafe Anglais and it’s on my list of places to visit next time I’m down in London.
Oh, and once you’ve done the Champagne Bar at St Pancras, nip to the Charles Lamb in Islington for a pint and some good (& reasonably priced!) food!
Can’t believe you’re in Dubai in the Wrong Underpants for the Prevailing Conditions! Be sure to check if they have snowdomes…
Alex thanks for the reminder. maybe thats how I can focus my list by looking at the more ethical places to eat.
Kylie, you are still alive after last week then. I’v ebeen looking in the markets but tonight may score in some in some tourist joint, Perhaps I’ll have to go to the ski place.
Knowing your interest in chocolate, I’d suggest looking at some of the London places I mentioned here.
Try Locando Locatelli. I would love to go there. Especially after reading his book, Made In Italy, which i think is now the bible of Italian cooking.
Ooh, you should definiteluy go to the ski place! Just realised you’re probably in London by now though. hey maybe check out that pub I went to in Dulwich village that does the ‘traditional’ Enlgish food… will try and recall the name of it…
I go back regularly and have never made it through that list: shame on me! However, definitely agree with you about curry, fish, neal yard cheese and jersey new potatoes. My recommendation, despite not quite making it there yet, and knowing that she’s here, would be the cafe at Petersham Nursery run by Skye Gyngall… you can let me know if next time I really should finally make it!
Definitely do Borough - you won’t get jersey royals but you will get the rest of your wish list. Breakfast at Brindisa tapas - char grilled chorizo with fried eggs, fresh orange juice and seriously good coffee. For fish try Wright Bros (not Applebys - a more recent, less good addition) across from the market -it’s cold here so do be tempted by their beef and oyster pie.
Michelin curry try Quilon - very odd room but utterly fab food.
For spectacularly good indian veg go to Tooting to Kastoori. Been there 20 odd years, never served a bad meal. Try to do lunch - the High Street has to be experienced to be believed.
Match is horrible.
To bear in mind - the champagne bar may be long but it is effectively outside - it’s on a platform. Might sort your pants problem…
Borough Market is vastly over-rated, but still casually marvellous. Match is dire and to be honest, a Michelin-starred curry might actually be redundant because some of London’s best, authentic Indian cuisine is found in curious little dives like Ragam.
I am originally from Moe (I know) and have lived in Hackney, London for 8 years. The food is wide ranging and the general state of food is dire. There is however some of the best food in the world if you go looking for it.
- Borough Market is pretentious but worth it. I have posted around the place about the current food snobbery and marketing based on organic, free range and most importantly, low food miles. I am sceptical that
- go to Brick Lane in the East End of London for the experience more than the food. It’s a whole street of curry houses.
- Cheese. English cheese is the equivalent in quality to French cheese but not as varied. Stilton. Cheddar. Wensleydale, Yes Sir?
- beer. Better than most Australian beer in my opinion(Coopers is the only mainstreamish Oz beer that is any good). Find a good pub on http://www.fancyapint.com , 5 pint pubs are really very good. Ask the barman in a proper boozer, avoid bars full of a single type of person. As always, a good mix of people will generally mean a good pub. At Albans beer festival is on in 2 weeks, I will be there drunk. Wooden cask conditioned is not as omnipresent as CAMRA would like/lead you to believe…
- cider is best in the West Country (West of London towards WalesThereBeDragons). I like Addlestons, it’s reasonably widely available.
- pear cider. Ambrosia in a bottle.
- cornish pasties in Cornwall
- pork pies in t’North
- the Bleeding Heart is good for French food in London ans won’t break the bank.
- cream tea in the west of England. Scones, clotted cream, jam and a cup of tea. Marvellous. I tried to eat two of them in a day when I was 200kg, I couldn’t do it. I am half that man now, I have trouble getting through one of them.
- McDonalds. Contrast and compare with Australia. You think it’s bad at home, London takes it to a disgusting and filthy new height.
There is probably more but I have to be up in 6 hours for work otherwise investment bankers cry because their money doesn’t go in the right direction.
You can email me directly if you want more info.
hunty
Bugger London. What did you get up to food-wise in Dubai? GR? Al Mahara’s submarine? Camel? Details, please!
Jen
Please review the M&S dessert range and bring me back a jam roly poly 0r 5. Also what’s the secret ingredient in those Pret a Manger egg mayo and cress sandwiches, so addictive? And you’ll need to find a good high street greasy spoon for a nice post-pub fry up… I miss those!
My pal’s just recommended petersham nursery where sean moran is causing quite a splash this month and the new hix oyster and chop house in sloane square.
Re: Dubai. We spent a month there last year and hated, hated the food… apart from the odd shwarma we ended up spending all our money on eating at japanese restaurants in high-end hotels. I was offered a job food reviewing there so if any food bloggers are thinking of going there it seems fairly easy to get work…
I am totally envious that I have no recommendations for you as all mine are twenty year out of date and on a slackers income. But I’d still head to the great Southern Indian places near Euston station for a decent dosa and the bagel shop in Brick Lane while perusing the market. I loved the East End before the yuppies took over. Oh and real cider - now that brings back memories I really hoped I had forgotten!
Hope you are having a great time and happy birthday to your mum.
Ed,
Not sure where and when you’re about again, but give me a buzz. Trying to organise something on the 26th in London.
So far haven’t been to much. Coffee at Flat White proving antipodeans know their stuff… dinner at The Eagle wasn’t flash after The Anchor & Hope, Meson de Filipe and St John were all full… Off to Borough today because the bloody euro tunnel is on fire, stopping me from getting to Paris. I may just swim.
Shoot me an email and let me know what you’re up to.
Thanks, Duncan. Prestat used to be a favourite. Never cared for Charbonnel & Walker. But I’m surprised you did’y try Rococo which was my favourite and will be my first destination. I’ll see if I can check out the others.
Warren, I think sadly I only have two free evenings but LL will be on my list for lunch perhaps.
Kylie, I thought I was going to die and couldn’t eat for two days. I’ll try in duty free on the way back. Full story soon. Know anybody who want to buy a slightly soiled iPhone?
Curiousbutton, I would try Skye’s place but I jusrt don’t think I’ll get down there plus she’s in Australia next month.
Bron/David, I shall drop into Borough tomorrow morning high on Opera and there shall be a verdict!
Uncle Hunty, do not wory. I see the best pubs have been anounced by CAMRA (I used to live near St Abans). Good beer shall be had - there’s only two pubs in London and I expect I shall be at one in about one hour pricisely supping a pint. Naturally, I shall avoid all cheese that is frenchy. Brick Lane Thursday night.
Jen, shall reveal, see my comment about soiled iPhone.
Juliette, Sadly takeaways aren’t on the agenda but I did discover great basic Indian food which shall be blogged (nothing to do with soiled iPhone).
AOF, We had a brilliant time for her birthday yesterday. Superb food and the pics are on my flickr page. Blog post son. I’ve been stuck for three days with only dial up internet. Right now I’m in the Apple store in Regent St.
Matt, I saw that. Hopefully catch up when you are back from Paris. Cheers
ed, there is one place where you HAVE to go!
ok, i’ver never been there on my own, but i own all cooking books of them.
http://www.moro.co.uk
Kusito, you are right. I’ve the books but I may run out of time as I need to spend some time with my mum.