REVIEW: SPUNTINO

Spuntino located on Rupert Street belongs to the Polpo family of restaurants, the decor inside is the familiar industrial style with a zinc-topped dining bar to eat from rather than your usual tables. The restaurant is modeled on a NYC style eatery and the Italian inspired dishes are served tapas style.

We started with the fried stuffed olives, we'd heard a lot about these olives and to be brutally honest they were slightly disappointing - although we've been spoilt by the Zetter Townhouse's fried olives which quite simply kick ass.

Sliders of pulled pork with pickled apples and beef and bone marrow were a completely different story. These small bread buns crammed full of tasty meat went down a treat. Sausage in cheese was an interesting dish, full of flavour and drowned in a rich, creamy sauce.

There was no potato gratin left so we opted for the chips which were feather thin, light and crispy. We weren't overly keen on the Egg plant chips with fennel dip, mainly due to our own tastes as the strong aniseed flavour reminded us of the time we drank too much Ouzo.

The meal ended on a high note with the Peanut Butter and jelly sandwich for dessert, which is actually even quirky than it sounds. Two slabs of peanut butter ice-cream filled with raspberry compote and sprinkled with salted peanuts resembles an actual sandwich only tastes even better.

All in all the food was great quality and we didn't wait too long either although it's worth noting that with a no rezzie policy waiting times can be lengthy! And keep an eye on what you're ordering as the bill has a way of mounting up before your eyes. Perfect for a date or catch up with a friend.

61 Rupert Street, W1D
spuntino.co.uk

REVIEW: BODEGA 50...

Can you believe that Allen Road used to rival Church Street a mere twenty years ago in the running for coolest hangout in Stokie? Us neither! But Allen Road has be bouncing back recently, the Shakey, Yoga Home and Butterfield Green are all long term facilities in full swing and now a cool little café right in the middle of the street.

The place has a nice friendly atmosphere complete with a pet dog. As well as the usual coffee and tea's they knock out muffins, sarnies and homemade breads which will have you salivating at the mouth. Café Bodega is becoming dangerously addictive, especially as we happen to live up the road.

We do have one grumble though, they don’t accept cards. Check out the notice board for inside info on the area and where to find your local babysitter.

Bodega 50, Allan Road, N16

REVIEW: HAZ...

Take your traditional Turkish restaurant, head out of Dalston, pick up a bit of glitz and glamour on the way and you get Haz. With a number of restaurants now open in locations around the city Haz has fast become a must for diners wanting good food that will actually fill you up, 'cause we all know that unlimited Turkish bread will leave you feeling absolutely stuffed!

We visited on a Friday lunch and the place was absolutely packed, however the staff were really friendly taking our jackets and walking us to our seats as though they had all the time in the world. They may have sprinted back to the kitchen as soon as we turned our backs but we were oblivious as we tucked into our complementary olives and breads.

The place has an lengthy menu (maybe not all of it screaming traditional Turkish). We opted for a cold starter of aubergine, tomotoes, onions and herbs and a hot starter of falafal which was served with a tahini sauce. Both were fairly decent although the falafal was a little dry for our liking.

Mains were good old Shish - succulent lamb meat and plenty of it (definitley an improvement on the 2am shish we're used to) served with a generous portion of rice. The Cous Cous with vegetables and chicken came with plenty of vegetables and lots of chicken the way we like it.

Too full for desert we opted for two Turkish coffees which were thick and sweet - a pleasant end to a decent meal. Not badly priced for the city either!


Various locations
www.hazrestaurant.co.uk

NO.3 LONDON GIN.....

We are currently loving No.3 London Gin and why wouldn't we? It combines two of our favourite things; London and Gin and tastes great. The Gin from Berry Brothers & Rudd - Britain's oldest wine and spirits merchants comes in a rather swish green bottle with a key set into the glass.

After previously only being available online and via the Berry Brothers shop it is now available in Waitrose stores throughout London and Gerry's Wine & Spirits on Old Compton Street. We like the gin served the old fashion way - a good old G & T only with a slice of grapefruit instead of lime.


£33.65 for a 70cl bottle.
www.no3gin.com

THE ENGLISH LAUNDERETTE

First there was Thomas Keller's £250 a head French Laundry Pop Up restaurant, this was followed by the French Launderette, a cheeky spin off costing just £2.50 a head. Now comes the middle man The English Launderette, from the makers of Rock Lobsta, costing £49 for a six course meal.

The English Launderette is apparently that, an actual launderette (like the one in Eastenders). The food is focused around childhood memories which have been given a 2011 face lift. Just look what's in store:

* - A Launderette aperitif from the ‘Coin Op’ Cocktail bar
* - A surprising & simple glass of juice to start
* - Cheese and Pineapple as has never been seen or made before.
* - Ultimate Prawn and Avocado will be a far cry from the Marie Rose
* - Elderflower Sorbet with Kick
* - The 'Mixed Grill' is reinvented
* - A Savoury course
* - Lilli Vanilli 'Baker to the Stars', a trolley of vintage inspired deserts.

If you like what you see buy your ticket now - we have a feeling this one will sell out!

Sat 1st Oct – Mon 10th Oct, 6pm- late
18 Hewett Street, EC2A
www.englishlaunderette.co.uk

REVIEW: CHISWELL STREET DINING ROOMS

Chiswell Street Dining Rooms is the newest eatery from Tom and Ed Martin, the two brothers behind an array of decent gastropubs around the city. CSDR is a step up from your usual gastropub, slightly more sophisticated with the feel of a French bistro in the main dining area.

Located in between Barbican and Moorgate we were surprised to see, that even on a Saturday night there were only two free tables in the house. Seated at our table by the uber efficient hostess, a slab of fresh white bread arrived accompanied by two pea pods and two radishes. 

We'd heard great things about the Scallops so had already decided to order them before we arrived, only there were no Scallops left...Obviously a testament to how popular they are but we were gutted all the same. However the special starter of warmed beetroot, smoked eel, black pudding and potatoes soon took our mind off it. The dish served on a wooden slab contained without doubt the best black pudding we've ever eaten, combined with the eel and beetroot this dish more than deserved it's place on the Specials Menu.

Another starter of Berkswell Cheese and wild leek tart served fresh from the oven was gooey and rich, a little too rich as a starter for our own tastes, but our mistake in choosing it. Mains of Roast rump of West Devon lamb, lemon courgettes, potato gratin, rosemary jus and Grilled whole Cornish lemon sole, dill butter, tenderstem broccoli sealed the deal. The juicy, tender lamb sat well with the potato gratin which had been cooked in meat juices whilst the flaky fish coated in dill butter was so soft it melted in our mouths.

We were too full for desserts but managed to squeeze in a small chocolate ice-cream - if we went again we'd force down a knickerbocker glory. We drank the house red wine especially for the ETM venues which is soft and fruity.

We really couldn't fault the meal, except the missing Scallops however we'll be back for to try them soon. A step up from your usual pub grub so don't go expecting gastro prices! A great place for a intimate celebration or meal with the 'rents.

56 Chiswell Street, City of London, EC1Y
www.chiswellstreetdining.com

REVIEW: VENETIA'S

Venetia's is located on Chatsworth Road which is fast becoming the new Broadway Market. The cafe has a small breakfast and sandwich menu and offers a host of homemade cakes on the counter, as well as the usual teas and coffees. During a Sunday the shop has a stall out front selling Chorizo baguettes and other deli style sausages in the popular Sunday food market.

Sandwiches are served on a selection of artisan breads, we opted for a BLT on Ciabatta and a Cannellini bean, grilled courgette and cherry tomato salad. The BLT was on all acounts an awesome BLT and the fresh salad heavily seasoned with pesto and garlic was packed with flavour, the only grumble being that the toasted ciabbata was slightly over toasted.

The moist Carrot Cake coated with a sweet, smooth butter icing was a joy to eat. The cafe also has a small garden which is covered during Winter so that it can be used year round. Try Venetia's soon, before it gets too popular as next year we have a feeling you'll be waiting for tables.

55 Chatsworth Rd, E5
www.venetias.co.uk

REVIEW: SHAKA ZULU

Shaka Zulu is the world's largest South African Restaurant housed in Camden Town. Since the slightly shambolic opening in August 2010 LondOnTheInside hadn't been back to sample the food...until last week.

Shaka Zulu is like a theme park inside, the 27,000 square foot building is full of carved wooden murals, 20ft high warrior statues and many more weird and wonderful ornaments and trimmings.

There are three menus to choose from we ordered from the Baraai menu opting for Lamb Shank Samoas’s and Spiced Prawns to start. The prawns served cold in a peri peri sauce with coriander, curry leaves and tomato were a pleasant surprise with a spicy kick that hit all the right places. The lamb samoas were generous in size, the crunchy parcels packed with a tasty filling of meat and lentils served with  a cooling rose harissa mayonnaise.

For mains the Pork and Lamb Sosaties with peri peri fries was the clear winner. The meat was tender and juicy, and the sweet apricots were a welcome addition. The Coconut fried Halibut was slightly disappointing and didn't really taste of anything much.

When it came for desert we opted for the trifle, we're not sure how african trifle is but it was a freaking great trifle all the same. A big hearty glass full of jelly, custard, fruit and cream, it made us think back to when we were kids eating at a birthday party.

The cocktail list is pretty decent and during happy hour they are half price - avoid the coffee like the plague. All in all a fairly decent meal,;some good, some bad and some average - just remember your credit card!

Shaka Zulu, Stables Market, Chalk Farm Road, Camden NW1
www.shaka-zulu.com

REVIEW: LA BARCA PIZZERIA...

Its hard to find a decent take a way pizza joint,you dig one out of the phone book and are generally disappointed. Too stodgy, no taste or just plain greasy! But we're lucky enough to have a belta just on our doorstep. La Barca makes traditional Italian pizzas and pasta made to order, it's open seven days a week from 11:30 till late and sits right next door the the Shakespeare where you can sit at the pubs tables and consume with a pint in hand.

Better still is that La Barca offer buy one pizza and get the second half price all day, every day. You can choose from 10, 12 and 15 inch with a whopping 21 different pizza's to order or you can create your own. Cheapest Margarita is £4 and the most expensive is a 15 inch 'Pizza La Barca' at £12 which has tomato, mozzarella, pepperoni, meat balls, salami, chicken, ham, mushrooms, fresh tomatoes and jalapenos.

Theres a few different pasta choices most of which are £5 and theres plenty of veggie options. They dont take cards but if you ask nicely Omar will drive you to the cash machine in his BMW...

Well worth a shot!

La Barca, 59 Allen Road, Stoke Newington, N16

REVIEW: GINGER & WHITE

The streets of Hampstead are awash with Starbucks cups which is why we're always happy to find an independent coffee joint. On our recent visit we stumbled upon Ginger & White possibly the best coffee shop in the village. The shop is tucked away up Perrin's Court but easily noticeable as the queue extends along the path.

With a couple of tables inside and a few outside the chances of bagging a seat are slim. The coffee is served strong and steaming whichever way you might like it. We're flat white and latte kinda gals so we had ours served with cupcakes and homemade savoury muffins.

There is also a food menu which is worth a shot with bacon butties and organic sarnies to tickle your taste buds. If that doesn't grab the cakes most certainly will!

Ginger & White, 4a-5a Perrin's Court, Hampstead, NW3
gingerandwhite.com

REVIEW: THAI COTTAGE

Thai Cottage is Soho is a no frills restaurant knocking out authentic Thai dishes at cheap, cheap prices. Located just of the main Soho drags the restaurant attracts a mixture of clientele from young, trendy young things to older business types.

We started with a mega mix of starters including the Satay Chicken and Spring Rolls. Not the best we've eaten but for the price it's hard to grumble. Mains of Green Thai Curry and Pad Thai hit the spot, the Pad Thai with prawns was a generous portion of fresh noodles and the curry was hot enough to kick our taste buds into touch without needing to flush our head down the toilet.

A bottle of drinkable red wine brought the bill to just under £40 - not bad for a meal for two in the heart of Soho. Would we go back? Yes we would, it's unfussy authentic fresh thai food and it's cheap. Thai Cottage sits firmly on the fence between a sit down dinner restaurant and take away joint..

34 D'Arblay Street, Soho, W1F

BUFFALO WING EATING COMPETITION....

Roll up, roll up for the next Buffalo Wings eating competition, taking place at The Jam Tree in Chelsea this Wednesday. If you fancy your chances head on down and see how many wings you can throw down your neck in 8 minutes. Entry costs £8 but first prize is a "King of The Wing" trophy and £500 bar tab - just think how many wings you could buy with that....should you ever want to eat them again!

The first heat takes place Wednesday, followed by heat two on Thursday and the grand finale next Wednesday. Be there at 7pm to register and remember chipmunking** is allowed!

Other prizes include a £250 bar tab and a comedy dinner for you and 5 friends. Good luck people!

Wed 14th Sept, Thurs 15th Sept and Wed 21st Sept
The Jam Tree, 541 Kings Road, Chelsea, SW6
www.thejamtree.com

**Chipmunking is when the clock is being counted down
from ten to zero the competitive eater can over fill his or her mouth with chicken
meat. At the end buzzer the competitive eater has to stop filling their mouth and start swallowing the
meat, if any meat is taken out of the mouth the competitor is disqualified. He or she must eat and swallow all chicken meat in the mouth.

INNOCENT: HUNGRY GRASSY VAN

Innocent smoothies have long been purveyors of delicious fruity beverages and uber healthy veg pots, and now they launching their second cook book....talk about busy!

To mark the launch the infamous Hungry Grassy Van, an ice cream-style van covered in bright green astroturf is delivering healthy fast food to a location near you (providing you live in London, Glasgow, Bristol or Manchester)! The food is all based around the Innocent brand mantra of health and nutrition with a sense of fun.

The recipes are inspired by 'Hungry?', the new cookbook from chef Anna Jones, a former student of Jamie Oliver and include tasty treats like lamb kofte and root vegetable crisps. All items are priced at a very reasonable £2 - £3 or £5 for a meal deal. The van will be making appearances at places where Innocent thinks they will find people who need more healthy foods in their diets so expect to see it near building sites, football matches and outside Camden kebab shops at 2am....

The van will be in London from Friday September 9th for three days only, so keep your eyes open for it and tweet us if you see it!

Fri 9th Sept
www.innocentdrinks.com/hungry

REVIEW: FOXTROT OSCAR

It may only be September with a third of the year still to come, but we can confidently say that we had one of our best meals of the year last night, in fact we couldn't find a single fault with Gordon Ramsey's Foxtrot Oscar.

Service is friendly and efficient, the atmosphere is bubbly yet unobtrusive and the food, well we'll get to that. The restaurant itself is small with no more than 35 seats in total, meaning that attention from the staff was never far away but they were so subtle as to be invisible when not needed.

To start we went with a tomato and mozzarella medley; and breaded coley goujons. The salad is a classic dish with a twist; green, yellow, purple and red tomatoes each with their own distinctive flavour were accompanied by the soft, moist cheese and basil. The fish had a soft delicate flavour hidden beneath golden breadcrumbs and the home made tartare sauceonly added to the experience.

To follow came braised caramelised pork belly with jasmine rice and salad and fillet steak with chips. As red meat aficionados we have eaten many steaks all over London but this was one of the best we've found. The secret is the meat itself - Foxtrot Oscar is the only restaurant in London to source meat from this particular highland farm where the cows are matured for an extra two years before being slaughtered. Of course, it's also the way it was cooked, gently seared on the outside and red and moist to the centre. The pork was rich and full of flavour, and the jasmine rice was perfectly perfumed.

When the food is this good it would be foolish to miss out on dessert, and we can confirm that the apple and cherry crumble and sticky toffee pudding match the previous courses it taste, presentation and all round satisfaction.

We can't recommend Foxtrot Oscar highly enough. This is the perfect date restaurant that would impress the most discerning diners or the perfect setting for a sophisticated evening of celeb-spotting, Hollywood actress Michelle Williams was there during our visit.

Foxtrot Oscar - In the words of Mr Ramsay "F**king brilliant"

79 Royal Hospital Road, Chelsea, SW3
www.gordonramsay.com/foxtrotoscar

PEOPLE'S SUPERMARKET FUNDRAISER....

Last month the media was awash with the news that the People's Supermarket was opening in Hackney. This week all concentration is on the original supermarket in Holborn who are hosting their second fundraising supperclub this Saturday.

Priced at £75 per person (or 2-4-1 for members) the price includes a 5 course meal featuring a hog roast, wine, silent auction, coffee and entertainment. There are only 50 places and the website is now stating there are only 10 left so if you want a ticket be quick!

Sat 10th Sept, 8pm - 1am
The People’s Supermarket, 72-28 Lamb’s Conduit Street, WC1N
www.thepeoplessupermarket.org

REVIEW: ASSAGGINI

There is no denying it Italian tapas are a big business in London right now. Last year saw an influx of openings and now even the chains are jumping on the band wagon and offering sharing dishes.

Assaggini located on Haymarket is doing just that, offering small Italian dishes which are served as and when they are ready, to share. Located in an old bank building the decor is bright, modern and slightly quirky, the menu is written on paper table mats, bread is served in a tin and the staff are efficient and friendly.

Drinks wise there is a fairly decent list, to start we'd recommend a classic Italian spritz with Campari or Aperol followed by a mojito made with prosecco only £5.50 - we like! For food the Handmade Ravioli with Scampi is a winner, even with the creamy pasta sauce the scampi flavour shines through - order the bigger portion as four pieces to share just isn't enough. The pizzettine's are decent fresh mini pizzas with various topping choices. The King Prawns are big, juicy prawns cooked to perfection, the only grumble we had was the price tag of £6 for just two prawns.

Chicken and pecorino cheese, Sweet potato fritter, Zucchini fritti and a Tomato and Red Onion salad completed our order. The dishes are all well flavoured, well cooked and easy to eat. Again the only grumble was the size of the tomato and red onion salad which was just a little too small.

The dessert menu is short and sweet, Cheesecake with fresh berries and Tiramisù were a pleasant end to the meal, served in dinky glass wear they were good value clocking in at £2.50. After two fresh coffees we were ready to go. Assaggini is a great place for a girlie catch up over wine and nibbles or for a quick snack at lunch or dinner. The kind of place we expect to see rolled out on high streets soon....

Assaggini, 71 Haymarket, SW1Y
assaggini.co.uk

THE KRAKEN RUM...

We don't drink much rum, but when we do, we drink The Kraken Rum. Named after a sea beast of myth and legend, the rum is strong, rich, black and smooth. It’s a spiced Caribbean rum aged and enriched with spices including cinnamon, ginger and clove.

Try it neat, with coke or topped with ginger beer, either way you're on to a winner.

The Kraken is 40% proof and costs around £22.99 for a 70cl bottle. Grab yourself one of the trendy designed bottles for the old drinks cabinet. Kraken? Cracking!

www.krakenrum.com

NEWS: DANTE FRIED CHICKEN X LDN SHACK

Americans have been serving up great street food long before the current London trend took off, which is why you should visit the Dante Fried Chicken Shack. That and because who doesn't want to say they had a Sock-It-To-Me Fried Bacon Taco for lunch, that's right Sock-It-To-Me Fried Bacon Taco.

Dante who counts Santigold, Mos Def and CocoRosie as fans of his LA street food truck is visiting London for the first time in two years. For the next two days you can find him knocking out various other Tacos and Tamales (menu to the right), all for just £3. Friday's food sold out fast so we'd recommend visiting before 6pm.

Sat 3rd Sept, 2pm - 10pm
Sun 4th Sept, 2pm - 7pm
Dante Fried Chicken LDN Taco Shack, 18 Hewett Street, EC2A

www.dantefriedchicken.com

PLANET ORGANIC LIVERPOOL STREET...

If your anything like us after a long weekend of booze, booze, kebabs and more booze during the week you'll be thinking DETOX! So why not head down to Plant Organic and reload on those vitamins A, B, C, D, E.....you get the picture!

The company have recently opened a new store in Devonshire Square, Liverpool Street so we took some of our own advice and went down to check it out. As well as the usually groceries, a good selection of cakes and pastries (which although may not scream health kick are definitely worth a try) and a large natural beauty section there is also a deli with the option to eat in or take-away.

The selection of hot and cold plates change daily based on the season - you can usually bank on healthy, fresh dishes. We tried the vegetable lasagna accompanied with a selection from the salad bar, apple and celery and a good old greek salad were our favourites. We also tried the fish pie which was filled with chunky pieces of fish and had a crisp light pastry and with plenty of broccoli thrown on the side.

The water bar - a special feature, has still and sparkling on tap which has taken the old Brita Filter to a whole new level. But as we all know you can't do better than a good smoothie and this place has its own smoothie bar you can choose the Mucho Matcha which combines spinach, apple juice and green tea or just take a leaf out of our book and hit the hard stuff with a double shot of wheat grass! Tastes so bad, but what can you do its good for you.

Check it out when you're feeling at your most hungover.

Planet Organic, 10 Devonshire Square EC2M
www.planetorganic.com