REVIEW: L’ALBUFERA

Plenty of restaurants claim to be much better than actually are, so when we saw on their website that L’Abufera claimed to be ‘the best Spanish restaurant outside Spain’, we didn’t pay too much attention. We noticed that it had received AA rosettes in both 2010 and 2011 which intrigued us, but even this didn't prepare use for the quality of this restaurant. It genuinely is as good as they say it is.

Hidden away inside the Meliã White House hotel near Regents Park, l’Albufera is a sophisticated, classy joint where every guest is treated like royalty. The level of service is second to none – the staff are friendly, attentive and knowledgeable, the atmosphere is subtly buzzing and the décor is understated and elegant.

Kicking off with warm, fresh bread and olives, the tapas starters were impressive in both their size and quality. Three dishes between two people may have been excessive – the portions are as large as main courses we’ve seen in some restaurants. The brown crab croquettes were crunchy on the outside and smooth on the inside, a strong but not overpoweringly fishy taste and the prawns sautéed in garlic, parsley and chilli had a delicate flavour.

The highlight of the starters though was the large board of Jabugo ham and tomato bread unlike any charcuterie we’ve had before. Smoky and meaty, it melted on the tongue deliciously. We were already feeling full when the main courses arrived. We sampled the veal fillet, served with peas and mushrooms with risotto and the paella L’Albufera with lobster squid and prawns. The veal was simplicity itself – tender and white and yielding to the knife. Much like the ham, it dissolved in the mouth and required virtually no chewing at all.

The creamy risotto had the kick of real Spanish sherry and came presented in an individual cheesy basket. The paella was the star of the show though, coming presented with a whole lobster! It is slightly daunting to have to use tools to attack your dinner, but eventually we worked out how to use the nutcracker to open the shell - Julia Roberts eat your heart out!

The dish is as much theatre as it is sustenance. Intrigue, entertainment and a damn tasty meal. When the food has been this good, it is only right to sample the desserts. The guanaja chocolate soufflé with saffron ice cream was fresh and prepared perfectly – the outside was firm but moist with a completely liquid chocolate centre. The cheeseboard was as huge as we’d come to expect with four variants of exclusively Spanish cheese. All washed down with a refreshing but slightly spiced chardonnay, this was without a doubt a faultless first class meal and a strong contender for our restaurant of the year.

Regents Park, Melia White House Albany Street, NW1
www.melia-whitehouse.com

REVIEW: APOSTROPHE

Apostrophe has been around a long time, ten years in fact and when a business manages to survive that length of time they usually know what they are doing and are doing it well. Apostrophe is no different, the small London based cafe/patisserie style chain of eateries serve good coffee, decent sarnies and a selection of fresh juices - perfect for a quick lunch either in the modern, simple seating areas or to take-away.

During winter we'd fully recommend the hot soups, gingerbread lattes and mince pies, in fact we had our very first mince pie of 2011 in the St Christophers Place branch last week. Fresh sandwiches come in a huge range of breads and are all available toasted should one like it hot, beats a package sandwich any day.  The next time you are looking for a quick refuel check them out.

apostropheuk.com

GINGERLINE XMAS...

One of the most popular supper clubs in London, Gingerline have announced plans for a selection of alternative 'traditional' Christmas event, which means no Turkey!

They'll be revisiting one of their old haunts to create a wonderful evening of revelation and delight, mixing secret space design, visual art and performative elements as well as plenty of wine and a proper four course festive feast. As always, any and all details of the menu and evening will remain a secret. Confirmed guests will receive a text message advising of the location 60 minutes before the evening begins. The location will be a short walk from a station on the East London Line (aka Gingerline).

To reserve your place email bookings@gingerline.co.uk But make sure you read the rules below first!

Dates: 8th, 9th, 10th, 11th, 15th, 18th, 21st, 22nd & 23rd December.

£50 per person which includes welcome drink, canapes on arrival, four courses, half a bottle of wine and a Christmas special limited edition piece of menu art.
 www.gingerline.org.uk

RULES: When booking you MUST put the date of your booking in the subject field and include the following:
* Number of guests*
* Details of any vegetarians or food allergies
* All mobile phone numbers to be texted the secret locations on the night
* An acknowledgment that you understand that GINGERLINE is a PRIVATE PARTY

*For this special event group bookings are limited to a maximum of 12 guests. If you have a larger group, then contact us for details of booking the pop-up on a private basis.

THE MARVELLOUS MINCE PIE MANUFACTORY

Mr Kipling has nothing on these guys!

If you hadn't already noticed, there's a recession on, but that hasn't stopped the chaps at The Exchange in Ilford from creating the world's most expensive mince pie! Worth over £3,000 it's more a work of art than seasonal treat but one very lucky shopper will go home with it.

Made using Holy Water from Lourdes, Ambergris sugar (a secretion from sperm whales - sounds appetising!), dusted with platinum and containing a real solid platinum coin, even Heston Blumenthal himself would have struggled to come up with a more bizarre recipe. Even the design on the outside of the pastry has been laser etched by computer - yip this is one 'out of the ordinary' pie alright.

If marvelling at this extravagant pastry wasn't enough, people are encouraged to get involved and make their own pies; from individual twists on classic mince pies, to innovative chocolate spreads, raspberry powder and fruit puree, or if you're truly odd, insects and honey. Seriously. Every person who enters the Manufactory will receive a raffle ticket to win the world's most expensive pie which will be drawn on Monday 19th December so it's worth getting involved!

The Marvellous Mince Pie manufactory is open from Saturday November 19th right through to Christmas Eve in the Exchange shopping centre in Ilford from 11am - 1pm and 2pm -5pm daily.

REVIEW: SUKA

Suka is located in The Sanderson, one of our favourite (and coolest) London hotels. The restaurant recently launched a new Malaysian street food inspired menu available for a limited time featuring dishes from Kuala Lumpur, Penang and Tawau.The dishes are made to share and arrive at the table as and when they are ready.

The main dining area is located in a courtyard which is covered for all weather usage with heat lamps, a water feature and low lighting. The cocktail list is impressive and the mocktails are pretty darn good too - we had a kiwi and lime based drink which was crammed full of fresh kiwis.

After two cups of the chef's special Malaysian iced tea the Roti served with vegetable Dhal arrived, a surprisingly sweet tasting fried bread. King Prawn skewers served with a cube of fried rice and homemade satay sauce and a portion of stir fried vegetables were both tasty dishes but the real highlights were what followed.

The Monkfish and pineapple curry was a thick, spicy, aromatic curry sauce with two generous pieces of Monkfish and a couple of slices of fresh pineapple swimming in sauce. The Seabass baked in banana leaf served with a side of papaya salad was our favourite dish, the spicy papaya salad provided a crunchy texture which worked well with the flaky melt-in-mouth fish.

For dessert the apple tart with toffee sauce was a little too sweet for our liking, however still a pretty decent attempt. Our trip to Suka was a success, all of the dishes were fresh and the food feels clean and healthy, in fact we'd go back in a shot. Mains start from a tenner with sides priced at around £6.

Sanderson, 50 Berners Street, W1T
www.sandersonlondon.com

THE LONG TABLE

Street food markets are all the rage these days and following the closure of the late-night Red Market in Shoreditch, a new late-night market has been born a little further North in the trendy suburbs of Dalston.

The Long Table will be open every Friday night, until Christmas from 6pm until midnight. The market will offer an impressive hand picked selection of London's finest street food, a bar, live music and visual art.

Hidden at the back of Abbot Street in a large disused space minutes from Dalston Junction and Kingsland Road featuring a WW2 Bunker, the centre piece will be the Long Table (which really is a very long table!). At the table you can share your meal with fellow lovers of street food under a setting protected from the winter chill. Expect log fires, toasted homemade marshmallows, mulled wine, beer, cocktails and quality food.

Stall holders include; Nuno Mendes, Hawksmoor, Yum Buns, Moro, Yam The Cassava, Fin and Flounder Oyster Bar, Big Apple Hot Dogs, The Bowler's Gourmet Balls, Okonomiyaki, The Rotisserie Chicken Company, Donut Girl and Climpson and Sons, so make sure you are hungry! Plus with all these stalls you can go each week and never eat at the same one twice!

Opens Fri 25th Nov, 6pm - 12am (every Friday after)
Hidden at the back of Abbot Street, Dalston, E8

BONNIE GULL SEAFOOD SHACK

F. Cookes in Broadway Market is yet again the chosen location for another food pop-up only this one is permanent. The Bonnie Gull Seafood Shack, is the latest venture from the people behind Bonnie & Wild the part-time Scottish restaurant in Angel.

Like its brother, Bonnie Gull Seafood Shack will be taking up residency in a pie and mash shop and will be open every evening from Wednesday to Saturday (starting this Fri 18th Nov).

The Shack will be a relaxed affair - no bookings, cash only and BYOB (BONUS). Mains start from £9 and all dishes are made from sustainable seafood direct from the lochs and seas around the British Isles. The menu will change weekly and will include rock oysters, whole Dorset crab, Scottish langoustines and Scottish lobster - those of you who have tried Scottish seafood will know it's the snizzle.

To keep in the loop about specials on the menu and live music acts performing, follow Bonnie & Wild on Twitter @bonnieandwild

Open Wednesday - Saturday night from 7pm till late
F. Cooke’s, 9 Broadway Market, E8
www.bonniegull.com

FEEDING THE 5000

If there was ever a modern day bible story then this is it.  - talk about turning bread into wine! Jesus Boris Johnson had teamed up with a group chefs and charities for the "Feeding the 5000" event taking place in Trafalgar Square on Friday 18th November.

The event is set to raise awareness of unnecessary food waste in the UK by cooking up a free hot meal for 5000 people from food that would otherwise have gone to waste. (British households waste £50 billion of food each year with retailers and restaurants wasting tonnes and tonnes more.) Don't worry - the food isn't leftovers from the bins behind Pizza Express, the entirely vegetarian menu has been sourced from retailers and restaurants who choose not to sell products which look a little sketchy.

The event takes place between midday - 2pm with the first curry served by Jesus the Mayor of London himself, ably assisted on the day by top chefs Thomasina Myers, Valentine Warner and Arthur Potts Dawson who will be giving cooking demonstrations on how to reduce waste. Even the waste generated on the day such as peelings is set to be recycled - there will be a pig enclosure set up in the square and the lucky swines will be fed the leftovers.

Make sure you're there on the 18th for a free meal and a clean conscience!

www.feeding5k.org

REVIEW: ITTO

We ended up visiting Itto by mistake last week - due to its Japanese/Thai menu we'd never really fancied it, LondOntheInside like either, or, not both mixed...Pud Thai for instance, is that Pad Thai or is pud the Japanese version?!

Anyway the service is great but the food did take a while to appear, however we were dining in a group of 8 which is pretty big given the size of the informal restaurant, so we'll let them off.

The starter of Tom Yum soup was a success, hot and sour with a fair share of prawns for its price tag - under £4 in case you wondered. Another starter of mini pumpkin dim sum didn't taste of much and was brushed aside.

Mains of Pud Thai with chicken and prawn was pleasant enough - a fresh, generous dish of noodles however we prefer our Pad Thai minus the tomato based sauce. They do serve it in sauce in some areas of Thailand so we're not sure if it was a Thai influence or a change to make it more western. Thai Green curry wasn't offencive either, creamy and slightly spicy it was served with a mound of rice included in the price.

Itto is a hard one to sum up - we'd probably go back and we'd recommend it as a cheap eats option, we didn't hate anything we ate and for the price it's hard to knock it That said if you're looking for authentic Thai look elsewhere.

226 Stoke Newington High Street, N16

TOO MUCH IS NEVER ENOUGH....

Fancy a xmas meal that differs from the usual Turkey and the trimmings? Then check out Too Much is Never Enough (from the guys behind the Disappearing Dining Club), a four course exploration of 123 Bethnal Green Road, a Grade II Victorian house with a fashion concept store located inside.

Each floor is a course and it begins in Menswear, a second floor East End boys club that tells the story of Moderne Buckles, the previous occupiers of 123, and front for a network of illegal gun suppliers. After welcome cocktails, mini-Winter Soups and Potted Meats it's on to Ladieswear for the mains.

Ladieswear is an elegantly dressed boudoir with antique nudes, vintage erotica and a huge sharing table with giant, cast iron hot pots of Coq au Vin, Cassoulet and Vegetable Stews.

Desserts are in the Bunker Cafe with Hot Doughnuts, Spiced Rum & Mince Pies, Cheeses and dessert cocktails with drinking, DJs and late night fun till midnight.

Too Much is Never Enough lasts about 3 hours and costs £50 for three courses and four drinks. Open every Tue/Wed/Thu from Nov 22nd until Dec 22nd it'll certainly be an ice-breaker for those awkward chrimbo parties!

Book on: 07432833039, info@disappearingdiningclub.co.uk or pop into 123 Bethnal Green Road.

LEGACY OF TASTE

Last night we hit up the Courthouse by Doubletree for the annual Tsingtao Legacy of Taste competition to find Britain's favourite Chinese restaurant. This year the competition was feirce with three very different restaurants in the running. Two of the three finalists were from London including newcomer Grand Imperial and Michelin star Kai Mayfair, the third finalist was two time winner Yang Sing from Manchester.

The winner is selected after a judging panel lead by Ching-He Huang visits each of the restaurants and marks them on various aspects including food, atmosphere, decor etc. Last nights winner was the brilliant Kai Mayfair and although we haven't been there yet from the look of the food we'll certainly be giving it a go.

We also got to try the new Tsingtao 1903 beer which is pretty good stuff - not available in the UK yet but watch this space!

For more info on the awards check out: www.legacyoftaste.co.uk

REVIEW: BOB BOB RICARD

Last night we fell in love with finally got round to visiting Bob Bob Ricard, after reading copious amounts of rave reviews. The English/Russian style restaurant is located in the heart of Soho and once inside you realise why people rave about it...

The all booth dining room with its blue leather seats, glitzy gold touches, big old fashioned artwork and buttons to press for champers is old school glamour at it's finest with some modern touches to compliment. The kind of place you could imagine Audrey Hepburn sitting in Breakfast at Tiffany's with cigarette holder in hand.

Drinks wise the cocktail list is impressive, as is the wine and champagne list...did we mention they have a button to press for champagne?! Yes we may be late to the party but we're still pretty impressed. There is also a selection of Vodka shots served at -18'C  (when in Russia!).

We started with the signature cocktail, a Rhubarb Gin & Tonic served in a small glass with no ice the drink was tart enough for the full Rhubarb flavour to shine through whilst being sweet enough to slip down a little too fast. Nibbles of Olives, Popcorn and warm bread helped fend of the hunger until we'd ordered.

The food varies quite a lot in price, depending on what you are eating a main course can set you back anything from £15 to £60. We chose the Lobster Burger served in a Brioche Bun - not the easiest thing to eat as the Lobster was quite chewy which is apparently a sign of its freshness. Even with the fish juices and drenching of Mary Rose sauce the bun managed to stay together throughout the meal - top marks.

Old Bay Crispy Chicken served with coleslaw on a wooden board was a generous dish and we struggled to finish our side order of fries. We ended with a couple of Chocolate Truffles and whilst the food wasn't exceptional, it certainly didn't offend plus the decor itself is worthy of a visit alone. We're already planning to go back, the atmosphere makes it the kind of place you want to eat in again and again.

Bob Bob Ricard = beautiful!
1 Upper James St, Soho, W1F
www.bobbobricard.com

REVIEW: WAGAMAMA

Wagamama has launched its new Winter menu set to raise the temperatures and liven up chilly Winter Days. The new menu from the ever reliable fast, healthy food chain features starters of beef kushiyaki - three skewers of tender cubed beef flavoured with lemongrass and lime leaf and served with a sticky soy sauce glaze. Goma Wakame salad, with roasted sesame seeds, crispy shredded carrots, red chilli and the popular wagamama house dressing

But it's the mains where the temperature dial really cranks up with the firecracker prawns guaranteed to have you reaching for the water. The dish consists of prawns stir-fried with mangetout, red hot chillies, red and green peppers, spring and white onions, and garnished with shichimi, sesame seeds and lime. The dish was one of the hottest things we've eaten in London and we've eaten our fair share of spicy food!

Other additions to the menu include the sweet ginger and apple gyoza and the super juice – combining apple, orange, sharon fruit and cranberry juice for a fruity sensation. For a healthy, cheap, filling lunch jam packed with heat check it out - in your face cold weather!

Locations all over London
www.wagamama.com

REVIEW: LILY VANILLI

Lily Vanilli or "The Queen of Cakes" according to the Evening Standard has a small bakery/coffee shop just off Columbia Road. Lily had been on our radar since the House of Hackney pop-up earlier this year and we'd heard great things about her bakewells so we thought we'd better check it out.

The small shop is tucked away in a pretty little courtyard amongst a selection of trendy and vintage furniture shops. There aren't many seats and as it only opens on a Sunday (Flower Market day), you'll be lucky if you manage to bag one - but the counter stools are usually a safe bet.

We sampled a selection of sweet and savoury treats including a Nosausage Roll (or something like that) which is basically a sausage roll with no sausage...Nosausage Roll, you gedd'it? Crammed with a sweet potato and onion herby mixture the homemade roll with flaky pastry was a good choice.

Red Velvet cake was another delight our only grumble was the cake was a little dry but the butter icing worked a treat. Washed down with two lattes, the bill clocked in at just over a tenner which is pretty good value for homemade goodies and the cake slices are big enough to share.

A word of warning though, if you think you're going to pop in for a coffee think again. There is no way you'll be able to resist the tasty looking treats on display.

6 The Courtyard, Ezra Street, E2
www.lilyvanilli.com

REVIEW: UNION CAFE

The Union Cafe in Marylebone is part of the Brinkley's restaurant group and is actually alot more upmarket than the name would suggest. Located on Marylebone Lane the restaurant with its open plan kitchen, wooden chairs and stripped back floors attracts a business crowd, and the odd older woman who clearly has money and likes to show it - we noticed a Jerry Hall wannabe who dined the whole time with huge sunglasses on... she'd obviously been here before and knows from experience that the food is so good you don't even need to look at it. Either that or she'd been to Harley Street!

Food wise the menu is huge and the amount of dishes is slightly off putting - dim sum, burgers, smoked salmon, mezze plate - everything seems a bit miss matched. However once we'd tasted the Clare Island Smoked Salmon with home-pickled cucumber, sour cream rocket and lemon our minds were put at rest. The salmon's dressing gave it a whole new level of flavour, tangy and fishy the portion was generous although because of its quality we were left wanting needing more. Deep fried Brie with Cranberry Jelly and Deep Fried Calamari with harissa aioli were equally as good.

For mains the Homemade Crabcakes with chilli jam and mixed leaves were three tasty crab cakes carefully seasoned with a subtle spicy kick. Crispy Duck salad with cucumber, carrot, mint, coriander, spring onion, chilli, lime and toasted cashews was as good as any Asain restaurant salad. In fact we were left wondering just how the chef manages to pull off such a big menu and get every dish just right?

To drink there is a decent wine list with something for all budgets. We couldn't manage a dessert, as it was only lunchtime but given the chance we'll pop back and sample the full shebang.

Dining in sunglasses is fully optional.

96 Marylebone Lane, W1U
www.brinkleys.com/unioncafe

REVIEW: FORTY DEAN STREET

Forty Dean Street has been in Soho for 17 years and if you've managed to survive for that long then you must be doing something right! The small Italian restaurant serves pizza, pasta and a selection of main dishes. Inside the decor is wooden and simple, albeit a little dated compared to its modern, flashy neighbours which isn't necessary a bad thing.

To start the Pan Fried Tiger Prawns, Cherry Tomato and White Wine Sauce were fresh, meaty prawns covered in a thick, tasty tomato sauce. Mussels in Spiced Tomato & Garlic Sauce weren't so good - at least half of the shells hadn't opened which was a real shame as we lapped up the tomato sauce which had a real kick to it. A garlic pizza bread was a large slab of freshly baked bread with a strong garlic taste, although perhaps a little too heavy on the salt.

Chicken Milanese with tomato spaghetti was a huge crumbed chicken breast, the crispy texture worked well with the rich pasta sauce. The Homemade Ravioli filled with Fresh Lobster Meat & Bisque Sauce was the winning dish, soft cooked pasta crammed with juicy lobster and served in a creamy, rich sauce - just like mamma used to make.

The house wine was good value and perfectly drinkable and the food was mainly fresh and tasty - our only grumble was the service which could have been a little quicker, but hey we were in a hurry that night, it don't mean everyone else is. Check out the all day Set Menu just £12.90 for two courses.

40 Dean Street, Soho, W1D
www.fortydeanstreet.com