REVIEW: DEAN STREET TOWNHOUSE

You'll often find us having working breakfasts  in Dean Street Townhouse but last week one of us went on a dinner date to the popular Soho restaurant. Renowned for it's cocktails and trendy clientele - this is part of the Soho House Group after all - you'll usually find the restaurant packed to the rafters no matter what time you visit.

Boasting locally sourced produce the menu changes seasonally to ensure the freshest ingredients are used. Delving straight in with mains we kept it fishy ordering a Sea Bream fillet with saffron - a soft flaky fish with a nicely crisped skin, the saffron and fennel working together to not only give the dish a great taste but an amazing colour and as you would expect a smell that gets your mouth watering.

Cod with celeriac and pickled beetroot was a generous portion and good Winter option. Sides of roast root vegetables and creamed spinach left us pretty impressed with the overall meal. Too full for desert we decided on coffees and perfectly dusted truffles which were a great way to satisfy the sweet tooth minus that sickly, stuffed feeling!

Not one to turn down a cocktail we headed over to the bar where we tried the Soho Square (Bombay sapphire, elderflower, mint, apple and lemon) and the Alfie (dubonnet, cucumber and prosecco) followed by a couple of killer Espresso Martinis

On a whole Dean Street gets the thumbs up from us (the date however did not - seriously who has a Kevin Keegan perm in this day and age!) the only grumble we have is that service can be a little sketchy, mainly due to how busy it is.

69 - 71 Dean Street, Soho, W1D
www.deanstreettownhouse.com

REVIEW: BIG EASY

New Orleans has been known as the Big Easy for years, so you know what to expect from a restaurant called Big Easy - a passion for big portions and big flavours. Located on the Kings Road, Big Easy specialises in Cuisine of the American Deep South - shrimp, lobster, barbecue and burgers and describes itself as 'Deluxe crabshack dining'.

The atmosphere is lively and buzzing; the venue is half restaurant, half bar with live music so this is not the place to come for a quiet meal but makes it feel delightfully informal. The decor is shabby chic to look like the crab shacks of the Gulf coast with business cards pinned to the wall from previous diners. It certainly seems to attract a wide cross section of customers!

We expected the portions to be large, but what we ordered took our breath away. We started with the Grand Appetiser Plate for two which could have easily served six. Mountains of crispy deep fried calamari, fiery Voodoo chicken wings and crispy breaded chicken tenders served alongside stuffed potato skins and our personal favourite, deep fried jalapeño peppers stuffed with cream cheese, all underneath oceans of nachos and prawn crackers. This could have easily been a meal on it's own, it's never a good sign when you have to loosen your belt before the main course!

They say everything is bigger and better in the States, but they would have trouble serving larger portions than what was to come next - you know you're in for a treat when the waitress gives you a bib to wear. The whole Atlantic crab was over 2lb in weight and roughly the same size as a small family car. Served in the shell alongside nutcrackers, half the enjoyment is getting at the soft white meat, the other half is savouring it.

We've said before that the secret to the perfect Sunday roast is the gravy and we can now confirm that the secret to the perfect barbecue is the BBQ sauce. The half chicken/half rack of ribs combo plate comes smothered in sweet, smoky sauce and both and tender and moist. Served with beans and coleslaw, there's no need to order fries on the side, you'd be doing well to finish everything on the plate already. They describe it as 'the only BBQ worth coming back for' - they might just be right.

The service is friendly and welcoming and the food is both quantity and quality. Just take our advice and skip lunch before you eat here.

332-334 Kings Road SW3 5UR
www.bigeasy.co.uk

VALENTINES FOR EVERYONE

February 14th is just about the busiest night for restaurants in London with venues selling out weeks in advance, even with inflated prices and reduced menus. What should be a romantic gesture can be diminished by restaurants taking advantage of Londoners who want to treat their loved one.

So what better way to impress your partner or date than to take them to an ethical and socially conscious event that prevents food being wasted and helps to raise funds for charity too. Valentines For Everyone is an event being hosted on 10th, 11th, 12th and 14th February by Fareshare - a charity that helps hungry and vulnerable people and eco-chef Tom Hunt who will be producing a three course feast from food that would otherwise end up in a landfill.

£40 per person gets you an amazing menu featuring delicacies like pheasant, honey and kaffir lime leaves and other seasonal treats. Grant giving charity Street Smartare also generously matching the number of meals raised from ticket sales.

The banquet will be held at Fareshare's Bermondsey headquarters on large tables, so you will be sharing with others and the decor is to be created by Secret Garden Party designer Alex Geldenhuys. With great food and the chance to show your ethical credentials, this is guaranteed to impress!

http://valentinesforeveryone.eventbrite.co.uk

REVIEW: MESS CAFE

The usual weekend trip to a greasy spoon was once again inevitable after a tanked up Saturday evening. Venturing a mere ten minutes walk from our HQ into the heart of Hackney we were first timers at Mess Café on Amhurst Road. A fairly newish revamp makes for a clean and inviting modern café with people queuing out the door – a sure sign of a great place especially in January weather.

The room is split with tables on one side and booths on the other, counter and kitchen at the back, tuck in from 8am lights out at 4pm. The breakfast menu is simple with a range of suggestions and a ‘build your own’ option making it pretty easy to have whatever mammoth concoction you’ve dreamt up possible. Plenty of other options available food wise and a decent selection of smoothies, juices and milkshakes.

A special breakfast of sausage, bacon, egg, beans and fried slice with an extra of black pudding, mixed berry smoothie and a tea took one side of our order. The quality of the food was pretty top notch, cooked and presented nicely with an extra point for none greasy. At £3.90 including tea or a fresh coffee it’s a pretty damn good deal.

Drink wise the Smoothie was thick, cold and refreshing, packed with fruit to mend the internal damage from the night before. Fresh orange was indeed freshly squeezed and the coffee was decent enough. The other half went for the mess breakfast which comes served with roasties although no beans so make sure you remember to add them as no one likes a dry plate!

Our only grumble is that just when you think you’ve scored by getting a booth to yourself you find due to popularity you will in fact be bunking up with some other Dalstonites. Still we’re pretty talkative when we’re hungover…Still on for that pint Steve ;)

Mon-Fri 07:00-17:00 Sat 08:00-18:00 Sun 08:00-16:00
Mess Café, 38 Amhurst Road, E8

REVIEW: CINNAMON KITCHEN

Cinnamon Kitchen is the younger, trendier sister of the much loved Cinnamon Club offering a slightly cheaper menu of modern Indian dishes. The restaurant is located a stone's throw from Liverpool Street station in Devonshire Square, a complex filled with other restaurants, offices and bars, through the week most of the clientele are suited and booted.

We kicked off our recent visit with a couple of the Winter Martinis served alongside a selection of fresh Naan breads and homemade chutneys. These were followed by starters of Scottish Lobster Momos; three small pasta parcels generously filled with juicy lobster meat and drizzled in a spicy, creamy curry sauce. Charred Pork Back Ribs with a hot and sweet glaze were another great dish, the flavoursome meat so tender it fell off the bone.

For mains the recommended french Black Leg Chicken with fresh fenugreek fully deserves its reputation as one of the best dishes on the menu, a roasted leg of soft chicken served with a well spiced sauce and a mound of cous cous. The Stir-Fried King Prawns with tanjore spices were three huge prawns accompanied by rice, a small pile of fried veg and creamy curry sauce. Masala spiced mash and stir fried greens with cumin and garlic completed the line-up.

Too stuffed to manage two desserts we opted to share the Indian banana tarte, a disk of pastry topped with carmelised banana and drenched in sticky, sweet syrup - not for the faint hearted! We washed it down with a decent red chosen by the sommelier but if you do know your wines you'll want to check out the wine list...put simply it's huge!

If you like your Indian food with a twist check out the bustling Cinnamon Kitchen - This month they have a special detox menu and the express lunch (3 courses for under 20 quid) is great value.

9 Devonshire Square, EC2M
www.cinnamon-kitchen.com

REVIEW: PING PONG

Ping Pong is a Dim Sum chain which has 11 restaurants dotted around the city. We recently popped into the St Christophers Place outlet to check out the new Special Chinese New Year dishes and sample some of the old favourites.

From the specials we'd recommend the Seafood Wraps, cabbage wrapped seafood parcels with a hint of chilli and topped with lime purée pearls, these small parcels are crammed with flavour. The Sweet Basil Seafood Soup was another winner, a thai style soup with a spicy kick which makes for a great winter warmer.

On the original menu we enjoyed the Honey-Glazed Spare Ribs, juicy and tender with a sweet sticky coating. The Crispy Prawn Balls, steamed Crab and Prawn Dumplings and Chicken Rice Pot are all worth a mention too. And if you've got any room left the Banana and Chocolate Spring Rolls and huge selection of herbal teas make for a happy ending!

If you fancy grabbing yourself some Dim Sum why not join in the Chinese New Year festivities taking place across the group between 23rd January – 5th February. This year’s celebrations mark the Year of the Dragon, so get fired up for complimentary cocktails, dim sum masterclasses, mixology cocktail classes plus face-painting for the little ones and lots more. Just think this time next month you could be making your own Dim Sum...ones you'd actually want to eat!

 Visit the website for more deets.

11 London locations...
www.pingpongdimsum.co.uk 

YOOMOO

One a recent trip to Westfield, with January being a skinny month and all, we checked into Yoomoo to try out their frozen yogurt, FAT FREE frozen yogurt. The yogurt comes in a host of flavours including natural, Belgian chocolate and pomegranate - these can then be twisted together so that you can enjoy two flavours at once - Belgian chocolate & Madagascan vanilla for instance!

The yogurt is then topped with the items of your choice from a selection of 20, everything from healthy strawberries to devilish chocolate brownies. But being greedy doesn't pay - the price goes on weight so you'll only end up with a big bill! There are four Yoo Moo locations; Harrods, Canary Wharf, Harrods, Finchley Road and Westfield.

For a healthy, sweet tasting treat nab yourself a tub or two!

www.yoomoo.com

REVIEW: TRULLO DOWNSTAIRS

We're all about our neighbourhood restaurants lately and last week we discovered a belter! Trullo Downstairs is located underneath the much loved Italian restaurant Trullo (the clue's in the name!) at Highbury and Islington. Trullo Downstairs is similar in style to the main restaurant, the menu changes daily and is derived from the restaurant’s most popular dishes only served in small plates, tapas style. Fresh pasta, antipasta, marinated cuts of meat and fish and a selection of cheese are all on offer.

Inside is bang on trend with exposed brickwork, low lit booths, chalk boards and industrial style lighting. We tried a host of dishes, highlights included the Mozzarella with Swiss Chard which was a generous portion of high quality creamy, juicy cheese. Pumpkin Ravioli with sage butter was a rich buttery dish, the fresh pasta filled with soft pumpkin. Pork chop served on top of baked cannellini beans and salsa rossa was a slab of full flavoured pork and perhaps our favourite dish.

The only thing we weren't sure of were the fried chickpea fritters which didn't really taste of much. That said the desserts soon made up for things. The Chocolate and Quince tart could quite possibly be one of the best chocolate tarts we've eaten. Served at room temperature it almost felt warm and was rich and gooey. Carmel Pannacotta was another winner, smooth and perfectly formed.

For the boozers the restaurant also offers a selection of cocktails and Italian wines. Trullo Downstairs has everything you want from a neighbourhood restaurant - it's cool, trendy, serves good grub and the staff are efficient and friendly. The perfect place to impress a date and what would you know, it's nearly Valentine's Day!

300 - 302 St Paul's Road, N1
www.trullorestaurant.com

BENTLEY’S OYSTER BAR AND GRILL

It’s awards season at the moment, with the Golden globes just passed and the Oscars coming up soon, but the most glamorous awards of the year are to be handed out on January 17th at the Fish and Chip awards! Now in its 23rd year, the humble chippie has its own industry awards with a range of prizes being handed out to independent shops, chain restaurants, best newcomer and even young fish fryer of the year. This year’s event will be hosted by TV chef Richard Corrigan

To celebrate the occasion, luxury fish restaurant Bentley’s Oyster bar and grill have devised a special menu, available at lunchtimes Monday to Friday and also Monday evenings. Bentley’s is far from the average neighbourhood chippie, this is a gourmet fish restaurant. The menu includes skate with potato scallops and salsa verde, shallow fried plaice with crushed egg vinaigrette or beer battered Pollock with crushed peas and tartare sauce. There’s also a hearty array of starters and desserts with a three course meal costing £24.95.

So get your SKATEs on – this really is the PLAICE to be this January!

To make a reservation, drop them a line at reservations@bentleys.org or on 020 7734 4756.

11 Swallow Street, W1B
www.bentleys.org

REVIEW: BENS CANTEEN

Every neighbourhood deserves a first class place where local people can get great breakfasts', healthy lunches and delicious but inexpensive dinners. Ben's Canteen aims to be just that in Clapham, serving classic British food, done well in a relaxed atmosphere.

It has an informal, friendly atmosphere and a menu of old favourites; from eggs benedict for breakfast, sausage and mash pie on the lunch list and steak, pork chops and venison pie on the evening menu. We chose to try a selection of smaller dishes to sample as many options as possible. The all day breakfast scotch egg was a treat, a combination of bacon and sausage meat packed around a soft boiled egg, encased in black pudding crumbs. This can be found on the 'small plates' menu, but was almost big enough to be a meal in itself.

This was accompanied by cod cheeks with parsley pesto, a cut of fish usually thrown away but here it is the only cod on the menu because of the ethical implications of overfishing. Tasty and environmentally sound - bonus! The beef brisket slider is beautifully tender strips of grilled beef in a bun with bone marrow mayonnaise which goes down a treat with meat lovers. The mayo is apparently a nightmare to make, but totally worth the effort in our opinion.

Potted ham hock terrine comes served with home made piccalilli and toast, rich and tender but for us, the highlight was the deep fried pig's cheeks with homemade salad cream. Melt in the mouth tender, they are the one dish we insist you order. All this was followed by a cheeseboard of four dairy delights including Stilton and Brie. The menu is definitely aimed at open minded carnivores, but those who give it a go will be rewarded.

One of the unique things about Ben's Canteen is the range of free stuff and discounts that they offer. If you check into the Canteen five times you can receive a free tea or coffee, 10% discount for NHS staff, 10% off if you cycle to the canteen. If you're an actor, artist or work in hosptality they offer discount drinks on Monday nights and also on Mondays, a three course meal is given away to a person who tweets 'I want a free meal for 2 @benscanteen' every week. Wifi, magazines, doggy treats, nappies and wet wipes are free every day of the week to customers.

Coming up soon are guest chefs including Masterchef winners, special Burns night menus and a beer matching meal with local brewery Sambrook's, giving the perfect alcoholic accompaniment to each course. For more info on upcoming events, take a look at www.benscanteen.com.

Ben's Canteen, 140 St John's Hill, SW1

REVIEW: THE COW

The Cow is the newest pub from the Geronimo Inns group located at Westfield, Stratford, it's actually the closet pub to the Olympic stadium...in fact those who didn't manage to score tickets might wanna head down there instead, it's free and has some pretty amazing views over the stadium.

The pub is set over two floors and offers a selection of good old English comfort food, snacks, ales and wines. The Cow isn't your usual shopping centre eatery, it still manages to retain the atmosphere of a local pub despite its location.

We visited last week and sampled the Goat Cheese Salad and Homemade Broccoli and Stilton soup - perfect for a winter warmer! For mains we sampled the Fish and Chips and the Sausage, Bacon and Butter Bean Casserole with a side of mash and leek. The waiter did warn us the portions were hearty, but jeez louise these were huge! The Fish and Chips were a generous portion of battered flaky fish and fat, handcut chips served on paper - even we couldn't finish them.

The casserole was a rich, tasty dish which warmed the cockles of our heart...although that could have been the wine - the house white is great value and perfectly drinkable costing just over £15. If you're in Westfield shopping and you need to refuel we'd recommend making a bee-line for The Cow. The Grocers and Butchers Boards are great for a girlie lunch.

4 Chestnut Plaza, Westfield Stratford City, Montfichet Road, E20
www.geronimo-inns.co.uk

MONTEZUMA'S CLUB....

If there's one club you should be joining this year it's the Montezuma's Real Chocolate Club. The concept is simple, each month you pay them £19.99 and in return they send out a huge box of chocolates that slip nicely through the letter box.

The choccies come in the form of three chocolate tablets and a selection of truffles that differ month to month. We've had lemon meringue, tangerine and christmas pud flavour - we're not gonna lie, we didnt like all the flavours but we're always open to trying new ones!

Treat the misses to a subscription and you'll get in the good books every month - result!
www.montezumas.co.uk/theclub

REVIEW: IBERICA

Iberica Marylebone has quite the reputation for Spanish tapas - it's the only Spanish restaurant in London that boasts both a Bib Gourmand from the Michelin guide and 2 rosettes from the AA guide. In November they opened a second outlet at Canary Wharf, so we thought it about time we found out just what all this fuss was about...

Located on Great Portland Street a stones throw from Radio One the restaurant/deli is well designed with cheese and joints of jamon on display, a dining bar for those wanting a quick bite and tables to enjoy a longer meal. When we visited Matthew Wright from The Wright Stuff was on the next table and we were impressed by the photographs of musicians lining the walls which are also for sale - we have a feeling if you hung out here every night you'd see a host of celebs come through the doors. They are obviously doing something wright (BOOM, BOOM!)

We tried a selection of tapas, highlights were the Traditional spanish omelette, which we were asked how we would like cooked. Served medium it was hard on the outside but soft and gooey on the inside - an absolute winner. Fried monkfish parcels were small chunks of morish meaty fish and the Iberica burger with secreto pork loin, served as two mini burgers were juicy, chunks of meat packed full of flavour.

The house wine red was a deep rich Rioja which was reasonably priced clocking in at under £20. For dessert we squeezed in the La tarta de la abuela which is Iberica's take on the traditional chocolate, vanilla and biscuit cake. Served in a jam jar it was heavenly; creamy and crunchy we savoured every spoonful.

We couldn't knock the food, the only thing we felt was missing was some help with the menu, as the dishes are in Spanish we would have liked some recommendations/explanations when ordering. That said if you're looking for authentic Spanish tapas in London look no further - it might not be the cheapest tapas joint but it's up there with the best. 

195 Great Portland St, W1W

www.ibericalondon.co.uk

REVIEW: SHANGHAI

Shanghai is located on the grubby end of Kingsland Road just up from Dalston Junction. The Chinese restaurant which was once a traditional Pie & Mash shop is pretty huge inside with a larger less attractive dining area at the back of the building - We'd recommend bagging yourself one of the booths out front.

The restaurant specialises in homemade Dim Sum and Cantonese roast duck which hangs in the window for all to see. The food is authentic and reasonably priced, highlights for us were the King Prawn Ball on the Sandpit; a huge portion of juicy prawns in a crunchy batter and the Shanghai Raviolli with chilli; three dumplings filled with minced prawns, bamboo shoots and Chinese mushrooms.

Lamb in Homemade chilli sauce, Special Fried Rice, Pak Choi with Shrimp Sauce and Singaporean Vermicelli noodles were all fresh, tasty dishes without a hint of microwave or grease between them. The only grumble we had was the Spare Ribs, which were a little too authentic for our liking served boiled rather than BBQ'd - more a personal preference than criticism.

If you do visit and you're a little intoxicated you may want to check out the two karaoke rooms out back.

41 Kingsland High Street, E8
www.shanghaidalston.co.uk

REVIEW: BISTROTHEQUE

Bistrotheque is the original Fashion"East"er having dared to delve far into the depths of East London long before the trendies arrived, over eight years ago. The restaurant is still going strong which can only be a testament that the team behind it not only know what they are doing, they do it well.

Located down a dark alley surrounded by warehouses, if you hadn't visited before you'd definitely think you'd taken a wrong turn. Downstairs is the cabaret room where you'll find a host of acts throughout the year and the pop up Gin Den serving bad ass cocktails (which unfortunately pops down at the end of Jan).

Upstairs decor wise the restaurant has managed to maintain its warehouse edgy feel whilst still feeling upmarket with a grand piano in the centre. But the main reason people flock here is for the food - the menu changes every month and features a selection of seasonal goodies. After filling our boots with warm, freshly baked bread we started with the Beetroot, walnuts and goats curd salad and the Pork, girolle and pistachio terrine, cornichons, melba toast. No complaints here, both dishes were well thought out, satisfying and a great taste of things to come.

For mains we sampled the Fish and Chips and Ray wing with capers and lemon burnt butter. We'd never tried Ray Wing before but for us this was the highlight of the meal - a soft piece of flaky fish served with juicy cooked lemon segments. Fish and Chips were equally as pleasing, a generous portion of non-greasy fried goodness served with pea puree and tartar sauce.

The dessert menu which features a selection of retro dishes is not to be missed...how can one resist Rice Pud, Lemon Trifle, Apple Crumble or Treacle Tart? We filled our faces with the thick and creamy rice pud and the sweet, sticky Treacle Tart.

We couldn't fault Bistrotheque and its location only adds to the appeal by making it feel like an exclusive secret, although be warned most people are already in on it and booking is advised.

23-27 Wadeson Street, E2
http://bistrotheque.com

REVIEW: DIM SUM DINER

Dim Sum is having its day with new restaurants popping up all over town. The newest kid on the block and one that we can also confidently say having tried it last week is pretty darn good is the Dim Sum Diner in West London, located between Queensway and Bayswater stations. Its minimalist design has a very modern feel  - it might not be traditional, but it’s sleek, smooth and very stylish. The vivid red walls stop it looking too clinical, and the old fashioned bird cages restyled as light fittings are a nice touch.

The food is equally as impressive, from light pork and prawn dim sum that melt on the tongue, to hearty Singapore noodles that come in surprisingly large portions. The sweet and sour prawns were huge, like baby lobsters, and we enjoyed the unique take on duck rolls – deep fried like spring rolls but with a hidden strip of cucumber in the centre. The two dishes that we insist you order are the honey pork char sui buns – sticky sweet pork encased in fluffy white pastry and the salt and pepper fried chicken with chilli which has a real kick to it.

The desserts are awesome too if you can manage one after all that – we tried the custard filled buns – very similar to the pork buns only with sweet filling but watch out, they are hotter than the surface of the sun! The service is polite and attentive and prices are more than reasonable (all dim sum are £3.80 and sides £2.50) making this one of London’s all round best for dim sum.

48 Queensway, W2
www.dimsumdiner.co.uk