JACKSON + RYE

56 Wardour Street, W1D 4JG / Tube: Piccadilly Circus, Tottenham Court Road

Website: www.jacksonrye.com

Price: £27Food:

• Crispy Squid w/ Chipotle Mayonaise
• Ham & Eggs
• Buttermilk Fried Chicken Sandwich

What we thought

Jackson + Rye is a new American style diner right in the beating heart of soho, although, this is not to be thought of in the same light as Ed’s or any other greasy spoon of that genre. Like many others have before us, we can’t help but compare the mood and interior of J+R to that of the famous ‘Nighthawks‘ by Edward Hopper. The lights are low and the the furniture looks like it has been there and used everyday since the 1940’s, there is a bar at the centre of the room where they prepare a large selection of classic and modern cocktails. We took a seat at the bar and the staff quickly handed us a menu, which was fairly large, but had a good selection of authentic American diner style dishes, like grits chowders and buttermilk chicken, whilst also offering pasta, pastry items and Ham & Eggs..This was only the brunch menu. To start we ordered the Crispy Squid with Chipotle Mayonnaise, as this was £6.99 we assumed it was going to be a healthy portion. We were utterly disappointed. There were no more than 5 rings and they had not removed the membrane, meaning you had to pull the stringy like texture out of your teeth with every bite. Apart from this, the squid was tender and the crispy coating was nice. Sometime after, our main courses arrived, we both wanted to try each others so as usual we went halves. The buttermilk chicken sandwich came with coleslaw and  a chipotle mayonnaise. The chicken was the standout dish for us, the coating was thick and crispy and the chicken beautifully tender. The sandwich was essentially an  upmarket version of something you might find in KFC but without the grease and guilt. The coleslaw was cool and refreshing, the perfect accompaniment, the chipotle mayonnaise however was a little odd and lacked flavour. After the satisfaction of our first main we were little disappointed to find the ham and eggs fell a little flat. The portion was generous with 3 eggs but not threateningly so. There was nothing particularly wrong with the dish, the eggs were still runny, the ham was salty and meaty and the spinach added some green refreshment. However the whole dish was a little underseasoned and bland, perhaps this was a poor choice on our behalf but we’ll stick to making our own baked eggs in the future. This restaurant is very new and this definitely came across during our meal. The staff were unorganised and clearly no one knew exactly what they were suppose to be doing. This was highlighted to us when we had to witness an argument between 2 members of staff….awkward and when it took until our bill arrived for our clearly empty plates to be taken.

We had not intended to spend a great deal of money and had stopped at J+R by chance for lunch, therefore it’s hard to be too critical as we didn’t have any level of expectation. However, we know Soho fairly well and in the future we will probably prioritise somewhere else over J+R.

Rating

Food: 6.5

Atmosphere: 7.5

Service: 6

Value: 7

 

10 GREEK STREET

10 Greek Street, Soho / Tottenham Court Road

Website: www.10greekstreet.com

Price: £55 (average)

Food:

• Fritto Misto
• Crumbed lamb, gremolata mayonaise
• Pancetta wrapped prawns, watercress, fennel & salsa verde
• Wild mushrooms, rocket & parmesan
• Risotto nero with grilled cuttlefish
• Onion tart, goats curd, wild mushrooms & truffle
• Pork rillettes
• Pork belly, parsnips, savoy cabbage & apple chutney
• Treacle & pecan tart with creme fraise

Drink:

• Borgo Selene, Rosso, Sicily, Italy 2012

What we thought

We should probably warn you before you read this review that we have actually visited 10 Greek Street twice in the last month, this fact will probably give you some inkling as to what we thought of this little place. So below we have written about all the food we had over our 2 visits.

This little place in the middle of Soho had been on our horizon for some time and as a free Friday night approached this was our first port of call…The restaurant is some what on the small side, squeezing in a no more than 30 diners, as you would expect of any night in Soho when we arrived we were promptly told there would be a 2 hour wait. Any reasonable person would turn on their heel and find the nearest quick and easy escape from the cold, however we were vigilant and stood our ground, requesting instead to sit at the bar.  The bar seating would be better described as the chefs table with a full view of the vast array of dishes being prepared. We were shown to a small table (if you can call it that) just big enough to share one dish at a time, we actually prefer this way of dining, making every dish a centre piece of conversation.

The interior of 10 Greek Street is minimalist and clean cut, white tiles and wooden tables make this space feel light and welcoming. The focus of this restaurant isn’t the overly stripped back look so often seen these days, it is instead, the food, atmosphere and service. The menu is forever changing here, ranging from small plates to big sharing plates for two. The ingredients are extensive and they really take advantage of the produce available to them, the wine list was also excellent, we settled with a great bottle of Borgo for a more than acceptable £16.

Given our table situation our plates came out separately, the service was quick though and we never felt like we were waiting around for our next dish. Our first plate was the wild mushrooms, these were delicately sautéed and doused in butter giving an earthy richness. The fresh rocket added texture and parmesan added saltiness leaving this dish perfectly balanced. Our only criticism of this dish was the temperature, being a little on the cold side, however this did not stop us scoffing the lot.      The next dish to arrive was the pork rillettes, this was recommended to us by the waitress, when it arrived, we thought it resembled more of a terrine than rillettes and that is was a little under-seasoned. The jam was amazing, and really brought out the sweetness of the pork.  The toast and the crunchy cornichons also added great texture.     The fritto misto were a highlight on our second visit, a selection of fine seafood, hake, squid and king prawns all coated in a luxuriously thick batter along with a creamy aioli sauce, who doesn’t love aioli? They even served up a slice of fried lemon, which was new to us, and was a real treat. The hake was cooked to perfection, perfectly moist in the middle with that lovely crisp exterior. We would recommend this to anyone, it’s the best fritto misto we’ve ever had. We weren’t entirely sure what to expect for the crumbed lamb, we eyed up what liked croquettes on the pass and confusingly looked through the menu trying to find them with no luck. We were soon surprised to find these mystery croquettes were in fact our crumbed lamb. The thick crispy coating let way to succulent oozing lamb within, the lamb has obviously been cooked long and slow and the flavour was intense. A variety of herbs and seasoning had been used cleverly and the creamy mayonnaise brought this dish together. The next arrival was without a doubt the highlight of both our trips. A seemingly simple concept and ingredients list was bought together in such a way that left us drawling for more. The jumbo prawns were full of flavour and weren’t watery like some can be, the pancetta encasing the prawns was crisp and smokey, and the combination  of the two together was simply divine. We can both be sceptics when it comes to fennel, but the addition of finely sliced fennel in this dish added freshness cleansing the pallet for the next mouthful. Last on our long list of small plates come starters was the goats curd and onion tartlet. A winning combination on most occasions this plate did not fail to please, the goats curd was a smoother texture and more subtle taste to that of it’s counterpart, goats cheese. There was a risk here that the onions would over power but as they had been reduced to an almost sweet jam they  complimented the curd beautifully. Served with battery girole mushrooms, a crisp rocket salad and lighter than air puff pastry we struggled to find any faults. Our next dish was the disappointment of the meal, being big fans of seafood we couldn’t resist the cuttlefish and risotto nero. When the dish arrived it looked beautiful with the white of the cuttlefish sitting brilliantly against the black of the rice, however on the first mouthful it was clear the cuttlefish has been overcooked and was rubbery in texture. We also found that there was some odd seasoning on the cuttlefish that didn’t sit well with ether of us. The accompanying rice was cooked perfectly but was very rich and had quite a bitter taste. The idea of this dish was fantastic but we felt the execution fell a little flat. We’ve been trying harder to make sure we don’t order fish dish after fish dish, so we went with the pork belly. This cut is hard to resist at the best of times, but it was the savoy cabbage, parsnips and apple chutney that really sparked a reaction on the tastebuds. The portion size was nice, and presented well.  It was topped with a hunk of crackling, which unfortunately was a let down, very dry and flavourless, due to the fat being removed. The pork was succulent, and was complimented well by the sweet apple chutney, although maybe a little too sweet for some. The parsnips were cooked perfectly, well seasoned with a slight crunch, the way we like them. For dessert we chose the pecan & treacle tart, this was perfect, a crisp thin pastry base with a sweet and rich filling. Creme fraise would never be my (Joe) first choice of cream, as i find it a little sharp, but it was beautiful, this was a highlight for both of us. 10 Greek Street, is now one of our favourite restaurants in London, we’re talking top 3!  It’s faultless, the menu is always changing, but still maintaining their  coherent style. Their staff are friendly, welcoming and the service is quick, even during a busy service. Most of all it is the great value of 10 Greek Street that brings us back every time, the food is incredible and reasonably priced. They don’t add service charge, but only £1 for the homeless, though we tipped generously, they earned every penny.

Rating

Food: 8.7

Atmosphere: 8

Service: 8

Value: 8

SMOKEHOUSE

63–69 Canonbury Road, Islington / Tube: Highbury & Islington, Essex Road

Website: www.smokehouseislington.co.uk

Price: £39.40

Food:

• Chopped brisket roll with gochujang
• Duck confit with fourme d’ambert toast
• Oak-smoked pil pil mackerel & Toast
• Lobster frittata
• Beef Shin Stovies

What we thought

This is one area of London that we have spent many hours discussing as far as food is concerned, with Upper St just moments away there are endless choices of great restaurants. Smokehouse is part of Noble Inns who are responsible for 3 of the best pubs in London, The Pig and Butcher, The Princess of Shoreditch and Lady Ottoline. All of these establishments follow the same simple rules of quality produce, trying to use small family companies when possible and must “always try to have the best pubs in London”.

When we first saw Smokehouse, we almost walked straight past it mistaking it for a cottage or just another pub. We made out way inside and the lighting is very low, making the atmosphere very comfortable and warming, the bar bends right around the room leading into the main dining area where the customers have full view of the kitchen, which is always nice. We ask for a table for two and are quickly seated and talked through the menu, giving us an idea of what they are all about and some key dishes on the menu.

As we had plans for around 8 we thought it would be a perfect oppertunity to get a quick bite to eat just as service began, meaning we wouldn’t have to wait for a table and service would be quick. We were going to a gig that night so we didn’t want to go all out and chose a few things from the menu to share, like we always do. The first dish to arrive was the Chopped brisket roll with gochujang, which was swiftly followed by the Oak-smoked pil pil mackerel & Toast. The brisket roll was beautiful, rich and crisp complimented by the gochujang, a spicy Korean pepper condiment. This is more than enough for a starter for one, but perfect shared, but would definitely benefit from a side salad.

The mackerel was presented in a glass with quite a healthy portion, obviously not quite as healthy as the brisket though. The fish tasted fresh, like it had been out of the ocean for just a matter of hours. Pil pil is a Spanish sauce that originates in the Basque country, and is made from the oil in which the fish has been cooked in. This was served with toast, and for the first time ever, there seemed to be enough to last the entire dish.

The lobster frittata, Duck confit with fourme d’ambert toast were last to arrive, along with the Beef shin stovies, a starter that was recommended to us by the waiter. When this arrived it wasn’t quite what we were expecting, it seemed to be a little on the large side for a side and also incredibly rich. I think that this dish could be put on as a starter or would be good to have as a side with one of their heavy meat mains, but not with Lobster and Duck. The Lobster was the dish that let down the entire meal, this seems to happen everytime we order this beautiful ingredient, and have such high expectations that are never met. The frittata lacked a lot, but mainly lobster, there were four thumb sized chunks of lobster to go around, such a tiny portion for £12 didn’t seem to stand up to the quality of their other dishes.

The Duck Confit was topped with fourme d’ambert and served with plenty of toast. The cheese conplimented the duck perfectly, although we found the meat to be a little tough at times. The flavour was rich and had been cured and prepared perfectly. Although we still didn’t feel that this dish stood out amongst the others.

 

 

 

We feel that the first two starters that we ordered were beautiful and would have been a perfect start to a great meal, full of robust flavours and quality ingredients. This unforntuntately couldn’t be said for our last dishes, which were quite dissapointing. Although the overall experience of Smokehouse was great, the service was amazing and we felt very well looked after and could tell that the staff were passionate about the food that they were serving. We do also have ourselves to blame, limiting ourselves to only starters at the Smokehouse is like only buying a greatest hits album of Dylan, or never finishing breaking bad. We will be coming back again, and we are looking forward to it already.

Rating

Food: 7.8

Atmosphere: 8

Service: 8

Value: 7

 

 

 

LOOK MUM NO HANDS!

49 Old Street / Tube: Old Street, Farringdon

Website: www.lookmumnohands.com

Price: £11

Food:

• Beef & Chorizo Croquette
• Chicken, Ham & Pea Croquette
• Side Salad (Potato Salad, Red Cabbage, Chickpea and Cauliflower

What we thought

As some of you may know, there is a strong theme running throughout this coffee shop, and that is cycling. You may think that this is nothing to shout about? Bicycles and coffee shops tend to come hand in hand nowadays, and you wouldn’t be wrong to think this. Look Mum No Hands should not be associated with these shops though, and i’m sure they wouldn’t appreciate it either. These guys are completely dedicated to cycling and the cliental proves this. You’ve never seen so many cyclists sitting down for lunch, this place always seems to be busy.

It had been a long day of failed trips to a number of eateries and coffee shops for our usual Sunday brunch, we had always said we should make the trip to Look Mum No Hands and it seemed to be the only place still serving food. The walls are covered in huge photographs of famous cyclists with wheels hanging from the ceiling, it’s a large space and they have used it well, there is also outside seating away from the busy main road and plenty of space to lock up your bike.

We weren’t looking for our usual breakfast items as we had planned to have a big dinner in the evening, so we were looking for a light snack. Being huge fans of the Croquette we couldn’t resist trying theirs, we went for the chicken, ham & pea and the beef & chorizo, along with this we paid a little extra to get a side salad. We went and took our seat and waited for our lunch, it was immediately clear that the service lacked structure and organisation. There was one guy preparing all of the food, and i say preparing lightly. Our food arrived and we were pointed in the direction of the cutlery, and water, i’m hoping this wasn’t their regular service and that they were just understaffed. We bought this lunch to share, half a croquette each, this proved a little difficult though as one plate was twice the size of the other. The croquettes were soft and had obviously been warmed up in the microwave, taking all of the texture away from that lovely golden breadcrumb crust. The beef & chorizo was lacking seasoning and sadly chorizo, we cant understand how such a big flavour could be lost? The the chicken and ham was also very disappointing, the problem within both croquettes was the balance of flavour ingredients to mashed potato, every bite left a coating of potato on the roof of your mouth which was rather unpleasant. The salad was average, the cauliflower and chickpeas looked anaemic and lacked any flavour at all. Overall we found that the potato salad was probably the highlight, which after paying £11 was a pretty disappointing.

We understand that this place has it’s great qualities, highly regarded for coffee, according to the London Coffee Guide anyway, and somewhere for cycling enthusiasts to rest their aching limbs, but when looking for great food, this won’t be a pitstop we will be making again anytime soon.

Rating

Food: 6.5

Atmosphere: 7.5

Service: 7

Value: 7.5

OZONE

11 Leonard Street, EC2A 4AQ / Tube: Old Street, Moorgate

Website: www.ozonecoffee.co.uk

Price: £34

Food:

• Eggs Benedict on Bubble and Squeak Cakes with Bacon & Bearnaise
• Smoked Fish Kedgeree w/ a Poached Egg, Fried Shallots & Salsa Verde

Drink:

• 2x Flat White
• Raspberry Milkshake

What we thought

That time of the week had come around again, trying to decide on the venue for our Sunday breakfast. Having scanned through our ever growing list of places to eat breakfast, we decided on Ozone in East London. Luckily for us Ozone, like many others coffee shops in London, and have an all-day breakfast, making that morning lie-in that little bit longer, which i never a bad thing. Ozone is a fast growing company and brand, recently voted ‘Best Newcomer’ at this years London Coffee Festival, Ozone is a well-established speciality coffee roaster, offering single origin, that express their “unique region, variety, careful harvesting  in every cup”. Their shop on Leonard Street is not only a great place for a coffee, but also holds a great reputation for top quality food. Boasting a menu that is interesting and enticing using a fine selection of produce creating some truly delicious food.

Un-suprisingly it is busy when we arrive, we are offered a seat on the bar but decide to sit downstairs. They have really made the most of the space they have available, with the focus of upstairs being the kitchen and the beautiful Synesso coffee machine. The downstairs seems to be split between the roastery and more seating, making this an interesting environment to be in, with lots to look at. We took our seat on the end of a huge wooden table in what looked like a barista training room, and ordered 2 Flat whites to start. The menu is split into 3 sections, ‘Wake up’, ‘Lunchy things’ and ‘The eggs’. All contain classic dishes such as eggs, tomatoes, bacon and mushrooms, whiles also offering slightly more unusual choices such as fatuous with crispy pita, beetroot, radish, labneh and sumac. We decided on a fairly safe choice of eggs benedict and kedgeree. Given how busy Ozone was we were pleasantly surprised how quickly our coffees arrived, which were well up there with the likes of Kaffiene.Full of flavour, with the milk holding perfectly, right up until the final sip.Our breakfast was with us within 10 minutes, having not eaten anything that day we were very glad of this. The eggs benedict looked beautiful and was elegantly presented, slicing into the eggs the yolk oozed out over the bacon and potato cake perfectly, there’s nothing we hate more than a badly poached egg. The bacon was smokey, complimenting the sharp vinegary béarnaise and creamy yolk, the cut was thick so wasn’t as crispy as it could be, but added a certain meatiness which gave the dish real depth. The bubble and squeak potato cake sat in place of the traditional English muffin, this was crispy and soft inside, although we felt they were a little under seasoned but this may have been down to personal preference.  Having had an excellent eggs benedict at The Modern Pantry we had high expectations and felt Ozone put up a pretty good fight, serving a delicious take on a classic which we happily ate every last bit of. We also ordered the smoked kedgeree with a poached egg, crispy shallots and a salsa verde. This was the perfect breakfast for a cold winters day, full of warming spices and smokey fish. The poached egg was sat on top like a jewel, and once broken wept over the rice like velvet. The portion was very generous, more than enough for just one person and easily shared between two. The crunch of the shallots and spring onion worked perfectly with the soft fish and tender rice, making this a pleasure to eat. As one of us finds it rather difficult to avoid temptation when it comes to a milkshake we could help ourselves and ordered one in raspberry, which was a first. This was served in a large chrome cup, probably the cup in which it was made. This was sweet, but verging on being almost to sweet. I would love to see how these are made and what they are putting into their shakes compared to Dirty Burger and Creperie Du Monde, either way it was pretty bloody good.  We left Ozone very satisfied, feeling that our money was well spent and that we would definitely be visiting again. The standard to which everything at Ozone is delivered and executed is very high, we would recommend it to anyone who cares for great food and coffee.

Rating

Food: 7.8

Coffee: 8.5

Atmosphere: 8

Service: 8

Value: 7.8

 

CREPERIE DU MONDE

51 Chatsworth Road, E5 OLH / Tube: Hackney Central, Homerton

Website: www.creperiedumonde.com

Price £19.40

Food:

• Our brunch favourite
• All day breakfast

Drink:

• 2x Flat white

What we thought

Creperie Du Monde can be found slap bang in the centre of Chatsworth road, the location of one of east London’s most talked about markets. Knowing how difficult it is to find a seat on a Sunday we decide to go the day before, and try to catch it at it’s quietest. The decor is comfortable, a nice leather sofa sits in front of the large window  allowing you to look out onto the bustling high street. The table is made from an old chest, and this design is carried on downstairs, where people can share a chez lounge.

Everything is in the name, translated as Crepes of the world, this cafe sells crepes in every way possible, the menu also offers a variety of omelettes and waffles. We decide to order the Italian brunch favourite crepe and the All day breakfast crepe.  We take our seat on the sofa the window, and soon after our coffee’s are brought over. Having such a highly respected supplier as Clipson & Sons, we wexpected a lovely coffee, but unfortunately it was nice at best with the milk slightly too hot spoiling the over all experience somewhat. Having only two crepe pans available to cook on this makes service unbearably slow, this also meant that no ingredients are cooked to order, and are microwaved and then added to the crepe. This style of cooking is obviously not ideal and the taste and textures somewhat suffers from this.

After a long wait our crepes arrived, and they looked great! The Our brunch favourite had everything you could want, smoked salmon, asparagus, poached eggs with a hollandaise sauce. This was amazing, and it was gone just minutes after taking the first bite. The egg was cooked perfectly and the asparagus retained their bright greenness.

Unfortunately the same couldn’t be same for the All day break fast, this came with tomatoes, bacon, scrambled egg and mushrooms. The presentation was nice but the everything seemed to be oily and moist, especially the mushrooms. The use of the microwave had taken all texture out of the breakfast making it a sloppy mess.  Having gone back a few times now, there are better choice of crepes and also some really nice omelettes, such as the ‘Agnes’ made up of chicken, avocado and caramelised onion chutney. The only down fall is the price, where our crepes cost around £6.90 each, which we found a little steep for microwaved ingredients.

Creperie Du Monde does what is says on the tin, the range of crepes is second to none, and they’re presented beautifully. They lack slightly when it comes to quality of ingredients and the method of cooking, which we all know is a pretty big deal… But after all how much can you do with a crepe..? We advise that you go on a weekday as the service is slow, but it is worth it, and there are worse places to sit and wait for your food. Make sure you try their strawberry milkshake also!

Rating

Food: 7

Coffee: 6.5

Atmosphere: 7.5

Service: 6

Value: 6.5

LARDO

205 Richmond Road, E8 3NJ / Tube: Hackney Central (OG)

Website: www.lardo.co.uk

Price: £50

Food:

• Coppa
• Crayfish
• Clams with Samphire
• Lardo Spinach & Egg Pizza
• Tellagio, Honey & Water Biscuits
• Chocolate Tart with Creme Fraise

Drink:

• 2x Bitter Lemon Cocktails

What we thought

Lardo is located a stone throwing distance from London Fields, and is always a popular retreat after a long day lying in the park amongst the East London “It” crowds and their disposable bbq’s. Lardo is the sister venture of pop-up bar and restaurant Coppa, both have a strong reputation picking their produce carefully and curing their own meats, making this a very organic eating experience.

To avoid disappointment we made a reservation the day before,  and we were right to do so, as we turned up the restaurant was already full to brim, with lots of people queuing out the door. We were shown to our table which luckily for us was in the corner, meaning we could sit next to each other, rather than across the table like an awkward first date. They have used the space really well here, everything is open-plan meaning you can watch your dinner all the way from pan to plate.  One of the aspects we enjoyed here was Lardo is actually located within a converted warehouse so the décor naturally lends its self to the now trendy warehouse look. However where it would have been easy to leave the décor sparse and cold the wooden benches have been adorned with quaint farmhouse style cushions, bringing warmth to the place.

The menu is made up of small dishes, charcuteries, pizzas and a few token main meals. We liked to be able to try as much as possible so we decided on a couple of small plates, some charcuterie and a pizza. As we said above Lardo cure all their own meats and we were keen to try their very best one. When we asked the waitress for some guidance she informed us the most popular meats were the Coppa and Lardo, when pushed more to find which one she liked best we discovered she was in fact a vegetarian. We found this a little strange and amusing and decided on the Coppa.

The first dish to arrive was the crayfish and the clams, we were actually pre-warned about ordering the crayfish, after they had been receiving complaints that they were to difficult to eat due to the shells. We decided to stick to our guns and hope that any struggle would be well rewarded, which indeed it was. The portion size was generous and perfect for the both of us, served simply stacked into a bowl along with a sweet chilli and tomato sauce for dipping. Arriving at the same time were the clams, which were a huge favourite of the meal. The samphire added freshness to the creamy sauce that the clams sat in, which we quickly mopped up with some crusty bread. Next to arrive was the coppa, this was beautiful, thinner than cling film with a strip of melt in the mouth fat running through. We watched eagerly as they pulled our pizza out of the oven, sliced it up and rushed it over to over to our table whilst it was still hot. Unfortuntely the egg was how we expected it would be, overdone, although we new this would be the case, the slight chance that we could be served an egg on a pizza with a runny egg was just too tempting. The lack of runny yolk left the pizza a little dry, however the base was beautifully crisp and thin just as we like it. We had never tried lardo before and were surprised when we saw it was almost all fat, however the flavour was divine and smokey and a beautiful alternative to pancetta or bacon.

You may have guessed from our previous posts we tend to have starters over desserts but having relative small portions to start we were still a little peckish and decided to look at the dessert menu. We are big fans of cheese and especially Tellagio making the first choice very easy. When this arrived it was served with a massive homemade water biscuits which was crunchy and accompanied the cheese very well. The generous portion of cheese was cream and tangy and served at the right temperature which is often the downfall of a cheeseboard. Where you would expect a cheese to be served with a chutney at Lardo they served the Tellagio with honey, this was a superb choice so much so that we have had this meal at home as it was just so perfectly simple and delicious. The chocolate tart wasn’t really a tart at all and more of a heavy cake, however it was rich in dark chocolate flavours and the texture although heavy was still fluffy and delectable. The downfall of this dessert was the creme fraise accompaniment, this was sharp and sour and was quite unpleasant against the sweetness of the tart. We felt a ice cream or whipped fresh cream would have faired much better here.

Overall we were happy with our meal at Lardo, and would consider visiting again if we were in the area. The food is simple and well executed and the ability to try some more unusual cured meats is a real draw. Food aside, the 2 highlights of the meal were the toilets (we won’t ruin the surprise) and watching the couple sat next to us struggling with their crayfish.

Rating

Food: 7.5/10

Atmosphere: 8/10

Service: 8.5/10

Value: 7/10

MR BUCKLEY’S

227 Hackney Road / Tube: Hoxton

Website:www.mrbuckleys.com

Price: £49.50

Food:

• Potted Shrimp with Bacon Butter
• Asparagus & Quail Eggs
• Smoked Salmon with Grapefruit & Lemon Creme fraiche
• Lobster Mac & Cheese
• Open Lamb Kebab

Drink:

• Carafe Pino Noir

What we thought

We like to think we are fairly up to date with restaurant openings and up and coming independent places however Mr Buckley seemed to have passed us by. Discretely unassuming on the quiet end of Hackney Road it is easy to see why our endless trips on the 55 hadn’t revealed this little place. The name suggests that this might be another East London american style diner however Mr Buckley’s couldn’t be further from this. It is instead a cocktail bar with an emphasis on small beautifully plated food which compliment the unusual cocktail menu.

The decor is understated, perhaps a little too so, the exposed brick walls are harsh and unwelcoming and have left the place feeling a little cold. The odd picture and vase of flowers are placed at random but add nothing to deter from the overall starkness of Mr Buckley’s. The lighting (or should we say lack of) was set at such a low level that we found ourselves placing the menus closer to the candle in an attempt to see what it offers. We feel that the low level lighting was an attempt to distract from the simple decor and create atmosphere but instead it left us feeling like we were eating in a cave.

As usual we had already had a good look at the menu online before we arrived and had a good idea what we wanted. Initially we were excited, seeing the food coming out of the kitchen, it looked incredible, the presentation was stunning. The carafe of wine arrived quickly, this was rich and drinkable but not as quaffable as some other wines we have tried. We started our meal with the Potted Shrimp, this came out on a wooden board in a small Kilner Jar with slices of bread. The shrimp were lovely, buttery and sweet and incredibly moorish, we could have eaten 3 jars. We avoided the bacon butter, the thick layer of fat didn’t look very appealing. Next to arrive was the smoked salmon, this was unmemorable, so much so that there really isn’t a lot to say about it. The creme fraiche was actually unpleasant, and the lemon was non existent, overall this was a huge let down and a bad start. We started to see a theme occurring, each plate was well thought out and the flavour combinations were classics but style was starting to get in the way of essential seasoning and culinary flare.

Things got better with the arrival of our open kebab, this was our favourite and makes our mouths water even thinking about it now. Sweet but rich, and full of flavour, why can’t all kebabs be like this!?  The downfall of this dish and pretty much everything dish we ordered was coriander, it was everywhere, garnishing every plate. Not being massive fans of the stuff, meant picking it all off before even taking a bite, and in that light, it wasn’t easy. It was a very bold move to decorate dishes in a notoriously controversial herb! The asparagus and quails eggs were served, once again the presentation was unquestionably perfect, it was a real shame that the flavours didn’t live up to this. Unaware this was a cold dish, we were shocked at first as we tucked into the asparagus, which was underdone, crunchy and dull. The quails eggs were boring and didn’t really add anything, we felt that the olives were bizarre and didn’t work at all. We were really let down by this dish, the classic combination of fresh green asparagus with oozing rich yolk should have been divine.

(You will see from the photo just how dark this place is)

Last to come was the the lobster mac & cheese our most anticipated dish. Seeing it approach the table we weren’t disappointed, as beautiful as all the other dishes the mac n cheese was served in a tall tower with beautiful pearls of roe placed on tops. Tucking in our face immediately fell, the texture was sticky and lumpy like the sauce had curdled. The entire dish was completely under seasoned which left us struggling to taste anything of the subtle lobster flavours. All the dishes at Mr Buckley’s were on the small side so still being relatively hungry we managed to finish the plate but couldn’t shake the fishy cheese taste that lingered for hours after.

Mr Buckley’s appears to have everything, a prime East London location, decor which is in keeping with the stripped back rustic look and food that is beautifully presented and wouldn’t look out of place at a michelin star restaurant. What Mr Buckley’s have seemed to have forgotten is the food! Which is a fairly important element, salt and pepper have seemed to have been forgotten in this kitchen, and combination which sound dangerous and exciting have ended up silly and quite horrid. There is no denying this place has really great potential but at the moment we won’t be returning anytime soon.

Rating

Food: 6/10

Atmosphere: 7/10

Service: 7/10

Value: 7/10

GINGER AND WHITE

4A-5a Perrin Court, Hampstead / Tube: Hampstead

Website: www.gingerandwhite.com

Price: £24

 

Food:

• Eggs & Soldiers
• Bridge Farm Free-Range Sausages, Slow Roasted Tomatoes in London Bloomer with Onion Marmalade
• Carrot & Walnut Cake

Drink:

• 2x Flat White
• 2x English Breakfast Tea (Pot)

 

We have always been spoilt for choose for breakfast and boutique coffee shops whilst we lived in East London, however after a begrudging move to North West London we found ourselves a little lost for a new breakfast haunt.  On Saturday we decided to venture up to Hampstead village and see what offerings it could make, if any.  It would seem luck was on our side as we stumbled across Ginger & White, a beautiful looking café located on a cobbled side street which would look more at home in a costal town. Considering it was an absolutely hideous day the café we full to the brim but luckily 2 spots became free along the window seat.  The decor is comfortable and welcoming, a huge wooden table takes center stage, resembling a study desk in a library, covered in magazines, books and mugs of tea. This a perfect place to be on a rainy Saturday in London, 3 alcoves with comfy chairs lined the back wall, making this the ideal spot to sit, read a book and have your breakfast.

We went ahead and ordered two flat whites and to our pleasant surprise Ginger and White also stocked Square Mile Red Brick, which was a favourite of ours at Kaffeine. The coffee was rich and creamy, and we found here as well as Kaffeine, that Square Mile coffee appears to be a stronger and fuller bodied espresso compared to it’s competitors.  We are shown a small menu with a selection of breakfast treats and light brunches, we really like that breakfast is served all day meaning there is no rush to leave the house on a lazy weekend.  The menu is full of British classics such as eggs and soldiers and fish finger sandwiches and it is clear that the emphasis of this place is top quality British produce served in a simple manner allowiing them to speak for themselves.

We must have been feeling particularly patriotic on Saturday as we went ahead and ordered the sausage, roasted tomatoes and onion marmalade sandwich served in a London bloomer. The sausages sourced from bridge farm were perfectly cooked, soft and still juicy in the middle. Seasoned with mixed herbs and leeks, the flavour of these sausages created a strong foundation for a great breakfast sandwich. The marmalade was sweet and slightly tangy, which went perfectly with the roasted tomatoes and the sausages. The disappointing part of this was actually the bread, obviously a rather vital ingredient in a sandwich…It would have benefitted from being slightly toasted, to make it easier to eat. We also would have liked the sandwich to have been cut for us as using a butter knife to cut through a bloomer is like using a spoon to pierce a whole in an old belt.  Additionally we decided to order the childhood provoking eggs and solider served with the option of Marmite or Gentleman’s Relish. Being such a simple dish it would have been easy to spot the flaws. However, when the eggs arrived and we performed the bashing ritual, the eggs were perfectly cooked with running yolks and the toast was toasted to the point where it was crisp. We were served 2 eggs with the second egg sporting a mini egg cozy, which made us both smile.

There was no doubting that we were fitting to burst after our breakfast but the cake selection displayed beautifully on the counter had been whispering our names since we had arrived. Giving in temptation….yet again, we decided on the carrot and walnut cake. This was a deliciously moist example of a carrot cake and had added texture from the walnuts. The icing was sweet and with a hint of cinnamon running through it.  Over all a lovely cake, which of course could not be eaten without the addition of a pot of tea. The cake selection, although beautiful and clearly all homemade fresh that day were a little on the expensive side with a small bite size muffin costing £1.75, however we felt our cake was a big portion and worth every penny.

We ended up staying at Ginger and White for a good 2 hours, we felt comfortable, well fed and of course dry! There is no doubt that we will be going back for our lazy Saturday breakfast again.

Rating

Food: 7.5/10

Coffee: 8.5/10

Atmosphere: 8/10

Service: 7.5/10

Value: 7.5/10

COPITA

26 D’Arblay Street, Soho, W1F 8EL / Tube: Tottenham Court Road,  Oxford Circus

Website: www.copita.co.uk 

Price: £36

Food:

• Ajo Blanco & Beetroot
• Duck egg yolk with Sun-dried Tomatoes
• Venison Burger with Carrot Ketchup

Drink:

• Carafe of 12 Lunas Tempranillo/Syrah 2009 (Somontano

What we thought

Copita is one of the many tapas come “small plate’ abodes which have been popping up all over Soho for the last couple of years, importantly not to be confused with the likes of Polpo though. Copita has a distinct spanish influence priding themselves with authentic foods and wines of a Spanish origin. It is clear from the outset that the desired atmosphere is one of casual dining coupled with exciting food. Copita is housed in a relatively small and compact space, the seating arrangement is similar to that of a bar, with the stalls surrounding long wooden tables. This naturally leaves no space for intimate dining where more often than not the conversation across the table is shared as much as the jug of water. We would therefore not recommend Copita for lazy, relaxed dining, this is  very much a place you come for good food, quickly.

The menu changes often, however a dish which is forever present and the reason we were lured here is the Ajo Blanco & Beetroot. As quickly as we were shown to our seats and handed the menu, we had chosen our plates and our wine. Not feeling particularly hungry we only decided on three dishes, Venison Burger, Duck Egg Yolk and the Ajo Blanco. The wine was with us almost immediately, a decent sized carafe was plenty and a perfect accompaniment to our small meal. As we have said previously we are not wine snobs and are not swayed by price so tend to choose a medium range wine and the Tempranillo fitted this bill excellently.

The food arrived quickly, the Ajo Blanco being a cold dish was served first, this was presented in a small Earthenware dish and was bright white in colour with gem like beetroot shining through. This Spanish white soup was something we had never come across before, the soup had a smooth cream like texture with almond base flavours and slight garlic notes. We found the beetroot worked really well in this dish, bursting in the mouth and cutting through the creaminess to create a memorable and lasting impression.

The Venison Burger couldn’t have been more different from our previous dish. The venison was rich in flavour, succulent in taste and cooked medium the way we like it. This burger, however, would have been average if it wasn’t for the carrot ketchup, this homemade condiment added a beautiful sweetness to the robust flavours of the venison. We really enjoyed the burger and the only disappointing aspect was it’s size, smaller than a slider, we felt a little wanting after we had finished and only wished it was bigger. The duck egg was the let down of the meal and quite an unusual concept. More recently we have noticed this has actually been replaced on Copita’s menu suggesting it had left other confused and disappointed. The combination of such rich ingredients was bordering on unpleasant, the thickness of the yolk and the oil from the sun-dried tomatoes  made a texture that coated the roof of your mouth.

Overall we really enjoyed Copita’s, it had a great atmosphere and energy. We were not disappointed on the food front and enjoyed trying dishes we had not come across before, even if one of them didn’t work so well. We have recommend this place to a number of friends and they have not been disappointed ether.With a constantly changing menu we will be sure to return soon and will definitely be trying one of their enticing gin and tonics. One tip for this place is to maybe skip dessert and try the incredible ice cream parlour Gelupo around the corner.

Rating

Food: 8/10

Atmosphere: 8.5/10

Service: 7/10

Value: 7.5/10