Richard Bagnold

If you can forgive the fact there is barely enough room to walk past diners sat down at the bar, this is a unique and fun option. It’s refreshingly unique as it uses no electricity or gas at all and only uses charcoal beneath either the grill or tao pots that serve as indivdual stoves for the woks.

The cuisine is based on northern Thai dishes and the dishes are reassuringly rustic in style. I don’t believe there is any other option in London that gives you a closer feeling of being transported to Chiang Mai as a result. Dinner was £25 for 1 without drinks and there were some crackers in the mix.

The spiced sausage was prepared by the onsite butcher and was a simple and pleasing hit of meat as a starter. The glass noodles with crab were a strange texture in their elasticity but the chili with lime that went with this was absolutely sensational. Normally I don’t do heat very well in any way but this really was well balanced giving a kick of spice but tempered beautifully with a reassuring element of sweetness.

The northern style herbal pork curry ‘soup’ was, on the other hand, quite a punchy kick of a dish but pleasant nonetheless however I found that the pork flavour could have come through more although the texture and style of the dish was interesting. However, as I needed one final thing from the menu, I opted for the lamb skewer which, with the cumin I thought was an absolute triumph – so simple and packed with gorgeous lamb tenderness, brought to life with the wonderful herbal spice. The next time I am walking past I do believe I will go in and get 4 of these for another ‘hit’ and show to others I’d like to introduce this place to.

Bottom line: I’m definitely glad to have done this place. The informal vibe, the music from the real LP changed every 15 minutes or so by the staff, the exchanges with them and chefs at the bar along with quality Thai dishes makes this a quality and unique little find. If you’re booking in large numbers you can do that for downstairs however, I would prepare to be open minded on the table and chair décor.

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Red Fort has been with London for some years now (since 1983) and it was nice to try such a long-established Indian restaurant in London and see its differences. The key one being that the cuisine hails from the Mughal era, taking its influences from the spices that came from territories to the north of India (those in central Asia, Pakistan and Bangladesh). These spices have a reputation of being quite strong and this to me is always a potential drama as I do not handle spice very well however, the headline is that I was completely relieved on the night as these were kept nicely under control with some overall, pleasing dishes.

The folded popadoms were slightly harder in texture than popadoms most will be used to and the good thing about this meant that they were in fact, not dripping in oil at the same time. The latter is probably what most can relate to which I do find off-putting when this occurs. As a sauce man I do enjoy the prospect of a decent chutney with an curry and ever since my early years training on the plains of Warminster and Brecon Beacons, the thought of dipping popadoms and virtually anything in to chutneys kept me sane and going at the best and worst of times. The chutneys here were a pretty good start it has to be said, including a) mint, coriander, garlic and green chilli b) tamarind, royal cumin and jaggery and c) mango, fennel and onion seeds. I think tamarind is actually my favourite spice within curries now but all three of these were highly doable and an interesting twist of heat to the mint chutney as something different. The portion sizes were not really sufficient as two further reinforcements were needed, but these were provided without hesitation.

The folded popadoms were slightly harder in texture than popadoms most will be used to and the good thing about this meant that they were in fact, not dripping in oil at the same time. The latter is probably what most can relate to which I do find off-putting when this occurs. As a sauce man I do enjoy the prospect of a decent chutney with an curry and ever since my early years training on the plains of Warminster and Brecon Beacons, the thought of dipping popadoms and virtually anything in to chutneys kept me sane and going at the best and worst of times. The chutneys here were a pretty good start it has to be said, including a) mint, coriander, garlic and green chilli b) tamarind, royal cumin and jaggery and c) mango, fennel and onion seeds. I think tamarind is actually my favourite spice within curries now but all three of these were highly doable and an interesting twist of heat to the mint chutney as something different. The portion sizes were not really sufficient as two further reinforcements were needed, but these were provided without hesitation.

The Seekh kebab with supporting chutney had a stronger punch of spice to them than expected but was actually a ‘clean’ kick as opposed to nasal rocket fuel spice that can very often happens with heated cuisine. The soft shell crab was enjoyable with just enough of the aromats coming through and not being overflowing with oil at the same time – this was far nicer than the Michelin starred soft shell crab experienced at Brasserie Chavot. The Dum-Pukht Biryani would not be my first choice of curry flavour in its earthiness and less viscous sauce in comparison to my sweet tomato Murgh Bemisaal (the latter being extremely good). But one aspect the curries both had in common was the fact that the poultry meat was utterly tender – so much so this was actually a repeated talking point and highly enjoyable.

Finally, desserts: the Ras Malai dessert (lightly spiced cottage cheese with reduced / sweet milk) was an acquired taste – in reflection I would have preferred a simple kulfi as the reduced milk was a little watery and bland for my palate but was good to try and authentic dessert at the same time. However, the traditional doughnuts with with cardimon infused syrup were much more appealing in their natural sweetness and rounded off the meal well – a simple, cleansing and effective dish.

Service was particularly warm and hospitable from the floor manager and all staff appeared to be attentive to all tables on this visit. The sommelier was reassuringly confident with the options available to match each course and the white Chardonay and red Pinot Noirs opted for were certainly pleasant and matched well enough for their corresponding dishes.

All in all it was a pleasant experience here and the dishes were well done within thier lanes of hearty cuisine. If you can get passed the fact you need a bouncer on the door to ward off the sartorial splendour of Dean St on a Friday evening as you dine, this is a Michelin recommended Indian restaurant with some simple and honest food with a very good value pre-theatre menu (£18 for 3 courses) as a useful gem up its sleeve. This visit to Red Fort was a press review.

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Tucked away in the belly of Wales, this was clearly a stand out venue to visit amongst the generic pubs and villages that are driven passed on the way to Ynyshir Hall. I had Sunday lunch here and the key take aways for me were the charming hospitality, beautiful rooms and the great value for money based on the size of the lunch and generally good level of the food.

First up, the canapes and most notably the lava (Welsh seaweed that is deep fried) was frankly magnificent and I couldn’t get enough of this. Supporting elements were pleasant to have whilst casting an eye over the very reasonable menu. I opted for the pheasant mousse which was warmed and (thick) sponge-like and was an interesting dish, boosted by pleasant jus and bacon strips. The pork main was never going to be very different from how roasted pork is however, this was suculent and the absolute star of this dish was the crackling – rarely have I had supporting crackling this good with just the right toughness of the crisp and right amount of soft, cooked fat beneath.

First up, the canapes and most notably the lava (Welsh seaweed that is deep fried) was frankly magnificent and I couldn’t get enough of this. Supporting elements were pleasant to have whilst casting an eye over the very reasonable menu. I opted for the pheasant mousse which was warmed and (thick) sponge-like and was an interesting dish, boosted by pleasant jus and bacon strips. The pork main was never going to be very different from how roasted pork is however, this was suculent and the absolute star of this dish was the crackling – rarely have I had supporting crackling this good with just the right toughness of the crisp and right amount of soft, cooked fat beneath.

There was no shortage of side dishes with the courgette slices in fried breadcrumbs and creamed leaks being the winners. The roast potatoes were a slight let down in their dryness I found however, overall this was a quality meal, finished off with some wonderful fudge in amongst the petit fours and for the all-round price, it made a very satisfying experience.

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Well this is one of the nicest pubs in the country and thank the maker I was able to go at lunch so I could see it in all its glory. The restaurant itself was fully booked on the Saturday lunch I visited and so luckily the bar area serves the same menu on a drop in basis – lucky for me I got there just after midday as the bar area alone was already half full such is its popularity. Beautiful gardens and a herbarium surrounded the elegant feel of the pub inside and was great to have a Michelin starred bacon sandwich at the same time(!).

There was a mix of modern and traditional on this menu and so I set about to try both. The goat’s curd cheesecake starter with beetroot macaroon and candied walnuts really was a touch of class. The macaroons were ethereally light and almost like aerated meringue but still with just the right punch of beetroot and gave its due texture to the smoothness of the cheese cake – which is exactly what it was.

There was a mix of modern and traditional on this menu and so I set about to try both. The goat’s curd cheesecake starter with beetroot macaroon and candied walnuts really was a touch of class. The macaroons were ethereally light and almost like aerated meringue but still with just the right punch of beetroot and gave its due texture to the smoothness of the cheese cake – which is exactly what it was.

Then from the modern to my first Michelin starred Bacon, Lettuce and Tomato (BLT) sandwich with a gorgeous sweet mayonnaise. This, combined with perfect bacon, which was more bacon than bacon, with bread that was warmed and toasted by a fraction was undeniably the nicest bacon sarnie I have ever had. Horseraddish hollandaise sauce sounded too good to forgoe so the team very kindly allowed a portion of this to go with my chips (which were frankly an excuse to try the sauce) and this was indeed, beautifully done. Simple ice cream for added homliness finished of what you can only get in a British, Michelin starred pub – superb food in complete comfort with an entirely reasonable price tag as well (see photos).

The added delight of this visit was when I was taking a stroll in the herbarium and was fortunate enough to come across the man looking after all of the herbs grown in the Pipe and Glass’s garden. It was my privilege to have a mini master class which I will periscope on Twitter next time this happens and to taste all the winter herbs that were growing – lemon verbena, bay leaves, thyme, mint, crab apples and edible rose petals & daisies to name a few. Smelling and eating them direct from the ground / stem really does remind you of why getting them at root source is so important for the sheer power of their quality and interesting to taste the difference of those herbs that were prostrate and those that grow vertically (the latter for Thyme for example far being less rugged, softer, with less needles but with far more punch).

This is a lovely venue in the winter so I can only imagine what this place will be like in the summer especially with the large, dining table outside which will see the chef cooking barbeque dishes in the centre for guests – something I will be happy to make the excuse to drive up north for that alone mid next year(!).

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Uniquely set in a house with no more than 3 tables and hand-written menus this was a charming venue to try in the finest of company. The owners have been running their dining room for the past twenty eight and a half years (as at Nov 16) with husband Harry in the kitchen and wife Caroline in front of house, both naturally suited in their elements. Unique and pleasant but it did seem very expensive for what was had at the same time.

Homely and charming as it was, the summary for me is that the menu choices (2 choices per course) were hearty and well done but I simply could not see how the salmon starter merited the £22 price tag and the mains at £39 each for the product did appear quite steep. The bottom line is that the food here was certainly good quality with lovely vodka crème fraiche with the salmon and equally good mustard mayonnaise that was light over the large fillet of beef but I could not see how it merited the price. Even with the addition of caviar and the size of the fillet, you would not normally see these prices in an average Michelin starred restaurant so I found this surprising. Steak was served rare-raw in the centre without a preference being asked so if you find yourself with a steak option and you wish to go for it, I would recommend a quick chat about your individual preference. Thankfully, I have actually moved from medium to medium rare and now to rare as my preference over the years anyway so it was different but very enjoyable for me.

Homely and charming as it was, the summary for me is that the menu choices (2 choices per course) were hearty and well done but I simply could not see how the salmon starter merited the £22 price tag and the mains at £39 each for the product did appear quite steep. The bottom line is that the food here was certainly good quality with lovely vodka crème fraiche with the salmon and equally good mustard mayonnaise that was light over the large fillet of beef but I could not see how it merited the price. Even with the addition of caviar and the size of the fillet, you would not normally see these prices in an average Michelin starred restaurant so I found this surprising. Steak was served rare-raw in the centre without a preference being asked so if you find yourself with a steak option and you wish to go for it, I would recommend a quick chat about your individual preference. Thankfully, I have actually moved from medium to medium rare and now to rare as my preference over the years anyway so it was different but very enjoyable for me.

Price aside, the taste buds were pleased to have come by. The main fortes of this visit was the fact it was so original, the wonderful hospitality of the owner(s) and the fact you are getting no nonsense, homely cooking in plentiful portion sizes. Definitely pleased to have visited.

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My first time to Tom Kerridge’s second instalment to Marlow and I have to say how much I enjoyed this one. The fact that you cannot reserve (giving it a drop in feel) with numerous spaces at the bar for counter-dining, the soft lighting and music with open kitchen within a beautiful pub is an immediately endearing. I have also rarely had so much excitement about a menu as so many will either not make sense to many people or be hard to decrypt which is fine when wanting something with grandeur but actually this was wonderfully refreshing to see dishes that simply sounded so good that you really wanted to try them and that is the actual point is it not n’est-ce pas?

Normally I despise celery but this was done in a creamy and herbed way with truffle and perfect crunchiness of the croutons that it was in fact one of the nicest soups I have ever had and actually registered as one of the dishes of the year, it was that good. The burger was utterly gorgeous in real depth of beefiness and rare to have the meat as the actual hero which, in this case it most certainly was. My sliver of fish made with batter with customary Hand and Flowers ‘tricks up their sleeves’ was very good and although I would have preferred my tartare sauce to not be so chunky (best I have ever had was the warmed tartare sauce served at Nathan Outlaw’s at the Capital Hotel), the chunky chips were served with sauce béarnaise which more than made up for this. The latter is actually an option I have enjoyed for many years but the first place I have actually seen put on its menu – I wonder which place will be the bravest to do that with sauce choron as a possible version of the ultimate combo with chips(?).

Normally I despise celery but this was done in a creamy and herbed way with truffle and perfect crunchiness of the croutons that it was in fact one of the nicest soups I have ever had and actually registered as one of the dishes of the year, it was that good. The burger was utterly gorgeous in real depth of beefiness and rare to have the meat as the actual hero which, in this case it most certainly was. My sliver of fish made with batter with customary Hand and Flowers ‘tricks up their sleeves’ was very good and although I would have preferred my tartare sauce to not be so chunky (best I have ever had was the warmed tartare sauce served at Nathan Outlaw’s at the Capital Hotel), the chunky chips were served with sauce béarnaise which more than made up for this. The latter is actually an option I have enjoyed for many years but the first place I have actually seen put on its menu – I wonder which place will be the bravest to do that with sauce choron as a possible version of the ultimate combo with chips(?).

Desserts here really were good as well and although personally I would have liked my honeycomb slightly less dark, it was lovely option – banana custard and who on earth is not going to like that(?!). This really was a wonderful meal which I absolutely loved, amongst approachable staff and was very good talking to the head chef afterwards. It was good to learn how Tom Kerridge has essentially dealt with the demand for food with the Hand and Flowers stamp behind it but also allowed his long-standing staff to lead on this venture as they are essentially at the helm of The Coach. Simply cannot recommend this venue enough to try.

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Having had the utter delight of a meal from three 3 Michelin starred chefs in Geranium, Copenhagen, (Eneko Atxa being one of them) I was alerted to the world of Azurmendi. The exciting thing about his London opening is that it is the only other venture he has outside of his 3 Michelin starred Azurmendi in Bilbao, northern Spain so, naturally a bit of intrigue surrounds this restaurant. As a headline I was pleased to see one of dishes at Eneko from his 3 star venue and there was fun creativity shown throughout our meal with a couple of stand out moments.

A flight of steps to a staging bar leads another grand spiral staircase down to a large and open dining room. Thankfully it was actually quiet on our visit as we could only do a Monday lunch but actually this sometimes works out quite nicely as the staff are around in abundance as opposed to being a struggle to track down. What was also nice to see were the bespoke touches such as the herbed butter being mixed in a pestle and mortar in front of us at the beginning of the meal for our freshly baked bread and wine from Eneko’s own vineyard which is not available anywhere else – this turned out to being rather refreshing.

A flight of steps to a staging bar leads another grand spiral staircase down to a large and open dining room. Thankfully it was actually quiet on our visit as we could only do a Monday lunch but actually this sometimes works out quite nicely as the staff are around in abundance as opposed to being a struggle to track down. What was also nice to see were the bespoke touches such as the herbed butter being mixed in a pestle and mortar in front of us at the beginning of the meal for our freshly baked bread and wine from Eneko’s own vineyard which is not available anywhere else – this turned out to being rather refreshing.

All the dishes here are Basque inspired tapas dishes and there was a sense of fun in the design and notion of sharing as many as possible which adds to the casual nature of it all. All the dishes were generally pleasing from the grilled langoustine with bacon sauce to the wonderful Talo (traditional Basque dish like a taco but rolled flat and decorated with heritage tomatoes and fresh herbs) and the absolutely explosive mushroom and cauliflower cream with egg yolk. It was fun breaking the mushroom crisp on top to get to the bowl of ‘goodies’ and this really was knock out. The signature hake dish was lovely to see again and was definitely pleasing but it is simply is a notch upwards when delivered from his 3 star kitchen / arsenal in terms of utter delicacy of batter crispness and sweetness of the pepper sauce in comparison.

The dessert trolly was a show in itself and all came with a pleasant and creamy ice cream (similar to an Italian gelato) but the absolute star was probably the simplest of all dishes which was the traditional Torrija. This was a sponge soaked in vanilla cream for 48 hours and then warmed prior to serving. I would deliberately pop back in to Eneko for this alone if I am walking anywhere near.

All in all this was a lovely, new venture to try with noticeable effort gone in to everything. The tapas style dishes are fun with some genuine gold moments and as a whole, it came across as shy of Michelin starred level comparatively. Eneko at One Aldwych is not trying to be a 3 Michelin starred venue and did a good job of making dining social, accessible and enjoyable to numerous different palates.

Press review.

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This was my first time to Veeraswamy and there is no doubt it is a prime spot. Set above London’s Regent Street there were very pleasant views, especially with the Christmas lights running along at eye level to where we were sat and the senior floor staff were extremely well clearly at the top of their game in hospitality. Two quick things that will help expectation before you come – make sure you use Swallow Street as your marker to head for which is an arcade just off Regent Street (many apps point you towards Victoria House on Regent Street which is not signposted in anyway) and be prepared for possibly the smallest entrance on record prior to going up the lovely sprial staircase to the restaurant.

The tasting menu was opted for on this occasion but I could not resist asking to go for the coronation chicken as it is one of my absolute favourite dishes of all time and there she was on the a la carte! The team very kindly swapped the regular chicken dish on the tasting menu for this and the coronation chicken was utterly superb – less sauce than I thought there would be but completely a delicious flavour, backed up by dressing oil as well.

The tasting menu was opted for on this occasion but I could not resist asking to go for the coronation chicken as it is one of my absolute favourite dishes of all time and there she was on the a la carte! The team very kindly swapped the regular chicken dish on the tasting menu for this and the coronation chicken was utterly superb – less sauce than I thought there would be but completely a delicious flavour, backed up by dressing oil as well.

The wild Tiger prawn was juicy, well done and not over powered by the accompanying sauces and I loved the fact as the main forte of this menu that there was a tasting of different curries to enjoy. This is such a good way of doing it as one can easily make the wrong choice on a main and if you don’t end up liking it much, well, you’re stuck with it! So this was a nice way of doing and although I found my lamb a little tough, the pasanda was very nice to have and again, lovely to see as it is not often done. The star of the selection I actually thought was the pineapple in curried yoghurt.

A grenache dessert with the most wonderful crunch to the biscuit finished off what was a very good meal indeed. I thought the hospitality from the floor manager on my visit could not have been better and this latest Michelin starred Indian restaurant in London most certainly has the nicest setting of all of them.

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Strangely, I’m continually surprised at how cosy the interiors are when compared to the outside grandeur of country manor hotels and restaurants. Fischer’s at Baslow Hall has an alluring and cosy, log-fired lounge area and although it was a cold November day with little foliage, it was nice to see their two walled gardens and surrounding grounds where pheasant could be seen in numerous places.

That leads quite smoothly as to what I had for lunch(!). Snacks in the bar were followed by a corn cream velouté at the table as an amuse bouche. The latter was pleasing but not as mind blowing as, say, the chestnut veloute at Wilks for example, but certainly not bad. I enjoyed the cheese soufflé with pickled pears and whiskey drenched leaves which cut through this well. If I had to be critical here, I would have preferred a slightly more moist soufflé however, this was a good combination of flavours.

That leads quite smoothly as to what I had for lunch(!). Snacks in the bar were followed by a corn cream velouté at the table as an amuse bouche. The latter was pleasing but not as mind blowing as, say, the chestnut veloute at Wilks for example, but certainly not bad. I enjoyed the cheese soufflé with pickled pears and whiskey drenched leaves which cut through this well. If I had to be critical here, I would have preferred a slightly more moist soufflé however, this was a good combination of flavours.

And then on to the pheasant which would have been a crime not to go for in the heart of the game season. The meat was beautifully done, moist and succulent and the potato crisps were a nice touch for texture but there did seem to be a little punch missing from the sauce – the accompanying jus was a little watery for me and I couldn’t pick up its flavour too much as a result.

However, this was a grand old place to visit with caring senior staff and pleasant to have come across.

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The thing I love about pubs with quality food is that they completely blow the theory of Michelin starred venues being unobtainable or far too expensive out of the water. This is one of those said venues and as I was in the area for a Remembrance Service the next day, I couldn’t have been happier tucked away in my own corner of the pub bar area with favourite dishes watching England defeat South Africa in the rugby on their TV displayed for all. Quite a few pubs will accommodate you for food in the bar area if there are no spaces left in the restaurant and this is the other reason I love British pubs so much in this way.

The prawn cocktail to start, with its Bloody Mary sorbet was frankly one of the nicest I have ever had. Sorry, Heston, but it even smashed your delights with vanilla mayonnaise. I have never had such a fresh combination of cocktail sauce and the crunchy perfection of the salad leaves made this an absolute killer.

The prawn cocktail to start, with its Bloody Mary sorbet was frankly one of the nicest I have ever had. Sorry, Heston, but it even smashed your delights with vanilla mayonnaise. I have never had such a fresh combination of cocktail sauce and the crunchy perfection of the salad leaves made this an absolute killer.

The steak tartare was a menu special and I enjoyed as a main but certainly not as stratospheric as the prawn cocktail or within the same steak tartare leagues experienced at say Chiltern Firehouse, Berners Tavern or Story. The long crisp was good for covering bases but this plank-like crisp was quite hard and thick, detracting the tartare a little so I actually didn’t use much of this or see its need. The side veg were cooked well and were perfectly fine and the staff / management were very kind in providing a portion of sauce béarnaise to go with my chips – the latter sauce being runnier than I was expecting but superb in flavour.

All in all this was a lovely venue to visit and has a clear, vibe to its bar. Eminently popular, there was a very good atmosphere and it is a no brainer for celebrations or just a lovely place to enjoy a grand occasion. I would drive back to Yorkshire for a vat of their prawn cocktail alone and that it not a joke!

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