Richard Bagnold

At last, finally I get round to seeing what has become of the old Viajante by Nuno Mendes as I’ve been meaning to trial for some time. I’m glad to see there hasn’t been too much change as it really doesn’t need much with its elegantly designed interior exposing the open kitchen for the final pass and fire places that keep the feel of a living room. A few little changes of the tables which come across as slightly more café-esque with their marble tops and a decent, lengthy sofa seating plan at the rear. Really pleasantly surprised with the food and worth another visit for sure when next possible.

Having grabbed the last table available for lunch on Saturday at midday I noticed that the other tables weren’t taken until well in to the hour and beyond. So, assuming all diners were not runnig late and this was a deliberate plannning move by the restaurant (to space out bookings), this was a bold move to do this and not allow the service to be degraded which resulted in us being well looked after.

Having grabbed the last table available for lunch on Saturday at midday I noticed that the other tables weren’t taken until well in to the hour and beyond. So, assuming all diners were not runnig late and this was a deliberate plannning move by the restaurant (to space out bookings), this was a bold move to do this and not allow the service to be degraded which resulted in us being well looked after.

So first up were the snacks at the beginning and as I don’t come very often, all three had to be done. I thought these were genuinely very good – the technical skill was obvious and the cod skin was delicate and light with lovely additions on top, the cylindrical onion bhaji with yoghurt chutney being pleasant and the pig’s head with smoked apple puree was superb. I honestly thought the snack price on the menu was confusing as it looks as though the selection of snacks are £6 each which initially I thought was pretty steep, however I can confirm they are £2 each which is a lot different and exceedingly worth it. As a result, I would come back in a heartbeat just for those, as they were undeniably good.

The home made sour dough I thought was possibly the star of the whole meal – fresh from the oven, utterly light and fluffy on the inside and just the right crunchy chewiness to break off on the outside. I really thought this was excellent and obvious care had gone in to this. It was served with marmite butter with barley crisps on the top which I think is a courageous move as marmite is not to everyone’s (and my) taste. However it was toned down enough to be doable and was more like a whip than a butter so the texture was great to have. The staff did bring some normal butter (also very malleable) but I was slightly surprised at the lack of saltiness in this. It’s difficult not to be a little down beat about this when one compares to the smoked butter of Little Social and the beurre noisette butter of Paris House and caramel butter how Marcus Wareing used to do, however this did not stop the bread being utterly superb.

It would seem the restaurant does not do an a la carte and sticks to set menus (£24 for 2 courses or £29 for 3 courses at time of writing) and there are a couple of supplements on the 5 course (£60) which will obviously bump the lunch price up. So we went for the reasonably done 2-3 set course menu which I thought was actually rather good.

The portion sizes came across a little small, however the mackerel with kohlrabi had a clever iced component and had a satisfying ‘kick’ of spice. The squash and crud with lardo was beautifully done and tasted extremely good. The pork main was also good but not as strong. Obvious craft had gone in to it and it succulence with very nicely prepared fermented cabbage made this enjoyable though. I am nip-picking now, but if I could wave a magic wand I would have thought there would be more crispiness on the crackling akin to Rogans at Cartmell to elevate it to godlike status as some of it was left a little too rubbery. However, a very nice dish though.

The pumpkin brûlée was original and luxurious with a lovely crisp on top. The cheese from the UK and France (all pleasant) as some superb rye crisp and raisin bread with it, which was very nicely done with accompanying spiced pear chutney. Post meal hot drinks were taken in the bar area which is also slightly tweaked from Viajante and to the right as you walk in and is still a good holding area.

My summary is that this I could see real care that had gone in to this meal and until someone proves me wrong, this is undoubtedly the flag ship restaurant in Bethnal Green and surrounding areas. I thought the bread was outstanding and although portion sizes and previous aspects mentioned were the only real issues for me, technically I thought this is comfortably akin to numerous 1 Michelin starred venues in London (all of which I have sampled to base that on). It was impressive in this way and I loved the attention to detail with some very good moments (all breads, pig’s head nibble and lardon starter). The service was genuine and I got the sense of a happy team that works here.

All in all, a job well done and a pleasure to go to. Rather odd I haven’t pulled my unit to get here sooner when it’s only 12 mins away from digs on the river and I think it is suitable for a slightly more notable outing whilst being casual. I also wouldn’t be surprised if the Michelin inspectors are keeping an eye on this one. A definite repeat needed and I look forward to another visit and doing the full blown tasting menu next time when we can next do.

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This is my third time to Wild Honey but only my second documented visit and I am glad to see that it is still doing what it does best – Michelin starred cooking for a reasonably price which I sincerely hope does not go away soon. The restaurant has been refurbished since my last time and the bar moved further down and on the opposite side to where it used to be to make more space and this is a good thing as it’s only restriction is its narrrow width. However, this adds to a more bustling atmosphere which will no doubt make a few first dates a little more relaxed if one came here. I do love the rounded sofa tables – I don’t think people comment on this when most will think the same which is that these do make a difference and are always nice to have at any time.

So on to the food of this visit – first impressions unfortunately were not great as the butter was hard which is a simple error, the waiter did not know what kind of bread it was or whether cooked on the premises and did not have the initiative to find out (he left it as a question mark) and I did not enjoy how large and hard the crust was. I know some will enjoy this, but it just makes it more of a real effort to enjoy so I was actually a little deflated on this opening. My spirits were thankfully held aloft when the crispy lamb salad which was absolutely lovely, as was the cod with pea puree and delightfully balanced jus.

So on to the food of this visit – first impressions unfortunately were not great as the butter was hard which is a simple error, the waiter did not know what kind of bread it was or whether cooked on the premises and did not have the initiative to find out (he left it as a question mark) and I did not enjoy how large and hard the crust was. I know some will enjoy this, but it just makes it more of a real effort to enjoy so I was actually a little deflated on this opening. My spirits were thankfully held aloft when the crispy lamb salad which was absolutely lovely, as was the cod with pea puree and delightfully balanced jus.

The sommelier did a good job of recommending a bottle of Sauvignon Richardson from New Zealand that did actually go well with all courses. I loved the puffed rice with the ice cream at dessert (childhood smiles brought back) and the petit fours were classic and equally lovely – fluffy on the inside but with just the right amount of naughtiness at the same time.

Overall I was very pleased and even though the opening started with dissapointment, the slightly higher moments during the meal puts the experience pretty much smack on par with the previous visit. It remains one of the best value restaruants in London at Michelin starred level and I will have to go back to the a la carte next time, to gain some overdue wild honey dessert. £61 each for a Michelin starred meal with a full bottle of wine to share with overall very good flavours – what more do you need for a worthwhile lunch?

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My second visit to Marcus (formerly Marcus Wareing at The Berkley) under the steady hand of Marcus Wareing’s prodigy, Mark Froydenlund. Once again the dishes were scuplted beautifully and were sublime. The lunch menu for approx £50 per head proving once again that this is a wonderful option. Sometimes the full blown tasting menu with matching wines for lunch can be a bit much for the stomach and the wallet, but for approx £100 per head, the lunch set menu with matching wines at Marcus is an absolute no brainer for the sheer class and guarantee of return. Explosive moments included the vegetable amuse bouche with truffle and tiny bread crumb fries and the salt beef with hen egg starter.

It was all frankly wonderful. Difficult to top the palate euphoria of my first visit as one or two of those dishes were some of my favourites in the entire year, however knowing the lamb had been cooked at 60 degrees for 3 days just to get to the plate and seeing how nicely all courses had been prepared made it a lovely meal without question.

It was all frankly wonderful. Difficult to top the palate euphoria of my first visit as one or two of those dishes were some of my favourites in the entire year, however knowing the lamb had been cooked at 60 degrees for 3 days just to get to the plate and seeing how nicely all courses had been prepared made it a lovely meal without question.

The service on the floor and by everyone was entirely on point on this visit and it was lovely to be able to have a brief chat with Mark Froydenlund who I continue to be so impressed by, in bearing, approachability and obvious talent. Rarer still was a quick passing by Marcus Wareing who happened to be in most probably for all the Christmas and New Year arrangements – I could see he was extremely busy so did not intrude long at all and was just very good of him to say hello with so many obvious plates spinning. A lovely occasion all round and this remains one of the most naturally classy and quality options in the whole of London for all of the above reasons.

Head chef Mark Froydenlund and team created a wonderful Spring menu which, at £49 for 5 courses including extras and tea/coffee with beautiful petits fours was quite good value but moreover, one which had genuinely celebration-level food moments. The new design is more airy and light and the sofa booths for tables give a renewed comfortable and relaxed feel to the interior which is great. The down side bits from the visit however, were 1) being made to wait at the entrance for nearly 2 minutes (far longer than comfort) and was a little too blasé of the front of house to not have a greater sense of urgency as I was beginning to feel a little unwelcome, and 2) one French senior waiter on the floor who did not bother to explain the steak dish he brought to my table (placed down and essentially rushed off) as he was in a hurry to continue speaking with a French guest at the other end of the restaurant.

These are nip-pick points and not show stoppers, but my eye did catch these these little details as I could read the body language a mile away and these little aspects do count as they have an impact. Had these been avoided, it would have made this virtually faultless as an experience; as such, they only served to dent the visit and obviously cause me to comment on them here.

The tomato greeting was a lightly fried exterior with softer tomato essence inside which was absolutely fine and well seasoned. The fennel bread had a customary liquorice quality and I viewed this as ok and was surprisingly simple, but it did need the coiled Irish salted butter that came with it to liven up proceedings. I was a little surprised how hard the butter was at the start, but after 20 minutes or so it had reached its optimum state and was pleasant.

The amuse bouche was a strong opener. The saffron cream on the side was lovely and the seabass bisque itself was creamy, smooth and luxurious – this really was excellent and the fried seafood accompaniment to dip in to the sauce was a nice bonus which was also delicately done.

The asparagus starter was an absolute triumph from the second it hit the mouth. The asparagus itself was beautifully fresh (as one would expect), cooked well with just the right level of crunch from being poached and grilled and instead of the usual hollondaise (which is not unpleasant), the design of this dish was just superb: delicately soft past over a slow-cooked egg (so the yolk did not spill and remained as a beautiful orange firm sauce but was perfectly soft as well) with grated cheese, truffle and a truffle sour cream drizzled over the proceedings. This was frankly a knock out dish and the best version of Spring on a plate one could ask for.

Next was the Dover Sole which was as fresh as should be and the balance of garlic sauce was done very well. It was also nice to see garlic flowers on top that did not over power at the same time so they added decorative and texture bonuses and quite simply, the dish was very light and pleasant. Not on the same level of the previous course, but perfectly refreshing and acceptable.

Thinking that the starter would not be able to be beaten, it basically was by the steak which I was blown away by. The tenderness of the steak on the smokey and exquisite creamed mash (in the same league as the holy grail of (truffled & creamed) mash at L’Atelier de Joel Robuchon), combined with broccoli oil and small pieces of fried broccoli produced fireworks again. Instant food moments like this do not occur all the time and I consider it a privilege whenever these happen – it happened here, on two occasions with the asparagus and steak!

Normally I avoid marmalade as I find it too acidic but the orange (effectively marmalade) side to the Lancashire cheese was actually toned down and handled very well and the cheese itself was subtle and highly pleasant. Nice to have the savoury nature of this before the dessert as well and served as a nice compromise to the pre-dessert equation.

Dessert itself was a very fresh take on strawberries with a mix of wild strawberries, perfectly fresh natural ones and white chocolate essence, meringue, strawberry sorbet and granola. The custard tart was smooth and velvety but the combination wity nutmeg was probably the only aspect of the meal I did not agree with as I felt this gave an almost savoury quality to the tart whereas my sweeter tooth would have preferred perhaps a touch of cinnamon sprinkled on top instead. However, this was perfectly fresh and pleasant all round as a dessert.

Then, when I thought the highlights had essentially been exhausted, the journey continued with a gorgeously made vanilla genache and banana yuzu petits fours that are worthy of mention as they were frankly that good! Getting chocolate light but wonderful enough at the same time is difficult and this was basically pulled off to perfection with these two offerings to the extent I feel obliged to write about them to this level in this review. The salted caramel truffles to take away in a bag were not only a lovely Easter / Spring treat but they genuinely were superb as well. The truffle case was not too thick and the liquid salted caramel inside was the exact runniness needed (not too much to spill everywhere but not firm at the same time) and the balance of the sweet and salt was perfect.

This really was the best meal I have ever had at Marcus Wareing’s establishment and there seems to be a new lease of life and aerated nature not only in its new design but also in the menu as well. It was nice to see that although the kitchen had had some touch ups as well, it was serene and calm as usual in front of the larger, chef’s table. Well done to the team for producing what I can only describe as an absolute belter of a Spring menu and I look forward to many more different kinds in the future.

Overall however, this was an absolute fanfare of flavours and delicate, fresh cooking, hence the overall grade. Well done Mark and the team.

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My second visit to Kitchen Table at Bubbledogs proving that it is superb option for theatre, a unique setting and with numerous dishes where he head chef (James Knappett) has chosen ingredients that are utterly fresh, clean and simply go very well together. I love the fact that all dishes are not overly complicated but pwerful at the same time and I was glad to see some of the favourites staying as signature dishes (chicken skin amuse bouche and potato crisp with salmon). I thought the oysters with granita ice and grape was the freshest I have ever had and the pumpkin puree with truffle was a total delight and one I will not forget.

The price tag with matching wines remains fairly tasty as well at £210 per head so I would I say that this is better suited for a special occasion and the added element of theatre watching the staff and having each dish explained by the head chef is uniquely worth it, along with a superbly chosen matching wine and drink menu. I say theatre as is always nice seeing the experts in action and on this occasion James Knappett was quite aminated with a member of staff at one point (who had not prepared something) which actually made mt slightly uncomfortable as a diner as the atmosphere was uneased by the head chef’s burst. I don’t know whether this is common, but would be remiss of me not to mention the fact that might be possible on one’s visit.

The price tag with matching wines remains fairly tasty as well at £210 per head so I would I say that this is better suited for a special occasion and the added element of theatre watching the staff and having each dish explained by the head chef is uniquely worth it, along with a superbly chosen matching wine and drink menu. I say theatre as is always nice seeing the experts in action and on this occasion James Knappett was quite aminated with a member of staff at one point (who had not prepared something) which actually made mt slightly uncomfortable as a diner as the atmosphere was uneased by the head chef’s burst. I don’t know whether this is common, but would be remiss of me not to mention the fact that might be possible on one’s visit.

Another quality meal had here and my sincere thanks to James Knappett’s other half for her wonderful hospitality, the remaining staff for looking after us so well and James for producing such a quality meal again. This is a definite treat to have in London and remains a lovely option to have for a notable occasion.

For this reason, be aware you are holding up others if you are late(!) as guests dine together in batches. Seeing the dishes being prepared is always interesting and having the chefs on hand to ask any questions is a unique and comfortable experience. The only main downside I found was the fact that if you are dining in the far ends of the table, you may very well end up needing to move off your seat and walk to the far end in order to allow other diners to visit the restroom (or go outside for a cigarette) in order to get passed.

First up was the parkerhouse roll to mop up the smoked brill roe, paprika, brown butter which was an instant it in the mouth and lovely opener. Then the chicken skin, rosemary mascarpone with bacon jam was an asbolute gem, the liked of which don’t occur very often. The potato puff, smoked salmon, sour cream, chive, brown sugar was a clever and light option and play on the ingredients that was nicely done. This was then followed by the maylor shrimp, brown butter, yuzu, fennel pollen, dill, bittercress and seabeans which were powerful in their flavours; the shrimps were gorgeously tender and the brown butter sauce with yuzu and dill were utterly sublime additions.

The brill, turnips, miso and lemon packed a punch with the miso and the fish itself was beautifully cooked with lovely picked slices of turnip as well. Perigord truffle risotto, wild garlic, egg, morels and parmesan formed the next dish which I have to say was utterly sublime, especially with the Chiante Riserve that Sandia (the head chef’s wife) recommended. Next came the carrot, crème fraiche, barley, sorrel, rape, chicken eldercaper sauce which had a simple purity with lively textures.

Then on to the meat: the beef, pontact sauce, tarragon, pickled walnut, panko, jersey royals and horseradish was utterly sublime with a very strong, accompanying sauce. The purposefully provided fat on the beef was just grand and perfectly judged in quantity. The coolea cheese, chicory marmalade with rye was a beautiful and simple way of having a cheese course – strong flavour without being overpowering.

The desserts were different and enjoyable. The balsamic ice cream, truffle, Jerusalem artichokes wer erefreshing and suprisingly subtle as I was actually bracing myself for the sharpness but somehow this was nicely dealt with. The caramel textures, coco crumbs, milk ice cream, and hazelnut were very refreshing and the damson seed, brown butter cake had a pleasing warmth to and balance. The last bouts came with the liquorice ice cream, chocolate and beetroot that was very well toned and portioned, but the final explosion came with the salted Madagascar vanilla fudge which I honestly could have had another 5 portions of as it was that good – so creamy, subtle, velvety and outright gorgeous. I believe this is the chef giving a guaranteed feel good factor at the end of the meal to secure a leaving smile.

This is certainly the way I left and James Knappett produced a menu just for that day that was frankly superb. If this is the general produce for one day, then another visit here is an absolute given and next time with matching wines to gain the full experience and see which courses are the signature repeat favourites. I have full confidence that coming here on any occasion will produce a very satisfying experience and I’m already looking forward to the next opportunity to treat myself, as this is the perfect place to do so. Well done James, great show.

This was an impressive meal – relaxed, fun, hospitable and with some absolutely great products (favourites being the chicken skin, steak main and madagscan vanilla petit four – worth the visit for that alone!).

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This is my third visit to HKK and I have to reiterate that it is simply the best Peking duck available in London, probably the country. It is simply hard to see how the beauty of the crispy skin (smoked in a cherry wood roasted oven), the succulent meat, beautifully light home made hoi sin sauce and carefully presented sesame pancakes (with the edges carefully cut away to guarantee perfect softness for all areas of the pancake) can be bettered. As we had nine venues to hit on this one day we could only stay for a snack in HKK and thankfully they were wonderfully understanding and allowed us to sit at the bar for a quick half duck. It is a little pricey for £46, however for the quality and the manner one is looked after here, I would pay this in my sleep. A truly lovely experience yet again here at HKK.

Food Grade: 90%

All the dim sum were beautifully done (vegetable and seafood) and the truffled, supreme soup with scampi and goji berry was delightful. The glass of Turkish red was also a nice addition to the duck and resembled a pinot noir but was chilled to soften the tannin. All desserts were nicely done and the prize went to the peanut parfait and lime sorbet with lemon and chocolate curd which was outstanding – such a mouth watering consistency and flavour. All of this with the jasmine tea to finish made a superb meal.

My only gripe here therefore is that it is not exactly the cheapest set menu in London and as the portion sizes seem to be quite modest in general for the price, I had to call in reinforcements of another portion of the duck from the a la carte to compensate (£16). But I was very pleased to learn that they will shortly (at time of writing) be revising the menu which should include a lobster and Peking duck promotional option on selected lunches and some new choices on their already revised tasting menu which has been changed to 12 courses as opposed to 15 (for a better overall and less prolongued menu).

Another great occasion here and frankly my next visit may have to simply be going with the whole duck for the asking price to share with another and that will be fine!

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I have been here many times but this was another opportunity to have nibbles with fine company and actually I’m getting a little bit bored of the whole generic starter, main, dessert that we are conditioned to have by society and frankly if you spend £25 on a main course that you don’t actually end up liking, you’re stuck with quite a large amount to get through reluctantly.

So, on this occasion, and the fact that the body doesn’t actually need very much to get full and I think people like non-obligatory grazing, I ordered ALL the bar snacks. These were perfect to pick at for a supper and I would recommend doing this from time to time. Thankfully, The Narrow was good enough to not look at this as strange or not permissible and they happily obliged to their credit. With the exception of the turkey sliders (mini burgers in the picture) which I thought were a little dry and bland, I thought they were all good and in particular, the honey glazed sausages and welsh rarebit sides were gorgeous. If I had to nip pick I thought the portion sizes were a little inconsistent for the average £6 per plate (the welsh rarebit was essentially only two small pieces of toast with the topping but the mini sausages seemed to be a lot more reasonable) however, they were lovely to have and even more so for the occasion that it was all acoomapnied by a very nice Rioja.

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This is my second visit to Paris House and this time it was the Festive 6 course lunch that was to be done in order to treat two colleagues (and myself!). Once again I was in fine hands here and getting straight in to it, I thought the focaccia, salted bread with buerre noisette butter was among the nicest I have ever had in my life. I know that buttered anything is never going to be in danger of not earning pleasure points but the smooth, creamy, light and almost velvety texture and flavour combined to this butter is worth singing about – I was utterly happy in this moment.

The nibbles were customarily super being crafted with such care and being clever and pleasing at the same time. The highlight dishes for me on this menu being the cep and halibut courses (the sauce for the latter being superb). All others were beautifully done with a refined quality on all of them and the frangelico dessert was class. Overall the dishes on this menu did not knock out my senses as much as those dishes on my first visit, however this is to be expected when doing various signature ones on the evening visit last Summer. There is no question in my mind however, as to the skill and quality of what the kitchen is striving for here and it was a great pleasure and treat to chat with the chef once again, who, I find truly impressive in his whole manner and way with guests – my sincere thanks to him again for taking an interest in us as diners (as he was with all those preset on the day) and it’s clear as a bell to me on listening to Phil Fanning how much prowess and confidence in experimentation there is here.

The nibbles were customarily super being crafted with such care and being clever and pleasing at the same time. The highlight dishes for me on this menu being the cep and halibut courses (the sauce for the latter being superb). All others were beautifully done with a refined quality on all of them and the frangelico dessert was class. Overall the dishes on this menu did not knock out my senses as much as those dishes on my first visit, however this is to be expected when doing various signature ones on the evening visit last Summer. There is no question in my mind however, as to the skill and quality of what the kitchen is striving for here and it was a great pleasure and treat to chat with the chef once again, who, I find truly impressive in his whole manner and way with guests – my sincere thanks to him again for taking an interest in us as diners (as he was with all those preset on the day) and it’s clear as a bell to me on listening to Phil Fanning how much prowess and confidence in experimentation there is here.

I greatly look forward to being able to come back to Paris House for a special occasion so that I have the excuse to do the ultimate 14 course evening menu at the chef’s table.

Put simply, there wasn’t a single thing that I didn’t enjoy on this meal and the absolute highlights for me were the sausage with corn gel / salmon and beetroot gel / crackling canapés, the utterly sublime mackerel with butter milk and dill sauce (just fabulous), the complex and freshest of trout courses I have ever had and the utterly divine mandarin custard and ganache pre-dessert. Even the perfectly warmed and salted rosemary and garlic focaccia / beer and rapeseed Scottish Balmoral breads with beurre noisette butter was a total gem of the meal, causing the need for reinforcements as soon as the first helping was destroyed. The lowest moment for me simmered at around 60% food grade wise (the John Dory) which is still quite high and was mainly due to being simply outshone by the other courses. Therefore, for effectively an 8 course tasting menu (supporting courses included) this is a very high level of consistency to have.

The only real negatives on this meal were a couple of mis-communiqués between the staff, which resulted in extended waits for the bread and the bill separately (as the requests got lost in the ether). The service was flamboyant throughout the meal but I felt needed a touch of polish (an accidental over charge on the bill occurred as well but was easily rectified). Ultimately, we were in very good hands and most importantly, the staff were all striving to create a pleasant experience.

It was lovely to be invited in to the kitchen and even more of a pleasure to briefly chat with the Executive Chef and owner, Phil Fanning who was the consummate host. Very interesting hearing his thoughts on the design of the menu and hear from the floor manager how the vegetables in their garden are used for the dishes right down to herbs being plucked and used minutes before service where this can be done. It was also great to see the Chef’s table in the Kitchen accommodating a couple and not restricted to only bookings of 6 or more as so many chef’s tables are (especially in London). I applaud this loudly as not everyone has 6-8 friends who all want to spend the highest tier for fine food, and based on the courses I had last night I believe this Chef’s table here would be a superb option for a marathon of enticing and exciting dishes.

This struck me early on in the meal as comfortably sitting in the top third of 1 Michelin starred venues and frankly I failed to see the difference between quite a few of these dishes and those in many of the twenty-four 2 Michelin starred venues I have eaten in so far (as at Jul 15). A VERY strong 1 Michelin starred meal as a result and I will definitely be returning with vengeance for the full-blown experience as this place clearly has a great deal to offer.

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I was ushered here based on the T-bone Florentine steak alone and was very pleased to do so. This is a charming establishment which has been family owned for decades and it was very nice to experience.All in all this was a lovely and homely option to stumble on with classic, Italian hospitality and warmth. A definite charm was experienced here and was a very apt venue to enjoy on the last night of an extended weekend trip to Florence. Would definitely recommend, if anything, for the cultural angle.

The sausage and beans is a typical, family Tuscan favourite which was pleasant – think subtle and savoury beans with a smokey and rich sausage. Normally I would insist on a béarnaise sauce with the steak but this was so nicely seasoned with the crisp fat on the sides that it simply did not need any. The fat on the side that was crisp with a soft inner layer was the perfect ‘sauce’ to accompany the beef which was salted perfectly and I adored the spinach as well which simply did not need cream as this was seasoned beautifully.

The sausage and beans is a typical, family Tuscan favourite which was pleasant – think subtle and savoury beans with a smokey and rich sausage. Normally I would insist on a béarnaise sauce with the steak but this was so nicely seasoned with the crisp fat on the sides that it simply did not need any. The fat on the side that was crisp with a soft inner layer was the perfect ‘sauce’ to accompany the beef which was salted perfectly and I adored the spinach as well which simply did not need cream as this was seasoned beautifully.

The wine options were somewhat on the expensive side with only the house as the option for having by the glass (a bottle on each table is laid out in case) and no half bottle options to have, however a pleasant 2009 Chianti Reserve for €45 was enjoyed very much.

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Time for a pizza somewhere in Florence city and a search of various options and word of mouth on the streets of Florence led us to this establishment that used a josper oven and produced our Marinara (€4.50) and Calabrese (€7.50) pizzas within 6 minutes. It has a diner feel and as a restaurant is not very noticeable from the outside but very busy and popular in the inside with a first come, first served policy and a short wait for an available barrel to sit at.

I found the pizzas here obviously reminiscent of those in the ever-expanding Franco Manca chain in London, but would seem that you can simply find these options all over Florence. The dough was wonderful and although the collective thought was that the pizza served in Cucina Torcicoda was a fraction better, I never thought I would say this about a pizza, but I actually enjoyed dipping the crust of the gorgeous dough around the edge of the pizza in olive oil more than the actual pizza topping itself.

I found the pizzas here obviously reminiscent of those in the ever-expanding Franco Manca chain in London, but would seem that you can simply find these options all over Florence. The dough was wonderful and although the collective thought was that the pizza served in Cucina Torcicoda was a fraction better, I never thought I would say this about a pizza, but I actually enjoyed dipping the crust of the gorgeous dough around the edge of the pizza in olive oil more than the actual pizza topping itself.

Lovely pizzas here, served fast in a very causal setting (plastic cups for wine and beer) and if you are on the south side of the river, you could do a lot worse than go for this drop in option.

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La Bottega is one of a few restaurants in Florence with a Michelin star and was chosen for the main meal for this visit to the city on a Saturday evening. The menus were customarily more expensive at this time with tasting menus ranging from 6 courses for €95 or 8 courses for €115 per person or the a la carte for roughly €80 pp (3 courses). We chose the latter owing to more favourites to choose from and were treated to three welcome nibble / amuse bouche courses, all of which were pleasant but with the beetroot crisp, onion and cheese bite being the only one that produced a higher note. This generally set the tome of artistically presented food which, thnkafully, actually tasted very good at the same time.

The salted focaccia bread made on the premises was extremely good (no olive or butter served with it) and the clear winner at this stage was the foie gras crème brulee with red onion ice cream. I thought the brioche was a little too small, charming as it was as this ran out quite quickly but all the components on this dish were simply superb. I struggled to taste the truffle oil in the white chocolate and potato foam starter but the texture and skill on this was clear as a bell. All other courses were beautifully done but I did think the lamb was a little heavy with the mustard seed paste (rather dense without much jus) and personally I would have preferred the pigeon in the pasta main not to be blended. However, the butter sauce to accompany both pasta dishes and the mullet pasta with salmon caviar in particular was delicate, soft and highly pleasing.

The salted focaccia bread made on the premises was extremely good (no olive or butter served with it) and the clear winner at this stage was the foie gras crème brulee with red onion ice cream. I thought the brioche was a little too small, charming as it was as this ran out quite quickly but all the components on this dish were simply superb. I struggled to taste the truffle oil in the white chocolate and potato foam starter but the texture and skill on this was clear as a bell. All other courses were beautifully done but I did think the lamb was a little heavy with the mustard seed paste (rather dense without much jus) and personally I would have preferred the pigeon in the pasta main not to be blended. However, the butter sauce to accompany both pasta dishes and the mullet pasta with salmon caviar in particular was delicate, soft and highly pleasing.

The wine list was extensive with some extensive price tags to accompany at the same time (€300 bottles seeming to be abundant and almost the norm), however it also included a very reasonable €40 bottle of Chianti Reserve that was difficult not to go for. This held its own and was luckily light enough to enjoy with our options.

The service throughout the meal was generally very polite, however for a Michelin starred restaurant it was surprising that one glass of wine on the table was left empty for roughly 5 minutes and had to be asked to be refilled and I was asked whether I had finished my main when I clearly had not and when I still had not, the other two plates were taken away with an apology as they realised they had done so prematurely. Readers who are not used to Michelin starred experiences will read that and no doubt think worse things have definitely happened at sea, which I am all too aware of, but for a Michelin starred restaurant this is surprisingly poor to make these very basic errors in fine dining protocol.

We were all too full at the end to try a dessert, however the array of petit fours was a lovely compromise with espressos with the nut cream profiteroles being a lovely finish. It was very nice to meet the Exec Chef (Antonello Sardi) towards the end who came and very kindly came and said hello and asked how it all was (to which the main points of the above were politely communicated). All in all, this was a technically refined meal with some high-end moments and a great pleasure to experience as it combines these elements in a very nicely designed interior, by the river with generally very warm hospitality.

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