Sunday Roast at The Quality Chop House

12-12-2017 Local Black BookBritish, Clerkenwell, Exmouth Market, London, recommendation, Restaurant, review, roast, Sunday Roast, The Quality Chop HouseLeave a comment

Sunday roast is a big deal.

Especially when it’s this cold outside.

The best ones are made by your mother, obviously.

But if, like me, you don’t have a roast-proficient mum (and can’t bring yourself to do all the roasting yourself), I know just the place.

Tucked away at the very end of my absolute favourite street in London, The Quality Chop House is a gloriously old school British restaurant with Grade II-Victorian-decor to match!

Get a group of 3-6 together and book yourself a booth.

Order up a bottle of something nice (a lovely Côtes du Rhône in our case)…

And tuck into the delightfully light smoked cod roe with pickled onion while you peruse the menu.

Especially delightful atop the Quality Chop House’s own sourdough, still warm from the oven.

The selection of starters is quite lovely, but on Sunday, it’s all about the roasts…

Belted Galloway beef (sirloin & brisket).

Tamworth pork shoulder with crackling and apple sauce.

(There’s also a vegetarian option and a fish dish on the menu).

All served with all the trimmings and a selection of seasonal vegetables.

And when at the Quality Chop House… add on a side of those confit potatoes.

You simply have to.

Pile everything up high onto your (already heaving) plate, top with a bit more gravy and tuck into your Sunday feast.

Try to save a little bit of room for pudding…

Sticky date sponge with Christmas pudding ice cream and pear, paired with the most exquisite Loupiac I’ve ever had.

Truly the most wonderful way to spend a Sunday!

The Quality Chop House, 88-94 Farringdon Rd, Clerkenwell, London EC1R 3EA

Make sure you book ahead – especially on Sundays!

More restaurant suggestions

My absolute favourite London place

A modern British food champion

For those days when you want it all (now you can!)

When only steak will do…

Anglo, Clerkenwell

29-11-2017 Local Black BookAnglo, British, Clerkenwell, London, recommendation, Restaurant, review, tasting menu1 Comment

Back in March, we fell head first, love at first bite style, with Forest Avenue, where we had the best meal of 2017.

The only problem? It’s in Dublin. So not so convenient if you want to pop in and treat yourself.

But, I discovered last weekend, that’s not too much of a problem, because Anglo’s right on my doorstep.

Nestled in the heart of Clerkenwell, Anglo is simple looking but universally acclaimed amongst London’s food critics and connoisseurs.

And with good reasons – our impromptu Saturday night meal was without a doubt the best food we’ve had in ages.

As many have said before, Anglo’s food – a daily-changing 8-course British-made-modern set menu – will not be to everyone’s taste.

Forget the classic ‘meat with two veg’. Here, the food is innovative, even borderline challenging at times but every morcel is absolutely succulent.

The pre-dinner snacks especially so.

Mushroom broth with thin mushroom slices and truffle.

So simple, deeply umami and absolutely brilliant. Starting strong with my favourite dish of the night!

Ika (squid) tartare wrapped in jellied dashi.

Delicate and textural.

Burnt leek tartlet with chive ‘snow’.

A creamy allium-on-allium creation that’s simply too good for words.

Needless to say, I was rather excited to move onto the proper dishes…

Cauliflower with smoked herring roe.

A beautifully saline dish, balanced by the deep, earthy notes of the cauliflower.

Pork belly with coco beans, cranberry and pickled fennel.

A very interesting combination of ingredients which was only let down by undercooked, slightly chalky coco beans.

Seabass with salsify and quince.

Probably the least enjoyable of the lot and the only dish I wouldn’t re-order again should I get the opportunity.

Wild fallow deer with white onion puree, nasturtium oil and meat jus.

Cooked to perfection and absolutely incredible.

Cheese and onion on malt loaf.

Or, as it should be called – cheese on toast on crack.

Very cheesy, veeeeery satisfying and incredibly comforting.

Pine parfait.

A refined take on the After Eight – I’d really love getting a box of those in my Christmas stocking!

Matcha cake with clementine and miso ice cream.

So festive.

And last but not least, lemon thyme granita, crème pât and apple.

Lovely and fresh – the perfect way to end the meal!

All topped off with petits fours (salted caramel truffles and chocolate mousse cubes with raspberry powder and lime).

So yes, a meal at Anglo is a bit of a blow to the Christmas budget.

But it’s worth every penny. The food is stunning and the service attentive without being stuffy.

The perfect spot to make the most of a special occasion with your favourite foodie(s).

Anglo, 30 St Cross St, London EC1N 8UH

The Grill on the Market

20-06-2017 Local Black BookClerkenwell, London, recommendation, Restaurant, review, Smithfields, steak, steakhouseLeave a comment

As much as I love plant-based food, there are times when only steak will do.

And when the craving strikes, there’s nowhere I’d rather be than at The Grill on the Market.

Located just opposite the iconic Smithfields market, The Grill on the Market is a modern steakhouse in all its brick-and-red-leather glory.

The week’s special cuts are on display at the back.

While behind the bar, there’s a whole different sort of display on…

The sort of display awaiting the touch of an artist to turn into incredible cocktails.

Starting with a fresh n’ tangy Rhubarb Sling (Rhubarb syrup, Tanqueray, lemon, rhubarb liqueur, soda) each.

The perfect pairing for the Mediterranean-inspired salmon tartare.

Fresh and clean, with the added creaminess of the hidden, perfectly poached quail egg and a touch of crème fraiche on the top…

Offishally delicious!

Though not quite as good as the Cauliflower Cheese Souffle with Thermidor glaze and pickled red cabbage.

Pure indulgence.

And then to the main event – Australian Chateaubriand fillet.

A beautiful, house dry-aged piece of meat, grilled to blushing pink perfection and served with all the trimmings.

And extra bearnaise sauce for fries-dunking because OBVIOUSLY!

The Grill on the Market • London Restaurant Review • Cake + Whisky

The pud’ menu is short but filled with classics: apple pie, chocolate pot, bakewell tart, mess, lemon posset…

All the usual suspects, but with a few twists along the way.

The Grill on the Market • London Restaurant Review • Cake + Whisky

The sticky toffee pudding might be the most classic of the lot, but it is much lighter than you’d expect.

Perfect if you’ve already over-indulged!

Or you could skip pudding altogether and go for a rich & oak-y Port in a Storm instead.

Anything but a pour decision (especially if you take advantage of the excellent 2-for-1 cocktail offer), the Grill on the Market is one of those rare place for well done (and well priced!) steak in London.

Perfect for any time the steaks are high!

The Grill on the Market, 2-3 West Smithfield, London EC1A 9JX – Book your table here

More special occasion restaurants in London

The Palomar

The Balcon at Sofitel

The Cinnamon Club

Moro, Exmouth Market

29-09-2016 Local Black BookClerkenwell, Exmouth Market, Farringdon, lamb, London, moorish, Moro, North African, pigeon, recommendation, Restaurant, review, seasonal, Spanish1 Comment

London is so big and buzzy and there’s always so much happening that it can be quite confusing at times.

Many a new-comer to the city has asked me where they should go first, and my answer is always the same.

Walk around, take buses and wander until you find your own little pocket of London. The one that feels like home and makes you go all heart-eyed.

As far as I’m concerned, I found mine a long time ago.

Minutes away from Farringdon station, Exmouth Market has it all: fairy lights, too-cute-to-be-true shops and, most importantly, a fantastic line-up of restaurants (including my London #1 and the best pizza this side of the Alps).

I’m afraid I’m not quite in the position to afford living around the corner just yet, so in the meantime, dinner it is!

This time at Moro, my beloved Morito’s grown-up sibling.

Compared to next-door’s buzzy & loud tapas bar, Moro is a very civilised affair.

Elegant surroundings with a rustic edge to them and service to match, it’s a great spot to take business partners or visiting parents, and an even better one for a romantic date!

Especially with crusty bread and a couple of cocktails, including a blooming lovely Rose & Lime Martini, to start!

Much like Morito, Moro build its menu around seasonal ingredients given a moorish treatment with touches from Spain and North African and carefully balanced spices aplenty.

Seared pigeon breast with rainbow chard, pine nuts, currants and rose jam being the perfect example of this.

Moro, Exmouth Market, London

With perfectly cooked, just pink pigeon meat, melty chard, crunchy pine nuts & sweet currants, it’s basically autumn on a plate and everything I want to eat at the moment.

Cecina (dried beed) with carob rusk, tomato, preserved lemon & olive salad.

The perfect end of summer salad, combining ripe tomatoes, zingy condiments with delicate, umami dried beef rolls, all rounded up with smooth walnut oil.

Moro, Exmouth Market, London

A moorish take on the Italian panzanella, and a very good one at that.

But then, it seems ‘very good’ is the norm at Moro…

Wood roasted cod with braised celery, cauliflower, coriander, barberries and chickpea purée with harissa.

Moro, Exmouth Market, London

Charcoal grilled lamb with chopped grilled aubergine and red pepper salad, cumin yoghurt, walnuts and chilli butter.

Chocolate and apricot tart wasn’t quite what I expected it to be, but in the best of ways.

I anticipated a rather homely slab of roasted-apricots-topped-with-ganache tart.

What we got instead was this lighter-than-air yet intense warm chocolate mousse sort of thing and it was divine.

But the true highlight of the meal was our last dish (and the simplest of them all): Rosewater and cardamom ice cream. Fragrant and delicate, it took the BF straight back to his childhood and within seconds, he declared it was the best thing he’s had all year.

A pretty bold statement and the number one reason why you should book a table.

More-ish, moorish, food doesn’t get much better than that!

Moro, 34-36 Exmouth Market, London EC1R 4QE

Brunch at The Modern Pantry

15-06-2016 Local Black Bookbreakfast, brownies, brunch, Clerkenwell, coffee, eggs, London, omelette, recommendation, Restaurant, review, The Modern Pantry, weekend4 Comments

Some weeks just seem endless.

You know the feeling. Minutes feel like hours, days feel like weeks and by Wednesday, the only thing on your mind is brunch.

And if your week is anything like mine, I know a place you’re going to love come brunch day…

Overlooking Clerkenwell’s iconic St John’s Square, Anna Hansen’s The Modern Pantry is any brunch-lover dream come true.

And with exposed bricks, loads of light, and just enough quirky, charming little details, it is a very dreamy little café indeed!

⬆⬆ Dining room goals right there ⬆⬆

(needless to say, we’ll do that the second we have a place of our own)

But first, coffee!

Black & stromy, with just a touch of condensed milk, Vietnamese-style, for him.

And a hot, steamy cup of jasmine tea for her.

With a few of The Modern Pantry’s iconic dishes on the side…

Sugar-cured New Caledonian prawn omelette, green chilli, spring onion, coriander, smoked chilli sambal and toast

Sweet, soft prawns, punchy sambal and a kick of green chilli, all blanketed by the dreamiest of omelette…

A dish definitely worth its reputation!

And more than worthy of a close-up, too!

Poached eggs with grilled chorizo, slow-roast tomatoes and plantain fritters.

A sunny take on the traditional English Breakfast and #yolkporn at its very best.

Brunch at The Modern Pantry | Cake + Whisky

All washed down with the appropriate amount of ‘liquid goodness’.

And followed by a little bit of pudding action…

Sour cherry brownie with Greek yoghurt cream, malt & chocolate crumb and berries.

Soft, gooey, sweet, sour, rich and fresh all at once, it’s a masterpiece of a dessert.

An absolute triumph, much like the rest of the meal.

And the #1 reason to put brunch at The Modern Pantry on the agenda for next weekend.

It’s a truly eggcelent brunch spot, bu it gets busy so make sure you book ahead.

The Modern Pantry, 47-48 St John’s Square, Clerkenwell, London EC1V 4JJ

Morito, Exmouth Market

08-02-2016 Local Black BookClerkenwell, croquetas, Exmouth Market, Farringdon, London, Morito, recommendation, Restaurant, review, Spanish, tapas4 Comments

There are no places in London I love more than Clerkenwell.

Tucked away at its heart is my favourite little pocket of London, Exmouth Market.

It has absolutely everything I like.

Pretty brick houses and retro-looking stores with just the right amount of hipster to them.

Some seriously strong sign pun game.

Enough stationaries to make any addict’s heart happy.

Some of the most beautiful plants I’ve ever seen.

And most importantly, A LOT of lovely, independant and very good little restaurants.

Some of London’s very best have recently moved onto Exmouth Market, including Macellaio, an excellent ‘Italian butcher with tables’.

No matter what you’re after, be it British food, Korean chicken, cocktails or pizza, you’ll find it on Exmouth Market.

Unfortunately I haven’t had time to try it all just yet.

Not because I rarely am around, oh no, rather because I always find myself making a beeline for my absolute favourite restaurant in all of London.

Morito is a tapas & mezze bar, opened by hospitality legends Sam & Sam Clark, of the nearby Moro fame.

Morito,l, London | Cake + Whisky

It’s a somewhat small but oh-so-lovely space, with its signature orange bar and monogrammed wooden bar stools.

And more importantly, the atmosphere and food rival that of the best tapas bars across Spain, with a touch of Northern Africa meets the Middle East thrown in for good measure.

Not over-ordering is always a challenge. The menus might be short, but I always want to try everything.

From the short but carefully crafted cocktail list, we tried the Aperitivo (vermouth, cava, bay & orange).

But my current favourite is a bit of a twist on a classic G&T, the Oliver (white vermouth, gin, tonic, orange slice).

The bread basket is an absolute must-order. All breads are made in house and are basically heaven in dough form.

Morito, London | Cake + Whisky

The herby za’atar flatbread is my favourite, especially when dipped into rich, green olive oil seasoned with a few pinches of sumac.

Croquetas are such a tapas staple and so delicious I’m never, ever able to skip them.

We went for the salt cod version this time, with heaps of parsley and a generous dollop of punchy aioli.

The tortilla is not as pillow-y here as it is at Barrafina, but the current leek and lemon thyme combination is so delicate and more-ish.

An absolute lunch winner.

My favourite dish was a little Confit duck, escarole & hazelnuts number.

Such a simple, yet vibrant and perfectly balanced dish.

The Crispy aubergine, whipped feta & date molasses, topped with fresh mint leaves, is basically next level dirty fries and another crowd pleaser (and it seems a favourite amongst the staff as well…).

Last but not least was the Chicken, chorizo, spinach & oloroso a la plancha.

Perfectly grilled chicken, with heaps of chorizo and just soft spinach leaves.

A match made in heaven.

The dessert list is really rather short (olive oil mousse or ice cream on our visit) but even I don’t mind as I’m usually too stuffed to even consider dessert and settle for a caffè con leche instead.

The perfect end to a perfect meal, just like every other time I’ve visited Morito.

Morito, 32 Exmouth Market, Clerkenwell, London EC1R 4QE

Bitters & Rye | London’s best cocktail bar.

10-04-201511-04-2015 Local Black Bookbar, Bitters and Rye, Clerkenwell, cocktails, London, review6 Comments

There are very few places that make me smile from ear to ear every single time I visit. Bitters & Rye is one of them.

We first visited on Valentine’s Day, and the love story has been going on since then. And just like it is always difficult to find the words to tell people about a fairly-new-but-definitely-here-to-stay love story, I’ve been looking for the words to tell you about this little gem.

The first time we visited, it was because we saw the sign advertising brilliant cocktails. We had a bit of time before heading to dinner (at another one of those London gems I could talk about for hours), so we thought we might as well check it out. We were really early, so the bar was entirely empty. The team was putting the finishing touches to their Valentine’s decoration. We sat at the bar and ordered two cocktails from the Valentine’s menu. And nobody raised an eyebrow when I asked for the St Clement’s Sour. First good sign; I usually get a lot of “are you sure that’s what you want, wouldn’t you rather have *insert any flower-flavoured drink here*?”.

We got our drinks and they were really really good indeed. Perfectly balanced, and both with this little touch that keeps things interesting. We chatted for a little while over our empty glasses when Stav came and introduced herself with a simple “Talk to me“. So that’s what we did. The discussion was fairly simple tough as we were just asked “Which spirit?“. And after a bit of stirring and shacking, another glass appeared in front of us. And that secret cocktail was perfectly designed to match both of our tastes. That was it, we were hooked.

As we left for our dinner reservation, we were hugged like old friends and told to come back very soon. And that’s what we’ve been doing since then.

We usually order our first drinks from the menu. Take the time to read the descriptions; it’ll give you an idea of what this place is about: really good cocktails, but most importantly, creativity, memories and people. And making sure everyone meets their perfect drink.I doubt I’ll ever run out of things to discover. The bar is far too well stocked for that. I fell in love with the Whisky Sour the first time I tried it and haven’ changed my mind since then (also, *THOSE* amaretto cherries!!).
A little caramel and whisky number (as with all of Stav’s mystery creations, we weren’t quite sure what we were drinking, but that’s part of the fun!)My favourite of that night (another surprise cocktail, with vodka, lemon and violet). Stav truly is the heart and soul of this place, in her own words her “baby”. She makes every one of her customers feel like they’re the most important person in the bar. Also, I’m pretty sure she reads minds. How else would she always get it right when she whips up something for you without you even saying a word?Old fashioned (?) and Grapefruit Daiquiri.

There was a third round, and also some limoncello shots as well, but by that time, I was obviously smilling a lot too much to click pictures. I went back home with that fuzzy feeling in my stomach that only a handful of places gave me. And the need to tell the world about Bitters & Rye. Just say hi! for me when you go!

What: London’s best cocktails. And most definitely London’s niccest bar team. They make you feel like family and you’ll never want to go anywhere else.

How much: around £8 per cocktail. Plus things money can’t buy.

Where: Bitters & Rye, Paesan’s basement, 2 Exmouth Market, London EC1R 4PX

Cake and Whisky

Life in London and other almost-grown-up tales

Menu

Clerkenwell

Sunday Roast at The Quality Chop House

The Quality Chop House, 88-94 Farringdon Rd, Clerkenwell, London EC1R 3EA

More restaurant suggestions

Anglo, Clerkenwell

Anglo, 30 St Cross St, London EC1N 8UH

The Grill on the Market

More special occasion restaurants in London

Moro, Exmouth Market

Brunch at The Modern Pantry

Morito, Exmouth Market

Bitters & Rye | London’s best cocktail bar.