The Balcon at Sofitel

10-04-2017 Local Black BookEuropean, French, London, Mayfair, recommendation, Restaurant, review, Sofitel, The BalconLeave a comment

Do you ever find yourself hungry near Piccadilly Circus?

If you appreciate shopping, love theatre-going or (god forbid) are hosting guest that insisted on dragging you to Leicester Square on a weekend, I’m going to go ahead and assume that yes, yes you do!

Of course, there’s plenty of not-so-great chain options nearby, but if you look around, there are also absolute gems to be found.

My latest discovery? The (rather grand) Balcon at Sofitel.

A stone’s throw away from Trafalgar Square, with windows overseeing Pall Mall, The Balcon is just the place to trade the business of London’s most tourist-y area for elegant surroundings and excellent French-British cuisine with a contemporary twist.

Starting, as all good (French) stories do, with bread & (salted) butter.

Followed by a not-so-classic yet absolutely excellent Steak tartare…

At The Balcon, the French classic comes adorned with artichoke crisps and drizzled in truffled egg yolk.

A brilliant update if you ask me.

For mains, the ‘Grill’ section seemed to be the most popular (but then again, can you blame anybody to ever fall for Rossini steak?), but having had a sneaky peak at the dessert menu, I decided to keep things a bit lighter…

That said, the Crispy skin sea bream with samphire, fricassé of salsify and chive beurre blanc was still very indulgent while allowing me to save some room for pudding.

Pudding that came in the form of a glorious Passion fruit and Sauternes creme brulée with mango sorbet.

Rich, creamy, and topped with an ice-thin layer of caramelised sugar it was everything a great brûlée should be.

And then some, thanks to the addition of sweet Sauterne wine and tangy exotic fruit bringing in some very welcome freshness.

Absolutely flan-tastic from the beginning to the end!

Food, service, atmosphere, decor; everything’s done the classic way to an excellent standard, making The Balcon perfect for a business meal, a romatic date… And also all those times when central London’s crowds get too difficult to handle on an empty stomach!

The Balcon at Sofitel, 8 Pall Mall, St. James’s, London SW1Y 5NG

Brunch at Oldroyd

03-10-2016 Local Black Bookangel, British, brunch, carbonara, croquetas, European, Islington, italian, London, Oldroyd, pasta, recommendation, Restaurant, review, small plates1 Comment

I don’t believe Oldroyd needs any introduction.

I have already written about it several times, and yet here I am again, writing about it once more.

You might want to call this a bad blogger syndrom, and you wouldn’t be wrong.

But then again, what’s a girl to do when one of her absolute favourite locals starts doing brunch eh?

With about 30 seats and simple yet tasteful decoration, Oldroyd is a dream no matter when you visit.

But if you asked, I’d say Sunday is probably the best day.

Because it’s Oldroyd’s brunch day and they serve up their signature fettucine carbonara.

But I’m getting ahead of myself, so first things first.

And by that I mean Bloody Mary, obviously.

As a matter of fact, the very best one I’ve ever had in London (and trust me when I say beating The Smokehouse‘s Chicken Salt delight was no easy task)!

Spicy and very pickle-y, it’s not one for the faint-hearted but still the very best way to get the brunch party started.

Though a tall, icy glass of Earl Grey iced tea does rather nicely as well!

Croquetas have been a feature on Oldroyd’s menu since the restaurant opened and they’re an absolute must-order.

This time, they were filled with mushroom, served with a generous dollop of truffle mayonnaise and as delightful as ever.

Zucchini fries are always a good idea too.

Feather-light, thin & crispy, they’re utterly irresistible.

But if you’re there for brunch, you might as well make the most of it.

The Bacon & egg fettucine, with confit garlic & berkswell, is out-of-this-world good.

It has eggs and bacon and carbs, it’s rich and creamy and comforting and basically all of your brunch dreams come true.

And if you want more, the Braised ox cheek with polenta & gremolata is an excellent choice.

Melt-in-the-mouth meat never goes out of fashion as far as I’m concerned. Warming, comforting and satisfying, it’s winter food at it’s finest.

The only issue is that it might well rule dessert out. Don’t worry chocolate mousse with raspberries & salted pistachio praline, I’ll be back for you!

I can never stay away for very long anyway (and if you want to make sure you don’t have to fight me for the last table, you better book here)!

Oldroyd, 344 Upper Street, London N1 0PD

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The joys of a good local at Oldroyd

10-05-2016 Local Black Bookangel, British, European, Islington, London, Oldroyd, recommendation, Restaurant, review, small plates1 Comment

There are the restaurants you go to for the novelty of it.

Be it a potato-focused café or that place everyone loves for reasons you simply don’t see, the probability of you re-visiting them is actually quite low, because there’s always going to be something newer and more exciting to try instead.

But then there is a handful of true gems that you keep going back to times and times again.

Restaurants you’d pick over the excitement of trying something new.

The places you’d rather not bring your camera to so you can truly enjoy the experience.

The ones that make you commit every #BloggerCardinalSin under the sun but you leave with a big smile of your face and a renewed faith in the restaurant world.

Truth being told, there are not so many such restaurants on my list.

A couple of places in France, Morito, The Smokehouse… and Oldroyd.

Oldroyd, London | Cake + Whisky

Oldroyd, the first solo restaurant from former Chef Director of the Polpo Group Tom Oldroyd, opened its doors about a year ago and it’s been a favourite ever since.

It basically ticks all the boxes when it comes to a good local restaurant: quick to get to, excellent value, stunning service and food that’s not just good but also varied and interesting, so every visit brings some element of surprise.

Rabbit & dijon rillettes w/ pickled carrots is the perfect example of Oldroyd’s playful take on a classic.

All the elements of the French Lapin à la moutarde, and yet something completely different and absolutely brilliant in its simplicity.

Smoked haddock croquetas aka crunchy/melty heaven in a mouthful.

Nettle & ricotta malfatti, broad beans, berkswell & crispy sage.

Delicate gnocchi/ravioli hybrid parcels and proof if there ever needed one that vegetarian food can be truly stunning.

Oldroy’d menu is rather light on the meaty side, but the few meaty dishes are well worth ordering.

Proof is in the Lamb sweetbreads with peas and bacon; a great example of bistro food at its finest.

Finally, my favourite of all dishes: Norfolk asparagus, brown crab rouille, Cornish white crab & chervil.

Basically Spring on a plate.

After chatting with the staff for a little while (and a few spoonfuls of the homemade tiramisu…), we said our goodbyes and headed home already dreaming of the next time we’d be heading to Oldroyd.

Want to make them your local? Find them here

And if you ever need somebody to go splitsies on any of Oldroyd’s crab dishes, give me a ring!

Oldroyd, 344 Upper Street, London N1 0PD

Native, Neal’s Yard

29-03-2016 Local Black BookBritish, Covent Garden, Eat Native, European, London, Native, Neal's Yard, recommendation, Restaurant, review, Seven Dials, small plates, tapasLeave a comment

What better way to start the week than with a new restaurant to get you dreaming about next weekend already?

I mean, it is just 3.5 days away! #GodBless4DayWeeks

The sun seems to finally have found its way to London, taking a stroll into Covent Garden one of the very best things to do!

Wandering the cobbled streets is the best way to build up an appetite.

Once you’re good & hungry, make your way to Neal’s Yard colourful hidden courtyard, marvel at how truly adorable it is, then get yourself a table at Native.

A greenery-adorned, garden-in-the-basement table, that is!

The menu is short, simple and changes pretty regularly.

Depending on how many people you are / how hungry you are, you might even be able to try it all!

Native, Neal's Yard | Cake + Whisky

Things started off on a high with the Pigeon Kebab with beet hummus and harissa.

An Eastern-Europe-meets-the-Middle-East kind of dish and an absolute success!

Followed by an Easter special of Rabbit dumplings with wild garlic and pickled walnuts.

So simple, yet elegant and perfectly balanced and probably my favourite of all dishes.

For mains, we shared Goat cutlets with cauliflower puree, roast carrot and wild garlic.

A nice, comforting dish that could only have been improved by a couple of extra spoonfuls of that delicious, zingy herb dressing!

Native, Neal's Yard | Cake + Whisky

All washed down with glass after glass of Native’s homemade Elderflower cordial.

Fresh, subtle and elegant, it’s something truly special and you must make sure to try it on your visit!

Just like the brilliant honeycomb-adorned Truffles.

Slightly salted, very rich and 100% decadent, they are what chocolate dreams are made of.

A truly exceptional ending to a lovely lunch and one you should definitely experience for yourself!

If you’re after seasonal food at its very best and a side of wandering in the spring sunshine, you really couldn’t do better!

Find Native online and make sure you book a table as it’s teeny-tiny (but oh so adorable!)

Native, 3 Neal’s Yard, London WC2H

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