Featured Links

Romantic Restaurants

Salvador and Amanda Restaurant – Tapas and Late Night Drinks in Bloomsbury

Posted by Krista

Bloomsbury is not an area known for its selection of post work drink spots, so when Salvador and Amanda opened their second location there, it was a move welcomed by the locals.

The stylish Spanish inspired bar, restaurant and late night dance venue (the bar is open until 3am on weekends) does not stray from what made its first Covent Garden location successful, and if anything, is a step up to fill a much needed gap in the WC1 postcode.

When we arrived at Salvador and Amanda on a Friday night, the place was buzzing with groups of friends and co-workers toasting to an accomplished work week. Pitchers of fresh sangria greet you at the door and are followed by an impressive cocktail list and authentic tapas menu.

As we were there for dinner, we were a little confused as to where we would be eating until we were led up the stairs to their slightly quieter but more intimate second level. It still has the warmth and buzz of downstairs accompanied by a long wooden bar and candle lit tables for diners.

The menu is a notch above the sharing platters downstairs and after taking a quick look, we leave our dining fate in the hands of our charming and confident waiter who suggests we allow him to pick our dishes.

What came next was what seemed like a never-ending flow of well executed and ridiculously delicious tapas dishes. Highlights included the Monkfish special of the day, the Croquetes Caseras de Jamon (ham croquettes) and the Salmon Curada paired with pomegranate and black olive vinaigrette, which was a surprisingly tasty combination.

However, the winner of the evening was the Chorizo Lollipops. They were as indulgent as they sound and had us wanting more the second they were finished. Overall we sampled around 9 dishes.

It was the perfect amount for two people and really allowed the kitchen to showcase their ability to execute Spanish classics as well as more modern and playful combinations.

The dessert menu was slightly safer in comparison but featured a nice selection of fresh ice creams and sorbets in rich caramel and fruit flavours among others. They were a perfect way to satisfy a sweet tooth.

Salvador and Amanda proved that it is not just an option for locals, visited out of necessity; it’s a great experience for anyone. No matter what you are in the mood for, forgo the regular Soho haunts and travel a bit East…you won’t be disappointed.

Read our review of Bloomsbury neighbour, Garufin, an Argentine restaurant, or Mayfair based tapas restaurant El Pirata.

Read our guide to London’s best restaurants.

Quantus Restaurant in Chiswick

Posted by Andrea Klar

On a drizzly evening we walked down Devonshire Road in the heart of leafy Chiswick to find Quantus restaurant.

I am a Chiswick girl (I can tell you all about local mums having no problems with pushing their prams over my feet and tutting whilst they do it); but I had never heard of Quantus restaurant before nor seen it during any of my many outings to neighbouring La Trompette.

Quantus is a smart, casual, affordable fine dining restaurant, offering a modern, eclectic menu with a South American influence, created by Argentinian Head Chef Juan Zuliani, in a relaxed, comfortable surrounding.

The restaurant feels special as soon as you walk in. There’s a small bar and the main dining room and one smaller area flows out from there, featuring quaint black and white photography on the walls, comfortable cushions and whimsical chandeliers.

The cosy restaurant can seat around 45, but part of the intimacy comes from the excellent service; the waiters are chic and upscale and it feels like the people who work here are enjoying themselves.

We opted for two simple appetisers with complex yet fresh tastes of home cured salmon, beetroot, cucumber, dill and wasabi mayonnaise; and gambas and scallops with sweet corn, cilantro, chilli and crispy sweet potatoes.

For mains, I chose the al-forno lime and coconut cod loin topped with chilli, ginger, cilantro and peanut gremolata and green beans and jasmine rice. Again, the tastes were very fresh and light and I would go back to have this dish any day.

My plus one picked the grilled beef fillet with homemade horseradish sauce, leeks and mixed beans. The fillet was salty, crispy on the outside, and tender, juicy, medium rare in the centre.

I should have trusted my better judgement and not chosen any desserts. Our banana and caramel pudding with vanilla ice cream and dulce de leche and the cremoso mascarpone with M&Ms, almond crumble and espresso syrup were a disappointment for me. But, if you like mousses and soufflés (which I don’t) you’ll enjoy them.

There’s something old school about the whole dining experience at Quantus. I’m often irritated when servers clear one person’s plate before others at the table have finished. Not Quantus. The GM Leo was incredibly attentive but not in an overbearing way and made us feel welcome from the moment we entered until we left.

Voted as one of the ‘Top 25 Most Romantic Restaurants in the UK’ by Top Table diners, Quantus is a restaurant that is elegant without trying too hard or being too self-conscious.

Concierge Tip: the best table in the house is table number 9 – ask for this one when booking. It is intimate enough but placed in a way that ensures that you can overlook the entire restaurant.

Monday to Thursday: 2 Courses £17.50; 3 Courses £21.00
Friday & Saturday: 2 Courses £23.50; 3 Courses £27.50

In the meantime, read some of our best London content including our guide to the best afternoon tea, the best boutique clothes shops in London or where to sample the city’s best coffee.

The Gilbert Scott Restaurant – A British Classic

Posted by Emyr Thomas

The Gilbert Scott is a true British classic. Set in one of the most architecturally dramatic buildings in London, the dining room has an overwhelming sense of grandeur and occasion, yet manages to be elegantly casual at the same time.

Although located in the same building as the St Pancras Renaissance Hotel at St Pancras International station, this is not a pit stop, a conduit or the start of a journey: this is a destination in itself.

The Gilbert Scott is the second restaurant from celebrated chef Marcus Wareing, but don’t expect Michelin-style finesse and ceremony – this is a British brasserie, with a menu of historic and nostalgic British dishes.

The starters include Brown and Forrest smoked salmon with oatmeal soda bread, crispy pig’s head with laverbread mayonnaise, pickled cockles, and sea herbs and venison terrine with Somerset cider chutney.

Highlights from the main courses include an intensely flavoured braised oxtail and nutmeg mash, veal schnitzel with fried egg, anchovy mayonnaise and capers, Mrs Beeton’s barbecue chicken and Cornish hake with cauliflower, capers, almonds and sea purslane.

Puddings are a highlight with classics such as sticky toffee pudding, warm apple pie, Eccles cake and trifle. It’s rare to find a menu where you would happily order it all.

We dined to the sound of a live pianist, which added to the nostalgia and created a wonderful atmosphere. I was envisaging a smoke-filled room with guests in formal attire enjoying dinner to the sounds of a live chanteuse.

The Gilbert Scott has a range of private dining options, including The Kitchen Table (pictured above) in the basement kitchen area, surrounded by walls of wine with the buzz of the kitchen in full view.

While the restaurant was a joy on every level (my only quibble being that the tables are a little too close to each other), The Gilbert Scott has an absolute gem of a cocktail bar that I would consider to be one of the best cocktail bars in London.

Combining an excellent cocktail menu with a truly stunning room with ornately painted ceilings and magnificent bell chandeliers, setting the scene for an enchanting evening of elegant decadence.

If you would like your concierge to arrange your next dinner at The Gilbert Scott or any other London restaurant, please contact us. Read our other restaurant reviews including Wabi London, 34 restaurant in Mayfair and Portal in Clerkenwell.

Negozio Classica Primrose Hill – A Lovely Wine Bar and Shop

Posted by Emyr Thomas

Primrose Hill is one of London’s prettiest neighbourhoods with gorgeous townhouses, quaint streets and ample green space. Its main shopping street is lined with cute cafes and boutiques and Negozio Classica fits in perfectly.

Negozio Classica is all about wine – it’s a wine bar and shop that serves food to enhance the enjoyment of the wines. The premise is simple but ever so effective – enjoy a glass of wine or sample a range of wines and if you like what you have tried, you can buy the bottle to take home with you.

Negozio Classica is part owned by the Italian vineyard, Avignonesi, who supplies all its wine, which means you can sample wines that you might not be able to find anywhere else in London.

The space is cute, homely and welcoming, designed by designLSM to evoke memories of Tuscany with warm, natural materials and reclaimed timbers.

On our visit, I enjoyed an oaky Chardonnay that had a wonderfully smoky taste, which went beautifully with a plate of smoked sword fish carpaccio, although owner Mike told us that this is one of those ‘love it or hate it’ wines.

Being a fan of heavy, full-bodied reds, I was delighted with Mike’s selection that accompanied a plate of seared beef fillet with rocket and parmesan. The food is designed to be shared and you can easily graze for hours – the courgette carpaccio dish is also a delight.

Negozio Classica is one of those places that you wished you had just around the corner from your own home, both to pop in for a quick glass of wine and to make your way through the list to find the right wines to stock your own cupboards.

Throughout June, Negozio Classica Primrose Hill will be running a series of wine masterclasses on Monday evenings with a different theme each week, priced at £45 per person or £80 per couple.

If you liked this review, I think you would also like Champagne and Fromage in Covent Garden. Sign up to our blog below:

Primo Restaurant London

Posted by Krista

Located in Covent Garden, Primo Restaurant is a new Italian restaurant that has taken over the space once occupied by Incognico on Shaftesbury Avenue.

In Italian, Primo means ‘first’ and their mission is to ‘serve the finest Italian cuisine in London’. They are also on the forefront of the resurrection of the comfort food ‘Pollo Sorpresa’ or Chicken Kiev.

Seeing far too many bland supermarket versions has not only cheapened the dish but allowed the general public to forget how wonderful it can actually taste. After my meal to the restaurant, I can see that Primo London is passionate about its revival, and for good reason; their version is divine.

I visited Primo restaurant on a cold and rainy evening (I’m starting to see a trend with my review nights…or maybe I just haven’t come to terms with London weather yet) so I was happy to be greeted by a friendly doorman and warm fire heaters in the entrance.

The front of Primo restaurant is all glass, allowing passers-by to peak into the Cicchetti bar and see the chefs at work in the exposed front cooking space. The interior is surprisingly bright, perhaps to allow patrons to admire the many hanging paintings by Ronnie Wood (of The Rolling Stones).

It’s a relatively small dining space but set up in a way that allows your table to feel intimate, whether you’re a party of 2 or 10. As my guest and I decide on starters, we are treated to a delicious olive, bruschetta and home-made bread platter.

We share the Carpaccio of Beef and Avocado and Prawn cocktail to start before moving onto our anticipated mains that included a roasted Chilean Sea Bass and the infamous Chicken Kiev – simply labelled as ‘breaded free range chicken’ on the menu.

The Sea Bass is buttery and delicious but the Kiev is the absolute stand-out. Served on a bed of spinach and chicken jus, the organic chicken is perfectly cooked, boneless and coated by a crispy breading. I’m told that night after night, it is by far the most popular dish on the menu, and we see why. If the goal is to reinvigorate this classic dish, Primo restaurant has done it.

Dinner is rounded off by a traditional dessert menu of Tiramisu and Profiteroles that are creatively presented and full of flavour. Overall, an incredibly indulgent meal, just as fine Italian dining should be.

In addition to the main dining room, there is space at their Cicchetti bar in the front to share some light tapas and a few glasses of Italian wine (bottles started at £20.50). There’s also a private dining room on the lower level that can be booked for parties up to 20 guests… only if you’re ready to give away this Chicken Kiev secret to the masses.

To make sure you’re kept informed of similar updates on a regular basis, sign up to our blog at the link below.

You can also read read some of our other restaurant reviews including Coya and 34 Restaurant in Mayfair and Portal in Clerkenwell.

Address: Primo London, 117 Shaftesbury Avenue, Cambridge Circus, WC2H 8AD
Phone: 020 7836 8889 Twitter: @PrimoLondon

El Pirata – Tapas in Mayfair

Posted by Frances

El Pirata is a breath of fresh air in Mayfair – the friendly tapas restaurant offers a slice of sunny Spain without pretension or fuss.

Set over two floors, El Pirata in Mayfair is a bustling restaurant resonating with laughter and the sound of contented diners, many of whom are crowded around the bar for drinks and nibbles on a grey and drizzly Friday night.

The food at El Pirata is good with a huge variety of familiar tapas dishes on offer. We began with a delicious white Rioja and Jamón ibérico – a perfect Spanish treat.

Croquetas, Arroz-negro and Calamares in Paprika and Olive Oil arrive in a flurry and each are more unctuous an flavoursome than the next. Chicken and Chorizo skewers are cooked well with the quality of the chorizo shining through.

Throughout dinner service at El Pirata was friendly, personable, relaxed and generous. The food is stripped of unwelcome modern reinventions or garnishes, and the dishes are reliable, tasty and exactly what you would hope for from a traditional tapas restaurant.

By the time we left, the bar was packed, the wine was flowing and the laughter infectious. El Pirata is simple, cosy, affordable and has a great wine list. Tucked behind Shepherd’s Market, I highly recommend it becomes a staple in your after-work regime.

To make sure you receive our restaurant reviews direct to your inbox, sign up to our blog at the link below.

Read some of our best London content including a guide to the best walk-in restaurants, the best rooftop bars or where to find the best private dining rooms in London.

Aurelia London Restaurant Review

Posted by Qin

Just a stone’s throw from the Royal Academy is Aurelia London, a Mediterranean restaurant nestled in the heart of Mayfair.

The restaurant is named after Via Aurelia, the historic route which spanned across the Mediterranean, from Rome down to Santiago de Compostela. The food pays homage to the same landmass, where rabbit and swordfish appear alongside plenty of olives, garlic and anchovies.

Everything is light, delicate and calling for glorious sunshine and ice cold rosé.

You can go as formal or informal as you like and sharing is definitely encouraged – this is no stuffy Mayfair restaurant.

A selection of breads and the house olive oil begins our lunch at Aurelia London. The peppery notes in the oil did well to indicate that it was an extra-virgin olive oil of sound quality – a good start.

Crisp, thin slices of octopus rostie, sprinkled with a light dusting of chives, soon arrived atop boiled new potatoes, skins still on. The hint of heat in the mild Galician flavours were offset by the cool tuna carpaccio which served as the other starter.

The carpaccio, doused in a slightly sweet sauce, rested on top of a finely shredded bed of salad was topped with yet more chives.

The food at Aurelia London was rustic but good; rather like the restaurant’s interiors which were lined with little portraits and vintage photographs, all reminiscent of little bistros in the Côte d’Azur. It has just the right amount of kitsch to put you right at ease.

For mains, monkfish a la Provençal offered an interesting contrast against the pappardelle with rabbit ragu. Tomatoes, olives and plenty of parsley made a delicious sauce, well matched to the relative firmness of the monkfish. The rabbit ragu, with a shaving of creamy cheese, was more reserved in flavour but well placed for the wintry London weather.

After two well-portioned but light courses, there was still plenty of room for dessert. Carefully arranged red wine poached pear with ice cream and warm chocolate fondant with orange compote provided the answer.

The menu at Aurelia London, filled with Mediterranean flavours, managed to be both wintry and light. All was washed down with fresh mint tea and all just over an hour.

It’s not committed to a single cuisine but with so many restaurants specialising in smaller and smaller niches, Aurelia London is probably one of the few places that’s still focusing on a wide region and doing it well.

It’s obvious really; if they’re packed on a Monday lunchtime, they must be doing something right.

Aurelia London are delighted to offer Bon Vivant’s members a 10% discount for Sunday Brunch (open from 11am-5pm) and a 15% discount on wines/champagne (Monday to Saturday for lunch and dinner). Contact us now for further details about membership with Bon Vivant.

The Rooftop Cafe at The Exchange – Restaurant Review

Posted by Qin

Underneath the towering shadow of The Shard is an unlikely restaurant – the Rooftop Café at The Exchange. Part of an office building, the Rooftop Café is not easy to find but that’s one of the reasons why it’s such a great hideaway.

Open since January this year and despite being right next to The Shard, the Rooftop Café at The Exchange has somehow managed to maintain its views. Inside, the open kitchen is the first thing to greet you as you enter. The stripped-back dining room is spread over three little pockets of space, divided by banquettes and chairs. Comfortable, but not too cosy.

The food is simple but the menu changes daily with four options per course. For a menu so small, it also offers a surprising number of dishes suitable for vegetarians.

The starters were charmingly simple. We had pancetta with poacher (cheese), pear and walnut and goats curd with green beans, shallot and capers. Warm, light and a very ingredient led introduction to the food at the Rooftop Café at The Exchange.

For mains, there was the truffled mushroom ravioli with parmesan and the special – a chorizo stew. The pungent truffled filling of the ravioli was cased in delicate fresh pasta that broke all too easily.

The chorizo stew, laden with chick peas and lightly spiced, was topped with dressed salad and bread. Both dishes were well-portioned and balanced. Other dishes available included the scallops with black pudding and seared apple (pictured below).

The wine list, mostly European, is also compact, varied and interesting. Their focus is on sustainability and small producers and it really shows. The wine we had, a red made from a blend of three grape varieties indigenous to Italy, was sealed with a beer cap top and a basic label. Impressive is the fact that only 200 bottles of it were produced and while difficult to get into, it proved a good match for the food.

A banana cake with salted caramel ice cream and orange cake with crème fraiche were ordered for dessert. The soft citrus of the orange cake worked well with the zest blended into the crème fraiche while the banana cake with the ice cream was another classic flavour combination.

The food at the Rooftop Café at the Exchange is simple but delicious and the service is helpful and attentive. It’s a wonderfully relaxed atmosphere to catch up with friends or go on a date where there’s no pressure of challenging food or the cold silence of fine dining.

Like the food, it’s the perfect antidote to the wintry weather but it also bears delightful possibilities for the summer with the rooftop terrace.

If you liked our review of the Rooftop at The Exchange, sign up to our blog below as we review London’s restaurant scene:

Wabi London Restaurant Review – An Excellent New Japanese Restaurant

Posted by Frances

Frances Cottrell finds new restaurant Wabi London to be an exceptional addition to London’s Japanese dining scene.

When London announces the return of Nobu ex-Head Chef Scott Hallsworth to open a Japanese restaurant (with an European twist) I did think I’d be in for a treat. I had no idea though just what a delectable treat Wabi London would turn out to be.

Wabi London is the more sophisticated sister to Sussex born Wabi which opened three years ago and, according to reports, was the ideal testing ground before opening in the capital.

Apparently backers have a plan to launch five sites in the next five years which explains the strong brand identity here, echoing that of Nobu, but it sets itself apart with outstanding food, wonderful wines and great, interesting service.

The main dining room isn’t as luxurious as the presentation of the food might like, and the serving staff are in *very* odd, double-take uniforms, but that aside, if it is incredible food you’re after then Wabi should not disappoint.

We started with chips and dips, which was a plate of crunchy pork scratchings with various sauces and a delicious chicken liver pâté to dip and crunch our way through. Excellent so far. Tuna tatami with a hot and sharp tomato gel sheet was a deliciously fresh juxtaposition to this and was a hint of the freshness and incredible produce to come.

Next, from the ‘crunchy’ menu was a plate of pumpkin tempura so perfect I craved it for the next 48 hours and prawn tempura was served similarly beautifully with kimchee and kimchee mayo, a light and crunchy coating and plump, flavoursome prawns.

Pork belly buns with peanut and chilli were so moreish it was almost impossible not to order another pair of them. Buns are fluffy and pillowy and pork is laced in the stickiest, richest BBQ sauce with peanuts adding a gorgeous garnish.

Tuna rolls were so fresh, so perfectly bundled, that you felt you could eat them forever. And soft shell crab inside-out rolls were a total surprise star with the crispness of the battered crab melting perfectly into the cool rice.

If you go to Wabi London, you must employ the services of the Sommelier. His quirky approach and useful, palatable explanations of the wines was a really enjoyable addition to the meal, and some of his wines were outstanding. Clever matches and the nicest Pinot Noirs we’ve ever had meant this meal just got better and better.

Wabi offers exceptional food, great service and I can’t think of an occasion it wouldn’t suit. Without the pretentiousness of its competitors, Wabi is exceptional and accessible, friendly and delicious, special enough for occasions and delicious enough to become a weekly treat.

Shaka Zulu Restaurant Review

Posted by Krista

Even the menu at Shaka Zulu isn’t ordinary. The South African game menu brings together images of a man driving through an African safari and screaming “I’ll have one of everything”.

Inside the restaurant, buried in the Camden Lock Market, intense African displays at Shaka Zulu make the American film Jumanji seem like a real life story; giant wooden warriors guard the perimeter, snakes sit in the rafters and incense comes from the tree trunks holding the place together.

Opened nightly as a bar, restaurant and club, this expansive all purpose space is unexpectedly large and requires the use of an escalator to enter its depths.

I visited Shaka Zulu to try out their newest seasonal feel-good drink based around a natural African supplement called Baobab. This mega nutrient comes from the Baobab Tree, or ‘the tree of life’, a symbolic tree in the African savannah. Baobab is packed full of vitamins C, B6, calcium, potassium and fibre.

The in house mixologist at Shaka Zulu has combined this with Courvoisier vs., Chambord Liqueur, Port, Red Bush Tea, and Cardamom Syrup garnished with cinnamon stick. The result tastes like a refined mulled wine, only healthier.

After drinks, we went down escalator number two into a dark underworld of African Warrior statues and carved wall paintings for dinner. For starters I ordered the crocodile cigars. As a self proclaimed ‘safe’ eater, I figured these would be an easy start.

The crocodile came wrapped in a sort of spring roll pastry and a rich creamy sauce. They would have been quite delicious had I been able to get over the fact that I was, in fact, eating crocodile.

My guest had the ham hock and wildebeest – a tasty pork knuckle pressed into a square with a sweet papaya salsa that could make a monkey beetle taste good! He really enjoyed it and I could tell that the jungle feast was on!

As a main, my guest continued on the adventurous war path with the Zebra fillet, though he half considered chasing down a speedy Springbok or an angry wildebeest (both actual menu options). I continued off the trail and plucked up some safe King Scallops.

For dessert we had brandy pudding and a raspberry trifle, both of which were nice and adequately satisfying but when you’ve sampled a menu as unique as what we’ve had, the final course fell somewhat flat.

As the night grew on at Shaka Zulu, the lights got dimmer, the music became louder, and the smoke (yes smoke) radiating from all corners of the space, intensified. Happy diners stand up from their tables and make their way across the room to the centre bar, ready to dance the night away.

Having tried crocodile and a bite of my guest’s Zebra (which I will admit was fantastic), my adventurous levels are tapped and we made our way back up the escalators into the real world of rain, cold and cell phone reception.

Shaka Zulu is not built for an intimate dinner or a quick bite to eat, it is however, a decent place to come with friends for a fun night out or to show visitors somewhere unique. Adventurous tastebuds required.

You can also read our other restaurant reviews including Coya London, El Pirata in Mayfair or Restaurant 34.