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Romantic Restaurants

Casa Negra – New Mexican Restaurant in Shoreditch

Posted by Emyr Thomas

Following last year’s successful Soho hit La Bodega Negra, Ricker Restaurants will launch Casa Negra in Shoreditch on 10 June 2013, adding to the group’s portfolio that also includes E&O, XO, Cicada and Eight Over Eight.

Casa Negra will offer a menu of Mexican style street food, including ceviches, coctèls, aguachiles and tostadas, along with a number of different tacos.

Casa Negra’s signature dish will be the Carnitas de lechon – a suckling pig ‘served at the table with fresh salsas and traditional garnishes’.

The head chef at Casa Negra will be Brad McDonald from New York, formerly of Brooklyn restaurants Gran Electrica and Governor.

Casa Negra’s dining room will seat 82, with space for 30+ at the bar, which will be open until 2am. There will also be a ‘Casa Playroom’ downstairs – full details to follow!

For the latest updates, you can follow @CasaNegraLDN on Twitter or sign up to our blog below for our full review in due course:

Address: Casa Negra, 54-56 Great Eastern Street, London, EC2A 3QR

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 London Guide From Bon Vivant

Posted by Emyr Thomas

We hope that our members and readers enjoy our regular blog posts – we try to make sure we tell you about the best venues and experiences to help maximise your free time and to ensure you are ‘in the know’ before anyone else.

In addition to the blog, we have launched a new section on our main website called The London Guide – your one source for the best hotels, restaurants, bars, spas, exclusive events and cultural highlights in one of the greatest cities on Earth – London.

Whether you want to know about the best London hotels (luxury or boutique), want to find a suitable London restaurant for the right occasion (brunch, afternoon, business lunch or private dining room, for example) or need inspiration for somewhere to go for a drink (cocktail bar, rooftop bar or champagne bar).

Bon Vivant’s London Guide hopes to be your one source to return to time and time again for inspiration on the best that London has to offer – it has our best content in one place, easily accessible and in an easy format to navigate.

We also have a section on London neighbourhood guides and a selection of holiday destination and travel guides including the Caribbean, Mallorca, Barcelona and the South of France.

Bon Vivant’s London Guide will tell you what you need to book, for whom, when and how. Click here to read The London Guide.

If you would like us to cover any content that we currently don’t have, please email us or leave a comment below – we would love to hear your thoughts. If you don’t already subscribe to our blog, enter your email address below:

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:

Clerkenwell Restaurants and Bars: London Neighbourhood Guide

Posted by Emyr Thomas

Bon Vivant’s Emyr Thomas has lived in Clerkenwell for 10 years and knows its restaurants and bars inside out. Here’s a selection of his favourite Clerkenwell Restaurants and Clerkenwell Bars.

Clerkenwell Restaurants: Caravan

Caravan offers one of the best brunches in London on the weekend in a relaxed and effortlessly cool setting on Exmouth Market in Clerkenwell. When the weather warms up, the door and windows open and diners spill out into the street.

The New Zealand influenced restaurant has its own coffee roaster, so flat whites are very popular too. Caravan has a second outpost, Caravan King’s Cross.

Clerkenwell Restaurants: Morito

Moriton is a small tapas bar right next door to its big sister, Moro, the acclaimed Spanish restaurant on Exmouth Market. This is one of my favourite tapas bars in London – it’s small, casual and has an excellent selection of authentic and inventive tapas dishes.

Clerkenwell Bars: ZTH Bar at The Zetter Townhouse Hotel

The Zetter Townhouse bar is designed around a fictional crazy aunt whose artefacts from around the globe fill up the room.

The setting in a townhouse on a beautify square in Clerkenwell is delightful and the cocktails are excellent.

Clerkenwell Restaurants: The Modern Pantry

Right next door to the Zetter Townhouse is Anna Hansen’s Modern Pantry, which serves excellent food in light, bright surroundings. The restaurants also has a large terrace to make the most of the sunshine in the summer months with alfresco dining and a few lovely private dining rooms upstairs.

Clerkenwell Bars: The Peasant

Clerkenwell has its share of gastropubs, including the Coach & Horses and The Eagle, but The Peasant is one of my favourites. The downstairs bar area is full of character, serving a long list of ales and beers, with plenty of room for both drinkers and diners.

Clerkenwell Restaurants: Polpo Smithfield

A recent addition to Clerkenwell, Polpo Smithfield opened near Smithfield Market in the summer of 2012. Polpo Smithfield is the latest restaurant from Russell Norman, whose restaurant empire started with the original Polpo in Soho.

Polpo Smithfield also has a basement Negroni bar.

Clerkenwell Restaurants: Portal

Portal is a modern Portuguese restaurant and bar on St John Street. Architecturally, the dining room is stunning: a glass conservatory within a brick courtyard with atmospheric and beautiful up-lighting creating a dramatic backdrop.

The Iberian cuisine is top notch with some wonderful Portuguese wines.

Clerkenwell Restaurants: Bistrot Bruno Loubet

Bruno Loubet returned to the London restaurant scene with Bistrot Bruno Loubet at The Zetter Hotel. The tables are packed in next to each other, but the crowds keep flocking here for the rustic French cooking with intense flavours.

Clerkenwell Bars: Nightjar

Although not strictly in Clerkenwell, Nightjar is a beautiful bar hidden away in a basement in Old Street, which does technically have an EC1 postcode.

Nightjar is a great place to relax with a drink alongside laid back jazz and brilliant live music on Wednesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays.

Clerkenwell Restaurants: St John Restaurant

A guide to Clerkenwell’s restaurant wouldn’t be complete without a mention of St John, the famous ‘nose to tail’ restaurant that uses every possible part of an animal. St John is a bit of a Mecca for London’s ‘foodies’ and certainly worth a visit at least once.

Other notable restaurants include French restaurant Morgan M, the relaunched Quality Chop House and the Fox & Anchor pub on Smithfield Market.

If you need a strong coffee after visiting all the restaurants and bars, try Workshop Coffee Co, which features on our guide to the best coffee shops in London.

What are your favourite Clerkenwell restaurants and bars? We would love to hear your thoughts below.

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New London Restaurants and Bars – Spring 2013

Posted by Emyr Thomas

Following the launch of some excellent brasseries at the start of the year with Brasserie Chavot in Mayfair and Balthazar London in Covent Garden, here’s our guide to the significant new London restaurants and bars opening over the coming months.

Oblix at The Shard

The first restaurant in The Shard to announce its opening date is Oblix, a rotisserie grill restaurant and bar from the team behind Zuma and Roka Restaurants.

Inspired by a classic New York grill, the menu at Oblix will be a mixture of grilled and classic dishes on the 32nd floor of The Shard. The restaurant opens on 6 May 2013 and reservation lines are now open on +44 (0)20 7268 6700.

Two other restaurants from Aqua London are due to open in The Shard in June, making The Shard a hot spot for new London restaurants in 2013 – full details to follow.

Great Northern Hotel

The Great Northern Hotel will reopen in April following a £40 million renovation, located between King’s Cross Station and St Pancras International. The Great Northern Hotel’s 90-cover restaurant, Plum + Spilt Milk, will have a menu of ‘classic British and European dishes.

While the main bar (pictured above) is on the ground floor, the hotel has a wonderful intimate bar on the first floor that’s worth checking out.

Bird of Smithfield

Bird of Smithfield is the new restaurant from Alan Bird, former head chef at The Ivy and former group executive chef of the Soho House Group.

The menu will be ‘British with a twist’ with a classic dining room featuring Harris Tweed and herringbone fabrics, a bar with a cosy lounge feel, a basement cocktail bar, a beautiful private dining room with a chef’s table and a roof terrace overlooking the towers of the old market.

Vista at The Trafalgar Hotel

Vista on the rooftop of The Trafalgar Hotel re-opens in April for the season with glorious views of London’s landmarks and statues, with Nelson’s Column almost at eye level. The rooftop bar will be launching a new menu that fuses savoury dishes with ingredients from classic cocktails.

Little Social, Social Eating House and More!

Jason Atherton is a busy man at the moment – Little Social opened at the end of March on Pollen Street opposite his Michelin-starred restaurant Pollen Street Social with more of a casual French bistro menu.

Social Eating House will soon follow on Poland Street in Soho and it has recently been announced that Jason will take over the restaurant on the 24th floor of Tower 42 from Gary Rhodes’s Rhodes 24 later this year.

Monocle Cafe London

Global affairs magazine Monocle will open its first London café at 18 Chiltern Street, Marylebone, on Monday 15 April. Seating approximately 15 guests over a ground and lower-ground floor, the Monocle Café also has some outdoor seating during the warmer months.

The Monocle Café London will serve freshly roasted coffee from Allpress Espresso in Shoreditch and the will include Swiss-inspired bircher muesli, a hearty Monocle toasty and a Midori salad made from seasonal ingredients.

Christopher’s

Christopher’s, an American restaurant in Covent Garden, will re-open at the beginning of May after an extensive refurbishment of its dining rooms and Martini Bar. The menu will feature American classics and the new Club Room will host private events and parties throughout the day.

New London Restaurants: Kaspar’s at The Savoy

The Savoy will launch Kaspar’s Seafood Bar and Grill on Thursday 2nd May. With views of the The Thames and London landmarks, Kaspar’s Seafood Bar and Grill will offer an informal dining experience, ‘presented in an elegant Twenties-style setting’.

The restaurant is named after The Savoy’s famous resident cat.

Story Restaurant

Tom Sellers’s ‘Story Restaurant’ will open on 16 April on Tooley Street in South London. Story will only have 42 covers available for both lunch and dinner. The menu will features a choice between a six-course (£45) or ten-course (£65) menu.

New London Restaurants New Brunch Venues

If you’re looking for new brunch venues, try 34 restaurant‘s epic new eggs menu (with lobster, crab, grilled asparagus, black pudding, smoked salmon or chorizo) or the new Saturday jazz brunch at Le Caprice in Mayfair. Click to read our guide to the best brunch in London.

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In the meantime, read our reviews of some of our London favourites including Coya, Garufin and Corrigan’s Mayfair.

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.

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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.

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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.