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Romantic Restaurants

Bird of Smithfield – New London Restaurant

Posted by Emyr Thomas

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 restaurant’s 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.

The intimate basement bar at Bird of Smithfield, known as The Birdcage will also host live music on selected nights with drinks from London-based bar consultancy Fluid Movement (Purl, Worship St Whistling Shop and Dach & Sons).

Address: Bird of Smithfield, 26 Smithfield Street London EC1A 9LB

Bird of Smithfield will open in the spring of 2013. Further details will be announced shortly, along with our review, so sign up below to be the first to know:

Sushinho Restaurant: Brazilian-Japanese Food Arrives in The City

Posted by Emyr Thomas

With the recent wave of Latin American restaurants arriving in London (see Coya and Ceviche) and then those who mix Latin American with Japanese (see Sushisamba London), it is often forgotten that Sushinho brought Brazilian-Japanese food to London with its Chelsea restaurant back in 2008.

Sushinho has now launched a second restaurant in The City on Devonshire Square, close to Liverpool Street station.

Spread over two floors in a listed building that used to be the Old Bengal Warehouse, Sushinho features a ground floor restaurant complete with a 10ft sushi bar and, on the lower ground floor, the Cutler Bar cocktail lounge and private dining room.

Click to read our full review of Sushinho.

The Best Hotel Restaurants in London

Posted by Emyr Thomas

Bon Vivant’s Emyr Thomas discusses the best hotel restaurants in London.

Creating a successful restaurant inside a hotel can be rather challenging – combining a restaurant that placates the traveller that also attracts regular locals is not an easy task. Hotels need to have a very versatile restaurant that can offer breakfast, lunch, afternoon tea, dinner and room service, all with impeccable standards and service.

The best hotels, however, are savvy enough to have more than one dining option, often including a special signature restaurant. Here we highlight the best hotel restaurants in London.

Dinner by Heston at The Mandarin Oriental

Dinner by Heston is Heston Blumenthal’s first foray into the London restaurant scene at the Mandarin Oriental. ‘Dinner’, one of the most anticipated restaurant openings of recent years, received immediate acclaim by critics, collecting its first Michelin Star in the 2012 UK Michelin Guide.

The signature ‘Meat Fruit’ is worth a visit alone at one of the best hotel restaurants in London.

Marcus Wareing at The Berkeley

Marcus Wareing at The Berkeley merges elegance and warmth in a luxurious setting in the Berkeley Hotel in Knightsbridge. With intricate yet robust flavours, clean textures and a quality ethos the cuisine is something that entices you back again and again.

We would recommend the chef’s table in its own luxurious and intimate air-conditioned space at the heart of the restaurant, or the larger Pomerol private room, one of the best private dining rooms in London.

Bistro Bruno Loubet at the Zetter

The Zetter hotel in Clerkenwell welcomed Bruno Loubet back to the London scene with his restaurant, Bistrot Bruno Loubet. The space may be a bit tight, with tables packed in next to each other, but the crowds keep flocking here for the rustic French cooking with intense flavours.

Alyn Williams at The Westbury

Alyn Williams at the Westbury opened quietly at the end of 2011 in the Westbury Hotel in Mayfair from chef Alyn Williams, who was previously head chef at the two Michelin starred Marcus Wareing at The Berkeley.

Our reviewer describes it as ‘slick, elegant and contemporary cooking, as handsome as it is delicious’ where ‘the décor is luxurious and chic’ – the restaurant gained its first Michelin star in this year’s guide. Click here to read our full review of one of the best hotel restaurants in London

Cut at 45 Park Lane

‘Cut’ opened in the new 45 Park Lane hotel, the latest hotel from The Dorchester Collection. ‘Cut’ is a restaurant by Wolfgang Puck, the celebrated US chef, who opened the original ‘Cut’ at the Beverly Wilshire hotel in Beverly Hills in 2006.

The London outpost serves excellent steaks in a suitably glamorous dining room, making Cut a contender for one of the best hotel restaurants in London.

Bar Boulud at The Mandarin Oriental, Knightsbridge

Daniel Boulud, one of the most coveted chefs in the US, opened his first restaurant in the UK at the Mandarin Oriental with Bar Boulud.

The room may lack real character, but the mix of rustic French brasserie fare and a New York style buzz made it an instant hit, with almost universal praise for the charcuterie boards and the burgers.

Viajante at the Town Hall Hotel

Nuno Mendes’s Viajante is situated in Bethnal Green’s Town Hall Hotel. The cooking at Viajante is experimental, creative and executed with real flair. The more casual Corner Room is also a big attraction, especially for a weekend brunch, meaning the hotel has two of the best hotel restaurants in London

Helene Darroze at the Connaught

The Connaught is home to two of our favourite bars in London, with the warm, cosy Coburg Bar and the glamorous Connaught Bar. The restaurant, neatly placed at the front with views over Mount Street, is equally wonderful.

Helene Darroze serves delectable French cuisine inspired by authentic regional and seasonal flavours, highly deserving of its 2 Michelin stars.

Hoxton Grill at the Hoxton Hotel

A part of the Soho House group, the Hoxton Grill offers a selection of classic American dishes in the Hoxton Hotel in Shoreditch. The restaurant is a contrast to the usual hotel dining experience in a cool, stylish but casual setting.

Dean Street Townhouse

Dean Street Townhouse is located on Dean Street in Soho, which is always buzzing with the Soho crowd perched at the bar with cocktails or enjoying the classic British menu.

The room combines vintage armchairs, cut glass chandeliers and wooden floors and the walls are scattered with the cream of contemporary British art. Dean Street Townhouse is one of the best hotel restaurants in London.

Seven Park Place at St James’s Hotel & Club

William Drabble’s dishes at Seven Park Place are modern French in style with fine British ingredients. Seven Park Place’s dining room is chic and intimate, with private dining available for groups of 9 or more.

William Drabble also oversees the stylish William’s Bar and Bistro. With comfortable seating and a relaxed, sophisticated atmosphere, the menu features classic bistro dishes, with afternoon tea also served daily.

Hix Mayfair at Brown’s Hotel

Mayfair’s Brown’s Hotel is home to Hix Mayfair from celebrated chef Mark Hix, which focuses on contemporary British food and art. The dining room is traditional with a twist – HIX Mayfair is home to a collection of work by leading British artists including Tracey Emin, Michael Landy and Bridget Riley.

Alain Ducasse at the Dorchester

One of London’s few 3 Michelin starred restaurants from super-chef Alain Ducasse. Our favourite feature is the Table Lumiere private dining room which is ideal for up to six guests.

Cocooned by a luminescent oval curtain, it is surrounded by 4,500 shimmering fibre optics that drop dramatically from the ceiling – stunning!

If you would like to access our extensive knowledge of London’s best hotels and restaurants, along with securing the best table for you, contact us at Bon Vivant now to become a member.

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Read some of our best restaurant reviews including Coya, 34 Restaurant and Portal.

Buddha Bar London – Restaurant Review

Posted by Vilma

Buddha Bar London opened in Knightsbridge on the former site of the Chicago Rib Shack at the end of last year and its interiors are simply stunning. Two dazzling Chinese dragons made of tiny crystal balls guard the staircase to the restaurant below, where David Begbie’s bronze mesh sculpture of Buddha shines through the darkness and 207 brass Buddha figures watch over the diners.

Set over two floors, the bar and restaurant exude a fusion of colonial, baroque and East meets West style. The food menu blends Chinese, Japanese, Thai and other Eastern flavours with Western tastes and influences.

On the night of our visit the crowd is typical Knightsbridge of East meets West meets Far East meets… London, Moscow and Dubai. Some women are wearing the smallest and tightest cocktail dresses and the highest heels while others are covered in long black clothes and head scarves.

Everyone looks beautiful and glamorous in dimmed light and the clinking of the cutlery and plates are softened by the chill out sounds of Electro-Lounge music.

We start our dinner with two of my favourite Pan Asia dishes – Spicy Edamame (£4) and Chilly Salt Crispy Baby Squid (£8.70), followed by the more adventurous Smoked Duck and Foie Gras Gyoza (£15.50) and Dragon Scallop Steamed in the Shell (£13.60).

I loved the edamame and the squid, but the gyoza dumplings were far too rich for my taste (duck and foie gras dumplings fried in oil might not be the smartest choice for anyone trying to watch their weight). The scallops lacked any flavours and would have tasted much better had they been spicier.

The Crunchy Sushi (6 pieces for £16.20) is a dish I have never tried before and it was an interesting interpretation. Prawn Tempura with Asparagus (6 pieces for £8.90) was delicious, but the true stars of our dinner were the Black Cod Roasted with Lemongrass Miso (£27.90) and the English Beef Fillet with Black Garlic Sauce (£24.50).

Buddha Bars are known for their adventurous cocktails and instead of dessert I had a Pisco Sour spin-off called Clems Sour (Pisco, yuzu juice, agave syrup, egg white, angostura bitter for £10.50). My guest ordered a very complicated Zombie Nation (Eldorado 12ans, Chairman Spiced, Wray Nephew over proof, fresh lime juice, golden falernum liquor, passion fruit and pineapple with touch of bitter creole and Hennessy fine de cognac £16.00). Both cocktails put the final touches to our fabulous and exotic dinner.

Bon Vivant’s clients receive preferential booking at many of London’s best restaurants – contact us now to enquire about our services.

In Parma Restaurant, Fitzrovia

Posted by Fiona

In Parma Restaurant in Fitzrovia is a small venue with a big vision. In a city of increasing restaurant specialisms, In Parma is up there for commitment and quality. Dedicated to sourcing not only the finest ingredients from the region, but also the smaller suppliers, the menu shows pictures of the founder, Christian, wrestling produce from the suppliers - ‘so good they don’t want to let it go’.

In Parma is the practical realisation of Food Roots, a company dedicated to the preservation of traditional Italian produce, importing foods bearing the Protected Designation of Origin and Protected Geographical Indication seals, which guarantee authenticity of flavour and sourcing. The restaurant, therefore, also doubles up as a gourmet food store.

But enough of all that. This IS the best Parma ham I’ve ever had. The Culatello di Zibello lives up to its fanfare and silky description on the menu and has a wonderful balance of salty-sweet meatiness.

And if you’re into your meats and cheeses, then the hardest part is going to be deciding what to have. Thankfully, there are a number of options for ‘mix and match’ which allow for more choice. We tried the In Parma charcuterie selection followed by the ‘tender’ cheeses; a more gentle choice of flavoured cheese, the Taleggio was a particular highlight with its mild and creamy texture and fruity tang.

There is also a tantalising offer of mains. We tried a buttery-sweet ravioli and a wonderfully meaty and very rich Ragu di Chianina with home-made polenta. The ‘Chianina’ part referring to one of the oldest breeds of cattle in Italy. The Ragu had a fantastic tomato taste, bursting with flavour with the salty polenta.

Passion is a word used a lot (guilty as charged), but there is no danger of exaggeration here. The menu is a testimony to this, with some rare kinds of Parma ham and Parmigiano-Reggiano on offer. If you’re interested in learning more about the culture and traditions of the food and wine in this region then look no further; Christian and his colleagues will be more than happy to discuss this with you.

The décor is fresh and simple. Exposed brick work, hanging meats and shelves filled with wines line the small dining area. The overall result is a place where food is to be savoured and enjoyed, so avoid the temptation to over-order up front. The beauty of these kinds of places is that they allow you to order as much or as little as your time and appetite will allow.

Concierge’s tip: Do not miss out on the chance to try the Culatello di Zibello. You might also enjoy trying a bowl of Parma’s sparkling red, Lambrusco IGT, Monte delle Vigne 2011. You’ll have your photo taken and the image projected along with others on the back wall!

If you would like your own personal concierge to help with your restaurant reservations, please contact us at Bon Vivant.

The Grill on the Market, Farringdon

Posted by Fiona

Smithfields. Site of the famous meat market. The address alone sets the tone for this restaurant and The Grill on the Market naturally makes the most of this. But it’s not just a shrine to all things steak – it’s dedicated to the surf as well as the turf.

The décor at The Grill on the Market is tasteful and understated: Distressed pale wood and simple furnishings greet you in the bar, situated at the front of the restaurant, with a more luxurious feel in the main restaurant – including booths and large round tables to cosily get down to some serious eating.

And boy, can you eat here. The range on the menu at The Grill on the Market reflects somewhere marketing itself as solid, honest, proper food – salt and pepper chicken, calamari, garlic king prawns, chicken and sweetcorn chowder. There’s a kind of north American classic feel.

For mains, there is a decent selection of steaks on offer at The Grill on the Market, including a chateaubriand and wagyu fillet. On the other hand, if you’re feeling more seafood inclined, there’s a fine choice of dishes to pick from: whole lobster, smoked salmon, moules frites, whole Dover sole, fish and chips…you get the picture.

Having decided to keep in with this classic vibe and settled on oysters followed by sirloin steak, the attentive and friendly waitress points out you can have your steak with…either a skewer of garlic prawns or half a lobster.

Well, what can you say to that? In fact, the menu also offers something called ‘posh surf and turf’, a substantial combination of Sirloin steak, baby scallops, prawns and crayfish.

In hindsight, opting for steak and half a lobster was a bit too much (read greedy) for me, but on their own both were sound offers. The sirloin was a tasty and juicy hunk, if slightly over cooked for medium rare, and the lobster full of chunks of tender white meat.

It’s a relief to see a list of greens to accompany this protein haven. Overall, the menu at The Grill on the Market isn’t a menu for the light-hearted. Desserts take in crème brulee, chocolate fudge cake (recommended if you can manage it), sticky toffee and red velvet cake.

There’s a pianist playing in the background at The Grill on the Market and it’s a buzzy place. The tables are filled with large groups of friends, the post work crowd and couples, reflecting the wide appeal of places like this. Price-wise it is mid-range for steak and lobster…but it can add up.

The Grill on the Market isn’t showy; the focus is on a robust, tasty and dependable menu, with a good range of choice – which extends to its wine and cocktail list – but it’s delivered with enough style and comfort to carry it all through.

Concierge’s tip: Ask for a table in one of the booths – you’ll get an excellent view of the other diners and a cosy table at which to tuck in.

The Grill on the Market are also launching a new brunch menu with unlimited prosecco for two or more people over two hours. Find out more about Bubbly Brunch and make a reservation.

Banca Restaurant Review

Posted by Emyr Thomas

Mayfair has an abundance of glamorous restaurants, where the design, ambiance and cocktail list can often take precedence. But when the kitchen produces food that makes you feel as special as the venue? Well, that’s a place worth getting in line for, as Emyr Thomas discovered at Banca Restaurant.

Banca opened in late summer 2012 to initial lukewarm reviews – while some judge restaurants in the first weeks of opening, I prefer to wait a little while to make sure you catch the restaurant firmly in full swing; a strategy that appears to have paid off with Banca, as we had a wonderful evening with some really rather good Italian cooking.

As the name indicates, the restaurant is housed within a former bank, and retains some of the original features, including the vault door in the basement private dining room.

I arrived at Banca to find my guests at the counter half way through their first bottle and a large plate of prosciutto, salami and parmigiano, while being charmed and educated by the barman. In true Milanese style, we stood around by the bar for a while chatting, drinking and picking at the wonderful plate of Italian charcuterie.

But to the food: Sea bass carpaccio with avocado, lime and sun blush tomatoes was effervescent in both colour and taste, and, as unhealthy as it sounds to start a dinner, lightly fried courgettes and carrots were, thankfully, true to their name.

Pumpkin ravioli with butter and sage was wonderfully comforting for an autumnal evening; the linguine with lobster and cherry tomato sauce could have done with a bit more of a kick; but the char grilled dry aged T bone steak served with flavoured coarse sea salt and cannellini beans was a real revelation – who knew steaks could be this good outside a top steakhouse?

I can recall very little of the desserts (I never can – something about too much wine and the end of an evening) but can remember my dining companions enjoying the tiramisu, which means it probably had a good proportion of booze in it (always a telling sign).

Situated on the top end of North Audley Street, Banca is very much a Mayfair restaurant in name, location and style, and that is partly why I liked it. Although many do, to complain about high prices in London’s most prestigious post code would be futile and rather tedious, but for a slice of Milan in Mayfair, depositing your savings in Banca wouldn’t be a bad thing at all.

Concierge’s tip: take a seat at the bar, order a negroni and a plate of salumi.

Bon Vivant’s clients receive preferential booking and a complimentary bellini at Banca Restaurant – contact us now to enquire about our services.

Mews of Mayfair – A Fine British Brasserie

Posted by Vilma

Tucked away in a charming cobbled courtyard just off New Bond Street, Mews of Mayfair is bustling with the drink-after-work or a bite-after-shopping crowds. It’s winter, it’s pretty chilly and everyone is supposed to be detoxing, but the people here are obviously ignoring any New Year’s resolutions… Almost every table outside is busy and the ground floor bar is heaving with merry ladies and gentlemen downing cocktails since the early evening.

Mews of Mayfair is spread over four floors of two converted mews houses. A brasserie, private dining room called La Cave, Chef’s dining room, a bar on the ground floor and a lounge in the basement – all in one place in central London. You can happily spend an entire evening here, starting with dinner on the higher floors and making your way down as the evening progresses – the lounge is open until 1am.

The brasserie on the first floor has recently been refurbished – cosy and flattering lighting, soft colours and a relaxed atmosphere – the restaurant is beautiful and much less formal that its predecessor.

The Brassiere pays tribute to British delicacies. Chef Richard Sawyer (previously the Executive Chief of British restaurant Rules) has created a menu that showcases some favourite traditional dishes with local ingredients. The sourcing of local produce is taken very seriously here and on the back of every menu one can find a map of the United Kingdom, proudly detailing the areas where different products come from.

The prices are decent for Mayfair and the portions are very generous – my Devon Crab Mayonnaise on toast starter was almost the size of a main meal (£11). My guest Paul ordered Hand Dived Rye Scallops and declared them top quality – they came served with cauliflower purée, roasted penny buns and sultanas (£12.5).

The flavours were subtle and perfectly combined with our drinks – a Sipsmith G&T with cucumber, my English Garden cocktail (champagne, citrus vodka and Elderflower cordial) and a lovely white South African wine (The Journeymaker Chenin Blanc 2012, only £22.50 for a bottle) that I couldn’t stop smelling, tasting and then smelling and tasting again…

We ordered steaks for our main courses and the subtle tastes were changed by the defined and strong aromas of meat. My fillet (£24) was superb – soft, juicy and cooked just as I requested. My guest who grew up in South Africa announced that he is a serious lover of meat and indulged with a really really really big portion of T-bone… And even managed to finish it (just). We found out that the restaurant uses the finest Galloway beef from the Yorkshire Game Company dry aged for a minimum of 35 days.

The best part of our evening was experiencing some of the most friendly and attentive service that I’ve experienced in London. We were in Assistant Manager Gregory Lakatos’s care and somehow he knew what we wanted, and as if materialising from thin air, he appeared at our table to top the wine, bring extra sauces for the meat and offer excellent suggestions of what else we could order.

That’s how we ended up eating Stilton with oatmeal crackers and drinking a fantastic Pedro Ximenez sherry. An explosion of rich sweet flavours that cut through the almost overpowering taste of blue cheese. We also tried some Port and then were happily swinging our way downstairs to the lively party in the ground floor bar for a night cap… The headache was pretty bad the next morning, but the pleasure of the night before was definitely worth the pain.

Concierge tip: Go for dinner, drinks and a bit of boogie in one place in central London.

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As Greek As It Gets – Restaurant Review

Posted by Vilma

Vilma Darling visits As Greek As It Gets in Earl’s Court.

Seven years ago Greek businessman Dimitris Karonis had just launched Yo Sushi in Athens when he had a bet with its owner who claimed he could not open and run a successful Greek restaurant in London. Dimitris proved the man wrong. Seven years on and his restaurant in Earl’s Court Road in London – As Greek As It Gets – is buzzing with regular and new customers every evening.

The restaurant is modern and simple, decorated with authentic spoons, mirrors, a map of Greece and black and white family photos. Ouzo, the traditional anise-flavoured Greek aperitif, is flowing freely and the guests are munching on meze plates of Mediterranean favourites.

Hummus and tzatziki or taramosalata dips with pitta bread, aubergines with grilled tomato, feta and basil, lamb meat balls, Moussaka, Souvlaki and many other delicacies that you can choose from an extensive menu.

The benefits of a Mediterranean diet are well known and after recent reports about the remote Greek island of Ikaria where there are more healthy people over 90 than any other place on the planet, I decide it’s time we start paying better attention to Greek food and wine.

Dimitris imports wine directly from local producers all over the country, his olives come from Crete, honey from Thasos and even the restaurant’s chef, Miltos Michas, was discovered in Greece and brought over to London after Dimitris had fallen in love with his cooking.

At As Greek As It Gets, I fall in love with prawns cooked in ouzo, feta and tomato sauce called Garides Saganaki, calamari stuffed with feta and herbs (Gemisto Kalamari), lamb meatballs in cumin and tomato sauce (Soutzoukakia), spinach pie (Spanakopitakia) and a 2008 Tsantali Rapsani Reserve red wine.

Dimitris suggests we try some exotic delicacies that are popular in Greece, such as lamb’s brain (Myala), tongue and tripe that are not on the menu but are available for large parties on request. After a few careful bites I come to the conclusion that offal dishes are not for me and go for a light and delicious dessert of milk pie called Galaktoboureko.

The people of Ikaria island in Greece say they enjoy wine, food, a good night’s sleep and say they simply forget to die. We can only hope that with all the great restaurants and various foods and wines available in London, we can do the same.

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The GrEAT British Restaurant

Posted by Krista

A dark rainy night in Mayfair is the perfect time for some British comfort food. A left from Oxford Street onto North Audley Street brings you to the newly opened GrEAT British Restaurant, a stylish restaurant serving up traditional British fare.

Arriving at the restaurant, I am surprised at how small it is but there is everything you would expect to see in a traditional British space – dark wooden panelled walls and benches, old black and white photos on the walls and dim candlelit tables.

The menu is strictly British, with all ingredients sourced in Britain with items like Suffolk Lamb, Devon clams and Yorkshire pork belly to chose from. Even the wines are sourced locally. There is a wide variety of white and sparkling options but only a few red wines as the English climate makes it very difficult to produce red wine apparently.

The staff are friendly and helpful and help us to select the Sharpham Pinot Noir after we find the house red too sweet. Scanning the menu, we know it will undoubtedly be a heavy meal, but diets start in January right? We start with Beet Root Salad and the soup special of the day – artichoke, mushroom and King oyster in a cream broth.

The salad is fresh and flavourful but the soup was very rich in tarragon, which ended up overpowering everything else. The selection of mains represent all the classics – pot roast chicken, pork belly, Shepherd’s Pie and Fish and Chips among them. I try the Sussex Cheese Sausage, which was heavenly. The sausages were perfectly crispy on the outside and soft on the inside; I couldn’t have eaten them faster.

My guest chooses the Suffolk Lamb that comes with a side bacon hot pot. Both are delicious but may be best put separately on the menu as it was very hearty and the plate could have benefited from some side veg instead.

Desserts were another highlight with the Chocolate Pudding and Salted Caramel Ice Cream being beautifully rich and the ‘proper’ apple and blackberry crumble, complete with a mini pot of custard to pour over, was delicious.

The relaxed and cosy atmosphere makes The GrEAT British Restaurant the perfect place to linger while recovering from a satisfying meal and there is a nice selection of English teas to help things along. Authenticity is the focus here and they really nail it. Country classics are well executed with the freshest ingredients and unique pairings. With a number of options for British fare in the city, The GrEAT British Restaurant is definitely worth a visit.

Concierge’s Tip: There’s a private room in the back of the restaurant available to hire for an intimate dinner or party.

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