Elysium at Prism Brasserie

Posted by Bon Vivant

Prism Brasserie in the City will host Elysium, an evening of cabaret, circus, burlesque and illusion in July 2012. Created, choreographed and hosted by Milo Miles, the evening looks back to the heyday of cabaret and blends it with a contemporary supper club. Milo Miles is a graduate of the National Ballet School of Canada, having danced and taught professionally for over 25 years.

Elysium at Prism opens on Wednesday 11 July for a preview night, with dinner and show from Thursday 12 July to Saturday 14 July inclusive.

Tickets include a three-course dinner and show and are £54 for advance bookings (£64 on the door), with show only tickets for £24 (£28 on the door).

For further information, bookings and future dates please contact Ayshea Donaldson at Prism Brasserie on 020 7256 3873 or ayshea.donaldson@harveynichols.com

Address: Prism Brasserie, 147 Leadenhall Street, London, EC3V 4QT

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Duck and Waffle at The Heron Tower

Posted by Emyr Thomas

Duck and Waffle restaurant is located on the 40th floor of Heron Tower in the City. The restaurant serves European and British influenced cuisine 24 hours per day, 7 days per week, offering breakfast, brunch, lunch, dinner and late night menus.

The menu changes monthly but always features the signature dish, Duck and Waffle, which consists of confit duck with fried duck egg and mustard maple syrup. Other items that feature regularly include the bbq-spiced crispy pig ears, bacon wrapped dates and spicy ox cheek doughnut.

Highlights on a recent visit to Duck and Waffle include heritage winter tomatoes with baby herbs and aged balsamic; pollock meatballs with lobster cream and parmesan; and whole roasted honey glazed ham hock with roasted turnips and heritage carrots. The bread at Duck and Waffle is excellent, so make sure to order several portions!

The all-day menu is served from 11am to 2am, from 2am until 6am the restaurant offers a separate late night menu, and breakfast is served from 6am to 11am with dishes such as the Foie Gras ‘All Day Breakfast’.

Dick and Waffle has a capacity of 98 with floor-to-ceiling windows, an open kitchen, a 24-seat chef bar and a private dining room.

The head chef at Duck and Waffle is Daniel Doherty, who was previously at The Old Brewery at the Royal Naval College in Greenwich, The Empress in Victoria Park, and The Ambassador on Exmouth Market.

Duck and Waffle is owned by Samba Brands Management, which also operates Sushisamba London on the 38th and 39th floors of Heron Tower.

Address: The Heron Tower, 110 Bishopsgate, London EC2N 4AY
Phone: 020 3640 7310 (active from 22 June)

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The Fox and Anchor, Smithfield

Posted by Frances

Frances Cottrell visits the Fox and Anchor in Clerkenwell.

On a rare sunny afternoon in London, Smithfield Market isn’t everyone’s cup of tea, but a first glance at the Fox and Anchor opposite the meat market instantly makes you fall in love with the area.

The ground floor itself is nothing to write home about, but a glance above at the impressive façade covered in patterned tiles, gargoyle style foxes, leaded windows and a higgledy array of features and it’s easy to see why it’s something of a shrine to architecture fans in London and even further afield.

The Fox and Anchor itself is on the shabby side of shabby chic but looks familiar and inviting with Victorian features such as mahogany doors, etched glass and an ample helping of brass; but could do with a little tlc to support the stature of the exterior.

Inside the pub there’s an impressive selection of ales on tap that the pub serves daily from 7:00am (due to their licence) which are delivered in tankards to add to the sense of antiquity. Dinner was served to us in one of the “snugs” which adds to the cosy atmosphere but getting attention from your waiter can prove a bit of a challenge.

The meal was what you’d expect from a good pub in the city and offered a selection of old London favourites like a pint of prawns and hot, freshly baked pork pies, as well as the usual steaks and burgers on any pub menu across the country.

The rooms, however, were not at all what one would expect from this pub. The entrance is a narrow staircase, totally neglected by the interior design which is wonderful in the rooms themselves, so persist if it initially looks daunting!

We stayed in The Fox and Anchor’s Market Suite which is beautifully decorated and impressively spacious with a bedroom complete with a king size bed and large sitting area with desk and a galley-style bathroom.

Both rooms come with Plasma TVs and Bose sound systems and an additional perk of the private terrace the room has exclusive access to. Come the late afternoon it turns into a complete sun trap and a good tip would be to while away a couple of hours there looking out over the city.

The piece de résistance for The Market Suite is its very impressive bathroom with its immense free-standing copper bath, double copper sinks and a huge walk-in, drench shower. The standard of accommodation is very high, and this would definitely be a favourable city break for someone looking for quality but originality in the city.

Address: The Fox and Anchor, 115 Charterhouse Street, London, EC1M 6AA

Phone: +44 207 250 1300

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Mint Leaf Restaurant

Posted by Frances

By Frances Cottrell

London leads the way in offering its demanding restaurant-goers high-end Indian establishments, and after my recent trip to Mint Leaf there’s another one to add to the list.

The underground bar and dining room has a distinctly dark, clubby feel to it, and even at 7pm on a wet Wednesday there was a great buzz about the place. Panelled walls, gorgeous dark wood furniture and moody, coloured lighting makes for a handsome room, and the dinner we enjoyed was certainly as smart as its home.

Cocktails to start were a little disappointing and uninspired, but served by a waiter so charming almost all was forgiven.

Starters were a step in a very tasty direction, with date-stuffed tandoor paneer a chunky, sweet and smokey version of one of my favourites. Garlic and thyme roasted chicken was creamy and succulent and the cucumber raita it was served with was delightful.

Mains were consistently good and again it was the paneer which shone. Swathed in a butter masala sauce it was a heavyweight dish which the robust cheese was perfect for.

Black Cod in the capital is often done incredibly well, and while I wouldn’t quite place this one amongst the best, it was still a generous hunk of flaky, lightly spiced fish.

Sides of a peshawari naan and stir fried okra with water chestnuts were welcome additions to the meal, the okra in particular punctuating the plate with some bite and crunch.

Classically Indian desserts don’t translate well in the West, but the pistachio kulfi was a gorgeous, nutty and cooling end to the rich meal. Served with a great 2009 Muscat, this wine list is certainly not amateurish. Indian food and wine matching is notoriously difficult, but the list and knowledge of the staff here mean it shouldn’t be too tricky to get spot on.

There was a mix of client dinners, parties and couples here making it one of the most varied dining rooms of this calibre I’ve seen in a long time. If authentic Indian food and a party atmosphere are what you’re looking for, Mint Leaf may just be right up your street.

Bon Vivant’s members will receive a complimentary glass of champagne when they dine in the Mint Leaf restaurant.

Address: Mint Leaf Restaurant & Bar, Suffolk Place, Haymarket, London SW1Y 4HX
Phone: 020 7930 9020

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Sushisamba London at The Heron Tower

Posted by Emyr Thomas

Sushisamba opened its first European restaurant, Sushisamba London, in August 2012, on the 38th and 39th floors of the Heron Tower in The City.

Sushisamba London offers a mix of Japanese, Brazilian and Peruvian cuisine, and with its rooftop position, it also has rather impressive views.

The menu features items from a Robata grill, along with a variety of ceviches and tiraditos, sushi rolls and numerous sharing plates. There are many sushisamba classics such as the Moqueca Mista (shrimp, squid and lobster stock, coconut milk, cashew and chimichurri rice) and the El Topo® roll (with salmon, jalapeño, shiso leaf, fresh melted mozzarella and crispy onion).

Sushisamba London has two large outdoor terraces, one of which has a stunning copper coloured tree as a focus point above the bar. In the warmer months, the restaurant will have two of the best rooftop bars in London.

Sushisamba London has a late licence, opening until 1am Monday to Wednesday, 2am on Thursday and 3am on Friday and Saturday. While the restaurant takes bookings, the bar is available for walk-in customers with no need for a reservation.

Address: Heron Tower, 110 Bishopsgate, London EC2N 4AY

Reservations: +44 20 3640 7330

If you like sky high dining, try Duck & Waffle on the 40th floor of The Heron Tower, or if you like Peruvian cuisine, read our review of London’s latest hotspot, Coya Restaurant and Bar in Mayfair.

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Launceston Place Restaurant Review

Posted by Frances

One of The D&D Group’s finest restaurants, Launceston Place has often been recommended to me, so I was excited to dine there recently on a sunny spring afternoon.

The area is as genteel as you’d hope from the South Kensington address, and the cobbled street that leads you to Launceston Place is absolutely picturesque.

At Launceston Place, the knowledgeable French staff almost outnumbered the diners, and despite a few glitches, remained attentive throughout the 7 course bonanza.

The béchamel-laced amuse bouches were warming but almost overpoweringly cheesy. Our starters of scallops and quail were beautifully presented, and each offered an impeccable combination of textures, flavours and depth.

The quail ballottine stuffed with a smoked sausage and sage mousse served on cauliflower cream and juicy, plum raisins was a winning, complex combination, and one I’d not even come close to seeing on other menus in the capital.

The scallop served with pork belly was a classic salty juxtaposition against the juicy, fresh seafood and was executed with real skill.

Mains of the lemon sole and pork belly were pretty formal but you might expect that from a restaurant of this calibre. The pork belly came with a dressing of pork popcorn (pictured above) which was fun and showed a glimmer of playfulness in an otherwise very formal menu.

The sole was served with samphire and Cardigan bay prawns, which were bursting with flavour and unctuous accompanying notes.

A cheese course presented a unanimously French selection from La Fromagerie, but being presented with just crackers didn’t do them justice – some chutneys or fruits would have lifted the plate.

Passion fruit soufflé was a long time coming, but worth every second as the warm, oozing centre was intensely sweet. The sharpness of the fruit really cut through though, to add a real depth to the dessert.

The dining room at Launceston Place is modern and incredibly classy with nooks and crannies and mirror-lined walls creating a depth and mystique. The diners were just what you’d expect, and it was impossible not to enjoy a spot of West London eavesdropping and handbag admiring.

Launceston Place offers an incredibly well-executed menu in an undoubtedly beautiful upmarket town-house setting.

The presentation, dishes and setting is up there with some of the best I’ve had in London, and I would happily revisit for any number of occasions.

For further information, please visit the Launceston Place website. Bon Vivant’s members will receive a complimentary glass of champagne when dining in the restaurant, so contact London’s premier concierge service about becoming a member.

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

Pret a Diner – Italians Do It Better

Posted by Bon Vivant

*This is an event listing and not a review of the event*

The ‘Pret a Diner’ dining concept returns to London until 30 June with the latest concept, ‘Italians Do It Better’, which involves a series of dinners from acclaimed chef Giorgio Locatelli.

The Pret a Diner event takes place at 50 St James’s Street before it closes for a full revamp, where there will also be cocktails from maestro mixologist Tony Conigliaro from 69 Colebrooke Row (our pick for one of the best cocktail bars in London) and an exhibition of contemporary Italian artists by the Gazelli art house.

For further information or to book your table at Pret a Diner, please click here.

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One Fine Stay: The ‘Unhotel’

Posted by Emyr Thomas

London has an abundance of world-class luxury hotels but sometimes you want to feel like you’re at home. Introducing One Fine Stay, which makes you feel just that. Except that you’re in another person’s home.

One of the main attractions is that each property is different – from a loft in Clerkenwell to a townhouse in Primrose Hill, you can choose the area, style and design that suits your individual tastes. One Fine Stay’s aim is to make visitors feel and live like locals in London, offering homes in neighbourhoods that might not be catered for by luxury hotels.

With keys to your own temporary front door, you can greet your neighbours, explore the side streets and discover some hidden gems.

Self-styled as an ‘unhotel’, One Fine Stay’s reservation process is as seamless as with a regular hotel, but with an added element of the personal touch.

On arrival, a member of staff will greet you at the property to give you a full tour, explain the intricacies of the property and hand you a pre-loaded iPhone that you can use at your leisure throughout your stay.

We stayed in a three bedroom townhouse on the Chelsea / Fulham border, which was smart, spacious, and with plenty of room to entertain. With full use of a large kitchen and separate dining room, a dinner party was inevitable.

Having spent the afternoon in the kitchen surrounded by whisks and piping bags, drowning in olive oil and seasoning, when it came to turning on the oven hours later to warm the hors d’oeuvres, the oven decided not to work.

We called someone in One Fine Stay’s customer service who was very polite and helpful but, having spent an hour looking through manuals, they kindly offered to send us a food hamper instead. We declined the offer and managed by using the hobs instead of the oven, something that confirmed the need for a team of sous chefs for all future dinner parties.

Despite everything working out for us, the incident highlighted a potential pitfall for One Fine Stay – without a maintenance man on the premises, such issues could eventually become rather problematic for them.

However, given the efficiency with which they handled our issue and the solution that they had offered (they still kindly sent us a couple of bottles of wine despite not needing the food basket), I’m confident that they could handle anything thrown at them.

With a whole house filled with photographs, books and CDs to explore it’s difficult not to be nosey, but certain cupboards and drawers are discreetly sealed with special tamper proof tape to prevent you from peering too closely.

One of the joys of One Fine Stay is that you get to feel like you’re at home, surrounded by all the comforts and amenities that you could wish for, but going to sleep with someone else’s wedding photos on your side table is a strange feeling.

The price will depend on your specific property – our three bedroom house starts from £400 per night, which, if travelling with friends or family, is very reasonable for the quality and service. Each house is fully cleaned before and after each visit with a daily maid service available with fresh linens, towels and The White Company bath products.

For those who require 24 hour room service, a business centre and fully equipped gym, One Fine Stay was never going to be the answer, but if you want to experience life as a Londoner in luxurious and spacious surroundings at a reasonable cost, One Fine Stay might be right up your street.

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London Restaurant Guide: March Update

Posted by Bon Vivant

By Emyr Thomas

Spring is in the air in London, and with the clocks going forward at the end of the month, you can almost taste the Pimm’s of summer.

In a few short months, you’ll be fighting for every available space in the capital’s best roof terraces and beer gardens, but for now, head to Hawksmoor’s new basement bar at the original Spitalfields location. Once there, I suggest you make yourself comfortable and start working your way through the cocktail list while you read my selection of March’s best new openings.

Michelin-starred chef Bruno Barbieri, one of Italy’s most celebrated and recognised chefs following his regular appearances on Italian MasterChef, has just opened his first UK restaurant, Cotidie, on Marylebone High Street, on the former site of Café Luc which closed late last year.

Named after the Latin word for ‘everyday’, Cotidie features a menu of daily changing dishes in an informal dining room. The restaurant seats 75, with a counter bar, named BARbieri, for up to 10 guests with its own cicchetti menu. Based on the restaurants from our own MasterChef regulars, let’s hope it’s more Michel Roux than anyone else.

Indian Flavours

March looks set to be full of Indian spices with the re-launches and expansions from some of London’s most popular Indian restaurants.

Cinnamon Soho, the third restaurant from executive chef Vivek Singh opened on 21st of March, dubbed as the Cinnamon Kitchen’s ‘younger, cheekier sibling’.

Michelin-starred Quilon, which is based near Victoria, was as famed for its terrible décor as it was for its superb South Indian cuisine. Having closed at the beginning of January, the restaurant re-launched earlier this week following an extensive refurbishment. With a stylish interior to match the quality of the food, Quilon should soon be high up on your restaurant hit list.

If the subtle spicing is a bit too much for your tastes, one of London’s other Michelin-starred Indian restaurants is offering something different for the next few weeks.

Atul Kochhar from Benares on Berkeley Square is joining forces with some of the country’s leading chefs to create a series of fusion menus to be served at the Benares Bar (pictured above). Each chef will prepare a menu of small plates in his own style to complement the Indian spices and flavours of the food at Benares.

First off will be Richard Corrigan from Corrigan’s Mayfair (from just around the corner), who’ll team up with Kochhar for two weeks from 20 March. Then Irish will give way to Thai, as David Thompson from Nahm takes over from the 16 April. The last pairing will come from Northcote’s Nigel Howorth, one of Lancashire’s finest chefs, who’ll take up his residence until 3 May.

(While at Benares, may I suggest you wash it all down with one of the bar’s signature passion fruit martinis…)

The Russians are coming…

Situated in (where else?) Knightsbridge, Mari Vanna will open its doors from 15 March offering ‘babushka cooking’ – homely Russian dishes with influences from Armenia, Georgia and Uzbekistan, but with a lighter and more contemporary feel.

The décor is designed to recreate the feeling of a traditional Russian home where shelves are adorned with matryoshka dolls, trinkets and tchotchke – ideal for its location on the doorstep of One Hyde Park and the Bulgari Hotel.

Elsewhere in Knightsbridge, the Harrods food hall has welcomed serial restaurateurs Chris and Jeff Galvin’s fifth London restaurant, Galvin Demoiselle. Here Chris’s wife Sara will be in charge of the bistro-style restaurant, which will have 55 covers. The selection of lighter dishes will no doubt make the perfect pit-stop from your weekly grocery shop.

More steaks, more gin…

London’s love affair with steakhouses continues with the launch of Gillray’s Steakhouse & Bar at the end of March at County Hall, which aims to ‘celebrate the best of English’.

The name derives from James Gillray, a caricaturist of the late eighteenth century, whose work will be exhibited on the walls of the restaurant and bar. (No, I hadn’t heard of him either.)

With the likes of Hawksmoor and Goodman commanding the steak scene in London, Gillray’s will face serious competition. But with a signature dish of a 1000g ‘Bulls Head’ (a 1000g-butterfly cut, double rib steak served with the bone in), hardcore carnivores will have to face up to the challenge.

Vegetarians need not apply.

According to Gillray, the bar will feature “one of the finest selections of gin in London”, which is quite a claim that will surely need some investigation. It’s a tough job, but something I’m willing to do in the name of research. You’re welcome.

London Restaurant Guide: New Restaurant Update

Posted by Bon Vivant

By Emyr Thomas

Nobody does a power restaurant to ‘see and be seen in’ quite like Caprice Holdings or Chris Corbin & Jeremy King, and both launched new restaurants at the end of 2011 that will no doubt become firm favourites throughout 2012.

‘34′, located just off Grosvenor Square in Mayfair was Caprice’s first new restaurant launch, which adds to its portfolio of power restaurants including The Ivy, J Sheekey’s and Scott’s. 34 specialises in meats and seasonal game but also offers lighter dishes, fish and shellfish, all to the glorious sounds of a live jazz quartet in timelessly elegant surroundings.

The Delaunay, new sister restaurant to The Wolseley from Corbin & King, has opened on the corner of Drury Lane and Aldwych and already has the familiarity of an institution on the London scene. The restaurant is open seven days a week serving breakfast, afternoon tea, and à la carte lunch and dinner menus inspired by the grand cafés of Europe.

With every celebrity, socialite and restaurant connoisseur already firmly ensconced, be prepared to sell your prized possession – kidney, trust fund or mother in law – to secure that reservation.

The best affirmation that a restaurant is doing something right is if a guest books a return visit. Within minutes of leaving dinner at Alyn Williams at the Westbury (which opened quietly at the end of 2011 from Alyn Williams, who was previously head chef at the two Michelin starred Marcus Wareing at The Berkeley), my client had emailed with three further booking requests for the coming months – a sure sign that this restaurant is on to a winner.

Another former Michelin darling to set up on his own is Ollie Dabbous, formerly of Texture, with his new restaurant ‘Dabbous’, which opened on Whitfield Street in Fitzrovia at the end of January, in partnership with mixologist Oskar Kinberg, formerly bar manager at the Cuckoo Club.

Spread over two levels, the restaurant and bar has an industrial feel with exposed brickwork, sheet metal and copper pipes.

While the restaurant features a modern European menu of ‘clean flavours and seasonal ingredients’, the basement bar offers a menu of classic drinks and signature cocktails that is ideal for a group of friends or a first date.

Thompson Hotels’ first hotel outside of North America will open in Belgravia in early February with 85 rooms and an 80-seat restaurant from celebrated chef Mark Hix. Hix Belgravia will feature another outpost of Mark’s Bar, his popular bar from his Soho restaurant, as well as a cigar garden. Although the menu will still be British focused, it will have more of an international feel, based on the chef’s travels across the globe.

While the onslaught of Mexican burrito bars might still not have ended, this year it will be time for Peruvian cuisine to take the limelight. ‘Ceviche’ promises to be London’s first Peruvian restaurant in Soho, hotly followed by LIMA in Fitzrovia, both of which will also feature a Pisco bar. Grab a Pisco sour and meet me at the ceviche counter.

Refurbishment and reinvention seem to be popular themes for the start of the year from some of the city’s celebrated chefs.

Tom Aikens has recently reopened his eponymous Chelsea restaurant after a large refurbishment to create a more relaxed atmosphere. There is an à la carte menu and a series of tasting menus, including six, eight and ten course options that are also available with matching wines.

The 52-seat restaurant features broad-boarded oak floors, custom-designed hand-made wooden chairs, a variety of mismatched oak tables (no tablecloths), and has ‘evocative quotes about food and wine’ written on the walls.

Over in Soho, Quo Vadis has undergone (another) refurbishment, this time to mark the occasion of a new partnership with Jeremy Lee who had previously spent 16 years at the Blueprint Café.

There’s a lot to digest as we look forward to another sterling year for the London restaurant scene, but if you’re interested in a one-off charity event with some of the biggest names in cooking, check-out the ‘Who’s Cooking Dinner’ charity event on 5 March at the Four Seasons Park Lane.

20 top chefs will prepare dinner for 200 guests, who can also bid for the chefs to cook dinner in their home at a later date, all in aid of Leuka. Each chef will create a four-course menu for one table of ten people with accompanying wines. Here’s the twist: only after a draw during the pre-dinner reception do guests discover which chef is cooking for them.

The restaurants taking part include some of London’s most sought-after tables, such as Scott’s, Dinner by Heston, Zuma and Restaurant Gordon Ramsay – so perhaps no need to sell your kidney after all.