I’ve been looking at Parisian Foodblogs for places to eat since I’m going to be there this weekend, and kept longing a summary or list of the best restaurants/bistros/cafes to try; suddenly lists are such useful things. It’s given me motivation to do an update to my all time favourites list. Anyway, if you’re coming to visit London or just feeling peckish then here are ten personal favourites; a mix of cheap/expensive eateries suitable for all kinds of appetites…

1. St John (British) £40pp

Even though it has a michelin star, the prices have stayed surprisingly decent. Chef Fergus Henderson pioneers ‘nose to tail’ cooking so you’ll see alot of offals and lesser known cuts of meat on the menu. Its not a perfect restaurant and they are not into the latest in the wide world of molecular gastronomy. Instead what you’ll find is really good, really hearty Great British cooking. If Great British Cuisine is what you are after, this institution is a great ambassador. The bone marrow is to die for. Expect to spend £40 for three courses. Closest Tube Station is Farringdon.

2. Cambio De Tercio (Modern Spanish) £45pp

Reviewed in September 2008 I said: “I’ve left it to last. I love Cambio De Tercio. They tick all the right boxes for me. Spot on, zippy service, waiters who know their menu inside out and they make educated recommendations. A robust wine list consisting of the best Spanish Riojas, and one that spans all budgets. The decor that oozes flair, character and is relaxed, just a nice space to eat in.”

They serve modern Spanish food and everything is gently cooked, and cooked very well indeed. The dinner taster menu is £37, and I will admit that there are a couple of bump dishes, sometimes. But on the whole, it is a lovely little restaurant. It has a special place in my heart, it’s my personal favourite in London and I’ve had many a great meal. If I had to choose one to go back to again and again and again, Cambio would be it. She’s the one folks, she really is. Closest Tube Station is Gloucester Road.

3. Sushi Hiro (Sushi only, seriously) About £20 pp ….. £25 if you are greedy like me.

Reviewed in Nov 08 I said: “If you’ve always been curious about raw fish, then I wholeheartedly recommend you go here to get your introduction to the Japanese delight. For everybody else, you’ll remember why you love sushi all over again, it’s really that simple.”

Sushi Hiro is actually only a 15 train ride from my workplace, and needless to say, I’m a regular sushi bingeing junkie. This is one of the few places that I pop back into every now and again, and its because it just does slap bang perfect sushi on the cheap (relatively anyway). If you love Sushi and you live in London, just go already. Closest Tube Station is Ealing Common.

4. Dinings (Japanese) , £40pp

Reviewed in May 09 I said: “Unrestraint and free from pretension; Dinings is a mellow and comfortable restaurant where one can sample some ethereal Japanese fusion. Its not glamorous, nor is it cheap, there are some dishes which appear underwhelming and in comparison to some of the luminaries in Green Park – cooking is not as clinical. But what you get instead, is lovingly cooked food, a subtle rainbow of flavours and sushi that just tastes great. Folks, this restaurant is a little special and if you’ve never tried euro-japanese food before, then I suggest you try the epitome that is Dinings.”

If Sushi Hiro served hot food – it would be called Dinings. My love affair with Japanese food continues and this well-liked restaurant is excellent. Its a romanticised version of Nobu, bit like Renee in Jerry Maguire compared against Renee in Chicago. She ain’t special, she ain’t perfect but that’s why I love her. Cue Bruce Springsteen, Dinings had me at Wagyu tataki. Closest Tube Station is Edgeware Road.

5. Tayyabs (Pakistani) £15pp

It’s just beginning to get a few mixed reviews at the moment, but on my visit, it was pretty amazing. The sizzling dishes were colourfully spicy, yet they were skillfully balanced against a vibrant palette of herbs. I had a great time, and if nothing else, you eat like a king on a shoestring. Bear in mind, this place is almost always packed out, so you’ll need to either make reservations, or be prepared to queue for hours. BYO too. Not close to a tube station, but is near Shoreditch area.

6. Franco Manca (Pizza) £6 per pizza

When I was photographing the pizzas on my visit, one of the guests sitting on the opposite table looked at me and told me to go back to my ‘Pizza hut’ bosses to tell them that this is what ‘real’ pizza tastes like. Such is the fanfare that surrounds Franco Manca. Widely recognised as the best Pizza place in London, and deservedly so. If you even remotely like pizza, you’ll be glad you tried this place out. Closest tube station is Brixton.

7. Great Queen Street (British) £25pp

This great British gastropub is often forgotten about, but it serves lip smackingly able British food and it has great ambiance with a kind of lowly lit, family friendly pub atmosphere. You must try the crabs on toast here, it is simple yet stunning; their whole chicken roast is great for sharing and they rotate their menus on a daily basis. A gem in the city, and it is convenient in terms of its location in Covent Garden. Closest Tube station is Covent Garden.

8. The Ledbury (French) £25 set lunch , £50 lunch £60 dinner

Reviewed in March 09 I said: “I enjoyed the Brett Graham show, alot. I think the young Australian is chock full of talent and he rightly deserves his rising two star status. If he keeps up this standard of cooking, he will rocket all the way to the top.”

On my visit, the salt crusted ash roasted celeriac with truffle mayo was perhaps one of the tastiest things I’ve ever put in my mouth, and that says alot. The memory of the meal is still fresh in my mind. The bleeding edge of the michelin star. If you choose only one posh meal in London, forget the Ramsays, Corrigans or Olivers, and be prepared for Brett Graham. About a 10 minute walk from Westbourne Grove Tube Station.

9. Pearl Liang (Dim Sum) , About £15pp plus tea

Reviewed in April 09 I said: “Wonderful, simply wonderful dim sum and this has displaced the special place in my heart, which was previously occupied by Royal China. I must say, the prices here are very competitive, my bill, 9 dishes, plus service came to just under thirty squiddodles for two, most importantly, food is excellent – mostly it is characterised by lots of melt in your mouth sensations”

There are actually alot of nice places in London to get Dim Sum, and Pearl Liang is definitely one of them. The benchmark dishes in Har Gao, Shui Mai, Char Siu Bao, Cheung Fun and the eggtarts are all spot on. And they even do a £10 dim sum sample set which is not only great value, but is delicious too. This place is my Dim Sum place of choice at the moment. I would also try Royal China, and if my pockets were deeper, then I would go to Yauatcha, for the century egg congee. Closest Tube station is Paddington.

10. The Butcher’s Block at Hotel Malmaison (British) £45pp for three large courses

The Butcher’s Block is actually a private dining room situated in a hotel in the Farringdon area; the room is of course, free to book out and it can accomodate about six people. Not world shaking technical quality; instead they served very robust and classically delicious dishes. Great terrines, a HUGE roast rib of beef with all the trimmings and rice puddings so hearty, I was stuffed silly. This place is great for family events or a group of mates and for celebration. Closest Tube station is Farringdon.

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Tapas Brindisa official site
18 Southwark St
Southwark, SE1 9
£7 Tapas

Brindisa, brindisa, brindisa. Yeah, they’re on to their third one now, perhaps the most respected name in Spanish food, ‘Brindis’ is ‘to make a toast’. Something I tell everybody, Spanish is my favourite cuisine, and I was more than happy to have finally made the trip to ‘brindis’ at their borough market kitchen.

(NB: Tapas porntography ahead)

Spanish Brindisa

I remember the first time I walked into a tapas restaurant, its still there, even though I hadn’t been back in oh, about four years. Café Espana on Old Compton Street – anybody been there recently? They used to do these really hearty dishes of garlic casserole chicken that made my knees go weak.

That virgin experience has since been eclipsed many times over, I appreciate the idea of feasting on several small delights, perhaps that’s just me and my binge like tendencies.

Right then, tap water please.

Curing it

Apparently Franco Manca get their chorizo from Brindisa. As a food supplier then, its no surprise to find an embarrassment of cured meats on the menu, oh I love my cured meats, especially jamon iberico. I was aiming for a quick lunch after browsing Borough market, so I balked at the £22 asking price for an order of their finest acorn fed jamon. Instead I plonked for the Salcichon de Vic at a more pleasing £4.20

Supposedly a traditional Catalonian recipe, it was generously dosed with olive oil and cracked with black pepper, indeed the silky saltiness really was quite appetising. Oh yummy, this is good ham.

Lipsmack.

One cured meat was not enough as I also ordered the Cured León beef with pomegranate and frisee salad, priced at £5.75. Any salty cured meat balanced against those mini pomemgranate juice explosions is a winner. This one tasted like it was doused with abit of garlic oil, a fruity sweetness and an appetising way to start the meal, my tummy is suitably greased.

Liverol

In the words of JRR Tolkien, time for Brindisa to show their quality.

Let me start by saying that I’m not a fan of chicken liver, unlike duck liver which is strangely fragrant, chicken liver just crosses the stinky line for me, so I was sceptical when the better half ordered this dish. Still, in the true spirit of objectivity and in the quest to eat it all, I swallow and refrain from spitting….

Sautéed chicken livers £5.90

…. And my boldness was rewarded with one of the richest toast toppings I’ve ever had. This was just a perfect dish. It was sizzling, the texture was juicy and superiorly moist, as it was liver – the mushiness was only too evident. But it was the big rounded flavours that raised my eyebrows. A dominant garlic palette with a soya-like creaminess and a mouthful of smokiness, it was perfectly appetising. A succinct dish, and just what I was hoping for in terms of a light lunch.

No-follow

The BRN100 pretty much peaked at the chicken liver and quickly plummeted like the FTSE100 as it didnt get any better than this.

Galician Octopus with Potatoes £7

The octopus was rubbery and it tasted like it was made in a La Tasca kitchen. It was under seasoned, the potatoes were flaccid and well, at some point, I felt as if I was munching on tinned octopus. It looked nice though, but this was a major fail in my opinion.

Right then, on to the seafood.

Swordfish with mojo verde and black olives 7.50

The item sounded exciting and exotic. Following the tepid octopus show, I am hoping this last dish will leave me with a good impression of Brindisa. I immediately noticed the bitterness from the char-lines, like it was smoked over cast iron from the dark ages. The able smokiness added depth to the chunky and plain tasting fish, simply seasoned with seasalt. I really liked the sweetish green salsa because it took abit of the bitterness from the fish away. Still a little under seasoned and perhaps just a tad too simple. It did its job as it was quite a light dish, but it didn’t excite like the chicken liver did.

Brindisi

We turned up at 2pm to an overcrowded restaurant and returned at 3pm to be seated. Such popularity must mean that they are doing something right… right?

Well, yes and no. My experience was favourable, but it fell below expectatations. True enough, the produce is premium quality; the hams and the oils used tasted like sainsbury’s finest (not quite sure that’s a compliment), but there were just a few faults in the execution of the dishes. I was a litte surprised that they couldn’t get the octopus right, and I think they might have to go back to cooking school to tweak their grilling methods. Having said that, the chicken liver on toast was remarkable, and for that alone, its worth the price of admission.

Tapas Brindisa might be in danger of becoming too popular for its own good. It really fell below expectations, although having said that, it was still a very slick experience altogether. I have had better tapas in London, certainly Brindisa is up there with the rest of them, but if I had to choose, Brindisa probably won’t come first.

The Gist of It

Tapas Brindisa official site
18 Southwark St
Southwark, SE1 9
£7 Tapas
Verdict: The ham was faultness, the chicken liver: inspirational; everything is a question mark.

What about you? Did you agree with my assessment of Tapas Brindisa? Do you think that they are one of the best tapas bars in London?

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Image by mckaysavage.

Willkommen. Vidza Koram. Yo. Chetorochak. Selamat Datang. Huan Ying. Maliu Mai. Emukela. Bienvenue. Alii. Bem-vindo.  

You’ve arrived at londoneater.com – where a foodlover living in London (me) writes about his favourite subject. First of all, thank you for visiting, feel free to look around and leave some comments.

Having spent many years as a serial blog reader, I was inspired by great bloggers out there, who’s writing has captivated my imagination many a times. I read the essentials like the hufftington post, freakonomics, copyblogger,seeking alpha. No surprise, though, my favourites are decidedly food blogs. Ideasinfood, londonelicious, midtown lunch, vinography just to drop a few names. You can check out all my links on the side bar to your right. It’s still early days, if you wish, you can subscribe via RSS or email.

The egg white recipes. Growing up with a dad who loves eating, it took no time for me to follow in his food-steps. He’s a man with lots of stories, like the time he was a part-time barman (boy?) at the ripe old age of twelve and of course the stuff he loved most about his dad’s cooking. My grandfather was a cook who owned a family business in a form of a diner/cafe/bar/restaurant. It opened seven days a week, at at the crack of dawn at six for breakfast and closed at midnight for those with an appetite for liquid suppers.

 Image by visulogik.

Finding that dish. I remember my version of the egg white recipes. I call it finding that dish. For my 22nd birthday, I went to a place you might know, just off hyde park corner, to try the famed black cod miso. Service was pleasant, they sat us by the window overlooking the park, which was just nice. We started light by tucking away some rather unexciting ‘new style’ sashimi before the main event. Oh.. what a stunner, it was simply beautiful. Delicately browned, pretentiously garnished with miso drops the size of pennies and gently resting on a rather striking soba leaf, it oozed cool. 

Image by mccun934.

The combo of miso, sake and grilled cod produced some heady aromas that just screamed ‘eat me’. My first bite: instant realisation that the explosion of flavours, designed to compliment each other, was doing its job superlatively. The heat sizzled and buzzed as my taste buds swooned in esctasy. At the same time, I was experiencing a sense of harmony as the sweet balanced the savory. A firm texture to cut into that melted away (some say like butter) like a snowflake the moment I gobbled it up. It had changed my perspective of how fish could taste like. I found that dish.

Will I or won’t I ever again?  Since that fateful occasion, I’d always get animated whenever I see the words ‘black cod miso’ appear in a menu. For me, that’s where the passion and the enthusiasm comes from. I’m guessing you probably share the same salivations being that you are still reading this, if not, then maybe some of the words here can help open doors to the wonderful world of the gastronomy. It’s full of character, colour, vigour and life. I hope it’s not going to be another 40 years before uttering the four magic words again (IFTD). Till then, I guess I just have to be on the look out.

About London eater.com

I created this website to profess my passion for all things related to food. Primarily, I’ll write in three main categories: Restaurant reviews, Wine (plus reviews) and musings/ideas/articles on food. Living in London, a city of diverse cultures, one will find that there is a great selection of restaurants that serve a wide range of cuisines.

Tasting great food can take control of all your senses, inducing the brain to fire off all kinds of chemicals and hormones and this can result in quite memorable experiences. My mission is to eat as much great food as I can and then, tell you about it. Admittedly, I’m no chef nor am I am a professional eater; I’m simply someone who enjoys celebrating gastronomical brilliance and the many tasteful ways one can express them in copy. I hope that, in time, this can become a guide to anyone seeking great food in the Big Smoke and also to inspire people to love food.

All my escapades are self-funded so I aim to provide unbiased reviews (and views) of all the places I go to. In between my restaurant hopping, I’ll write about any grubby musings, include details of my food related misadventures in London and also my worldly & occasionally other-worldly travels. While I’m at it, I’ll also include my latest vinificatively-charged conquests along the way. 

I hope you’ll enjoy reading this little column of yumminess as much as I enjoy writing it, if you do, help spread the good word about this site (‘Share This’ below), and do leave some from time to time whenever you spot something that wheats your appetite. Now let’s get on that quest to find that dish.