Search Results

CoqBull will be serving up free-range, brine-soaked rotisserie chicken and gourmet burgers at their new Spitalfields location. Spitalfields is a well-known foodie spot and from noon on Friday 26th November, the CoqBull team will be giving out 50 free Christmas Coq burgers to walk-ins only on a first come first serve basis, in celebration of the new opening. Each burger is made with classic Coq Chicken, maple-cured bacon, chestnut stuffing, brie, cranberry mayo and fries. What’s not to like? The Christmas at CoqBull menu will be available at Spitalfields and Soho with a choice of either a three-course sit-down option (£35pp) or the standing menu (£30pp), created for those looking for their sauciest Christmas party yet. There are also veggie and vegan alternatives so that everyone is catered for. See the à la carte menu here. Festive drinks packages include a Prosecco (£7pp), Champagne (£15pp) or Festive cocktail (£11pp) reception as well as festive-themed Coqtails such as the Delicious Ho (spiced rum, lychee, passionfruit, salted caramel and lemon). Both Spitalfields and Soho will also be hosting their ‘Night Bird’ late-night lounge sessions from Thursday to Saturday throughout the Christmas period. CoqBull Spitalfields has two levels, with a 120-cover restaurant residing on the ground floor and an intimate 80-cover speakeasy-style basement space offering private dining, DJ nights, and after-dark events. The ground-floor restaurant’s quirky, bespoke furniture, neon lights, and graffiti elements set the tone for its focus on the fun and the daring, as well as its commitment to outstanding quality food. Address: 65a Brushfield St, London E1 6AA Website: https://www.coqbull.co.uk Written by Lenny Wright #burgers #coqbull #spitafields

Looking for Bangkok street food in the streets of London? Look no further than Pitaya, nestled in the heart of London on The Strand. The perfect pit-stop to grab some food before you hit the theatre district or when you’re out and about with friends or loved ones. Pitaya is all about giving you the Bangkok experience. When you enter you are greeted with a zebra crossing and their very own yellow tuk-tuk, this isn’t just for show, you can actually nab yourself a seat inside where you can tuck into your meal whilst soaking up the atmosphere (some may say it’s the best seat in the house)… You will find wooden tables and seats to replicate what you would find in the streets of Bangkok, accompanied by chopsticks and napkins in the middle. Neon signs and street signs adorn the restaurant walls along with low hanging lampshades. Their traditionally trained chefs are situated on the ground floor, by the seating area, sizzling up rice and noodle dishes in a wok, over an open fire. We ordered at the till and took our seats downstairs, I ordered the Beef Loc Lac. The Wok-fried sliced beef paired beautifully with the sautéed rice with tomatoes, which was very flavoursome, complementing the juicy beef strips. The mix of fresh vegetables perfectly laid on top also went down nicely, My dining partner had the yellow curry, she was equally as impressed with the taste and authenticity of the dish. The menu comprises of rice and noodle-based dishes, with both meat and veggie options, you can also add extra vegetables, protein, carbs, sauces and toppings so you can create the perfect dish for your tastebuds to enjoy. The dishes are generous so it took us a while to peruse the dessert menu. Desserts include passion fruit cheesecake verrine and a selection of sorbets and ice-creams including dragon fruit, Bulgarian yoghurt and lemon basil. You will also find a selection of Macarons with interesting flavour combinations including mango sticky rice, jasmine and lemongrass. The staff were top-notch, friendly and welcoming, we shall certainly be back for another bowl of Pitaya goodness! For more info. visit: http://www.pitaya.uk Address: 419-420 The Strand, Covent Garden, London, WC2R 0PS Written by Nyla S. #pitaya #thai #thaifood #thestrand

To kick off the holiday season this year, The Cadogan Arms pub has teamed up with Chelsea Physic Garden, a lush botanical garden located in Chelsea along the Thames, to bring you a magical day full of delicious food, warm drinks and festive shopping. Start your day off at Cadogan Arms for a set lunch of 2 or 3 courses offering seasonal British vegetables, roast turkey, fresh fish and delectable puddings including minced pies and brandy butter pecan pie. Afterwards you’ll be sent on your way with a full belly and a takeaway cup of mulled wine to keep you warm as you explore the Christmas market located in the Chelsea Physic Garden. This year you’ll find over 100 stalls of independent suppliers offering festive goods and wares, the perfect time to check off those on your Christmas list while supporting local vendors. Ticket details: Dates: 26-28th November at 12:00pm Price: £40 for 2 courses or £45 for 3. Includes 2:30pm ticket to Chelsea Physic Garden Christmas Market and a takeaway cup of mulled wine. Website: https://thecadoganarms.london Address: 298 King’s Road, London, SW3 5UG Chelsea Physic Garden – 66 Royal Hospital Road, Chelsea, London SW3 4HS Written by Joanna Finlay Photography courtesy of Cadogan Arms #CadoganArms #christmas #chelsea #xmas #kingsroad

Authentic pasta restaurant Al Dente has recently opened their second London location in Monument Square. The names a bit of a giveaway, Al Dente serves up fresh, handmade Italian pasta every day from two casual dine-in / grab and go locations in the city. There’s no table service at the Monument Square Al Dente, and it’s a little smaller than the Goodge Street branch at just 50 square metres with 12 seats inside and 12 more outside for when it’s sunny. I visited at lunchtime on a Wednesday right in the middle of the lunch flow where the cheerful staff greeted me, and there seemed to be regulars chatting in Italian (always a good sign). You queue up to order at the counter, and you’re given a number which is then called out once your food is ready – this operation was running smoothly, and no one was waiting long at all for their food. The menu boasts a selection of antipasti, including Bruschetta, Caprese Salad and Burrata, and other Italian favourites from the oven, Aubergine Parmigiana, and Lasagne are available to order. The main event is the array of pasta on offer though, a large selection of Linguine, Ravioli, Gnocchi, and more are all available in regular or large portion sizes. Al Dente prides itself on offering Italian pasta dishes done properly. Favourites available on the menu include the classic Carbonara, freshly prepared Fusilli al Pesto, and the indulgent Gnocchi ai Quattro Formaggi, with each Potato Dumpling lathered in Taleggio, Gorgonzola, Parmesan, and Pecorino. Or how about the house dish? Ravioli Al Dente, where every ravioli is infused with Spinach and filled with sweet and savoury Ricotta, Mushroom, and Truffle Fondue. I ordered the Tonnarelli Cacio e Pepe – a dish I’ve been meaning to try for a while! Tonnarelli is essentially spaghetti but thicker, and cacio e pepe means cheese and pepper. It sounds like a simple sauce, but the staff explained that the sauce needs to be brought together at 55 degrees in order to achieve the right consistency. The sauce to pasta ratio was perfect, and as you would expect, the pasta was perfectly Al Dente – I had some leftover sauce and was offered a slice of bread to mop it up with. The staff were attentive to everyone in the space, checking on the seated customers, and everything was spotlessly clean – the staff were wiping down after each cover and sweeping the floor. All takeaway dishes from Al Dente are served up in eco-friendly packaging, which I think is important for a grab and go spot. Considering this was a quick grab and go lunch, I left feeling full and looked after. The pasta was the best I’ve had in a while, and I was offered an espresso to go as I left. It’s certainly worth stopping off here for a quick lunch if you’re around London Bridge / Monument. Address: Unit 2, Providian House 16-18 Monument Street, London, EC3R 8AJ Website: www.pastificioaldente.com Written by Lenny Wright #Italian #eastlondon #mounment #aldente #pasta

Mao Chow, born in London as a Chinese takeaway pop-up back in 2017, opened its first brick and mortar site on Mare Street in Hackney two years later, and November 2021 sees Mao Chow open another Hackney location but this time an express branch. The masterminds behind the menu, Julian Denis and Harry Fox, have taken the Chinese takeaway classics they grew up with in the ’90s and refreshed and veganised them for their all-new menu that is now available to us in their new Boxpark Shoreditch location. The unique new menu is based on childhood dishes that Julian and Harry loved – think Prawn Toast, Kung Pao Chicken or how about sweet fluffy Char Siu Bao? Interestingly, all of the food on the menu at Mao Chow is vegan – Julian and Harry are on a mission to show that vegan definitely does not mean boring. One of the few all-vegan Chinese spots in London, Mao Chow’s approach to bold flavours, hits of spice and carefully balanced textures mean even the most religious carnivores won’t know they’re eating plant-based food. Each dish has been stripped back to its roots and then recreated without the need for meat, keeping authentic flavours and textures in mind. What can you expect to see on the takeaway menu? This is without a doubt, not your average Chinese takeaway. You can expect veganised versions of Kung Pao Chicken (a spicy, stir-fried Chinese dish made with cubes of chicken, peanuts, vegetables, and chilli peppers), Char Siu Bao (Cantonese barbecue-pork-filled bun), ‘Prawn’ Toast, Cantonese ‘Beef Jerky’ Fried Rice and Ginger-Scallion Oyster Mushrooms. Website: https://www.mao-chow.com Address: Mao Chow Express, 2-10 Bethnal Green Rd, London, E1 6GY Written by Lenny Wright Photography courtesy of Mao Chow #boxpark #MaoChow

It’s your turn to cook again, you’ve promised something special so your go-to spag bol just isn’t going to cut it. You furiously sift through your cookbooks or search online for that killer recipe, then head out to buy the 20 ingredients from that specialist food shop only to find that the 1 key ingredient that only grows on a remote Himalayan hillside is not in stock. Sound stressful? What if you could calmly rustle up a Michelin Star style three-course dinner to impress the socks off your loved without even breaking a sweat. Well that’s precisely what You Be Chef claim to do with their cook-at-home meal kits. Eager to impress we gave it a go and this is how it went. On the You Be Chef website you select how many people you are cooking for, add any food preferences then choose your dishes. This step is completely customisable and you can order any combination of starters mains and desserts. For the chancers out there you could order three desserts if you really wanted to, along with additional extras such as the weekly bake (more on this later) and good old cheese board. Playing straight, we opted for a classic starter, main and dessert combo with the weekly bake on top. Each element of the kit arrived in neatly packed portions, all prepared, clearly labeled with the meal they belonged to and a personalised pack of recipe cards for each dish. For those that need a little extra guidance with the techniques involved, each card has a QR code, taking you to a handy step-by-step video on how to prepare each course. We found this really useful as a guide to make sure our dishes looked on point. The Weekly Bake Assuming this is on a weekly rotation, this weeks snack-like course is Heritage Beetroot Crackers, Smoked Beetroot Gel and Fried Capers. Taking literally 5 minutes to put together, the result is an eye-catching bowl of pink savoury crispbread, with polka dotted sweet gel and salty capers. We can’t take too much credit for the presentation as we are guided by the video, but with unsuspecting guests, we totally would. Starter With newfound confidence after course one, we stride into the starter of Croquettes of Slow Cooked Lamb Shoulder with Red Onion Cucumber, Feta Cheese, Black Olive and Mint. This is another dish that looks as stunning as it tastes, we would hands down order this in a restaurant. The crunchy mini disks of succulent crumbed lamb are accompanied with curled towers of cucumber and scattered with the various other ingredients to look like a sort of spring flowerbed. Totally a deconstructed Greek salad with delicious sweet and salty flavours. Main Possibly the trickiest dish to cook, but only because there are few things to heat, so if you can use an oven and a timer you should have this nailed. After only a few minutes of simmering, warming and carefully stacking the various elements of the dish, we have a Masterchef ready plate of deliciously buttery and tender cod with a touch of heat and a smokey undertone of the charred salsify. Dessert OK so this dish is mostly unwrapping and putting things together on a plate, but as there is a 2 minute warming process we are still claiming we “made” it. The Warm 70% Saint Domingue Dark Chocolate Tart with Japanese Whiskey and Orange Parfait, and Confit Clementine is even more devilish than the devilled shrimp butter in the previous dish. It’s got all the velvety dark, sweet, tangy and bitter notes singing together in perfect harmony. Over the last few years, cook your own food kits have flourished but the You Be Chef version really does give you the ingredients and hand holding to create and serve dishes that has a wow factor. Even though we know how easy it was to put together, we still impressed ourselves. To view all of the meal kits available visit – YouBeChef.com Written by Rick Hartley #CookatHome #MealKits #YouBeChef

Enjoy a unique and intimate dining experience at the Chinese & Caribbean Supper Club taking place on 11th December at Well Street Kitchen. Two incredible cultures and cuisines, hosted by chefs from Mama Chen’s, Hungry Buddhas and Real Happy Eats. For starters, you will enjoy a Trio of Dim Sum Dumplings from Mama Chen’s, including Prawn & Pork Wontons, Prawn Siu Mai and Pork Dumplings served with Chilli Oil and Smacked Cucumber Salad (Veggie option is also available). For the main course, you can choose an Oxtail Buddha Bowl or Vegan Ackee Buddha Bowl (VG), served with seasoned Chinese Fried Rice and Wok Stir-Fried Vegetables & Sweet Plantain, cooked by Hungry Buddhas. And to finish off the meal Real Happy Eats will be offering up a Hong Kong Coconut Tart served with Diplomat Cream. On the night you will also be able to meet all three female chefs, a good time to grab a rum punch and mingle. Bring a loved one or why not bring a few of your work colleagues for an early Christmas dinner. Tickets cost £42.00, to book your ticket click here. Address: Well Street Kitchen, 203 Well St, London E9 6QU #hungryBuddhas #mamachens #realhappyeats #supperclub

The Avocado Show recently opened their first UK branch near Oxford Circus and with their Instagram page boasting photos of beautifully presented dishes, it was our duty to see if the food tastes as good as it looks. With three restaurants in Amsterdam, one in Brussels and another in Madrid, it was inevitable that to broaden their fan base further, the latest establishment would be London. Located just a few minutes from Oxford Circus on Princes Street, it’s hard to miss the illustrated avocado clad windows accompanied by a pink wooden bench, it’s certainly eye-catching from the outside. The pink continues inside on the tiled walls and plush seating, and a botanical wall with a big white neon sign which reads ‘The Avocado Show’ brings the “totally instagrammable” feature to the space. The menu boasts an impressive list of creative and daring dishes featuring our favourite superfood (yep you’ve guessed it) the Avocado, along with eggs, salads, poke bowls, toast, tacos, naughty fluffy pancakes and much more! The Sinner Stack came on a recommendation by our waitress and I didn’t need much persuading. Having lusted after Spiralina pancakes since first trying them in Bali, and these didn’t disappoint! Each heavenly mouthful of the large pancakes were like fluffy clouds of sweetness which included banana, avocado and bacon with a generous slather of maple syrup. They were sweet and naughty and that’s exactly the way I like it! I shared the Avo Garden with my dining partner, it looked exactly as the name suggests, a floral bed of half an avocado, filled with hummus, seeds and edible flowers, served with pita sticks. I recommend mashing up the avocado and using it as a dip for the pita sticks. This healthy dish is not only pleasing to the eye but also to the tastebuds, it was an absolute delight! I highly recommend the Avo Fries, scrummy pieces of avocado coated in panko breadcrumbs and served with truffle mayo. A beautiful pairing and seriously moorish. For the sweet tooth lovers, there are two desserts on the menu, the Oreo Cheesecake and the Peanut Butter AVO Ice Cream. The Avocado Show was founded by friends Ron Simpson and Julien Zaal whose mission was to bring joy to avocado lovers. They are both committed to providing avocados that are grown sustainably and responsibly. Check out ‘The Future is Green’ on their website to hear the full supply chain story. I look forward to visiting again, and yep I may indeed order the pancakes again (and again and again). Address: 6 Princes Street, London, W1B 2LG Website: https://www.theavocadoshow.com Written by Nyla S. #brunch #theavocadoshow #avocado #Oxfordstreet #centrallondon

Six by Nico have once again created a buzz with the launch of their new Christmas tasting menu ‘Miracle On’.. created by Chef and Founder Nico Simeone. Each of the six courses, are centred on a nostalgic look back at the festive season. Think back to festive cheers, walking though Christmas market stalls and fun and games around the fireplace. This indulgent feast comes with beautifully presented dishes and a creative twist on some of the classics. The full menu includes; Memories of a Christmas Market – Smoked Sausage & Onion Compote, Smoked Sausage Espuma, Crispy Potato, Gherkins & Pickled Shallots Partridge in a Pear Tree – Partridge, Duck & Chicken Boudin, Haricot bean, Pickled Walnut & Salsify Who Doesn’t Like Brussel Sprouts – Chanterelle Mushroom, Sprout Tops, Ewes Cheese Royale, Confit Egg & Fermented Black Garlic Smoked Salmon Blinis – Smoked Salmon, Celeriac, Queen Kale & Granny Smith Apples, Smoked Caviar & Potato Blini Foam Festive Fun and Game – Haunch of Venison, Game Pie, Jerusalem artichoke, Toasted Hazelnut Emulsion & Sherry Juś. Buche De Noel – Dulce de Leche Mousseline, Sour Cherry, White Glacage & Hazelnut, Chocolate Aero Diners can book a table now for ‘Miracle On’. Open from midday, Monday through to Sunday, each six-course menu will be available from noon. The menu will be priced at £29 per person with the option to enjoy an expertly selected wine pairing for an additional £26 at each restaurant. A vegetarian option is also available. The ‘Miracle On’ tasting menu is avilable at the Canary Wharf branch now until 23rd January 2022. To make a reservation, visit www.sixbynico.co.uk Address: Address: 6 Chancellor Passage, Canary Wharf, London, E14 5AE Photography courtesy of Six by Nico #canarywharf #christmas #xmas #tastingmenu #sixbynico #christmasmenu

If you were keeping up with the Jones’ recently, you may have heard that they have a new addition to the family. Modern steak restaurant The Jones Family Kitchen is already a firm favourite in Belgravia, and they have now launched sister restaurant The Jones Family Affair in Covent Garden. We ventured down to theatreland to give their menu a good grilling, excuse the pun. The Building Just a stones throw from Trafalgar Square and Covent Garden, the restaurant is perfectly placed for a pre-theatre dinner and drinks. Spread over two floors and around a central atrium, a long marble bar with deep green tiles leads you to an eclectic interior which mixes modern victorian florals, industrial brickwork and walls laden with various contemporary pieces of artwork. The combination should feel conflicting but it kinda hangs together well. The fantastic and well accommodating Vlad (manager of The Jones Family Affair) gave us a short tour of the space, making sure to pause on the main staircase for us to guess who the face was on the pop-art covered wall. The clue is that it’s two faces combined but we’ll let you guess for yourself. With cosy tables for two overlooking the atrium, to a small room to hire for private dining, there are configurations and options to fit all group sizes. The Food & Drink The menu takes after its sister, with meat for the charcoal oven provided by the Ginger Pig and focused around grass-fed longhorn cattle and Tamworth pork. The fish is provided by Flying Fish and arrives daily to the south coast. Before diving into the food, we veer towards a Negroni just to get warmed up. Vlad steers us in the direction of the Lost Negroni, the restaurants spin on this classic which includes their own in-house blend of vermouths. The result is actually silky smooth and dangerously drinkable, we get food ordered before getting too comfortable with the glass. The Octopus salad is a reasonably substantial tombola of rocket, concealing prizes of octopus chunks in its leaves and dressed in sweet chilli. Our recommendation however, goes to the Pan-fried Scallops and Black Pudding. This shish kebab style dish is like a train of soft, warm scallop then deep and savoury black pudding, then glorious smoked citrusy orange. Dressed in a truffle butter and garnished with samphire it’s a winner. When in Rome, have steak (or something like that), so that’s what we did. On recommendation, we opted for sirloin, medium-rare. Often medium-rare is overcooked but this was just perfectly tender and pink yet sill cooked enough for that glorious charred crust. Triple cooked chips were as you’d want them, crispy and fluffy and a red wine jus was perfectly rich and sweet. We didn’t overdo it on the jus as the steak flavour was too good. The vegetarian option is a pretty good and inventive slow-roasted pumpkin, accompanied with a lentil stuffed cabbage, parmesan flan and cauliflower tempura. Sounds like an odd plate but the collaboration of sweet and savoury works really well. It’s nice to see more non-meat options given the creativity they deserve. Requesting a more imaginative dairy-free option than sorbet, dessert is a tweaked version of the pear tatin, replacing vanilla ice cream with a mango sorbet. OK sorbet still featured but it sang beautifully with the soft sticky pear. The not so dairy-free Chocolate and peanut cream cake stole our hearts though. it’s like if Ferrero Rocher went a lot more up-market, a dreamy rectangle of velvety cocoa stuffed with peanut flavour, hazelnuts, cashew and a hint of cherry. Our evening at The Jones Family Affair was a good affair, we were well looked after by Vlad who was a great example of how good service goes a long way. If you are looking for a friendly place with great food before a show, a pre or post-theatre menu is available offering 2 courses for £19.50 and 3 courses for £23.50. Maybe you want to forget the show and sample some classic cocktails with a twist, you wouldn’t go too wrong with this place. Website: www.jonesfamilyaffair.co.uk Address: 40-42 William IV St | London | WC2N 4DD Written by Rick Hartley #Theatreland #Steakhouse #steak #coventgarden #JonesFamilyAffair

Meatless Farm partners with Dragon’s Den star Levi Roots to launch the UK’s first meat-free jerk chicken restaurant – M*** F*** Jerk Joint. Free Jerk Chicken will be available while stocks last at M*** F*** Jerk Joint, which opens on 20th – 22nd January, from 12pm – 4pm. The Shoreditch pop-up will be serving up two exclusive Levi Roots Caribbean recipes. Both recipes will be using Meatless Farm’s new plant-based Chicken Breast (launched this month for Veganuary) and Roots’ famous Reggae Reggae Sauce. Visitors can try a plant-based take on a classic with the Meatless Jerk Chicken Rice-n-Peas or spice it up with Chunky Jerk Chicken-less Strips, available for free to eat in or takeaway until stocks last. Meatless Farm is also helping to turn meaty named people meatless as part of its ‘Anyone Can Change the World’ Veganuary campaign and is inviting anyone with a meaty surname to get the VIP treatment. If you’re a Mr or Miss Chicken, Ham, Bacon or Beef, you can attend an exclusive launch preview before the restaurant opens to the public and meet Mr Levi Roots himself by messaging @meatlessfarm with your meaty named ID! Address: Iron Bloom, 46 Great Eastern St, London, EC2A 3EP Date & Time: Thursday 20th – Saturday 22nd January 2022 | From 12pm-4pm Written by: Lenny Wright Photography courtesy of Meatless Farm #leviroots #meatlessfarm #vegan #veganuary #plantbased

An innovative plant-based concept has just opened up in Selfridges, led by plant-based pioneer and award-winning chef Matthew Kenney. Adesse offers innovative, elegant cuisine to enhance lifestyle and wellbeing. Located on the second floor, Adesse offers a moment of calm in the hustle and bustle of the West end. From the locally and seasonally sourced menus, through to the minimalistic yet elegant interior, the space has been developed around the name Adesse, meaning ‘to be present’, focusing on the here and now. An extensive wine list of organic and biodynamic varietals and thoughtfully curated spirits and elixirs runs alongside the delectable food menu. Jackfruit “Crab Cake” with Smoked Red Pepper Remoulade, Beetroot Carpaccio with Yuzu Kosho and Poppy Seed and Kimchi Dumplings with Foamed Ginger, are just a few of the amazing dishes on offer. Desserts include Chocolate and Salted Caramel Crunch, and a Lime Parfait with Avocado and Spiced Macadamia. The launch of Adesse takes place as part of Project Earth, Selfridges’ sustainability initiative and commitment to changing the way we shop. Address: Selfridges, 400 Oxford St, London W1A 1AB For more information click here. Written by Jordan Crowley Photography courtesy of Adesse #addese #plantbased #Selfridges #vegan