London Restaurants | London Guide

Pappadums Indian Restaurant has been relaunched

Headed by chef-patron Shameem Ahmed, whose training with India’s prestigious Taj and Oberoi hotel groups has put him in good stead, the cooking at the 130 cover Pappadums offers a first-rate pan-Indian repertoire.

Dishes have strong classical leanings with an emphasis on authenticity, with a tinge of Ahmed’s own style, and healthy eating.

Signature starters include Karela Salad (fried biitergourd with coconut, onions & chillies); Bhindi Karari (crispy okra); and Jhinga Lasooni (tiger prawns marinated in olive oil & garlic). The ‘Tandoor Treasures’ are a must-try, featuring a range of items, including Anjeer Kabab (chunks of lamb marinated with figs & spices).

Mains reflect a diverse range from the subcontinent, ranging from Dhania Murgh (succulent chicken cooked with crushed & fresh coriander, onions, cashewnuts &yoghurt); to Nalli Gosht (lamb shank); and Kheema Methi (minced lamb with fresh fenugreek leaves).

A flavoursome selection of vegetarian dishes, delicious rice and breads, along with a mouthwatering bevy of home-made desserts such as Kheer (rice pudding with cardamom), or ice cream flavours like mango, pistachio and coconut, complete the wonderful dining experience.

The relaxing and spacious interior displays striking red and yellow hues, while drawing the eye are traditional Indian artefacts, the centrepiece of which is an impressive antique door from a Rajasthani palace.

With a modernist double frontage, the restaurant’s exterior, boasting wooden benches and chairs for seating for over 60 covers, is right at home within the luxury residential complex and its attractive Thameside setting.

 Pappadums, Ferry Quays, Ferry Lane, Brentford, Middx TW8 0BT
Tel: 020 8847 1123
www.pappadums.co.uk

Daylesford Organic now in multiple locations across London

Daylesford Organic brings the flavours and atmosphere of a country market to Notting Hill, London. Situated at 208 -212 Westbourne Grove, this new shop comprises of fresh, seasonal, local foods as well as a full range of store cupboard essentials, and three offerings for eating in; The Larder, The Bread Bar and The Raw Bar. Daylesford Organic cafes, restaurants and kitchens are all certified organic by the Soil Association. For the first time Daylesford Organic will be serving cocktails and dinner as well as breakfast, lunch and tea. There are also many take away options from the spit roast and traiteur counter, cooked and prepared by the chefs, to be eaten at home.

The Restaurants:
In keeping with Daylesford Organic’s philosophy of eating fresh food at its best and in season, as well as promoting slow cooking and healthy alternatives, Notting Hill sees the launch of The Raw Bar. This original menu offers dishes free from gluten and dairy,  low in salt and sugar making it an excellent place to eat for those detoxing or those who just enjoy healthy living. Dishes include a raw soup, steak tartar, carpaccio of seasonal venison, spicy vegetable pad Thai and to finish try the raw cheese board -all non dairy.

The Larder offers simplicity at its best with sustainable fish from well managed fisheries and their own meats – including lesser known cuts such as beef skirt steak, venison osso
bucco and lamb neck; accompanied by seasonal vegetables. The Bread Bar offers the finest in fresh pastries and our homemade breads. A stone based pizza oven is used to produce fresh pizzas and tartines – ideal for a light meal. As day turns to night, The Bread Bar becomes a local meeting place to enjoy pre-dinner cocktails and drinks.

Shopping:
Every day grocery shopping could not be made easier with tables, counters, shelves and baskets brimming with artisan breads; Friesian cows milk, yoghurt and cream from their dairy; traditional and modern cheeses including six cheeses from the Daylesford Creamery;seasonal fruit and vegetables just picked from the fields; a wide selection of jams, marmalades and chutneys from the kitchens of Daylesford; and dressings, mustards, pastas and pulses. Talk to The Butcher to choose fine and unusual cuts of meat from their animals raised on organic pastures. An in store spit roast will be cooking Daylesford chickens and joints of meat for customers to take away with them. Don’t forget the treats too; homemade cakes and biscuits, and the irresistible new chocolate range with flavours inspired by the kitchen garden such as lavender, rosemary and mint. 

Daylesford’s sister estate in the South of France produces excellent rosé, white and red wines, all of which are served in the restaurants and can also be found in the dedicated wine area. Customers can choose to choose from a selection or organic and biodynamic wines; 54 wines in total, 40 of which are biodynamic or organic.

Taking a piece of Daylesford Organic into your home. Practical yet beautifully handmade white porcelain, black and grey stoneware, glasses and crockery, all designed for the new shop and exclusive to Daylesford, are available to purchase in the homewares area within the store.  To complement this there is a cookware range; slow cooking casserole dishes, wooden carving boards, chopping knives as used by the chefs in the kitchens and every day kitchen essentials. Be inspired by a broad range of healthy living and eating books.

Design and environment:

Regulars to Daylesford Organic will recognise its signature style: farmshop meets with the contemporary; clean lines, sustainable and durable materials and artisan skills. Daylesford Organic is committed to preserving and improving the environment. All food waste will be composted and returned to the soil from whence it came. The heating is energy efficient and air conditioning omitted in a drive to keep the store’s carbon footprint low.
Throughout the store there is extensive use of
natural materials, including FSC timber and the
inclusion of artisan craftsmanship, such as
woven willow, to conserve our rural heritage.

Address:
208-212 Westbourne Grove, London W11 2RH
Main shop telephone number: 020 7313 8050
Restaurant reservations telephone number: 020 7313 8060
Opening times: Monday to Saturday 8am – 11pm, Sunday 10am – 4.00pm
Shopping hours: Monday to Saturday 8am - 8pm, Sunday 10am - 4pm
Restaurant open: Monday to Saturday 8am – 11pm, Sunday 10am – 4pm
www.daylesfordorganic.com

Daylesford Organic at Harvey Nichols Foodmarket
109-125 Knightsbridge
London
SW1X 7RJ
Tel: 020 7235 5000 (main switchboard)

Daylesford Organic in Pimlico
44B Pimlico Road, London SW1W 8LP
Tel; 020 7881 8060
Fax 020 7259 0509

Daylesford Organic In Chelsea
31 Sloane Square, London, SW1W 8AG

Picasso Exhibition - National Cafe, London - Special Offer

From 25th February to 7th June, The National Café is celebrating the ‘Picasso: Challenging the Past’ exhibition at The National Gallery with two limited edition Iberian menus and a fantastic £10 offer on some very special Spanish wines.

As the gallery explores Picasso’s response to works by painters who had gone before him with this historic collection of some 60 pieces, The National Café invites visitors to take advantage of a discount of over 50% on a bottle of three fantastic Riojas*. The single vineyard wines from Dinastia Vivanco will be available for just £10 a bottle when enjoyed alongside typical dishes from the country. This means a huge reduction of £11 on the regular price of a bottle of Vivanco Rioja Blanco Viura/Malvasia 2007, Vivanco Rioja Rosado 2007 or Dinastia Vivanco Rioja Crianza 2005.

To accompany these fine wines, The National Café has curated two showcases of sublime Iberian dishes. Starters on the Spanish set menu feature a tempting Andalusian almond soup ajo blanco; and moreish salt cod croquetas with smoked paprika aioli. Two main course highlights are a succulent grilled seabass with stewed peppers, fennel and saffron; and a gratifying crisp pork belly with morcilla and broad bean purée. For an indulgent ending to your meal, you would be hard pressed to find desserts more comforting than crema Catalan or the nougat-like turron with rice pudding. The Spanish set menu is excellent value for money at £18.50 and £21.50 for two and three courses respectively.

As a lighter option, the selection platter of Spanish charcuterie and cheese features at £10 includes the naturally cured, award-winning Jamon de Teruel DO Gran Aragon; Salchichon Iberico de Extremadura produced from acorn-fed semi-wild Iberian pigs; the hard, ewe’s milk Basque cheese,Idiazbal; and Garrotxa, the recently revived Catalan goat’s cheese.

To enhance the experience of the National Gallery’s Friday late night opening, The National Café also will be hosting a pop-up bar in the gallery’s Central Hall, where visitors will be able to enjoy a glass of the selected wines from 6pm to 8.45pm.

For those more drawn to British cuisine, both The National Café and The National Dining Rooms continue to offer their usual range of the finest dishes from closer to home. From bountiful full English breakfasts, light lunches and refined afternoon teas, through to splendid suppers, the two celebrate the culinary art of this sceptred isle.

The National Café, East Wing, The National Gallery, Trafalgar Square, London WC2N 5DN

t: 020 7747 5942

www.thenationalcafe.com

Lola Rojo Restaurant, Northcote Road, London

A return visit to LR, this time for lunch on a Saturday around 1pm. It was busy but they found us a table for two between the front and the back of the restaurant. In some ways it was like eating in the passageway but in another way it was kind of cosy.

The staff are excellent, rushed off their feet but still smiling and attentive.  I think we had the smiliest waitress the world has ever seen.

We were hungry and we over-ordered, but so what - I was with the wife, it was almost Valentine's day and we had a baby sitter for a couple of hours.

Jamon Iberico, Patatas Bravas, Spanish Omelette, Octopus Croquetes, Cannellini Butifarra, Confit of Pig and a big basket of bread on top.  All of it delicious. Portion sizes are not big and the tapas is modern style - beautifully presented and very rich.

Prices are quite high - we managed to spend £64 including tip and we only had tap water, one glass of red wine and one glass of Cava.

I still love it here.

78 Northcote Rd, London, SW11 6QL
www.lolarojo.net

2009 Archant London Food & Drink Awards

Archant London today confirmed BBC MasterChef presenter Gregg Wallace will host the fifth annual Archant London Food & Drink Awards. 

The hugely anticipated event is set for Sunday 12th July 2009, at the world-class Landmark Hotel, Marylebone Road, where the finest restaurants, bistros and bars from London, Essex and Kent will compete to be crowned official 2009 winners. 

Following in the footsteps of our previous guest hosts who have included Jean-Christophe Novelli, Aldo Zilli and Antony Worrall-Thompson, Gregg Wallace is in good company.  As a successful vegetable grower supplying some of the finest restaurants across London, Gregg has earned the respect of restaurateurs and food critics alike.  His ongoing and current success as joint presenter of BBC’s MasterChef, has propelled his name and status into the homes of millions of people across the country. 

With the prestige and elegance the event presents, previous candidates are reaping the valuable benefits affiliated with the awards.  Mustafa Redif, 2008 Archant London Food and Drink winner said, “There is no doubt that winning the award has helped us to increase our business, even in these rather depressing financial times. On a personal level it gives me the satisfaction of knowing that I have been recognised by these awards”.

Last year saw an incredible 600 restaurants, bars and pubs take part in hope of becoming a regional winner.   Over 600,000 online votes were registered, a testament in itself to the success of the awards.  To build on the success of 2008, Archant London will put up a £100,000 prize fund to be shared amongst the 16 overall category winners, which will consist of online and in-paper advertising, web and studio design time and marketing consultancy.  The prize will hopefully go some way in supporting the winners, in what is destined to be a difficult trading year for local restaurants.

The official website for entry is www.london24.com/londonfooddrinkawards and restaurateurs across London, Essex and Kent can now enter online for any of the 16 categories.  With this year’s awards set to be the biggest yet, entrants at all levels are tipped to benefit from the immeasurable exposure guaranteed from one of the largest independent publishers in the country.  

Want to become an awards partner? For sponsorship opportunities please contact the Sponsorship Team on 020 8477 3986 or e-mail Deborah.King5@archant.co.uk.  For more information on the awards please contact the Marketing team on 020 8477 3954 or e-mail marketing.enquiries@archant.co.uk.

Tortilla Restaurant, London

Tortilla is home to the best tacos and burritos in London. We don't do cactuses and oversized sombreros.

We serve fresh, wholesome California-style Mexican cuisine for eat-in or take-away, for around a fiver. Choose from a range of toppings, including grilled chicken, adobo steak, braised pork (or vegetarian), whole black beans and pinto beans (not refried), fluffy Spanish rice, peppers & onions, savoury guacamole and crisp salsas - made fresh in-house every day. We have a range of soft drinks and Mexican beers to choose from as well as our tasty slushy margaritas. If you've been craving some decent Mexican food in London, you've found the right place.

13 Islington High Street, London, N1 9LQ
Tel: 0207 833 3103
Open Mon-Weds 12 til 10pm, Saturday 12 til 11pm and Sunday 12 till 9pm.

Unit 11A, 106 Southwark Street, London, SE1 0TA
Tel: 0207 620 0285
Open Mon-Sat 12 til 9pm. Closed Sunday.

www.tortilla.co.uk