London Restaurants | London Guide

Daddy Donkey - Spicy Burrito Eating Contest

I recently interviewed the owner of Daddy Donkey.  This is a video of a recent Burrito eating contest the team organised - hilarious!

Simon Duff takes over at National Dining Rooms

Champion of British produce Oliver Peyton has newly appointed Executive Chef Simon Duff, to bring his wealth of experience to the National Gallery restaurants, The National Dining Rooms and the National Café.

Duff, who trained under Marco Pierre White, is making a conscious effort to ensure both menus showcase the finest locally grown produce Britain has to offer. Having personally visited each producer to source the most diverse ingredients available and, with many specialist ingredients exclusive to The National Dining Rooms and Café, Duff’s new ever-evolving menus offer diners a real gastronomic treat.

Duff’s dedication to home-grown products is inspiring and The National Dining Rooms’ completely new quintessentially British menu is bursting with seasonal fare from unsurpassed artisan producers and rare breed farmers.

The National Dining Rooms is the only UK restaurant to offer the delicately flavoured grass-reared White Park beef of Bickleigh Farm. A past favourite of Sir Winston Churchill - during the war he sent a number to the USA in case of invasion.  Hung for 28-days, Duff butchers and carefully prepares the beef in The National Dining Rooms’ own kitchen, creating special dishes each day depending on the cut.

The exceptional high quality calves liver available from the Guernsey and Holstein pedigree from Bocaddon Farm are so rare that Duff only receives one piece of offal a week. Reared in small groups in open air, loose straw yards with plenty of fresh air and room to run around, the calves liver has a rich texture and flavour that Duff ensures is complemented by the finest seasonal ingredients.

Also on the menu is the award-winning is the Cornish Terras duck, from a farmer who spent years crossing breeds of duck to optimise flavour, alongside the traditionally reared creamy, flavoursome Meadows lamb from Meadows Home Farm, both handpicked by Duff due to the succulent taste and unmatchable quality.

Guests will also enjoy the wholesome, sustainably farmed native Brown Trout from the crystal clear waters of the Bibury Spring, Bibury Farm. Founded in 1902, by the famous naturalist Arthur Severn, the native Brown Trout is a local Cotswolds delicacy.

Throughout July and August diners can also take a culinary tour around Britain without leaving the table with Duff’s bespoke ‘County of the Month’ menus. The menu continues to showcase his commitment to regional produce, with July using seasonal ingredients native to Gloucestershire and August to Devon.

With a plethora of unique and inspiring ingredients at Duff’s fingertips, urban foodies will be delighted by the unique and sophisticated dishes on the daily-changing menu at The National Dining Rooms.

National Dining Rooms, Sainsbury Wing, The National Gallery, Trafalgar Square, London, WC2N 5DN

www.thenationaldiningrooms.co.uk

T: 020 7747 5942

Opening hours: daily, 10am until 5.30pm excluding Fridays 10am – 9pm

Ramadan at Awana Restaurant in Chelsea

Reflection, patience, prayer and fasting are some of the practices observed throughout Ramadan, the ninth month and one of the most holy in the Islamic calendar. From the 24th August to 19th September, Chelsea’s fine dining Malaysian restaurant, Awana, is celebrating the end of each day’s fast with a delicious seven-course menu for just £23.50. With all meat dishes being halal this is an ideal destination for Ramadan or simply a great excuse to indulge in some of the restaurant’s finest dishes at an unbelievable price.

The fasting is intended to help teach self-discipline, self-restraint and generosity whilst promoting sympathy for those who are less fortunate. Everyday, throughout Ramadan, believed to be the month in which the Qur’an began to be revealed, Muslims around the world get up before dawn to eat and perform their first prayer of the day. The fast ends at sunset with a fourth prayer.

With the skills of executive chef Mark Read and Malaysian born head chef Lee Chin Soon at the helm, traditional Malaysian street food is elegantly served with a contemporary twist. An ideal evening for those fasting or simply an occasion to enjoy some of the capital’s finest dishes, including the specially crafted date korma to honour the end of the Ramadan daily fast, Awana’s menu is sure to tempt.

Awana’s feast menu is available every evening from 24th August to 19th September

85 Sloane Avenue, London, SW3 3DX

T:0207 584 8880
www.awana.co.uk

Putting the Art back into London Cooking - Dinner at Artisan Restaurant, London

Some of the most popular London restaurants can be found within top London hotels and one of the finest London hotels, The Westbury in Mayfair, has a rather good restaurant hidden behind the lobby.  Artisan Restaurant has not made it on to the trendy London hotel restaurant list and probably never will, but that is not a bad thing.  It is peaceful, professional and welcoming, and on the Thursday night I dined there, had a good sprinkling of young and old and families and friends, creating an atmosphere that was most definitely smart but not stuffy.

The staff are all smiley and friendly without crossing the line.  They know their menu inside out.  Running front of house is Ricardo Mimoso, the restaurant manager.  He told me that the restaurant had been refurbished 18 months ago and that business was still good, despite the economic downturn.  Judging by the hotel guests floating in and out of the reception area, there was no shortage of cash in this establishment.

Artisan restaurant is certainly not cheap, but I felt that it was fairly priced given the quality of the food and the surroundings.  Head Chef Andrew Jones prepares a regularly changing menu that takes advantage of the freshest local produce and creates dishes that tease the eye and water the palate.  Expect to pay around £15 for a starter and between £20 and £30 for a main course.  Amuse bouches and palate cleansers between courses add value to the experience and help justify the prices.

 

Prior to our starters arriving we were treated to petite foie gras burgers and a tomato and bazil milkshake - innovative, tasty and delicious with a champagne chaser.

Having just returned from a trip to South West France, I was keen to see how the Foie Gras starter stacked up against the excellent local French version and so I went for the Terrine of Vendee Foie Gras garnished with 70% Guanaja chocolate crisps and marinated anchovies (£14.50).  The Foie itself was very good but the dish was a little disappointing.  I just didn't feel that the chocolate and anchovies went together well.  I probably should have gone with the Seared Foie Gras starter instead. 

 

My friend tried the enticing Ham, Egg & Chips starter, which was actually 5J Jambugo ham served with a poached duck egg and parsnip chips.

Main courses were better received.  My friend's Aberdeen Angus (£22.50), ordered rare, was cooked to perfection, creamy and succulent.  My Devonshire Lamb was excellent.

Louise Gordon, the Sommelier, recommended some fantastic wines to accompany our choices including a Marlborough Riesling 2007 that went very well with my Foie Gras starter. The wine list is huge, regularly changing, with something for everyone.  There are around 10 wines of each colour by the glas and hundreds of bottles of wine. Expect to pay around £40 or more for something decent.

We finished with cheeses, all British, from the huge cheese trolley.  I wasn't tempted by the puddings (all priced at £7.50) although I will try the Roasted fig and blackberry Pávlova with Crème de Mûre sorbet next time I come to visit.

I really enjoyed dining at Artisan.  The service was so slick and the food presentation and quality so good that it felt like a real treat to be eating here.  I would probably book again on a Friday or Saturday night, when it is bound to be a little busier.

Highly recommended for a smart meal.

Book Online Now

Artisan
The Westbury
Bond Street
Mayfair, London
W1S 2YF
Direct Telephone: +44 (0) 20 8382 5450
E-mail: artisan@westburymayfair.com
www.westburymayfair.com

New London 18 Hole Golf Course for Foodies

The City’s Devonshire Square has gone a 'fairway' to ensure it's 'putt' on the map this summer by hosting an 18 holes mini golf course. Offering suits and secretaries the chance to swing into action throughout the day, urban players can raise a glass at the 19th hole, courtesy of drinking destination, Anise, or celebrate with a meal at adjacent Indian restaurant, Cinnamon Kitchen.

The covered courtyard of Devonshire Square, within easy reach of Liverpool Street Station, is the prefect pitch for a mini golf course. Providing one of the most popular past times come rain or shine, City dwellers can now slice their way through meetings, chip through brainstorms or pin down a group of friends for a round or two. From just £5 a game, and with various corporate packages available, this new addition to the Square Mile is sure to score highly.

With the course open Monday to Friday, 10 am to 10 pm, golf pros and novices can savour a pre-game spice-infused breakfast, take a well-deserved lunch or tee-up before a decadent dinner of Indian delights at the Cinnamon Kitchen. However, for those seeking just a little light refreshment, the 19th hole bar offers beer, rosé and mojitos. What better way to break the monotony of money making!

To book a round and a pre or post game meal at Cinnamon Kitchen
call Cinnamon Kitchen Events on 020 7397 9612
events@cinnamon-kitchen.com

Cinnamon Kitchen and Anise, 9 Devonshire Square, London EC2M 4YL
www.cinnamonkitchen.co.uk

Win a Month of Fine Dining with Gekko

Fancy living the life of a restaurant critic for a month? Gekko.com, a website which gives you personalised hotel and restaurant recommendations, is giving you the chance to win four meals for two at top restaurants in your local area.

All you have to do is write a review of a hotel or restaurant on Gekko between the 1st and 31st July, and you'll be entered into a prize draw to win. Sign up to Gekko here to write a review You can read the terms and conditions here