London Restaurants | London Guide

Dego Wine Bar and Restaurant on Great Portland Street

Introducing Dego Restaurant, a degustation restaurant.  What's that I hear you say?
Deg = degustation  0 = osteria.  Osteria meant in the modern urban sense, not the old fashioned osteria with wooden tables and Chianti flasks hanging from the ceiling sense!

Osteria in Italy is becoming a trendy word again, and in today’s urban Italian environment has come to mean a new interpretation of what in England we would call ‘wine bar’ – just far more sophisticated. 

Behind the concept is a sommelier, Massimo Mioli, whose passion for good and unusual wines really shows on the wine list. He comes from a family of restaurateurs. Together with three partners who have also been his  friends since childhood, they came to London and opened Dego’.

The head chef is Dario Schiavo, young and highly talented, having  already worked with Alain Ducasse and Gualtiero Marchesi. His food is quite different, both in texture, flavour combinations and style. His Suckling pig fillet with bacon served with steamed mixed vegetables and Barolo sauce is already a hit, but even something simple like chocolate ice cream tastes like velvety melted ganduja, because of the way it’s made.

The food changes regularly, so if and when you go, these dishes may no longer be on the menu. Massimo chooses the wines personally, and many are imported directly from Italy for Dego’. He is a lover of Franciacorta and takes great pleasure in explaining to customers the difference between Prosecco and Franciacorta.

The Refosco from Pierpaolo Pecorari impressed me no end. Obviously coming from North East Italy, he has selected the best from the area, but you will also find the more unusual wines from the south, such as Pecorino and Falerno. He has even built a humidity controlled cellar to store his wines correctly. 

Upstairs, Dego’ is a degustation bar, with many wines by the glass, all served in 125 cl for the perfect degustation experience, along with freshly cut salumi, blue goats cheese and burrata.   They are also developing  a ‘tramenizzeria’. (bit of a mouthful, literally), eg a place where you  taste tramezzini, which are the dainty, crustless sandwiches you get in the best bars in Italy. 

Downstairs is an a-la-carte restaurant and cocktail bar, with an even more extensive wine list. Based on Northern Italian food and taking its inspiration from  the towns of Venice and Vicenza, the menu changes frequently to reflect the best and freshest market availability. Here, a big feature will be the ‘bigoli’, a hand made pasta from Vicenza which will be twisted at the table, before being cooked. The décor is very sleek and elegant, styled around a red and black theme mixing lacquer, leather mosaics and soft textures on the wall for a really stunning effect.  

Wine buckets are inset into the tables for a striking effect, and the super modern, space-style lights add a touch of futuristic glamour. 

The wine bar upstairs is open from 12 to 23.00 and the restaurant is open from 12 to 3.30 and 6 to midnight Monday to Thursday,  and 6 to 0.30 Friday and Saturday. Closed Sunday (but they might open for a few Sundays in the run up to Christmas, they are too new to gauge the demand for a Sunday opening just yet). 

For the full wine list, current menu and more information you can also check www.degowinebar.co.uk   (don’t be put off by the word wine bar, because it’s nothing like a wine bar).

Dego Restaurant can be found at:

Portland House, 4 Great Portland Street, London W1V 8QJ
Tel 020 7636 2207
(2 minutes walk from Oxford Circus Tube)
www.degowinebar.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

Interview with Joel Henderson, Owner of Daddy Donkey

I met with Joel Henderson today, the owner of Daddy Donkey, a Mexican Grill that is taking the Holborn/Chancery Lane area of London by storm.

Joel is very likeable and down to earth, with a clear vision of what he wants to do and when he wants to do it.  He wants to bring healthy Mexican Food to London and he wants to do it step by step - starting small, gauging customer feedback, improving, building a loyal fan base and eventually TAKING OVER THE WORLD! OK, the last bit are my words, not his, but Joel's passion for Mexican food knows no bounds and for someone still in his twenties, it is refreshing to hear a vision that makes sense, even in these tough market conditions.

Joel got into Mexican food in a big way when he was studying Spanish over there as part of his Spanish degree at Leeds University.  I guess being a student meant that he was used to looking out for cheap eats and hours spent hanging around street corners in Mexico, chomping on great tasting burritos, tacos and nachos, ignited his enthusiasm for this cuisine.

Back in blighty, Joel decided that there was a gap in the market for healthy, tasty Mexican food, so quit his day job and set up a small stand in Leather Lane Market, just off High Holborn.

Four years on, and Joel has now upgraded to a fancy silver looking 'Burro-Van' capable of churning out hundreds of Burritos an hour to the office workers around High Holborn.  All the ingredients are prepped fresh every day at a site opposite the market and the Columbian & Mexican chefs and servers work their hats off to keep the punters happy.

Of course, today was probably the hottest day in London this year, with temperatures approaching 35 degrees centigrade, so I was very surprised to turn up at the van at lunchtime and see a long queue of mainly suits waiting for their Mexican fix!

It's a simple concept: Choose a burrito, choose a filling (chicken, beef, pork or vegetarian), choose a salsa (mild, medium, hot or extra hot), pay (about £5.50) and enjoy.

My 'Big Ass' flour tortilla was stuffed full of coriander rice, chicken, lettuce, guacamole, peppers and onions.  It was 10 out of 10 delicious and whilst enormous, did not feel fattening or unhealthy. I even had a side of black beans which were perfectly soft and mushy.

Joel's mission is to educate London, to make people understand that Mexican food need not be stodgy or unhealthy.

He strongly believes that London is under-served for Mexican restaurants, that there is a gap in the market for freshly prepared, good value Mexican food and he aims to fill it!

With hundreds of people already following Daddy Donkey on Twitter (you can follow him here), and with loads of community events planned, I reckon Joel has an excellent chance of success and I wish him every success.

Daddy Donkey can be found at pitches 100-101 Leather Lane market, EC1N 7TE

Open for lunch from Mondays to Fridays.

Visit www.daddydonkey.co.uk for more details.

Breakfast at The Cinnamon Club

I met a friend for a very civilised breakfast at the very civilised Cinnamon Club, a rather nice Indian restaurant situated within The Old Westminster Library, close to Westminster Abbey.

By night, this is a very smart Indian restaurant, with prices to match.  By day, you would never know it did breakfast and apart from us, there was only one other table - politicians  breakfasting at the taxpayers expense no doubt.

Atmosphere aside (it's deathly quiet), The Cinnamon Club is actually a good breakfast venue if you want good service and reasonable prices.

There is a choice of traditional English breakfast options and traditional Indian breakfast options.  I went for the ham omlette, cooked with three eggs to perfection and a side of whole tomato and flat mushrooms.  It was delicious and only £6.

With zesty frehsly squeezed orange juice and a cup of coffee, a filling breakfast (toast is free) in a lovely setting can be had for sub £15 per head.

Recommended!

The Cinnamon Club
The Old Westminster Library
30-32 Great Smith St
SW1P 3BU

t: 020 7 222 2555
e: info@cinnamonclub.com
w: www.cinnamonclub.com

Trinity Restaurant, Clapham - Restaurant Review

Award winning Trinity Restaurant in Clapham got a visit from the wife and I last Thursday.  I had been about a year ago and was not that impressed.  The food was average and the service sloppy.  I'm pleased to say that this time everything was spot on (and they had no idea I was coming).

Situated near Clapham Common within 'The Polygon', Trinity is a little hard to find and doesn't look much from the outside. The big glass windows at the front guarantee diners a good view of passers-by but equally, on the downside, you can also see the less salubrious side of Clapham walking by whilst you enjoy what is a lovely meal in a lovely restaurant.

I really think that Trinity has come into its own.  Once we were inside, everything went like clockwork.  We were greeted by a nice lady as we entered, our coats taken and shown to a table for two at the front.  Water was duly proffered - still or sparkling is offered 'for free' although there is a cover charge of £2 per person, which also covered homemade bread and olives.  All this arrived within minutes of being seated.

The menu is English all the way and changes daily.  An Apricot Bellini (£8) was a great way to start the evening and help get the gastric juices flowing.

Starters included New Season English Asparagus with Duck Egg and Truffle Mayonnaise (£8), Pig Trotter on Sourdough (£7) and my choice, a Terrine of Duck Confit with Prune and Fois Grois (£10).  It was chunky, rustic and very tasty.

Main courses included Organic Salmon, Wild Rabbit, Pot Roast Pigeon and Organic Pork Belly.  I tried the pigeon which was cooked to perfection and perfect with the side of Wild Mushroom Ravioli.  All the mains were priced at around £18 although Venison was on offer at £28.  All the dishes are quite rich so prepare to suck up calories if you come here.

The desserts don't help the calorie count either - Chocolate Hot Pot with Cacao Ice Cream is a hot favourite apparently.  English Strawberry Pavlova will go down well this summer.  We shared a Baked Alaska, which you hardly ever see on a menu nowadays - it was divine.  All the puddings are priced at £7 or £8.

Service was excellent - not too rushed or fussy - just right.  The loos are clean but a bit dark.

They do wine by the 500cl carafe, which I like because a bottle is too much for us nowadays (lightweights!)

Trinity does a 3 course Sunday lunch for £25 and I will definitely be back sometime soon to try it out.

I took some pictures of our food - see below.

Trinity Restaurant
4 The Polygon
Clapham, SW4 0JG
Tel: 020 7 622 1199
e: dine@trinityrestaurant.co.uk
www.trinityrestaurant.co.uk

Terrine of Duck Confit (above)

Carpaccio of Tuna Consomme (above)

Pigeon with Mushroom Ravioli (above)

Organic Salmon (above)

Baked Alaska for two to share (above)

Asadal - Korean Restaurant Review

Another lunch trip to Asadal, the Korean restaurant next to Holborn tube station on Kingsway.  At lunch time you don't need to book but there is always a nice, quiet buzz about the place, with mainly Korean diners - often local Korean office workers drawn to the restaurant for the authentic food, calming ambiance and efficient service.

My favourite dish is Yuk Hei Bibimbab, a big bowl of rice and raw mince.  The bowl is sizzling hot when it arrives and you use your chopsticks to mix up the meat and rice in the bowl, allowing the bowl to cook the meat for you.  With a side or two of Kimchi and a Korean green tea or coke, it is a filling and tasty lunch.

Take a look at the pics below (taken on my phone so apologies for the quality).

Asadal Restaurant can be found at:
227 High Holborn
London WC1V 7DA
Tel: 020 7 430 9006

Open Monday to Saturday
www.asadal.co.uk