The restaurant guide: December 2015
Dining out has become the new going out. London has caught up with New York and now there are endless restaurants rustling up the latest food trends and shaking ever-more "creative" cocktails. But, with so much on offer, it's hard to find the spots that stand out from the rest. This month, we've set to the challenge of discovering December's unmissable dining establishments and here's what we found. Enjoy proper pub grub, a taste of Portugal, or Indian food with a twist. The choice is all yours.
Logo and illustration by Naomi Howarth.
Where is it? 216 Railton Road, SE24 OJT
Time of day: Evening
Prices: £11-£22
Vibe? The well-heeled young professionals and families of Herne Hill have been in need of a restaurant that straddles both excellent, accessibly priced food with great cocktails for some time now, and The Milkwood is just that. There's a lot of wooden panelling and floor boards teamed with modern furniture. Lights hang low from the ceiling like many a hipster eatery before - and it's a formula that still works. The Milkwood is stylish but approachable.
It all boils down to: Two things - firstly, the food which is excellent. We can attest that washing it all down with a watermelon martini works very well indeed. A mention also needs to go to the intimate 20-person cinema nestled downstairs, which is open to members (it's £5 per month) or you can rent the whole place for £150 for a private party - a dreamy location to host a birthday; food, cocktails and a private screening for all your friends.
What to order? The wild mushroom and Parmesan arancini drizzled in truffle oil is to die for, while the corned chicken breast and pumpkin purée is another hit. You'll feel full by the end, but we challenge you not to give the peanut butter and strawberry jam cheesecake a try.
Review by: Ella Alexander, Online Fashion Editor
Where is it? 45 St Martin's Ln, London WC2N 4HX
Time of day: Evening
Prices: £60 per head
Vibe? Buzzy. The dining room is full of quirky artworks and carefully curated bookcases stuffed full of desirable coffee table books. The seating area is open plan and the staff are completely delightful.
It all boils down to: Tasting actual fushion food. Asia de Cuba's dishes actually manage to combine Asian and Cuban flavours rather than just represent the two cusines seperately. Always a plus.
What to order? The Tunapica Tartare (tuna sashimi with avacado and toasted coconut in mini tacos) is by far the most delicious starter I've had in a long time. For main, we opted for black cod with a side of sauteed bak choy and lobster mash potato. Do not miss the lobster mash. Rich, creamy and effing delicious.
Review by: Alice Howarth, Online Writer
Where is it? 11 Henrietta St, London WC2E 8PY
Time of day: Evening
Prices: £25 per head
Vibe? Modern. Sticks 'n' Sushi is the kind of place you know you'll get good food, quick. The interior is industrial and slick as opposed to cosy but it's not pretentious which is always welcome.
It all boils down to: Eating amazing sushi that doesn't cost the earth.
What to order: Take a bunch of friends so you can share plenty of plates. The seared yellowtail with tsume soy, the scallops in teriyaki and the beef tataki are the standout mains and the roasted cauliflower with black sesame truffle sauce is the side dish you seriously shouldn't miss.
Review by: Alice Howarth, Online Writer
Where is it? Kingly Court, Carnaby Street
Time of day? 11.30 for brunch although it's open until late
Prices: £10-£15 for a main.
Vibe? Delicious, fantastically naughty American comfort food that ranges from brunch to dinner. This is not for those on a diet or with a penchant for kale; in fact, you're well advised to come with a hangover. The atmosphere is laid-back and young with a retro feel. Expect plenty of other twenty-somethings nursing their hangovers; everyone leaves looking happier.
It all boils down to: The bottomless prosecco. For £15 you can drink as much of it as you like. Dirty Bones is the perfect place to meet your friends the morning after and gorge yourselves senseless in a cool, relaxed environment. We're fans.
What to order? We tried the brunch menu - smashed avocado with chilli and poached eggs on toast, macaroni cheese on the side, waffles with lashings of maple syrup, topped off with bottomless prosecco. Then because that all tasted so great we had dessert of Frosties cereal in pannacotta, which is perhaps one of the greatest culinary inventions known to man.
Review by: Ella Alexander, Online Fashion Editor
Where is it: 27 Cale St, London SW3 3QP
Time of day: Breakfast, lunch and dinner
Price Range: £30 to £40 per head
Vibe: Relaxed and informal. It feels a bit like you are sitting in your best friend's very stylish kitchen who also happens to be a brilliant cook.
It all boils down to: Modern British comfort food made with high end ethically sourced ingredients; just what you want to eat in the colder winter months.
What to order: The starter of beef tartare with slow cooked egg yolk and sour dough bread was so delicious I could have eaten twice as much. For the mains, we both settled on fish options. The roast monkfish tail and the roast fillets of John Dory were cooked to perfection and the truffled chips were the perfect accompaniment. If you really want to push the capacities of your stomach, I'd recommend the truffled macaroni cheese. Make sure to finish with the spiced crème brûlée.
Review by: Sandra Waibl, Online Picture Editor
Where is it? 36e Shad Thames, London SE1 2YE
Time of day? Lunch and dinner
Price range: Around £21 for a main course and £10 for a starter
Vibe: Butler's Wharf Chop House boasts some pretty spectacular views, overlooking majestic Tower Bridge and positioned on the Thames. The alfresco terrace comes equipped with rubber rings, not that we found the occasion to use them. There's something elegantly nautical about the décor, almost like being on a really, really nice boat, with plenty of decking and simple wooden chairs. The staff are excellent, helpful but not pushy, knowledgeable without being pretentious.
It all boils down to: The meats. This is no place for a vegetarian; that's not to say there's no veggie options (far from it, the fish looked sublime), but the restaurant's piece de la resistance are its pork chops and rib steaks. This is a special place to eat; the location is truly perfect regardless of what time of day you decide to come, and unlike a lot of riverside eateries, Butler's Wharf Chop House doesn't use its setting as an excuse to dish out poor quality food. It's an understatedly elegant place to dine, and with a relaxed atmosphere.
What to order: Go all out and try the oysters, which honestly taste as fresh as the sea. The crab on toast was light and flavoursome, but the highlight was the special - the sirloin steak, washed down by a delicious medium-bodied red wine. Special mention needs to go to the triple cooked chips and potatoes cooked in duck fat. Dessert came by way of sticky toffee pudding. We're salivating at the thought.
Review by? Ella Alexander, Online Fashion Editor
Where is it? 34 Mayfair, 34 Grosvenor Square (entrance on South Audley Street, just north of Reeves Mews), London W1K 2HD.
Time of day: Monday to Friday 12 noon to 10.30pm, Saturday & Sunday brunch 11.30am to 5pm, Saturday & Sunday dinner 4.30pm to 10.30pm.
Prices: £50-60
Vibe? The restaurant is adorned with giant hearts and stars (courtesy of the limited edition Louise Campbell for Georg Jensen Christmas Collectibles) so you can guarantee a Christmassy, pretty vibe. There's a very chic-looking bar, silver tableware, and lots of staff dotted around which makes you feel like a million pounds.
It all boils down to: Amazing food, brilliant service and a pretty décor.
What to order? I suspect whatever you choose from the menu will be amazing. I had the Burrata, baked tomato tart with pesto to start, and good ol' Rib eye steak and chips for main. Dessert was an exceptional Jaffa Mousse. Oh, and do NOT forget to have a glass of bubbles out of a 34 Kate Moss Coupe - the champagne glass moulded from the supermodel's left breast.
Anything else to add? Each guest who indulges in the Jingle Bells Weekend Brunch will be gifted with a Georg Jensen must-have Christmas Collectible to hang on their tree. All you have to do is quote "Georg Jensen" and you will receive a card at the end of your meal which will entitle you to a complimentary annual Christmas bell decoration and a glass of Champagne in the Georg Jensen store. Find out more on the link below.
Review by: Leanne Bayley, News Editor
34-restaurant.co.uk
Where is it? Old Spitalfields Market, 107b Commercial Street, E1 6BG.
Time of day? 8am - 9.30pm
Vibe: This small and perfectly formed Portuguese restaurant is the latest residence for Nuno Mendes (yes the chef behind the hottest table in town The Chiltern Firehouse) and formerly of Viajante where he quite rightly earnt a Michelin star. Taberna Mercado is based on Nuno's childhood memories of Portuguese cuisine and you know if we'd been bought up on this fare rather than beans on toast I figure we'd all be keen to share such incredible food. But this is Nuno's take on the food of Portugal and it's quite something else. In a good way. Having been a fan of Mendes's food from his pop-up at the Loft Project I can't express enough how much food excitement was going on here before ordering and I wasn't disappointed.
It all boils down to: Nuno has appropriately been dubbed the 'chef's chef' and working your way through the menu you'll soon find out why. The cheese and meat courses alone could have you happily whiling away time and enjoying culinary bliss, from hard and soft sheep's cheeses to the best Copita (that's air dried acorn fed black pig loin FYI) I've ever tasted. But moving on to the small plates the story really gets going. Exciting ingredients (and possibly not for the faint-hearted) such as fermented cod paste, cuttlefish in pig's trotters, ratte potato (I could have eaten 3 portions) and many more delights - all refined and developed to create dishes you will never forget. Strong flavours, perfectly formed.
What to order? All of it. But if I HAD to choose? The ratte potato and the monkfish cheeks.
Review by: Natasha McNamara, Online Editor
Naomi Howarth
