28-50 - Perfection

28-50. The latitude between which grapes can grow. I guess that really tells you all about the type of restaurant this place is however, despite the primary focus being on the wine the food is actually very good.

Bar Boulud -

Daniel Boulud is America's equivalent of Gordon Ramsey except he's not American, or bankrupt or having a public fight with his mistress/father in law/mother in-law and wife but you get my point - incredibly successful with numerous restaurants and Michelin stars . Despite being from Lyon, Bar Boulud at the Mandarin Oriental is his first venture in Europe and when it first opened in May it received a lot of acclaim. In fact it took about 2 weeks before it became tough to get a table less than a week in advance. So finding a table on a Wednesday, for that very evening made me a very happy camper indeed.

Chisou - What a let down.

Chisou apparently means in Japanese either -


a) 'a treat'
b) 'a dinner'
c) 'delicious food' 


In our case it was one of these - dinner and not a very good one at that.

Le Gavroche - A trip to 1967?

I wasn't going to write about my trip to Le Gavroche. Instead, I was going to relax and enjoy the experience, which is why I failed to take photos. That was until they annoyed me. 

Tom's Kitchen at Somerset House

I hadn't intended to go to Tom's Kitchen. In fact, I didn't realise it existed until about 10 minutes before I arrived. Desperate to find a last minute alternative to eating yet another burrito on my living room floor I googled restaurants near Holborn and after trying the most obvious restaurants to no avail I stumbled upon Tom's Kitchen at Somerset House.

The Best of the Rest – The ones that won’t cost an arm and a leg – From Mexican to Mexican to more Mexican.

      Chipotle – Finally an outpost of the cult American chain. The ultimate hangover food. Burritos, tacos, bowls and killer margaritas.
      
Chilango- The only place that has better burritos then Chipotle but sadly, no margaritas.

Wahaca – Canteen style dining but a restaurant unlike the others. Caused a storm when it first arrived on the scene shortly after head chef Thomasina Miers won Master Chef. The storm has died down but the queues remain – be prepared to wait half an hour to an hour for a table.  Self-described “Mexican Market Food” rather than your usual Texmex. Expect things like sauteed cactus and mackerel tostadas

The Best of the Best - from French to Japanese to Italian to Icelandic.

-       La Petite Maison – The World’s Most Perfect Restaurant and the standard to which all others will be judged. Service, food, atmosphere, dining room– all perfect. Simple, fresh food but by no means boring. http://www.lpmlondon.co.uk/

-       Dinings – Sushi with foie gras – genius. Food so good it doesn’t matter that you are sitting in a basement that resembles the inside of a nuclear bunker served food by people who don’t seem interested by your presence. http://dinings.co.uk/

-       Gauthier – Irresistibly romantic and very relaxed. To be honest, you might as well be having dinner in your living room. If your living room was part of a beautiful Georgian townhouse. With a 6 foot tall fireplace and equally tall bouquets of flowers containing a bunch strangers and charming French men who serve you food. Regardless, it’s impossible to not feel right at home. Just don’t go with your boss or anyone you might struggle to hold a two long hour conversation with. The low murmur of conversation is unforgiving if you’ve run out of things to say. http://www.gauthiersoho.co.uk/

-       Umu – So much more interesting food than the Nobus, Zumas and Rokas etc etc of London. Just grit your teeth when you see the price tag and then un-grit just enough to bite into Foie Gras Custard with Crab or Ice Smoked Salmon. Ahh. http://www.umurestaurant.com/noflash.htm

-       Il Baretto –The best Italian food in London. Just try the Macaroni with truffle and I promise you will believe me. The crowd is hip, the food great, restaurant swanky just a pity about the service. The waiters always look confused, always seem to be running and always look a little shocked to find you sitting there. The Italians aren’t known for punctuality or organized-ness but then again, I have yet to find an Italian restaurant in London where the service is up to scratch. http://www.ilbaretto.co.uk/

-       Texture - One of the few Michelin stars I actually enjoy, along with Umu. Normally I find the “try-hard” combinations of flavors are just well, trying too hard.  If no one has tried sardines, jam and ketchup together maybe there is a reason. The nicest and most attentive service serving Icelandic (basically, seafood) food of all things. I was sold as soon as I was served bacon-flavored popcorn in the bar and things just get better from there. http://www.texture-restaurant.co.uk/

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