St Luke’s Table

You probably wouldn’t have heard of St Luke’s Table unless you’ve been behind the heavy black door on St Martin’s Place that leads to the rabbit warren that is the Library members club, but what you’ll find once inside is an enchanting room of no more than 10 tables with neat white tablecloths, low lit candles and antique books on tables. Total vibes.

The menu is short, British and comfortably luxurious. Chef Alessio Piras has adapted to trends and developed a plant-based menu with mouth-watering dishes any non-vegan would appreciate., including artichoke Linguini with walnut pesto, sundried tomatoes, garlic & parsley toasted breadcrumbs and Vegan Chocolate Mousseand a selection of Dairy-Free Ice Creams.

There are also the classics, Beef Carpaccio with pickled mushrooms, hazelnuts and parmesan twirl, the Crab & Avocado Salad with orange segments, sun blushed tomatoes, dill and lemon dressing. The highlights; Roasted quail with salsify, quail egg, raspberries and Seared Scallops with n’duja crust and truffle cauliflower puree. 

For mains we went for the house specialities,  Monkfish Filet wrapped in Parma ham, sweet and sour peppers and samphire - a meaty pice Of monkfish with smoky ham a and the Venison Fillet with sweet potato velour’s, crispy polenta and thyme jus which was deliciously tender, served pink.  

Alessio has over 15 years’ experience, cooking for Soho House Group venues such as Cecconi’s and Shoreditch House. His most recent role was executive chef for award-winning Italian restaurant Margot - the Margot inspiration which shines through in his menu.

 While you need to be a member or the Library or their new club ARBORETUM, there has never been a better time to join (or tag along with someone who is already a member). 

Arboretum

Well this is fun, I haven’t written a post in months, and here we are! After a busy start to the year, I’m back in the game with something exciting to share.

There’s a new members club in London, yes another one. But something’s different, ARBORETUM is the only plant-powered London club and co-working space where eco-conscious ethics are at its heart.

It’s been a while getting here, but we’re finally in a world where people (particularly younger people) care about what’s happening to our planet. In spite of politics, religion, gender, sexual orientation, or occupation – there has never been a greater unified voice of activists speaking up about how we are passing on the state of our earth to future generations.

Breaking away from mainstream members’ clubs, ARBORETUM is new a meeting and co-working space that aims to attract socially minded individuals keen to collaborate and make a tangible impact on the environment.

Join this month before 31st July and new members can join with the pre-opening offer price of only £850. It’s not just a desk, there is an uber cool events calendar in London and with partners globally. You also have access to the plethora of bars, restaurants and hotel rooms at the adjoining LIBRARY club. Visit the website for more information.

ARBORETUM is right in central London, neighbour to my old stomping ground near the National Portrait Gallery. There is a large, bright and green bar and work space channeling total indoor jungle vibes. There’s even walking treadmill desks and meditation / prayer / sleep pods - pretty chill, hey.

There is a variety of membership options available, including an open desk membership for creatively conscious freelancers, to virtual office space for members to drop in when the like.

Fancy Crab

Fancy Crab reminds me an awful lot of Beast. Hawksmoor for shellfish if you will, with a Burger and Lobster bistro vibe. I was invited along with my fabulous fellow blogger friend Rianna for lunch to sample a selection of the restaurant’s Red King Crab concoctions.

Fancy Crab is an all-day “one dish concept” restaurant with one star ingredient, the Red King Crab; all wild and sourced from the Barents Sea. For a one-dish restaurant, the menu is extensive. Yes, there is an awful lot of Red King Crab, but you’ll also find crustacean cousins, raw fish and shellfish, oysters and indulgent platters bringing it all together.

We tried a bit of each of the specialties recommended by the kitchen; tempura crab claws; sea bass carpaccio and Singaporean chilli crab. What Fancy Crab do well is showcase their headliner. Tempura crab pieces, though thick with batter, were meatier than your average battered fish. The Singaporean chili crab, while deliciously moreish, did not remotely resemble the delicious spicy crab of Singapore’s Hawker Markets. Instead think a Korma with a hefty portion of shredded white and brown crab meat and legs.

The highlight, of course, was the King Crab legs and claws, grilled over charcoal. This crab was delicious. Remarkably, priced at the exact same point as the crab legs at Beast, at £18 per 100g. Here however, you can commit to only 200g per portion as opposed to the 400g buy in at Beast.

Crab may be well grilled and delicious, but I guess the only question I can’t quite answer is whether London really needs a Fancy Crab when the title for expensive crab legs in a masculine bistro setting is held by someone else.

Fancy Crab, 92 Wigmore St.

Delicatessen

Is it possible that a restaurant can become a local rite of passage in only a few short months? Well this neighbourhood restaurant on Rosslyn Hill in Hampstead has been quietly building up a legion, neigh, army of loyal fans who come for its modern Middle Eastern food, warm, all-inclusive atmosphere and stylish décor. We dined on a Thursday night, the whole night was buzzing, every table was full and it felt as though half the room were life-long friends who just happened to run into on another at the table over. 

Hailing from Tel Aviv, Israeli-born executive chef, Or Golan, has worked in some of Tel Aviv’s famed restaurants including Brasserie M&R, before moving to London where he became Yotam Ottolenghi’s head chef. 
 
The ‘Newish Jewish’ kosher menu is influenced not only by Golan’s mentors, but by his Moroccan and Lebanese grandparents. The menu is extensive and the portion sizes are dangerously generous. Spread across Sharing Plates, Land and Sea, Sides and Sweets, our eyes were bigger than our bellies and we opted for 5 sharing plates between two. This was ambitious even for the big eaters that we are. 

What arrived was nothing short of miraculous. Turkish lahmajun meat pizza was topped with spiced lamb mince, jeweled with pomegranate and drizzled with tahini. It was everything and more. Shakshukit with Moroccan merguez, a take on shakshuka is a dish I want to eat for breakfast, brunch, lunch and if there is still room, ‘linner’. The Tanned aubergine with tahini, figs and mixed nuts was an utter vision on a plate full of smokiness reminiscent of Baba ghanoush but with all the right textures in each moutful. 

Probably the most simple, yet the complete standout dish of the night however; Hummus with confit lamb and crackling. So good Moses would part the red sea for a plate of it. I doubt there is a better hummus outside of Tel Aviv, and when laced with thin strips of lamb and crunchy crackling I am sure there isn't. 

Whilst we didn’t have the appetite left, the deserts looked intriguing. The wine list is short but precise. We were recommended a blush Provence rosé and it didn’t disappoint, was light and easy to drink in the prime of this August heatwave.  

Delicatessen 46 Rosslyn Hill, Hampstead, NW3 1NH

Londrino

My dining companions both declared, “we’re over small plates”. This friends, is not a statement I’m ready to hear let alone swallow like a dry pill. I personally am still in the 2012 craze of eating small plates of perfect morsels, consuming about 12 of them, feeling content, and settling a bill for £100. Sounds grim for some, but I actually love it. So on this particular evening, I’d booked Londrino and I was hoping no one would notice before the fact that this was a ‘small plates’ type restaurant.

New in London Bridge, Londrino - if you haven’t heard of it, is Leandro Carreira’s first solo London restaurant. Leando started out at Mugaritz in Spain at the time it was in prime position on the World's 50 Best restaurant list, before moving to London where he was Head Chef at Nuno Mendes’ Viajante, before Lyle's, Koya and briefly the famed Climpsons Arch. The menu, of yes, ‘small plates’ is Portuguese inspired drawing on Leandro’s roots but has been given a London lick of paint.

There’s a gorgeous restaurant of natural materials; wood, cement and leather, which screams interior design gold, and an equally stylish wine bar.

The menu is to the point ascending in size of plate. Homemade sourdough with cultured butter was the best thing to pass my lips in a long time. A native oyster with samphire vinaigrette each was so good it deserved an encore, and encore we did with a second serve ordered mid-meal. Mushroom crisps with caramelised yoghurt were good for picking alongside fresh peas with sorrel emulsion and paleta, virtually neon in colour but outrageously delicious. Octopus Mascada with red pepper sauce was visually striking and perfectly balanced with both flavour and texture.

We rounded the meal off with three perfectly portioned blue ceramic dishes of homemade sorbet; chocolate & thyme, winter melon and apricot. Each as delicious as the next, but the chocolate and thyme taking the cake.

At the end of the meal we were well and truly sated, what we’d experienced was so full of variety and distinct flavour that I didn’t hear a single person complain about the serving concept of ‘small plates’.

Fayre Share

If you’re like Joey Tribbiani and don’t share food, Fayre Share probably isn’t for you. But, if you’re normal, or dare I say, like to taste a little bit of everyone’s food then this brand new sharing concept restaurant in Victoria Park Village is right up your alley.

Fayre Share is all about well-made food served family style. Each menu item is available in portions for one, two or four people. There are whole beer roasted chickens, chops, stews and a variety of pies, each more delicious than the next and served to the whole table as if you were enjoying Sunday dinner at home with family.

The menu is classily British, a style of cooking perfected by Mark Bloom, co-owner, during his time working with Jeremy King and Chris Corbin across several of the restaurants in their portfolio, including The Wolseley, Brasserie Zédel and Colbert. Dishes you absolutely cannot pass include Hot and Sticky Ribs and Wings; Fried Sea Bream with grilled baby gem, sliver skin onions, peas with cream sauce and Grilled Lamb Barnsley Chop with broad beans and onion. We didn’t try a pie as it was hotter than Australia in January when we visited, but we’re told they are the real showstoppers.

The space is beautiful, it’s designed to look at feel like home. You arrive at what may well be my dream kitchen before stepping into the restaurant and garden. The garden is something pretty special, the space has scandi furniture, woven monochrome rugs and an outdoor fireplace. The roof rolls back, so if it’s a scorching summer’s day like it was when we visited you can sit outside and enjoy the sun on your shoulder.

The restaurant is open daily and we’re told they also do brunch. While there are lots of restaurants neighbouring Victoria Park there are few as good as this, so turn the corner from Lauriston Village and pop in to Fayre Share.

Sorella

There are only a handful of restaurants in London that give me stomach pangs over the thought of going back to. The Diary in Clapham is one of them. Our first visit was perfect, it was the height of summer, we sat outside on the Common and each and every plate was a delectable treat served on the loveliest natural stoneware. The masterful Head Chef, Robin Gill has spread his unique style even further in SW4 with the new Sorella; a true neighbourhood Italian. 

The menu is hugely influenced by a luxurious stint on Italy's Amalfi Coast and is dictated by the produce arriving in from the owner's farm. It showcases the produce in a simple and authentic yet modern way, starting with cicchetti and antipasti with outstanding highlights including crispy fried olives, pork and fennel salumi, duck egg with artichoke, raw cuttlefish with monks beard and squid ink arancini.

Primi includes; rich and creamy crab linguine, cep gnocchi with girolles, a wonderful white truffle linguine and a seasonal beef ragù. I visited with a group of girlfriends, one being celiac and each pasta dish was available expertly recreated using homemade gluten free pasta - a real rarity in London. 

Secondi is larger and served family-style using whole cuts from rare breeds and daily changing fish sourced from Kernowsashimi. For dolci, expect Pump Street chocolate with fennel gelato and a frozen affogato with homemade coffee liquor. Drinks focus on slight twists on Italian classics; seasonal bellinis, a cherry smoked negroni, a bergamot Garibaldi and a house spritz. The wine list is small, concise and perfectly Italian.

To round the meal off, presented with your bill are a selection of perfectly delicate orange and poppy seed polenta cakes in a small wooden drawer. Total la dolce vita.

Cinnamon Kitchen at Battersea Power Station

There are few things that can make us want to travel south of the river for, but the delicious tandoor grills at Cinnamon Kitchen will do the job. The newest branch in the group has opened in the amazing Battersea Power Station as the first chapter in the exciting regeneration of the Grade-II listed building.

The restaurant serves contemporary Indian dishes inspired by the dishes found on the Mumbai Jaipur Pink City Express train route and imaginative cocktails by award-winning mixologist Tony Conigliaro, you know, the genius mixologist behind 69 Colebrooke Row, Untitled and Bar Termini.  We dipped into the Assam Manhattan; Black Assam infused Buffalo Trace, vermouth, maraschino laced with black cardamom and Mezcal Verdita; an Indian twist on a Sangrita with fresh pineapple, chilli, blackpepper, verjus, curry leaves, mescal. Don’t let the comparison to sangrita confuse you with sangria, this is potent.

The thing we’ve always loved about Cinnamon Kitchen is how inventive and different the dishes are on offer, no butter chicken here. The team in Battersea looked after us so well, we literally tried 80% of the menu so take it with confidence when we say the absolute stand outs are the Spice crusted lamb fillet with tomato salsa, smoked paprika raita; grilled Wild African prawn with a coriander and garlic crust, it’s more lobster than prawn and is perfectly delicious; and the 35 day dry aged Hereford beef rump steak with tellicherry pepper sauce and masala chips. For a more traditional wet curry, you can’t go past the King prawns in Bengali turmeric curry.

Cinnamon Kitchen caterers to the needs of gluten free, veggie and vegan diners. We visited with a friend who suffers from coeliac disease and for the first time in a long time we could share everything put in front of us. For the odd dish we couldn’t an individually portioned alternative was delivered to the table, perfectly explained and equally delicious.

The restaurant interiors are a dream too. The old railway arch has a minimalist industrial décor to complement the stark backdrop of the historic Power Station. There’s natural earthy materials offset against edgy, modern exposed brick and a cool monochrome colour palette with splashes of jade green and luxe finishes such as marble, and brass. There’s a lush black concrete bar ideal for sipping on a spice-infused cocktail whilst added theatre comes from the expansive open-plan kitchen.

Roganic

Simon Rogan is back in London with his cult pop-up Roganic, and this time it's for reals! The permanent site takes up home on Blandford Street in Marylebone and brings the famed elements of L’Enclume, Simon’s two Michelin star restaurant in the Lake District, to London for good. 

If you're a fan and foodie fanatic like me you will remember Roganic and its forward-thinking and imaginative menu using only the freshest and most exceptional array of produce from the best suppliers around the country, including Simon’s ‘Our Farm' in The Lake District.

The permanent site is a renaissance of the original pop-up delivering an innovative and informed dining experience serving dishes that draw upon Simon’s trademark visionary and pioneering cooking. Enjoy the full tasting menu with wine pairing, or a very reasonably priced set lunch menu for £40.

Flavour Bastard Bottomless Brunch

So maybe Fay, Grace and Marina didn’t love the adulterated name, but with all the bastardry aside Flavour Bastard’s bottomless brunch takes boozy weekends to a whole new level.

The small plates menu which is designed to be shared takes classic brunch dishes and sprinkles them with the restaurant’s bastardised twists. Choose three small savoury plates and one dessert each for £27, then to make your brunch a bottomless one add £15. While London is showing signs of Bottomless Brunch fatigue, FB keep things fresh with the unlimited offering of house cocktails just potent enough for a Sunday morning alongside Bastard Brew and your usual Fizz and house wine. 

The menu is a play on traditional brunch items. The Bastard’s take on shakshuka appears as a 63C slow cooked egg served with red peppers, Turkish spiced yoghurt and flatbread. Putting their spin on chicken waffles, there is the “so delicious but can’t quite put my finger on why because frankly it’s weird” Tempura avocado on savoury waffles with gochujang sauce. As for the restaurant's original dishes, a standout is the Fermented rice pancake topped with spiced potatoes and coconut relish. With the regular menu also presented to us, we couldn’t go past the Bastard steak tartare and that melt-like-butter Pork belly with bacon jam and pickled carrot.

As for those potent cocktails I mentioned, well they have obviously been bastardised too with a concoction of unusually mixed and matched flavours, each stronger and slightly stranger than the last, but all guaranteed to set you off in good stead for weekend revelry.