Posts Tagged ‘restaurant’

The Week in Food

Monday, February 14th, 2011

Day d’Amour

Happy Valentine’s Day!  Restaurants all over the country are laying on their own version of the perfect Valentine’s celebration.  Some are so cheesy they could melt on toast and others so elegant you’ll feel you’re in a Noel Coward play, but each of them perfect for someone.  If you’ve put off booking this evening’s dining until now, it’s still not too late and we’re here to encourage you, if that’s what you fancy, to use our dedicated Valentine’s Day page.   Or ring us on 0207 299 2949 and we’ll get you what you desire (if what you desire is a restaurant reservation, that is).  Our last-minute function leads you to available tables with a minimum of fussing about.  And if non-romantic dining is what you’re after this evening, toptable can help with that too.

Hot Off the Press

Some irresistible cookbooks are at the starting gate and all in a lather, just waiting to be let out this week.  Like what?

Clarissa Dickson Wright, the remaining one of the Two Fat Ladies, is about to launch Potty!: Clarissa’s One Pot Cookbook this Thursday, though we’re pretty sure it’s not solely intended for people with just one pot to cook in.  Potty! is trailed as ‘Perfect for anyone who loves good food but hates washing up’ and that’s just about 100% of us.  By the bye, several sources report that CDW’s full name is Clarissa Theresa Philomena Aileen Mary Josephine Agnes Elsie Trilby Louise Esmerelda Dickson Wright.  We wonder, though.  When her erstwhile cooking and telly partner Jennifer Patterson was terminally ill in hospital, she checked in under the name Vita Circumference.

Day of Honey: A Memoir of Food, Love and War by Annia Ciezadlo, available from tomorrow, is partly a cookbook, partly an exploration of Lebanon and Iraq through their cuisines and written by a seasoned foreign correspondent.  She’s an American from Chicago, in spite of her exotic name, and this book has been enormously praised in the States where it’s already available.  Don’t be put off by the winsome cover pic, Ciezadlo apparently has the fierce-mindedness and eye for telling detail that her journalism demands.  She says, ‘“Saying a country has no cuisine seemed like saying it had no culture, no civil society.  I decided to go out and find it.”

Irish chef Kevin Dundon, chef/proprietor of Dunbrody House Hotel in southern Ireland and a big media foodie presence over there, has Recipes That Work ready to hit the stands this Thursday.  The emphasis is on ‘fool-proof family recipes’ in the rustic, seasonal style he is famous for.

M. Blanc Explains It All For You

Culinary legend Raymond Blanc, chef proprietor or executive chef of Le Manoir aux Quat’Saisons and a few other charming spots, owner of an OBE and general national treasure, is about to demystify great cooking for you with a second series of Kitchen Secrets starting Monday, 21 February, on BBC2.  The series cookbook seems to be available here and there already, though its official release date is also this Monday.  We’ll be tuning in, of course, because we love his accent almost as much as his cooking.  Wouldn’t it be a hoot if someone got their hands on the cookbook and watched the series, then became good enough to appear in the next series of Restaurant, if there ever is one?

Top Sexy Restaurants

The Times just published a list of ’16 sexy British restaurants’ and we are proud to say we have seven of them on toptable right now and at least one with a special offer. The Michelin-starred Bybrook Restaurant in the Cotswolds, set in the ridiculously lovely Manor House Hotel, a 14th century manor house now brought up to date with 21st century comforts.  Chef Richard Davies’ modern European cuisine is served in the company of roaring fires and mullioned windows and you’re surrounded by more than 300 acres of privacy.  Then there’s l’Escargot Bleu in Edinburgh, an authentic French restaurant without a hint of ‘inventive’ or ‘modern’ or even ‘ironic’ about it.  The posters on the walls are charming, but even more charming is the very small bill that lands on your table after you’ve dined so very well.  Gee’s Restaurant in Oxford is a local landmark, a Grade II listed conservatory and greenhouse built in 1898 and transformed twenty years ago into this charming and elegant restaurant with a fine collection of Gary Hume’s artworks.  The ambience is just divine.  We know we’ve mentioned the Michelin-starred Galvin at Windows a bunch of times, but can we help it if The Times finds it one of the sexiest restaurants in Britain?  Okay, here it is in clipped phrases: fine French, 28th floor, views, great service, three special offers now running.  Got you with that last one, didn’t we?  The Grove in Pembrokeshire is set in an intimate and unique country house hotel with a super restaurant serving modern European cuisine from local ingredients.  The panelled dining room is smart and cosy, while the garden room is surrounded by trees, gardens and wildflower meadows.  And all the bedrooms have views.  Gaucho in Leeds is just as sexy and carnivorous as the other branches of this fine steak-oriented group.  The surroundings are grownup  and the Argentinean beef is well-hung, which is true of all the Gaucho restaurants.  Odette’s in Primrose Hill is refined yet unstuffy, chic and rustic (yes, both), and not only romantic but friendly to singles as you can borrow a book off the shelf and keep yourself company as you dine on Bryn William’s Welsh-inflected British cuisine.

New restaurants on toptable:

The Coach and Horses

The Coach and Horses in Soho is, we say, quite possibly central London’s most famous pub.  That’s going some, considering the competition, but it did feature as the setting for Jeffrey Bernard is Unwell and has been the home of London’s rudest landlord as well a haunt of some very A-list celebs.  The upstairs dining room is a charming spot to enjoy the classic British menu and the new landlords are charm itself.

Something a bit different: l’Opera restaurant at the top end of the Old Brompton Road is elegantly decorated with touches of gilt and baroque glamour, and yet it’s also a deli and salon de the with a long glass counter displaying their food and today’s menu chalked up on a board.  The

Devonshire Terrace

staff are keen and friendly and if you’re doing the museums or shopping in South Ken, you’ll be glad you know about this spot.

Devonshire Terrace in the City of London has the sleekness and style of Bauhaus and a flexible attitude to dining.  Fancy a meal in the elegant and business-like dining room?  Cool.  Prefer the luxury of the private dining room?  Absolutely.  Here’s one thing we really adore about this modern European restaurant: an al fresco terrace for nonsmokers as well as one for smokers.  Bliss for those of us who don’t puff.

Dial House Restaurant in Bourton-on-the-Water in Gloucestershire is set in the lovely Dial House Hotel, a grand 17th century home set back from the main road which was here before there were even bridges over the River Windrush.  These days the hotel has been refurbished to meet 21st century expectations of comfort while retaining most of the original detailing.  The restaurant serves the modern European season cuisine we expect from a kitchen of this calibre and the service is both friendly and professional.

Mark Greenaway at Hawke + Hunter

Hip and rising Mark Greenaway at Hawke + Hunter restaurant in the fabulous Hawke + Hunter venue in Edinburgh on Picardy Place is one of the city’s hotspots to drink and dine.  The pair of intimate dining rooms are decorated with Caledonia boho-luxe style and have a casual fine dining atmosphere, a perfect backdrop for the vibrant young crowd that gathers here.  The whole enterprise really can’t be pigeonholed: it’s a restaurant, boutique hotel, cocktail bar, whiskey bar, below-stairs nightclub and secret garden.  One of the most exciting spots in Edinburgh.

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Half Term? Half Off!

Thursday, February 10th, 2011

School’s out!  For a week anyway, but every kid we know can’t wait.  The question for you, caring parents, family and friends, is what to do with the children to really make the most of these precious free days.  Whatever it may be, we’ve created a list of great restaurants for family dining (that is to say, restaurants that really welcome children) with terrific 50% off deals to make your money go farther this half term.  That way, you can take them out twice as often!

Smollensky's on the Strand

Smollensky’s on the Strand is the classic child-friendly restaurant and has been a London favourite since you were a child yourself.  The 50% off deal is weekday nights so it will be perfect after a day out in London or before a show.  The location couldn’t be better and the North American menu is a hit with little ones and teenagers, though the ambience and service are sophisticated enough that the grownups will be content as well.

Kettner's

There’s something so happy and welcoming about Kettner’s that it can’t help but be a terrific destination for families with children.  It’s got history on its side, which may interest the older ones, smart decor and a fine modern European menu that also includes Galloway longhorn burger with hand cut chips.  The service is snappy and the Soho location a hoot.  It’s not far from Oxford Street, the British Museum and lots of other landmarks for kids, so the 50% off deal for lunch every day but Friday and supper Monday, Tuesday and Sunday is the last little detail to win you over.

The Waterside Seafood Restaurant

If you’re doing a seaside ramble or going for a day on the pier, The Waterside Seafood Restaurant at the Waterside Boutique Hotel in Eastbourne has 50% off supper Monday through Thursday.  The water views would be enough to lure you in, and the seafood menu is more than enough to make you glad you came.  It’s a sophisticated menu, so maybe better for older ones, though no one would say no to their fab creme brulee.  And steak is always there for seafood refuseniks.

Boulevard Brasserie

If a day at Covent Garden is on the cards, whether for shopping, show-going, or museum-visiting, then booking the Boulevard Brasserie for 50% off food for lunch all week or dinner Sunday through Thursday will having you all smiling.  The decor is casual, the service well-practiced and the menu exactly what you fancy, from fish and chicken to steak and pasta, all with a continental brasserie twist.  Boulevard Brasserie has been serving locals and visitors to Covent Garden for more than twenty years — that’s a recommendation we can endorse.

Finally, this is a great one to have in your back pocket if you’re doing a Harrods shop or the South Kensington museums.  Marco Pierre White — Frankie’s Criterion Knightsbridge is a steak and Italian hideaway down Yeoman’s Row with 50% off main courses for supper every day and from lunchtime at the weekends.  There are other terrific offers on at Frankie’s, so you’ll be spoilt for choice.  The decor is speakeasy with checkered table cloths and giant glitter balls and its raison d’etre is to be family friendly.

Be sure to check the details of the various offers when you book and have a great half term.

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Last Second Valentine’s Day

Wednesday, February 9th, 2011

Do not panic.  It’s not too late.  There is still time — though not as many choices as previously it has to be admitted — to whisk the one you love out for an evening of amour.  Or a brunch of passion.  Or a tea of titillation.  We should probably stop there.

The thing is, we at toptable have geared up our Last Chance Valentine’s Day page and it’s ready and waiting to help you out of the pickle of not yet having a reservation for Valentines Day.

Supper

Restaurant Sauterelle

It works like this:  try to reserve something with a bit of wow factor, say, Coq d’Argent in the City of London.  Table for two, dinner at 8pm on the 14th of Feb.  Click.  Oh dear, there are no tables left on that day at all.  Whatever shall you do?  Well, you could book a table for dinner at 8pm on another evening shown in bold on the diary page (nothing available between the 9th and the 15th — this will never do).  Or look over to the right – there’s a handy list of restaurants nearby you could book, and there are a couple of wow factor choices still available, thank heaven: 1 Lombard Street restaurant, Restaurant Sauterelle, Bonds Restaurant (with a special V-Day menu), all diner rated just as highly as Coq d’Argent, and more.  Clickety-click and you’re booked, off the hook, out of the doghouse and installed in your rightful place in your loved one’s esteem.

Blueprint Cafe

Brunch

But maybe you’re not worried about Valentine’s Day supper because that’s not what you do.  You don’t buy strawberry creme chocolates, you don’t give cheesy red roses, you don’t buy or strap on novelty underdrawers and you do not sit at a table when you’re told.  Cool.  But if you’d quite like to communicate that his or her company is what you love best, a relaxed, romantic weekend brunch might be more your thing.  The toptable Last Minute Valentine’s Day function works there too.

Let’s try brunch at noon on Sunday, 13 February, at Roast in Borough Market.  Click.  Once again, oh dear.  Noon’s not on, but 11.30 is okay.  Or, if noon it must be, then St Christopher’s Inn down the street is free, so are Cantina del Ponte and the Blueprint Cafe if you fancy great food and great views too.  Click and you’re done and dusted.

Afternoon Tea

Promenade at The Dorchester

Maybe this year your Valentine’s celebration will involve your beautiful daughter, and possibly her beautiful mother, and, what the heck, your beautiful mother as well.  Or a gaggle of your best mates and they’re beautiful too.  You certainly want it to be special with all this beauty around. For this moment, The Promenade at The Dorchester was invented, a restaurant with old school glamour and refined service that offers one of the very best afternoon teas in London.  Shall we say 3.15pm on Saturday 12 February?  Click.  No, apparently not.  Though Sunday and Monday afternoons are available hurrah.  Click, click and you’re a hero.

Do remember that almost none of the special offers are available on Valentine’s Day itself, though many many restaurants have Valentines menus especially for the 14th and sometimes the whole weekend before.  We’re here to help on 020 7299 2949 or click on our dedicated Valentine’s Day page to stoke your romantic imagination.  And whatever you choose to do, Happy Valentine’s Day.

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Look Before You Eat — toptable abroad

Tuesday, February 8th, 2011

Half term is nearly here.  If you’re heading out of town or out of the country, you should know two things.  1. toptable is abroad and 2. we have special offers.  Let’s take those in turn, shall we?

1.  toptable is abroad

In fact, we are so abroad we have more than 2,300 restaurants in thirteen countries, from New York City to Vatican City (okay, fringes) and Stockholm to Marrakech.  Each international restaurant offers the same toptable features – photo, 360 tour, map, menus,  ratings and reviews from your fellow diners — as the restaurants on the home site, so you can book the best places before you go.  Then when you land, you stroll straight past the tourist joints and the queue and into the welcoming arms of your host.  As a sweetener, you get top reward points for overseas bookings, just as when you dine through toptable at home.

2. we have special offers

We Britons are made of stern stuff.  No matter the pound falling and the euro surging ahead, we’re going to travel by Jove.  So toptable’s hundreds of overseas offers come in quite handy these days.  Take a look:

Chez Francoise

Top diner rated Chez Francoise in Paris’ 7th arrondissement has a pair of special offers on this month: bubbly, three courses, wine and coffee for €39 every day for lunch and supper.  On Saturday evenings you can expect jazz and on Sunday evenings — how mad is this — unlimited oysters.

Or La Cocotte, specialising in casseroles, in the 18th arrondissement, is luring you in with three courses, two

Aux Lillois

glasses of house wine and a coffee for €35.

Headed for Lille?  Aux Lillois across from the Citadel is a smart and affordable restaurant that attracts a stylish young crowd.  The bar area is open until 2am, so you know there’s a bit of a scene there, and the restaurant is offering 40% off food through the end of March.

Zango restaurant in Old Lille is focussed on travel and the great world beyond the French borders with a global menu and smartly exotic decor.   They clearly know the international language of great deals as weekday lunch is 40% off food.

And we have hundreds more offers in France to save you money and let you dine like a local.

In Rome, Ambasciata d’Abruzzo restaurant, a popular haunt since 1964, believe it or not, offers the €50 all-inclusive weekday lunch of starter, first course, main, dessert,half

Centrale Ristotheatre

bottle of mineral water and a glass of house wine for €38, a savings of more than 20%.

If you’d like to make an evening of it, the historic Centrale Ristotheatre has been restored with style and a playful modernity and now offers dinner plus a cabaret-style show followed by a DJ and dancing for just €35 (includes a glass of wine).  It’s near the Piazza Venezia and it is a fabulous building that’s featured in many Italian films.

We have many more deals and special offers in Rome.

In Barcelona, the terrific Trobador group — that includes the Divinus restaurants — have a very enticing 50% off their Buenos Momentos menu which includes an aperitif, amuse-bouche, a bottle of wine among three diners, five tapas to share, a main course and dessert for just €21 at supper every day and for weekend lunches.

Click here for more money-saving, enjoyment-enhancing restaurant offers in Barcelona and Madrid.

Restaurant Villers

We can’t close this post without mentioning Germany.  We have an amazing presence in Germany, with nearly 300 restaurants and many are offering tasty deals.  For instance, wow-factor Restaurant Villers in Leipzig with its classic dining room, floor-to-soaring-ceiling windows, chandeliers and verdant views offers a three-course business lunch for an incredibly reasonable €19.  The menu is German and International and this is a lovely place.

The Linden Garten is an historic inn in one of Berlin’s leafy southern suburbs with an Italian menu and an international understanding of what makes diners happy.  The five course menu every lunch and dinner Tuesday through Sunday is a a very tempting €30.50.

To check out our many other offers at German restaurants, click here.

If you’re travelling, travel safely, and be sure to let toptable lead the way to great international savings.

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The Week in Food

Tuesday, February 8th, 2011

Breakfast of Champions

The World’s Original Marmalade Awards festival is taking over the Dalemain Mansion and Gardens in Cumbria this Saturday and Sunday, 12 and 13 February, and it promises to be one sweet, family-friendly food and outdoors event though devotees of serious food will find the talks and workshops worthwhile too.  Paddington Bear starts the festivities by greeting visitors at the Glendridding Pierhouse of Ullswather Steamers, then there will be talks and demonstrations by food historian Ivan Day, Pam Corbin (the preserve expert from River Cottage, yes they have one), Dan Lepard (the Guardian’s baking guru) and Jonathan Miller who is the new product development buyer at Fortnum & Mason — doesn’t that sound like a dream job?  On Saturday evening there’s Marmalade Bonfire, on Sunday morning a Marmelade Church Service, and throughout there will be an artisan food and homemade craft market, citrus themed don’t you know?  The whole thing sounds just divine.  And if you’re looking for a restaurant nearby, we have some.

A Load of Scallops

At the other end of the country, Rye Bay Scallop Week also kicks off on 12 February and runs through a week and a bit to the 20th.  This is a local festivity that is just brilliant because, one way or another, it seems as if half the town is involved and having a whale of a time.  Webbe’s Cookery School and chef Bruce Wilson (formerly of The Greenhouse in London) of The Beach Bistro at The Gallivant Hotel both offer lots of terrific scallop cookery courses.  There’s a Scallopship Award Ceremony for local GCSE pupils who have created their own scallop sauce dish, a farmer’s market with lots of tastings and demos and a scallop lucky dip to win a hamper, a six-course Scallops of the World Unite dinner at The Ship Inn, a Scallop Bash at the Landgate Bistro, a benefit dinner with the entertainment of Mr Wurlitzer Len Rawle MBE, a Scallop Race and loads more.  If you doubt the importance of these tasty, succulent treats of the sea just ask yourself, when Botticelli painted Venus arriving with her blonde hair floating all around her, on what was she posing?  You got it in one: a scallop shell.  Come celebrate these delicious molluscs with the people who bring them home.

Chocolate in Any Tongue

In France, Marseille hosts the huge, irresistible Salon du Chocolate event this weekend 10 – 13 February at Parc Chanot where you are invited to ‘discover and taste chocolate and cacao in all its forms’.   Well, certainly more forms that we had imagined.  The chocolate fashion show, for instance, boggles us a bit, but we’re intrigued by the Cacao Show space that presents dances, songs and rituals of the producers of cacao.  There are demonstrations, a children’s area, a teaching kitchen, vast array of exhibits from producers and artisanal chocolate makers and the whole thing sounds like a slice of heaven on the Mediterranean coast.  And if you’re going, we have a few particularly fab restaurants in Marseille to recommend.

Fire & Knives

A don’t-miss culinary day out in London is nearly sold out but if you move fast you might get a spot.  This Saturday starting at 10 am that amazing and beautiful magazine Fire & Knives is hosting Mixed Grill, a day-long even to include (we don’t have the exact programme, but we trust them totally) lectures and talks, performances, debating panels, ‘rants’ and presentations all about food.  MsMarmiteLover is doing a one day only popup restaurant and you can make a reservation to eat there too.  We’re pretty sure it’s BYO, but here’s the link.  It’s at Conway Hall but if you can’t make it they’ll have a live twitter feed ‘so you can heckle’.

New restaurant signings on toptable:

Wheeler's of St James's Fernhurst

Once Marco Pierre White revived the historic and delicious Wheeler’s of St James’s in London, he decided to spread the good news far and wide by opening other branches in delightful spots

Wheeler's of St James's Maresfield

outside the capital.  Now there’s a Wheeler’s of St James’s in Fernhurst in Sussex.  It’s set in a quintessentially English pub, the Kings Arms, with charm from cellar to roof, higgledy-piggledy walls, excellent modern art work, pastoral scenes beyond the door, high quality food and — as it’s in a pub — real English ales to have with your superb meal.  The Wheeler’s of St James’s in Maresfield, Sussex, in the heart of the Sussex Weald has found a home at Chequers Inn, a coaching inn dating from the 18th century.  This stylish and historic spot is the perfect setting for Wheeler’s thoroughly British menu, and the bar area is a terrific spot for friends to gather and relax.  Both are easy drives from London and the south coast and each one has four superb special offers right now –we’d say that seals the deal.

Caffe Concerto at One New Change overlooked by the dome of St Paul’s Cathedral is a bright and charming addition to the City of London dining scene.  The menu is incredibly popular Italian featuring the time-honoured favourites with a tempting array of cakes to make the meal complete.  Live music is always on the menu here, with the grand piano in near-constant use from 7pm each day, adding to the pleasure of the dining experience with a range of music from jazz and bossa nova to classical and ballads.  A romantic, upmarket restaurant.

La Trompette

How does a Michelin star and a triple crown of AA rosettes strike you?  Intriguing?  If you haven’t heard of La Trompette in Chiswick, owner of all those awards, before now, then let this be the instigator of a visit very soon.    The menu is inspired by the rich and classic cooking of

Bardoulet's Restaurant

southern and southwestern France and it perfectly balances tradition with creativity in a way that enhances them both.  The dining room is both smart and relaxed, just as the service is both friendly and professional.  La Trompette is one of London’s treasures.

Bardoulet’s Restaurant in Peebles just outside Edinburgh is another holder of the triple AA rosette crown named for its Chef Director Patrick Bardoulet.  The menu is thoroughly French with a nod to the restaurant’s Scottish location and the decor is opulent and fabulous, the sort of restaurant that makes every meal a special event.  There are both a la carte and tasting menus and you should expect superb service.

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Top London Restaurants, Top Deals

Thursday, February 3rd, 2011

Sometimes it’s as simple as 1 + 1 = 2.  Today’s lesson is Top Restaurants + toptable = Top Deals.  Eat at London’s top restaurants and we help you keep your money in your pocket.  Sounds appetising to us.

Chez Bruce on Wandsworth Common

Diner Rated 8.9

Grab this one quick before it vanishes: Michelin-starred Chez Bruce in Wandsworth serving superb modern British cuisine with classic French underpinnings.  Normally a lunch here costs £32.50, but with the toptable special offer — which ends 10 February — it’s just £19.95 for three courses from the a la carte menu all week.  It’s a stunning bargain for really amazing food.

Apsleys -- A Heinz Beck Restaurant

Diner Rated 8.7

Apsleys — A Heinz Beck Restaurant is a grand and glamorous restaurant at the Lanesborough Hotel on Hyde Park Corner that also has a terrific lunch offer: three courses with a glass of wine chosen by their expert sommelier for £35, as well as a dinner offer of three courses with a glass of champagne for £45.  Triple Michelin-starred Heinz Beck is the boss, but it’s Massimiliano Blasone who has had a major influence on the Italian menu and the gorgeous Venetian-style dining room reflects that.

Roux at The Landau

The fabulous new Roux at The Landau in Fitzrovia by the BBC has offers all day long to tempt you in.  So far, virtually all reports have been positive on every front, from decor, food and wine to service — not a surprise when it comes to fine dining from Albert and Michel Roux Jr.  At breakfast, normally £30, we have a great deal for 20% off the food bill.  A three course lunch with a glass of Roux champagne is just £29.50.  The dinner deal is amazingly comprehensive: three courses, a glass of champagne, half a bottle of wine, water, coffee and petit fours is £45 — you can’t beat that.

Alain Ducasse at The Dorchester

Drop everything and book this deal, because it ends 5 February: the triple Michelin-starred Alain Ducasse at The Dorchester is offering 15% off lunch and dinner from the tasting menu (7 courses: £115) or seasonal menu (7 courses: £180).  And 15% off a lot of money is a lot of money itself, so if dining at the best restaurants is part of your life plan and you fancy saving a bit of dosh, this is your deal.  This is a fine dining restaurant that manages to combine extreme professionalism and obsessive attention to detail with a sense of playful whimsy that makes the entire experience a delight.

Launceston Place

Diner Rated 8.6

The story at Launceston Place in Kensington is chef Tristan Welch who creates absolutely divine cuisine in inventive classic British style and if that sounds like an oxymoron, you should trust us, jump on one of these special offers and try it for yourself.  A three course lunch is £22 from a set menu, early evening supper is three courses for £38 and Sunday lunch is three courses for £26.

The Grill at The Dorchester in Mayfair has both baronial splendour and a glad sense of people

The Grill at The Dorchester

having a terrific time.  The menu includes both British classics like Dover sole and chef Brian Hughson’s own inventions on a modern British theme using the finest seasonal ingredients.  The deals are many: a two course lunch with a glass of wine is £23, two courses and a glass of artisanal champagne at dinner is £29, three course Sunday lunch is £38 and for Valentine’s weekend, five courses and a glass of artisanal champagne is £95.

The Greenhouse

Chef Antonin Bonnet has kept The Greenhouse restaurant in Mayfair in the top rank, where it has been for more than twenty-five years.  The menu is French with all the classic techniques but Bonnet clearly lives in the 21st century where global flavours are no longer exotic and you see things like cinnamon couscous appearing on his menu.  The deals: three course lunch including coffee £25, six courses supper with coffee £55 and on Valentine’s Day the tasting menu is £115 and at the end of the meal you’ll be given half a bottle of champagne to enjoy at home.

The toptable experience is all about dining well, saving money and enjoying life.  With deals like these, you can do all three even more.  Happy dining.

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Real, Romantic Valentine

Wednesday, February 2nd, 2011

Could we be honest about Valentine’s Day just for a moment?

On Valentine’s Day, the cards and flowers and restaurants all seem to assume that everyone is newly in love, that everyone is half of a couple and that every couple just happens to be in a fever of passion simultaneously on 14 February.

That may be true for about 3% of the population, but for the other 97% of us, Valentine’s Day isn’t so simple.  Some of us are very happily single, or we’ve just ended a relationship, or we’re not seeing anyone right now — for us Valentine’s Day is irrelevant and all we want to do is go out with our mates and have a great time.  Some of us are post-children, post-grandchildren even, and though we adore our long-time partner, we don’t like to be told when and, in particular, how to be romantic.  Lots of us are with partners we love, but we’ve got to keep an eye on our budgets because we’re on a course or a pension or are saving for a down payment and spending a lot on a romantic gesture would put a hole in our plans for a while.

And yet.  When she goes to work on the 15th and her mates ask what she did for Valentine’s Day, we’d like her to say that we took her out.  Or our schedules have been so crammed that it’s been too long since we got dolled up and hit the town together just because we enjoy each other’s company.  Or it could even be that our life situation is quite precarious right now and if we could only tap into that feeling of romance for a few hours we could restore ourselves by dreaming together.

For real life, real romance, real Valentine’s, toptable has a few good ideas:

Masala Zone — all seven of them — has just come up with the most brilliant Valentine’s Day offer: three courses and a glass of prosecco for dinner on Valentine’s Day for just £22.50.  This is a delightful group of Indian restaurants that are bright and casual and have excellent food whose signature dish is thali, so great for sharing.  Each restaurant is individually decorated with things

Kasturi

like firecracker labels from India, or tribal art, or handmade puppets from Rajasthan.  They’re right across London from Islington to Parsons Green, and they’d be great for groups or the budget-conscious without feeling the pinch.

Kasturi restaurant in Leytonstone, London, has a blinding Valentine’s Day offer that’s at least as good: three courses, a glass of champagne and chocolates for £14.95 at lunch or £16.95 at dinner.  It’s a bright Indian restaurant with high diner ratings that features Nepali dishes on its pan-Indian menu.

Smart Bombay Nights in West Hampstead has a great four course Valentine’s Day meal deal for £15.95 for up to eight diners, which makes it a prime stop for you and a passel of mates.  Bombay Nights is one of those hidden gems that toptable is constantly searching out and diners have been really thrilled to discover it.

The Elephant

Who knew all these Indian restaurants were such devotees of St Valentine?  The Elephant in Harrow is putting on a Valentine’s feast deal of just £12.50 for an unlimited buffet of 17 dishes plus a welcoming cocktail.  It’s a lovely little restaurant with golden elephants and flower petals and bright colours and you toptable diners have given the decor very high praise — important to have a good setting for a romantic supper, don’t you agree?

If you fancy a bit of ‘night on the town’ entertainment for your Valentine’s evening, may we suggest the Latin Lounge in Brighton?  Monday night is always flamenco night there, but this year they say they’re planning ‘something passionate’ for Valentine’s.  Three courses, a shared jug of sangria and the flamenco show costs just £21.95 on the 14th.  Bring your amore or a group of mates up to eight people and have a hot evening.

Rock & Roller

Speaking of Brighton, the Rock & Roller has landed with its authentic 1950′s furniture, great North American menu, upstairs pool hall with five tables, classic movies playing and supremely fun vibe and this is a first rate spot for atypical Valentine’s fun.  And for just £9.99 you can choose four items from a set menu to make up a sharing platter for two.  Order beer, play pool, relax.  Brilliant.

And while we’re on the south coast, Caprichos Restaurant in Brighton is creating an aura of old fashioned glamour and romance on Valentine’s Day: three courses from the Lovers Menu plus live entertainment from ‘Frank Sinatra’ and ‘Marilyn Monroe’ costs £17.50.  Caprichos has been pleasing Brighton residents for decades with its authentic Spanish tapas and warm, friendly service.

Roadhouse

The Roadhouse in Covent Garden is always a good bet for wild times.  There’s a 2-4-1 happy hour from 5.30 to 7.30, then two courses for £19.95 including free entry to the V-Day party.  There’ll be DJ’s and Roadhouse Rockaoke if you want to get down.

As ever, toptable’s dedicated Valentine’s Day team is ready and waiting at 020 7299 2949 or click on our Valentine’s Day page to find a real, romantic Valentine’s Day celebration for you two, or you and your mates.

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The Week in Food

Monday, January 24th, 2011

High-Flying Fish

The National Fish and Chips Awards 2011 has named  a Yorkshire chippie, Fish and Chips at 149 in Bridlington, as the Fish and Chip Shop of the Year 2011. Congratulations to owners Matthew Silk and Tracy Poskitt, and let the passionate arguments begin!

It’s quite a slog to get to the finals of this national competition, sponsored by Seafish, as shops must wend their way through judging, a customer vote, taste tests, two shop inspections and a presentation to a panel of industry experts.   Sourcing and hygiene matter as well as flavour, staff training and community spirit.  Any shop that makes it to the top on those very demanding criteria deserve the gong.

Here’s a list of the top fish and chip shops for each region:

Scotland: Doms Chip Shop, Thornton, Fife
Wales: Finnegans, Bridgend
Northern Ireland: Pit Stop Fast Food & Bistro, Kikeel
North-east England: Fish and Chips at 149, Bridlington
North-west England: Seniors at Marsh Mill, Thornton, Lancashire
Midlands: Alfie Grimshaw, Kenilworth
Eastern England: Seafare at the Boundary, Peterborough
London and South-east England: Scooby Snax, Brightlingsea
Central and South England: Wigmore Fish Restaurant, Luton
South-west England: Peck Ish Fish and Chips, Camelford

Observer restaurant critic and columnist Jay Rayner handed out the awards and said that he’s looking forward to visiting the whole top ten.  That would be a blog worth following.

Heston’s Restaurant Almost Open

Dinner by Heston, Heston Blumenthal’s new London restaurant at the Mandarin Oriental Hyde Park, is due to open a week from today, 31 January and can you feel the shiver of excitement in the air? If you haven’t been dialling frantically since booking opened in December — the number is 0207 201 3833 — then you’ll have to wait until at least April to get a table and, no surprise, there’s more flexibility during the week and at lunchtime than for weekend suppers.  There’s also a website where you can try your luck.  Contrary to expectations and playing against his highly experimental reputation, Dinner by Heston harks way back to our late medieval culinary heritage for its inspiration.  And we quote, ‘The menu will feature simple, contemporary dishes inspired by Britain’s historic gastronomic past and recipes dating as far back as the 14th century, such as Hay Smoked Mackerel, Lemon Salad and Gentleman’s Relish; Roast Scallops, Cucumber Ketchup and Bergamot and Slow Cooked Beef Royal.’  Will there be mead?  We are seriously intrigued and are planning a spring outing.

Polpo, Polpetto, Polpettest?

Both Polpo and Polpetto restaurants in Soho featured high on our end-of-year bloggers’ top ten restaurant listings, though, sadly, their ‘no reservations’ policy excludes them from the toptable family.  Polpo earned a Bib Gourmand from the Michelin people in the last round of awards — well done.  Now co-owner Russell Norman is expanding yet again, this time to the basement of Polpo where the Polpo Cicheti Bar opens on 8 February.  Polpo Cicheti will continue with the highly successful and delicious theme of Venetian bacari small plates and drinks and the design will be a combination of rustic zinc bar, exposed brickwork walls and long shared tables.  That’s really what Polpo started out to be, a place for quick snacks and small drinks in an informal atmosphere and we send our good wishes for another success for Norman and company.

Take the Family to Food Glorious Food

‘Food Glorious Food’ is the name of the new exhibition at the V & A’s Museum of Childhood in Bethnal Green.  It opens this Saturday, 29 January, it’s free, and looks at how we British grow, prepare and eat food and if that doesn’t sound exciting then you just have to trust us that the Museum of Childhood is absolutely brilliant and everything they do is worthwhile.  Grab some children and head east and you’ll see what we mean.  The blurb says, ‘Foodies young and old can explore eclectic displays of labour-saving gadgets and historic culinary devices and explore a kitchen larder, packed with interesting food stories and nostalgic packaging.’  It’s a particularly fun way to open the eyes of urban youngsters to the life cycle of food and its fascinating history.

And, as ever, we at toptable have restaurants nearby.

Hail Pascal Aussignac, Your Excellency

Brilliant chef Pascal Aussignac of the Club Gascon group, including Comptoir Gascon and Club Gascon, has been made an Ambassador of the Universal Cassoulet Academy in France, one of only three such ambassadors worldwide.  This ultimate honour was bestowed by a delegation from Carcassone in the southwest of France who presented the award wearing the traditional scarlet robes of the academicians with miniature cassoulet dishes hung round their necks.  There was also a cassoulet song.

Cassoulet is a complex stew of haricot beans and pork fat simmered slowly and served with crusty French bread and an occasional green salad on the side.  In Toulouse, you’ll find Toulouse sausage and duck or goose as well, while in Castelnaudary it’s all about pork, though a bit of goose might make its way into the mix without sacrificing authenticity.  And in Carcassone, home of the revered Academy, mutton and fresh game might appear.  There is as much heated debate about what constitutes a ‘true’ cassoulet in France as there is about chilli in Texas or, see above, the best fish and chips in the UK, and it looks as if the red-robed chaps from Carcassone have tried to settle the matter by setting up an official body.  Clever.

Cassoulet is a perfect dish for these chilly dark days.  Book into Comptoir Gascon for a taste of the — officially — real thing.

New restaurant signings on toptable:

Coco Momo Cafe Bar and Restaurant in London SW7 may be right on the Gloucester Road but it looks every inch — if we’re allowed to say ‘inch’ — the French brasserie, from its smart double-fronted building in sage green to the awnings over the alfresco seats to the wainscoting, wooden tables and private banquettes.  The menu is more international, with burgers and Sunday roast and fish and chips alongside charcuteries, grilled steak, duck and fish.  Coco Momo is open from breakfast, has a

Yamal Alsham

super lunch deal and an early evening prix fixe to put a smile on your face.  This is a great choice for pre or post-shopping expeditions in High Street Ken, or pre-concert bites before heading to the Royal Albert Hall.

Yamal Alsham is an impressive Syrian and Lebanese restaurant with real style in Imperial Wharf in Fulham.  The warehouse setting gives the thing scale, while the charming lanterns, silks and bright colours recall the Mediterranean.  The menu combines the earthy, robust flavours of Middle Eastern home cooking with creative adaptations of regional favourites.  The deli lets you continue the experience at home, and the belly dancers at the weekends make you glad you came out.  Shisha pipes are available on the terrace for a complete Middle Eastern evening.

The Garden Restaurant

The Garden Restaurant near Heathrow gives you a flavour of holiday ease before you’ve even left the ground.  It’s in the Sheraton Skyline Hotel and overlooks the hotel pool while basking under the  soaring glass canopy and nestling amid tropical plantings.  Are we getting you salivating for a minibreak yet?  Then The Garden Restaurant is your spot.  The modern European menu has flavours from around the globe, with dishes like spicy Thai chicken broth and  baked parrot fish in banana leaf as well as more western dishes like brick pressed roasted poussin with roasted garlic and bubble and squeak.

Bread Street Brasserie

The Bread Street Brasserie in Edinburgh is part of the gorgeous Point Hotel though it has earned accolades as a relaxed, sophisticated dining spot in its own right.  Typically Modern European, The Bread Street Brasserie menu includes excellent steaks, creative British dishes and a very good selection of vegetarian and gluten free dishes that don’t for a moment scrimp on flavour.  The dining room is stylish and contemporary, with one eye on style and the other on fashion.  There are currently a couple of super special offers to entice you to give Bread Street Brasserie a try.

Fatty Fish

Over the seas now to Fatty Fish, the hottest sushi restaurant in Manhattan  and a sister of the famous Fatty Fish Glen Gove on Long Island.   It’s actually a modern Asian fusion bistro whose chef incorporates a vast array of traditional Asian spices in the creation of his fine innovative dishes.  The dining room is chilled Zen in atmosphere, smart and relaxed in tones of cream, aubergine and wood.  The well-dressed clientele from the Upper East Side are already great fans of the menu and the fine service, and the sushi, for this part of town, is very reasonably priced.

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Top London Restaurants from toptable

Friday, January 14th, 2011

One week from today the new Michelin Guide 2011 will hit the headlines and the fat man will sing.  Some restaurants will rise and others will fall.  There will be gnashing of teeth and shrugging of shoulders, but most of the action will take place among French, British, new British, modern European and kitchens rooted in French classic traditions.

For the past few years, Michelin has also been recognising restaurants of other culinary ethinicities, but that doesn’t reflect how we eat today, really.  We’re a global bunch.  We’ve skiied in Japan, boogied in Jo’burg, trekked in Nepal, surfed in Sweden.  We are such omnivores these days that exotic cuisines aren’t really all that blinking exotic any more.  So what are the top restaurants in London right now serving cuisines of other cultures?

Japanese

Hashi

If the Michelin people venture out to Raynes Park to dine at Hashi restaurant, we’d be knocked over.  But that’s fine with the locals who adore this hidden gem for its cool decor, utterly fresh sushi and the VIP treatment that every diner enjoys.  They don’t necessarily want every gastro-seeker to be crowding them out, but now we’ve lifted the lid on this excellent Japanese restaurant they’d better get used to having toptable diners around.

Soseki

Sharing top billing is Soseki in the heart of the City of London, and literally in the shadow of the Gherkin after about one in the afternoon.  Yet it’s a tranquil haven, an evocation of a Taisho-era teahouse where Japanese cuisine is served ‘omakasi’ style, though there’s also a sushi bar if you fancy that.  One of  you diners recommends Soseki as a place to take clients when you’re entertaining, so that’s a tip.

Patara Soho

Thai

Combine a Soho location, tastefully restrained and elegant decor highlighted with some authentic Thai artworks and decorative touches and fabulous Thai cooking and you’ve got a pretty good description of Patara restaurant in Greek Street.   There are a couple of other branches around the world, starting in Thailand, and across London, lucky us, but this is the one you all love the most.  The service is so attentive that most of you remark on it and the dishes arrive from the

Blue Elephant

kitchen arranged with an eye for beauty.  The wine list starts in the reasonable range and soars upward and most everything about this restaurant is spot on.

Blue Elephant is another international chain of stylish, even beautiful, Thai restaurants with fine food and charming service that has seen fit to open an outpost in London and toptable diners just love it.  Blue Elephant is located on a busy bend in Fulham, but once you step through the door you’ve entered a world of orchids, jungle plants, lazy carp under an arching bridge, smiling silk-clad waitstaff and blinding Thai food.  There’s a two-course special pre-match menu for Chelsea fans headed to Stamford Bridge for a match, though we’re more tempted by the amazing Sunday brunch buffet.

Bangkok Boulevard

It’s rare that we get to read so many toptable diner reviews that mention wonderful service, memorable service, brilliant service, lovely service, but Bangkok Boulevard restaurant on Lavender Hill has earned a chorus of cheers that use all those complimentary words and more, though the food gets plaudits and the cool scarlet decor with big brooding Buddhas is a winner too.  Ingredients are imported directly from Thailand, so that ensures authenticity.  In the warmer months, we can imagine whiling away evenings under the expansive awning.

Charm

Over-the-top glamour on a busy street in Hammersmith?  Yup, that’s Charm restaurant in one. Blingy gold chairs, chandeliers, vast flower arrangements, oversized champagne buckets, dramatic dark colour scheme — this place feels terrific from the moment you open the door.  The Thai cuisine comes from the Isan area and the south of Thailand, so there’s more to explore than massamans and pad thai, but be assured the favourites are there too. Wines start at a very reasonable £16 and we would love to work our way through the champagne list before we retire.  And it’s open every day, so you have no excuse.

Ishtar

Turkish

Ishtar restaurant in Marylebone may share its name with one of the all-time Hollywood flopperoos, but it also one of London’s top restaurants for Turkish cuisine that’s a definite cut above the others.  The classic dishes are all on the menu and a belly dancer shows up on Friday and Saturday evenings to add to the fun, but it’s the serious business of keeping diners happy and well-served that has made it a top choice for toptable diners.  The decor is light and airy with dining on two levels, though wherever you are seated you can expect a fine time.

Mekan

If you find yourself down Catford way, Mekan is a new addition to the area’s dining scene — opened less than two years ago — that has made a place for itself among enthusiastic local diners.  The decor is bright and modern and the Turkish cooking is just absolutely first rate.  Some of you have commented on the sublime hummus, others the cheesecake, others the main courses, but all in glowing terms.  And, as Mekan falls into the ‘under £25′ category, this great dining experience comes with a very small price tag.

Gaucho Chancery Lane

Steakhouse

Okay, not strictly an ethnic cuisine, but when we say ‘steakhouse’ we all know what we’re talking about: top quality beef, appropriate well-prepared sides, big butch wine list, decor with no hint of poncification.  Agreed?  Then allons-y.  You love the Gauchos, all ten of them, with a love that is more than mere appreciation of a fine restaurant chain.  You go there again and again, almost daring Gaucho to grow over-familiar and yet you are never disappointed.  You use words like ‘amazing’ and ‘excellent’ and ‘a favourite’ and all we can say is that this super series of restaurants with its superb Argentinean steaks, great bread, enticing drinks, sophisticated decor and reliable service is what a restaurant chain should be.

JW Steakhouse

JW Steakhouse at the Grosvenor House Hotel on Park Lane has got it right, too.  It’s a masculine spot with the menu permanently chalked up over the banquettes featuring dry-aged American USDA prime and Aberdeen Angus steaks ranging from a six ounce filet to the signature steak, the whopping 32-oz JW Tomahawk rib eye served on the bone.  And any London restaurant that has the confidence to put Whoopie pie and Bailey’s milkshake on the dessert menu, well let’s just say we like the cut of its jib.  Great wine list, too.

Hawksmoor restaurant

No list of top steak restaurants in London could possibly be complete without giving the original Hawksmoor a proper mention.  It was one of the favourites of our end-of-year Best of the Bloggers list.  The beef is supplied by Ginger Pig butchers from their herd of Longhorn cattle traditionally reared in North Yorkshire, hung for 35 days and served dictionary-thick with beef dripping chips and something red from the surprisingly not-all-American wine list.  And it’s relaxed and friendly too, with a highly-recommended Sunday lunch.  Bliss.

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Best Pub Lunches

Tuesday, January 11th, 2011
The love of the pub runs deep in Britain.  From atmospheric boozer to superstyled nouveau gastropub, we do love our pubs.   And for those of us who love to eat well, i.e. you toptable diners, the rehabilitation of the pub kitchen from a location to cut the cheese for a ploughman’s to places where real chefs create a mouthwatering array of blinding food is nothing but good news.  Now that we’re all back to work or school or whatever it may be and in need of quick, hearty, reasonably-priced meals, we thought we’d point out some seriously good spots for pub lunches at toptable. 

The Narrow by Gordon Ramsay

Top of anyone’s list has got to be Gordon Ramsay’s informal gastropub, The Narrow by Gordon Ramsay, in Limehouse in East London with its irresistible deal on now through the end of January.  For just £18 you can enjoy two courses at this Grade II listed former dockmaster’s house and take in the delightful Thames-side setting.  Modern  British cuisine is the thing here with an emphasis on the British.  

The Princess Victoria in London’s Shepherds Bush was named Best New Gastropub by

The Princess Victoria

TimeOut when it opened in 2008 and since then it’s earned a pair of AA rosettes and a steadfast local following.  This former Victorian gin palace built in 1829 has been transformed into a gastropub with more than a nod to the past.  The bar area has been lovingly restored, including its marble-topped horseshoe-shaped bar, and it fine selection of traditional ales.  The dining room is sparkling with sunlight by day, candlelit in the evenings, a perfect setting for your enjoyment of  a fine British menu and an excellent wine cellar.  A big sixteen-seat oak table in the centre of the room is just brilliant for big groups of friends to gather around.  The walled herb garden comes into its own when the warmer months arrive, whenever that may be.  And an incredibly reasonable lunch deal  is £12.50 for two courses during the week, with the opportunity to buy a bottle of wine at retail prices to accompany your meal on Mondays.  Would Victoria have approved?  We’re not sure we mind.

 

The Prince Albert

In keeping with the royal theme, the Prince Albert in London’s Camden features a coolly boho working man’s chic with bare floors, scrubbed tables, artfully unmatched seating, a creaking staircase up to the first floor dining room and an inviting beer garden.  The pub has earned a place in the 2011 CAMRA Good Beer Guide, so you know you’re in safe hands here.  The modern British menu is chalked up on the board so it can easily change with the seasons and market and there is a great lunch deal here too: £9.95 for two courses.

The Holly Bush dining room

In Hampstead, The Holly Bush has been keeping north Londoners content since the early 1800s when it was converted from the stables of painter George Romney.  The dining room has been updated somewhat — and very charmingly – while the rest of the pub retains its historic character with original panelling, high-backed booths and curving bar.  The menu includes both comfort foods and classic yet sophisticated modern British cuisine, so there’s something to suit every mood.  Regulars particularly recommend the pies, if you’re that way inclined.  Speaking of inclines, it’s a short though very steep walk up the hill from Hampstead tube.   There are  a few seats outside the door near the daily weather report.  The Holly Bush is an authentically old London pub, as far from modern tankard-and-horseshoe recreations as a Picasso is from a placemat.     

The Bolingbroke

South of the river, The Bolingbroke in Clapham comes from the same winning stable as The Abbeville and The Stonhouse and it is a gastropub of excellence, attracting a crowd of couples, families and the after-work set as well as a throng of locals for weekend dining and drinking.  Executive Chef Massimo Tebaldi creates a seasonally-changing menu of refined British dishes.  Children are particularly well cared-for with toys and crayons and their own menu with a pudding choice that includes cupcakes they can decorate themselves.  Tell us that’s not a gift to their parents as well.

But let’s stray from London a bit, shall we?

The Cock

The Cock restaurant in the charming Cambridgeshire village of Hemingford Grey near Huntingdon started life as a village pub and we imagine there were fears for its existence when new owners took over a few years ago.  No need.  The Cock now cleverly and sensitively has a village pub on one side (fires, newspapers, dogs, no food) and a separate restaurant on the other serving modern British cuisine as well as sandwiches and light bites at lunch.  The sausages are made in house and there is a chalkboard of fresh fish dishes that changes with the catch.  Whether you enjoy a walk by the Great River Ouse before lunch or skip that bit and go straight to the table, The Cock is a lovely village pub in anyone’s book.

The Poacher

Near Tonbridge in Kent you’ll find the delightful village of Tudeley and in its leafy lanes you’ll discover  its pub-cum-restaurant The Poacher.   Step inside the front doors all is revealed: a modern and welcoming establishment with wooden floors, contemporary art, bright upholstery and sun-drenched windows and a menu of British favourites with a creative twist as well as super burgers and steaks.  The real ale quango must have made its mark here, because the local lables are well represented hurrah, and the wine list is fine too. 

The Durham Ox in Crayke just outside of York is widely recognised as one of the best

The Durham Ox

pubs in the land.  With a three hundred year old building, beautiful countryside all around, an exceptional modern European menu and a warm welcome, The Durham Ox really has it all.  Add to that a bar area that retains its historic country pub ambience and a landlord for whom nothing is too much trouble, and you’ll understand why this place has won just about every award and accolade that can be heaped upon it.   If we lived closer, this would be our favourite spot in the world.

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