Category Archives: Food
Haven Bistro and Bar, Whetstone, North London
https://www.haven-bistro.co.uk/
#food #london #restaurant #foodie #sundaybrunch #londonrestaurant
Arbor Restaurant, Bournemouth
Although quiet for lunch in the week ( which I loved), Arbor was a bright and breezy place to dine.
Food tasted like it had just been grown in the kitchen. The restaurant was covid safe. Staff were attentive. Great lunch time dining experience.
#arbor #restaurant #dining #lunch #bournemouth
The Norfolk Arms – King’s Cross London
Why oh Why was this place at the back of Russell Square / Kings Cross without patrons on a Sunday? This is a complete hidden gem. One of the best tapas I’ve had in London.
The seating could be more comfortable, but great food in a relaxed pub atmosphere with great service. Well worth a visit.
Yosma
A TURKISH MEYHANE, MANGAL & RAKI BAR INSPIRED BY THE STREETS OF ISTANBUL.
I love Turkish food and eat it often; so it was an absolute delight to find a restaurant in Baker Street that doesn’t do generic Turkish food but excellent Turkish food with a twist. Every dish melted in the mouth from the bread and humous to the lamb dumplings. Even the salad was amazing. Mouthwatering, with excellent ingredients where I could taste the quality. This is a true find for Turkish cuisine. Beautifully presented and served with a smile. Easily the best Turkish inspired restaurant I have eaten at in London thus far.
Edith’s House N8
If you need cake; and let’s face it, at some time in life, even if you are savoury, you need cake, then look no further. Well if you are in North London look no further. Specifically Crouch End. White chocolate Scones and condiments like black pepper and raspberry? Whaaaaaat? Yes they do have more foodie stuff because a place can’t survive on flour alone, but if you crave the sweet Edith’s House is a treat.
Gymkhana
Where to begin with the feast that was laid before us? Gymkhana, needs some booking ahead. Why? Because if you like this sort of food they are at the top of the game in London. I use opentable, book one month ahead and take the £35 tasting menu for a late lunch. Oh you may think it may not look much as a three course meal (you can do four courses should you wish) But I dare you to roll out of that restaurant wanting more.
Traiteur – New London N4 Restaurant
The other night I went with my friends to the new hot Spot, Traiteur in Crouch Hill. Anything new in The Manor I need to know about and quickly. Well well well, what a fantastic find.
The above was a surprise gazpacho with crab Hors d’ouevre for us to have before our meal.
As soon as I took a bite of the beef short rib Croustillant, I wished that it would never end. But I’m greedy so I ate it in about one minute and felt sad it was gone after. It tastes better than my picture. I then had gnocchi, which is one of my favourites and it did not disappoint. No packet gnocchi here. Everyone had enviable meals. I wanted to go back again the next day.
This place is not fancy to sit in, but it’s intimate and it works. The only downside is BYOB. We didn’t pay corkage and if you own this restaurant – do not charge corkage please. You will ruin what is an amazing thing that has happened and annoy people like me who would write about it. I have a feeling that they won’t be there for long and it will expand quickly, so If I was anyone interested in food in London, I would book IMMEDIATELY.
They also cater for events. My birthday is soon and this is happening all over again.
Castellammare Del Golfo – Sicily part one
The port at sunset
We landed in Palermo and were driven to Castellammare Del Golfo, a place we had randomly picked at the last-minute, from a Sicily promoting website that said it had a great beach and was just simply brilliant. Well it does have a beach, the size of someone’s living room. And even though it was tempting to put a towel down it was like the idea of sunbathing topless in a London park. Just not done. It’s a very pretty port, with literally a handful of restaurants and a town behind it, that looked quite cool even though no one was present in any of the towns we drove through. Everyone for the summer seems to be working on the beach so if you want to drive through little towns at this time of year to discover a hidden world, Don’t.
A port with a view
We thought that we had made a terrible mistake but I have to say that the people in the Hotel Cala Marina that we stayed in could not have been nicer to us if they tried. All of them were genuinely warm and helpful. It’s worth mentioning that if you don’t have a car than book taxi’s ahead, as you will need them, unless you like to cycle. We are glad we didn’t do air b n b on this occasion as we would have been stuck. If you are driving the roads are really good and though mountainous they do have rails on the sides.
When they attempted to sell us the discount voucher for the restaurant next door but onem that had excellent seafood, I met their eyes with the usual traveller’s suspicion. But we were tired so we walked all of the one minute to the restaurant and sat outside staring at the parked boats. We ate and I have to say it was the best meal we had in the four days, amazing seafood and pistachio prawn pasta (which we had three more times in different restaurants in a bit of an obsessive way.)
Sunbathing in the storm.
When everyone goes on holiday they expect it to be sunny but it wasn’t. So we went to the beach and sat in the café praying that the sand storm going into our beer and tapas wasn’t actually happening. When the huge plant fell over for the third time even though they had tied it to the barrier, we did what anyone else on holiday would do. We walked to the shore, sat protected from the rain under the umbrella and carried on.
Barcelona – supermarkets and paella – discuss
We arrived and for once did not go to the main area of Las Ramblas and the Gothic District. I’ve been to Barcelona a few times before so it was time to go off piste and see what the city had to offer. We air b n b’d a great apartment in the area of Rambla del Poblenou and it was less than £100 a night for a two bedroom. I took a photo of the street name on my iphone as it was particularly difficult to pronounce. This proved a life saver when getting home in a cab.
We searched for a supermarket because everyone knows that European Supermarkets are ridiculously good and should be high on your list of important points of interest to see as soon as you land. Never has fruit tasted so good. It puts England and the States to shame when it comes to tasty fresh produce.
Things that you immediately need to buy to keep for a weekend away in spain. Chorizo, nectarines, tomatoes, tortilla, bread, emergency drunken pizza, sweet peppers in a jar, fresh anchovies, Strawberry twizzlers, milk, condensed milk to make iced coffee, coffee. Rose wine, red wine, beer. Water, fresh limes and lemons.
This photo does not do the Paella justice in Vell.
We went on the hunt for Paella and Sangria. Which isn’t hard being in Barcelona, but it had to be right. We had a gourmet Paella from what was like a local cafe looking restaurant in a place called Vell. Not the real yellow type this was a treat gently simmered in stock and tasted like it had been cooked in a top restaurant even though we were in what felt like a cafe. We had a great paella the day after which was the dirty saffron kind but once I’d had the gourmet one it was like comparing steak to a greasy kebab . Both have their own merits but are right for different times in life.
worldwideattitude 