Famous faces fed: Caponata is situated in the heart of Camden so it’s popular with the North London crew like like Jude Law, Amy Winehouse, Russell Brand and Sadie Frost.
Food: A Sicilian Restaurant upstairs serves gourmet plates of Southern Italian deliciousness with a long wine list. Downstairs, which is open for breakfast, is more causal and serves light bites such as meat and cheese platters with traditional Sicilian cakes. For lunch in the restauarnt, I had the Gnocchi with gorgonzola and Treviso radicchio which melted in the mouth and was the perfect portion size for filling you up. A seabass fillet came out with just the right amount of anais sauce and the artichoke hearts underneath gave it an added hearty feel. The menu was small, but that is a good thing as it means you can be confident everything you order is cooked freshly. However the real treat came with desert. My party squad and I ordered the chocolate cone filled with banana mousse and strawberry sorbet, it looked so impressive when it arrived and the taste was even better.
Decor: Caponata has a minimalist, open feel to it. The upstairs restaurant is classy yet comfortable – hearty wooden tables, high ceilings and lots of natural lighting .
Dress code: We went for lunch at Caponata dressed in our work clothes (nothing particularly fancy, and we were drenched from the down pour outside!) It’s homely feel and polite waiters meant they took our wet stuff without batting an eyelid. But I can imagine in the evening it would be nice to make a bit of an effort as there is often live entertainment like swing and jazz bands.
Special touches: It’s got to be those puddings! The flavours were so well picked, and along with the banana chocolate cone we also ordered chocolate fondant (for a change!) with the nicest vanilla ice cream ever and yet more banana – yum!
On Sundays, they have morning coffee and cakes with classical music in the background.
Cost: In the Osteria bar, you could order a filling meal with a cocktail for less than £50 for two (including service). Upstairs is more pricey, especially if you take advantage of the wine list, but we reckon an average spend would be £80.
Contact: 3-5 Delancey Street, Camden, London NW1 7NL. 020 7387 5959. Caponata Website
Famous faces fed: The Cuckoo Club has literally seen everyone who’s anyone pass through their doors, with Jimmy Carr, Paris Hilton and Franz Ferdinand just the tip of the varied celebrity iceberg that have visited the club.
Food: Luxurious modern European would be the best way to describe the dishes at The Cuckoo Club. Head Chef Rupert Blease’s delicate selection of flavours ensure that the mouth is bursting with taste throughout the meal.
We started off with a divine selection of steaming warm breads with fig bread and olive bread especially outstanding. Then there was an amuse bouche of salmon tartare on a crisp before starters of artichoke and mushroom (for Zoe) and duck salad for the party squad’s Matt.
The chef surprised us with a pre-course of tuna ceviche on a bed of rice which melted in the mouth. But despite all this food, you don’t feel bloated as the waiting staff told us that the chef uses no butter or cream – the only thing that is vauguely unhealthy is the desert.
We each throroughly enjoued our mains of King Scallop for Matt and Veal for Zoe and tried something called sweetcorn pudding on the side, whch is mashed up sweetcorn – way better for you than mashed potato.
Since the main courses were so good, we had to try dessert:
The chocolate desert (featuring Ganache, Lemon Thyme, Olive Oil, Sea Salt Crumble) was an interesting take on a heavy cake like chocolate fondant. It featured a bit of crumble and the chocolate sauce that you find inside a fondant without enduring boring cake – perfect.
For me, the best thing about the food was that with each mouthful I was able to taste more flavours which ensured that, although the first bite was wonderful, the dish just kept getting better and better until there was no more left.
Decor: A vibrant mixture of pink and purple grace The Cuckoo Club restaurant giving the venue a stylish and sleek feel that will help bring out your chic rock persona.
Dress Code: Although we visited on a night when models were walking around in their underwear for London Fashion Week, a glamorous dress code is advised.
Special Touches:Amuse bouches and pre-courses are always a good touch but the food in general is special – there was nothing I can fault.
Cost: £40 for two courses, £48 for three courses.
Contact: The Cuckoo Club is located on Swallow Street W1B 4EZ, 0207 287 4300 The Cuckoo Club Website
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Dress code: While there is no formal dress code, you feel like you owe it to the surroundings to make an effort. Then you can also flirt with the good looking staff – as this restaurant is full of good looking guys and girls.
Special touches: Chef Ian Pengelley holds a masterclass one Saturday a month, where I learned how to roll sushi.
Cost: Gilgamesh is not cheap - the bar snacks cost £7 or more, the seabass is an eye-watering £25.75 and Wagyu Beef is £54. This is definitely for a special occasion with an avearage meal for two (including drinks and service) at least £150.
Contact: Gilgamesh, The Stables Market, Chalk Farm Road, London NW1 8Ah. 020 7428 4922. Gilgamesh Website
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Inamo
- Inside Inamo: Overhead Projectors screen menus on to tables!
Famous Faces Fed: Inamo is in the heart of Soho and it’s decor is fresh and funky so expect a young, cool crowd of London trendies like Pixie Geldof, Jaime Winstone, Alexa Chung and Alex Turner.
Food: A delicious melee of Pan-Asian cuisine, which means the best bits of Chinese, Japanese and Thai. You can get sushi (my date and I had succulent tuna and salmon nigri and crispy soft shell crab rolls) as well as Chinese classics like crispy duck pancakes. However, the best thing by far was the black cod with honey and miso sauce, the signature dish of posh Japanese restaurants like Nobu where it sells at £27. At Inamo it was equally good and just £13.50. We still had room for desert and tried a delicious macaroon with white chocolate mousse and lemongrass sorbet – a perfect palate cleanser.
Decor: This venue screams young and cool, due to the way you order food. Instead of boring printed menus, you order food using computers at your tables. The menu is beamed down by overhead projectors, and controlled by a built in computer mouse-pad on the table.
Dress Code: Casual cool. You don’t have to dress up to get respect from snotty waiters as they’re aren’t any waiters. Also, the computer system method of ordering means Inamo is a hang-out for a technologically savvy cool crowd and there are less stiff, old-fashioned suits than in other West End restaurants.
Cost: Be careful as the cool method of ordering means you are tempted to keep picking more dishes. A good rule would be to choose 3 dishes per head, which would set you back £20 each.
Contact: Inamo, 134 Wardour Street, Soho, London w1. 020 7851 7051. Inamo Website
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Indali Lounge
Famous Faces Fed: Restaurant owner Dr Kartar Lalvani is one of Britain’s most successful businessmen with his primary enterprise making vitamin pills and Indali Lounge attracts some well-dressed corporate crowds. However, it’s Marylebone location and decent-sized bar area means it is ofetn hired out for private parties by neighbouring TV channels. The BBC and Virgin Media (including Living TV) have offices down the road.
Food: London’s healthiest curry house! Dr Lalvani has created a menu with no cream and no butter. The rice dishes all have low GI, the cucumber raita is low-fat and the naans and chapatis are free from bleached starch and high in fibre. I was scared what effect all this calorie cutting would have on the taste but as soon as the starters came out, I was won over and by dessert I was happily full yet not weighed down. I went with a crew from Living TV and we shared a selection of starters. There are lots of vegetarian choices including Paneer Three Ways and Chaat Baked Aloo Tikki (moist potato patties served with chickpeas and tomato) but the Masala Prawns Grilled were so delicious I wanted them all to myself:
For mains, I must mention the Original Butter Chicken Tikka Indali, which is so unique it has a patent pending regarding it’s recipe! But all four of us had dishes we loved with a Lobster Bombay Dream curry, a succulent Soft Shell Madras Bhuna Crab and a Veggie Mali Kofta with Paneer Dumplings. As we’d done so well with the other courses, we were worried there would be a catch when it came to puddings but the Mango Kulfi did not disappoint – a mix between sorbet and ice-cream. I also loved the Gulab Juman, which tasted like donuts, but they must be healthy as they are on the Indali menu:
Decor: Intimate and sexy – if this didn’t bill itself as London’s healthiest curry house then it could bill itself as one of London’s most stylish curry houses thanks to its atmospheric low purple lighting, exotic flowers and sturdy wooden furniture.
Dress Code: There is no real dress code, butwe reckon you can really dress to impress at Indali Lounge and show off your figure as the food will not leave you feeling bloated afterwards.
Special Touches: It has to be the fact that curry can be healthy – how special is that? Also, fitting the stylish theme that runs throughout the whole restauarant, there is an extensive cocktail menu and a good selection of wine.
Fraise Royale cocktail
Cost: Special deals include 20% off the A La Carte menu on Sundays and a two course business lunch for the criminally low price of £8.90. However, starters range from £4 – £6, the vegetarian mains start at just £6 and desserts are mostly under £4! I reckon two people could enjoy one of the best dinners they’ve ever had for around £50 including a cocktail.
Contact: Indali Lounge, 50 Baker Street, London W1U 7BT. 020 7224 2232. Indali Lounge Website
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There is a separate vegetarian menu.The Ivy would be torture if you were on a diet as there are so many tempting, yet calorific, treats offered up as starters, main courses and deserts plus warm crusty brown and white rolls with butter. My favourite starters are Caesaer Salad and Bang Bang Chicken (chicken with peanut sauce), but you can also go for classic melon and parma ham or prawn cocktail. Gnocchi and Kedegree may be simple dishes but you’ll be pushed to taste them better elsewhere than at the Ivy.My favourite main is Shepherds Pie, which is served with a bottle of soy sauce on the side. Order this with minted peas and carrots. Dover Sole is the best-seller when it comes to mains, served with steamed spinach.
I always save room for desert – either Sticky Toffee Pudding (comfort food) or Iced Berries in Hot White Chocolate (still comforting but slightly lighter).
Decor: Stained glass windows and wooden seats almost makes you feel like you are inside a chuch. Each table has lots of white linen, which is constantly wiped down for crumbs by the waiting staff as there is no side plate for bread and the breads are delicious (see below).
Dress Code: No formal dress code. In fact, casual is best (ie jeans) to create the impression you are too cool to care about clothes.
Special touches: The Service – waiting staff are quick and efficient with taking orders and serving. However, this is done without hovering around your table. If glasses need filling up, it’s done smoothly and the waiter moves away.
Iced Berries in Hot White Chocolate is the best way to end a meal.
- mmmmm – hot white chocolate covered berries
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Kettners
Famous Faces Fed: Kettner’s opened in 1867 in the heart of London’s theatreland, so it has fed hundreds of theatre stars and dancers as well as celebrities watching shows. Historically, diners have included Edward VII, Bing Crosby and Oscar Wilde, while more recent ‘luvvie’ guests have been Keira Knightley, Rupert Friend, Cate Blanchett and Drew Barrymore.
Food: Kettner’s is most famous for it’s Champagne – it even has a dedicated Champagne bar with one of the longest lists ever. As well as the traditional Moets and Dom Perignons, there are sparkling wine offerings from small but tasty English growers such as Nyetimber. Bubbles up!
My agent Matt Nicholls and I enjoyed a hearty three course meal in the brasserie, but I must point out there is also a pudding bar (yum) where you can get pastries with your Champagne until around midnight.
I ordered a filling game and foie gras terrine, which melted in my mouth, and Matt raved about his smoked salmon but it was not our first choice. The restaurant had run out of grilled squid and ham hock salad.
When it came to main courses, the restaurant had also run out of lobster and salmon en papillote, which shows that the restaurant must be doing good business but I was disappointed as I’d excitedly read the menu earlier that day and was craving lobster. However, the fish dish they had left – crisp seabass – was moist and fresh and came with crunchy saute potatoes. Matt polished off his sirloin steak almost before I had a chance to try a bit of it’s 31 day hung smokiness – delicious.
All the puddings were on the menu. Chocolate, port and pear upside cake was a slice light sponge with a pear on top. Green tea cheesecake probably shouldn’t have been described as a cheesecake – it was mousse on top of a shortbread – an interestingly light way to end a filling meal.
Decor:
1920’s romanticism – if a man took me on a date here I would be impressed. Thanks to the candlelight everyone looks good – even my tired agent. You can get cosy corners (I sat on a throne by the window) as well as long tables for parties. Parties can also be held in one of the private rooms upstairs.
Dress code: Midweek early evenings are casual it’s in the heart of Soho and the clientele include a lot of media workers downing Champagne after work. From 8pm onwards it starts looking more glamorous with people on dates or those with something to celebrate. However night-club party dresses are imapporpriate here: think ELEGANT.
Special Touches: The two main reasons to visit Kettner’s are the champagne and the elegant decor.
No matter what you order, you’ll end up having a good meal.
Cost: For lunch, there are a selection of plats rapides (ie dishes cooked quickly) for the bargain price of £9.50 each! In the evenings, startes average at £7 and mains at £12, with the must-have deserts at £6. Since you have to wash it down with Champagne, you’ll probably end up spending £110 for two including bubbly and service. To keep costs down skip starters and share a dessert.
Contact: Kettner’s, 29 Romilly Street, London W15 5HP. 020 7734 6112. Kettner’s Website
The Loft, Clapham High Street, London SW4
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Northbank Restaurant, Millennium Bridge, One Paul’s Walk, London, EC4
Celeb Diners: The intellectual crowd – ie artists from Tate Modern just opposite or powerful city businessmen from St Paul’s or Blackfriars down the road. Plus those with secrets to hide – ie politicians taking dates or other members of the party they can impress with the food and then close the deal in secret booths.
Food: Michelin starred food at 25% less than you would pay in a Michelin restaurant. Plus the portion sizes of the dishes on the Modern English menu are very generous. After you are settled, you are presented with a million types of bread to choose from – always a good start – and the waiters come back if they sense you need more.My guest went for scallops seved with black pudding and each of was served on a mini pud and drizzled with a rich, creamy sauce – I would have enjoyed that as a main.
I had honey roast quail served with a hearty portion of puy lentils and foie gras on a crouton on the side. My main of roast haddock with winter vegetables and spinach gnocchi was equally large but I had to polish off every little gnocchi (almost better than chocolate). My guest raved about the quality of his steak and we ordered broccoli and cauliflower cheese as a side as I hadn’t seen this on the menu for ages. Deserts are the best of British done well, especially the sticky toffee pudding.In all, its good that the protion sizes were big because you didnt want each mouthful to end.
Dress Code: As you can sit in intimate booths, it doesnt matter what you are wearing as you are only drerssing to impress your dining partner. The staff are so laid back and polite, you could turn up in a plastic bag and they woukldnt bat an eyelid. owever, when the sdtaff are immaculate, you should make a bit of an effort.
Decor: Total romance. Impress a date with river views across to the Thames, the wobbly bridge and the Tate Modern. In summer – you can dine on the terrace right ON the river! Cosy leather booths with high backs make you feel you are the only couple in the room although there are tables to see and be seen on.
Special Touches: The river views are literally stunning.
Cost: The set menu is highly recommended – three courses of decent sized British plates for £25 lunch and £30 dinner. (If you go for lunch, take the afternoon off for the food to digest!). A la carte is fabulous value given the quality and presentation – you’ll spend around £80 – £90 for two inc. drinks and your date would think you’ve spent twice as much!
Contact: Nortbank Restaurant, Millenium Bridge, One Paul’s Walk, London EC4V 3QH. 020 7329 9929. Northbank Website
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The Phoenix
Famous faces fed: The Phoenix is in Victoria, near St James’s Park, with celebs such as Rhys Ifans, Sean Connery and Hugh Grant living in the area. And of course there’s always Her Majesty just around the corner!
Food: The Phoenix has a good gastro pub menu with the addition of some yummy looking specials (salmon and beef). The food was much better than your average pub grub and well presented. The portions were of a good size and the chips were home-cut, delicious!
My friend and I chose a spicy BBQ chicken fillet and open beef sandwich, both were so filling we needed to skip dinner! To keep with tradition we stuck with chocolate fondant and ice cream for pudding. The fondant was well cooked with lovely, runny warm chocolate in the middle and the ice cream was of excellent quality and bursting with vanilla pods.
Decor:
Trendy with a cosy country feel, pictures and candles made it feel very homely and the wooden tables, stools and comfy armchairs added to the charm. Although this is part of the Geronimo Inns chain, it had a local feel.
Dress Code: Smart casual in the day-time, this is the place for after work drinks and is full of young professionals having wine over lunch. The diners were trendy locals, despite the ‘touristy’ location near St James Park / Apollo Theatre.
Special Touches: A pretty garden and terrace area, a rarity for such a central location. Also, the staff were exceptionally friendly and attentive despite being rushed off their feet on a busy Friday lunchtime.
Cost: £70 for lunch for two (including wine and service) makes this quite pricey for a pub, with mains between £12-£15 and the delicious chocolate fondant £5.
Contact: 14 Palace Street, Victoria, London SW1ve 5JA. 020 7828 8136 The Phoenix Website
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Ping Pong
Famous Faces Fed: Who HASN’T eaten at Ping Pong would be a better question! I’ve seen Peaches Geldof and Alexa Chung in the Soho branch, Russell Brand in the Camden branch and Lily Cole in the Westbourne Grove branch…and that’s just when I’ve been in.
Food: Dim Sum is an ancient Chinese tradition of serving small steamed, baked, or fried parcels of food in baskets.
You get about 3 Dim Sum per basket, and a good guide is to order about 4 baskets each or more if you’re feeling hungry. We ordered a selection of baskets, and everything was so delicious it’s hard to recommend just one. Zoe liked the Crunchy Golden dumpling (a golden turmeric dumpling filled with crisp stir fried vegetables) and the prawns wrapped in Spinach. Annabelle was a big fan of the sticky ribs and Andrea raved about the seafood puffs all afternoon. We ALL loved the desert – mini pastries filled with ice-cream including mango and chilli:
Drinks: We rarely write about drinks in our restauarnt reviews, but the cocktails at Ping Pong are to die for! We had the Lychee and Roses one, which is Bombay Sapphire gin , Lemon and Lychee juice, served with a real rose bud floating on top. It even looked tasty with a floating rose bud on top (which Andrea saved as a memento).
Decor: The restaurant was lively but also very relaxed, the perfect place to chat with friends over dinner and drinks. The staff were very helpful and friendly, they took our coats and made sure we know how to order from the menu.
Dress Code and Dosh: Although the food looks stylish, you don’t feel obliged to dress up for it. Our cocktail was only £5.79, and most food baskets for under £4. The prices are excellent – we would definitely pay a lot more.
Special Touches: Ping Pong have just launched a Loyalty card for its three City Restaurants; Bow Bells House, Spitalfields and Appold Street. If you activate your card online, you get £10 worth of free credit to spend as you like at these restaurants. You can order online here http://bit.ly/5a9Kkn.
Cost: £60 for two people based on a healthy appetite of four baskets each, wine, and desert. However you could get away with £15 a head if you skipped the wine and desert (although we do advise you to try pudding!)
Contact: Various London locations but we visited the Spitalfields branch, 3-6 Steward Street, London E1 6AL. 020 7422 7650. For all locations, see the Ping Pong Website
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As a bomus, the pre-meal selection of bread was presented in a way that reminded me quite what a delicacy bread can be. When it came to desert, I felt I needed a treat because it was cold outside and I’m fed up of the snow. So I went for the Milk Chocolate Fudge Cake, which was rich and absolutely luxurious and that means a lot coming from me as I’ve tried a lot of chocolate cakes in my time.
Decor: The building has a very modern design but it is also fun. On entering the main door you’re immediately greeted by a life sized dummy of a waiter who resembles a mixture of Statler and Waldorf from the Muppet show. Then the spacious modern restaurant glistens with the shine of vibrant shades of black and red.
Dress Code: There is no dress code at Prezzo which makes this restaurant the perfect location for a mixture of society, from couples to families to work parties to Amy Winehouse…
Special Touches: The menu is VAST, and with so many tempting dishes to choose from I needed some help, thankfully the staff not only held expert knowledge in the dishes, but their personal recommendations were all first class. To add to that, the staff were frequently checking that my meal and experience at Prezzo was enjoyable in a caring manner rarely seen in restaurants today.
Cost: £50 for two (including dessert) with wine and service – excellent value! Everything – pizza, pasta and salad – seems to cost around £8 with desserts at £5.
Contact: There are several Prezzos in London but we visited the one at 31-32 Northumberland Avenue, London WC2N5BW. 020 7930 4288. For all locations around the UK, see the Prezzo website
Famous Faces Fed: Set near popular Kingston in Surrey, home to countless pop stars, footballers and media types. You never know who you might spot popping in for a curry.
Food: Roz Ana is an Indian restaurant with a twist. Their aim is to bring a smart yet casual approach to modern Indian dining, and they certainly achieve it with a large menu of contemporary Indian dishes. My starter of seared scallops served with lotus root crisps was so delicious that I was tempted to order them for main course and dessert too. The coconut soft shell crab was equally as mouthwatering. Mains were generous and crammed with flavour. The chef’s signature dish of Chicken Tikka Laphroaig Masala was divine. The usual Chicken Tikka Masala was flambeed with single malt Laphroaig whiskey to create an even taster version of the old favourite.
The Lamb Nalli, (a tender lamb shank, slowly pot roasted in a mix of spices) was equally good. The dessert menu was varied, with a range of traditional Indian treats as well as some contemporary classics with a twist. The darjeeling Tea Creme Brulee was a perfect end to meal.The food was presented beautifully, even the popadoms looked stylish on a wire spiralled stand.
Decor: Neutral modern decor with a laid back feel.
Special Touches: The name Roz Ana means “come back everyday” in Hindi, which was a well suited name as I could happily eat in Roz Ana every single day. Roz Ana are also staging a special Valentine’s day event. As well as a special Valentine’s menu, the restaurant will have a poet laureate, who will be writing personalised poems for you an your partner and to top it your romantic carriage will take you home free of charge after your meal.
Cost: Appetisers range from £3.95- £10, mains from £8.95- £13.95 and desserts from £3.95- £4.50. Estimate to spend a maximum of £70 for a dinner for two with wine – a BARGAIN considering how much it will tickle your tastebuds.
Contact: Roz Ana, 4-8 Kingston Hill, Norbiton, Surrey. 0208 546 6388. Roz Ana Website
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Food- The White Hart has a traditional menu, but higher than average standard pub fare. Starters were generous, maybe a little too generous. Prices range from £4.50 to £5.25 and include fried camembert with blackberry dressing and goat’s cheese and buffalo mozzarella wrapped in parma ham. A good selection of mains and specials, the ribeye steak with salad, chips and peppercorn sauce was perfectly cooked and is recommended.
For desserts think traditional English puddings including sticky toffee pudding
(which was delicious) and crumble. A lighter option of fruit and champagne sorbet goes down well, all priced at £4.95.
Drinks- A good selection of wines between £14.80 and £22.90 and a small selection of traditional ales and spirits, as you’d expect from a Fullers hotel.
Decor- A big plus point for the White Hart, The timbered frontage and the original stone arched windows make for an attractive setting for a meal out – a cross between traditional pub and smart hotel.
Special Touches: Don’t expect large crowds, even at the weekend, but do expect relaxed friendly service in this pleasantly charming hotel restaurant.
Cost: £100 for two including wine and the sticky toffee pudding / champagne sorbet. Expensive for pub food, but you’ll feel comfortably full.
Contact: The White Hart, 1 High Street, Hampton Wick, Kingston Upon Thames, London, KT1 4DA. 020 8977 1786. The White Hart website
