The Crown & Anchor Restaurant Review

Posted on June 13, 2014 by Catherine Balavage

Chiswick High Street is quite a bustling, yet tranquil part of West London. It is green and full of environmentally conscious people and yummy mummies. We headed to the newly refurbished Crown & Anchor to review it.

The Decor looks great and there is a good atmosphere. It is a sunny day and the flowers on the table all add to a lovely vibe. We start with the Pork, Apple and Leek Terrine With Piccalilli and Baby Toffee Apple & Toast and Watercress, Tarragon, Mint & Purple Carrot Salad With Roasted Pistachios, Sunflower Seeds & Orange Blossom Dressing. The terrine is delicious, very well done and all of the ingredients work well together. The salad is interesting and too tasty for something so green, but could of done with a little something else, more colour perhaps, or more dressing. It was a popular dish, the manager, Gordon, told me, and it was delicious. I just thought it could do with a little kick of something.

We also had a good bottle of prosecco. Perfect for summer.

There is a lot to say about our mains, mostly because they were so huge and generous that we really didn’t need a starter or a dessert. In fact, it took us ages to finish them and we still didn’t actually manage to polish the plate off.

We had the Cider & Tarragon Battered Cod With Mushy Peas & Tartare Sauce With Double-Cooked Chips and the Half Roast Chicken With Bread Sauce. The cod is well-battered with a good twist thanks to the tarragon and cider, the mushy peas are great and have some mint in them, the chips are double-cooked and there is also a good tartare sauce. The chicken is huge, an actual half chicken. No stinginess here. The bread sauce is very good, as is the gravy. It comes with a huge Yorkshire pudding, carrots, broccoli, parsnips and roast potatoes. This is a meal and a half, and you certainly get a lot for your money. It tastes good too.

All the way through our meal the service was amazing but seemed to completely drop off when we were ready to order dessert. It took a while to catch a waiters eye and order something. To be fair, they probably got sick of waiting for us to finish. My colleague and I hate wasted food but gave up towards the end.

For dessert (yes, our legs are hollow) we had an Earl Grey Infused Tart With Creme Fraiche and a Chocolate and Pear Tart With Creme Fraiche. Both were great and came with a biscuit and another sauce that really complimented the other ingredients. Very good desserts. I loved my chocolate and pear one. The combination of flavours really worked.

We enjoyed our meal at The Crown & Anchor. They also have a newly refurbished upstairs bar and more seating. It is a gorgeous, friendly pub with good food.

The Crown & Anchor

374 Chiswick High Road

London

W4 5TA

020 8995 2607

www.crownandanchorchiswick.co.uk

enquiry@crownandanchorchiswick.co.uk

www.facebook.com/CrownAndAnchor.Chiswick

@crownanchorw4

Karpo… A Restaurant of Choice

Posted on June 11, 2014 by Corinne Tuddenham-Finn

Deep in the heart of King’s Cross, right opposite St Pancras Station is Karpo brasserie, the ideal place to rest, relax and recharge in an unpretentious setting… everything a restaurant should be. Draped in an anti-camouflage montage of colour, this restaurant is no shrinking violet.

Serving cuisine with a global influence, the standards of service are uncompromising, with a highly developed sense of noblesse oblige, each and every customer is valued as a welcome friend by Massimo, the front-of-house manager. The light streams in through a roof window onto a vibrant wall of foliage creating the perfect backdrop to the non-conformist tables and chairs, different styles and textures, refreshingly breaking up the dining area with slices of beautifully turned wood and marble… there were no ‘bad tables’.

Karpo have created a pleasingly uncomplicated menu that discards unnecessary fripperies , keeping to the bare essentials in terms of ingredients and cooking processes. We were tempted with the brunch menu offering a selection of superb egg dishes ranging from Benedict through to plain and simple poached egg, but the deep fried cod cheeks and polenta with wild mushrooms came a close second to our choice of confit duck leg, sausage and lentils (£12) and Cumberland sausages, mash and gravy (£10). It was pleasing that Karpo chose to ignore the zeitgeist of listing every supplier on the menu, just occasional references of where the menu was taking us.

The duck was cooked to perfection with the sausage and lentils adding a twist of colour and texture, an adequately-sized portion, nicely washed down with a glass of house wine (Chardonnay, £4.75 glass). The Cumberland sausages, mash and gravy were presented in an uncomplicated way, you just can’t sex this dish up, the taste reminiscent of good ‘ole home cooking… but better. I rounded my meal off with lemon posset with handpicked lavender (£5), daintily presented but with a potent citrus kick! English breakfast tea was served… properly. The tea was presented and a healthy amount of tea leaves were allowed to brew in a teapot instead of the usual ‘coquette of the teabag’ ritual most restaurants resort to. Attention to detail was uppermost and it was reflected in the taste.

It was refreshing not to be asked ad nauseam if everything was ok, the well-mannered hosts discreetly sashayed around the tables keeping a close eye but not interrupting the quiet intimacy of the couples or the vibrant interactions of business people wooing clients in an appropriate setting.

And this is the defining point about Karpo, when we visited, customers looked relaxed as if they genuinely wanted to be in this establishment rather than ‘this’ll do’ as a need to just ‘grab a bite to eat’. People brought people to eat here… and that’s good enough for me.

Karpo Restaurant
23-27 Euston Road
King’s Cross
London
NW1 2SB
Bookings for up to 8 via email: reservations@karpo.co.uk
Website: www.karpo.co.uk
Telephone: 0207 843 2221
Facebook: karporestaurant
Twitter: @karporestaurant

Open for breakfast 7:00am to 11:am Monday to Friday
Neighbourhood brunch: 8:00am to 4pm Saturday and Sunday
All day menu runs from 12:00pm to 10:00pm weekdays, 5:00pm to 10:00pm Saturdays/Sundays (till 9:00pm Sundays)

Imagery by Shane Finn at Visual Devotion

Kirin Ichiban Beer And Feng Sushi: A Match Made In Umami Heaven

Posted on June 11, 2014 by Frostie

This June celebrate one of the original and healthiest fast foods with International Sushi Day on Wednesday 18^th June with a luxury sushi platter from Feng Sushi alongside an ice-cold Kirin Ichiban beer.

We were thrown at just how amazing the platter was. The sushi is amazing, high quality with something for everyone. The salmon was amazing, there was a great mixture of avocado and sushi and the salty edamame beans were also a joy. The platter retails at £29.75 and we thought it was a bargain considering how many people it feeds -2-to-4- and just how delicious it was. Now that we know just how amazing Feng Sushi in Fulham is, we will definitely be wanting more.

This is what the men had to say about the beer because, cliche alert, none of the women like beer: “The beer was pure, smooth, crisp and of the highest quality. It was a delight. One of the best beers I’ve ever had. I would highly recommend trying it, I will certainly be buying some more.” So it is safe to say we are fans of both the sushi and the beer.

Beer is a fantastic match for sushi as the pairing emphasises umami, the mysterious fifth flavour that adds a moreish savoury note. Soy sauce, seaweed and the fish itself are all sources of umami, which are heightened by the crisp, pure notes of Kirin Ichiban, acting as a palate cleanser to tone down the spicy wasabi kick. The beer’s rich flavour and deep, smooth finish also complement the delicately flavoured sushi and salty edamame beans.

Kirin Ichiban is the world’s only 100% malt beer produced from the unique Shibori process where just the first pressing of the ingredients is used, unlike other lagers which are pressed and re-pressed. The result is one of the world’s crispest, richest and purest beers with a rich flavour and no bitter aftertaste. The beer shows citrus aromas with an initial, crisp refreshing bite, leading to a surprising depth of flavour and an intensely satisfying, clean finish.

Feng Sushi’s classic patter comprises of 30 pieces of fresh sushi, including mean spicy tuna roll, MSC king prawn tempura roll, salmon mizuna and chive roll, salmon nigiri, seared salmon sashimi and salty edamame. The platter is available to order online for £29.75, with two bottles of Kirin Ichiban for £7.50.

· Kirin Ichiban is sold in Tesco, Ocado and www.thedrinkshop.com in 330ml bottles, RRP £1.49 per bottle

· Feng Sushi’s classic platter serves 2-4 people and retails at £29.75

· For more information on Feng Sushi, restaurant locations and to order online visit www.fengsushi.co.uk

Bounce Ping Pong And Cocktail Club | Restaurant Review

Posted on June 3, 2014 by Catherine Balavage

It is hard to create something unique and different in London, but it is fair to say that Bounce – Europe’s largest social ping pong and cocktail club based in Holborn, achieves this. In fact, it has everything you could need: cocktails, good food and ping pong.

The venue was designed by lauded interior designer Russell Sage and is visually stunning. It boasts an impressive 95 cover restaurant and cocktail bar and 17 bespoke designed ping-pong tables available for play – one being the Olympic final table. All of this can be enjoyed surrounded by London’s most impressive UV installation rolled out throughout the entire club.

The Frost team went down in force to review. Here is how we got on.

Paloma, Marcin, James and I arrive and head to the restaurant area. The menu has a great selection and it takes us a while to decide what we want. We order our starters and a cocktail each.

Paloma has the H Forman’s Scottish smoked salmon, roasted beetroots & horseradish cream which she says is earthy and smoked. The horseradish was a perfect accompaniment, didn’t have too much of a sting. Marcin has the Bruschetta 3 ways (Parma ham & pesto, Datterini tomatoes, peas, broad beans & pecorino): he says it is fresh and the pea complimented the mint well. James had the Gamberoni – baked king prawns, smoked garlic, chilli, Sicilian lemon butter, rocket & parsley: he says the prawns were huge and juicy and the sauce was amazing. For my starter I had Buffalo Mozzarella, Pixel tomatoes, Sorrento olives, toasted pine nuts, wild rocket & lemon infused olive oil. It was amazing. The ingredients are high quality and the combination really works well together.

For mains Marcin had the Baked salmon, heritage beets, broad beans and horseradish cream which he said was excellent: tender on the inside and slightly crispy on the outside. Paloma had the Spiced Newlyn Bay crab macaroni cheese. She said it was slightly a let down and overshadowed by chilli. James had a Spicy pork & fennel, plum tomatoes, buffalo mozzarella, basil & fresh chilli pizza which was excellent. James thought it was perfectly spicy. I had the Pan fried Label Anglaise free range chicken breast with smoked pancetta, roast squash, Italian beans in a rich tomato ragu: this dish was amazing. The best one I think. It was comfort food but even better. The sauce was amazing and the chicken was perfectly done.

For my dessert I had the Rum & raisin panna cotta with winter berry compote. It was amazing, with real raisins in. A very unique and tasty dessert. Paloma had the Warm chocolate brownie with vanilla ice cream, which she said was possibly the best she had ever had. James had the Spiced plum & amaretto tart with Devonshire clotted cream which he says was superb. Marcin had an expresso which he said was good and we also had some really good English Breakfast tea. The service was also amazing. Everyone is really friendly.

We made a fair dent in the cocktail menu. We had The Tipping Point, which tasted fruity and dangerous. It was far too drinkable for something which had every alcohol under the sun in it including absinthe. Bounce only allow two per person, the clue is in the name but Marcin handled it well, a Hatton Garden Spritz which was delicious and summery, a Wiff Waff which was also amazing and different, The Pink One which was yummy, a Ladies Delight No 2, which, indeed, was a delight, a Ping Pong Show which was brilliant, a Daddy Mac, which says it is not for girls but we’ll show them, it was very tasty and strong. Lastly we had a Gin Lane Spritz which was superb. Phew! All of the cocktails were fruity and easy to drink.

Paloma and Marcin play ping pong.

After all of that alcohol came the ping pong. I was terrible which I won’t blame on the alcohol but just on my general ineptness. I did get a little better towards the end. Annoyingly the boys did very well. Although Paloma held the girl’s side up. The ping pong is lots of fun and comes in thirty-minute slots. Bounce is the home of Ping Pong and you definitely get an amazing vibe from the place. Paloma text me the day before I wrote this review saying Bounce was on Made in Chelsea, so it has reached the peak of trendiness and is showing no signs of letting up. The day before we were going to go, my fiance and I were at his best man and girlfriend’s house and they were also going to Bounce. It is thee place to be seen at the moment.

Bounce has amazing food, brilliant cocktails and excellent ping pong. I cannot praise it enough, we really had a wonderful time. A hen party even come to our ping pong table after we had finished, so Bounce is perfect for many different occasions. We will be going back, numerous times.

Bounce
121 Holborn
London
EC1N 2TD

020 3657 6525

Black White Red Winchester

Posted on June 3, 2014 by Sarah Bacchus

If you have the chance to visit Black White Red in Winchester you will be sure to want one on your very doorstep for breakfast, lunch and fantastic evenings out. We are so lucky to have this cool trendy and vibrant cafe and bar at our disposal. The coffee is exceptional and tastes like nectar. The food will send you on a trip to the moon! Out of this world is the only way to describe this brilliant, busy and fun new find.

Food from the gods, we ate poached eggs on toast, tomato and mozzarella and avocado & onion on the best fresh bread that had been lightly toasted and drizzled with olive oil. We all dipped in and shared mouthfuls of each dish as it was too good to miss a single flavour!

They believe Wine and Coffee are linked…even if you don’t drink them at the same time of day they are produced in very similar ways, with distinctive flavours and characteristics. Wine and coffee should live together and at Black White Red they do just that.

Try a few of your favourite wines and you will notice how the flavours between certain coffees and the wine are almost identical! The fun is trying, tasting and exploring all they have to offer. Its a totally new concept that no one has tried before and by golly it works. This place is always packed and you can just feel the happiness waft down the street. It has fast become our Sunday go to place for coffees, really delicious food and a place to just sit and watch the world go by!

Black….. is just for Coffee, White… is the link between the two (white coffee, white wine) Red……. is just for Wine. Simple as that but such a perfect place to take time out and create memories.

Follow, Tag, Tweet and Instagram them! Check out the menu here come say hello over at slbstyle.com or follow me on Twitter @sarahbacchus to check out my professional work take a look at sarahbacchus.com

t: @BWRWinchester
i: /BWRWinchester

The Fable Restaurant Review

Posted on May 26, 2014 by Frostie

Strawberry and Lavender Mojito

Porn star martini

Fable is a buzzing bar and restaurant set in Farringdon with seasonal British food. It is inspired by the world of fairy tales and this was evident from the books and writings which adorn Fable’s three floors.

We start with some cocktails, a strawberry and lavender Mojito, which was a nice twist compared to the usual style and the skinny porn star martini. Both were excellent.

For our starter we choose the chicken satay. The char-grilled slightly smoky succulent chicken was really superb, beautifully cooked and it went very well with the excellent nutty satay sauce. The prawn crackers were a tasty addition and also went well with the sauce.

Chicken Satay

My salmon ceviche with orange and coriander came served in a jar which I had to shake myself, this seems to be a common trend at the moment. It was fresh and healthy and the salmon was very tasty.

Chicken burger

For my main I had a chicken burger. These guys cook chicken well! Again my chicken was succulent and tender. The breadcrumb seasoning was delicious – it put the Colonel in his place, it really was excellent. The chicken was well accompanied by a nice juicy slice of beef tomato, lettuce, red onion and and a crispy bun. There was also a gherkin on the side which I don’t usually like but this one was wonderfully fresh. I also loved the chips which came with my burger. They were nice and chunky and covered with heaps of fresh Parmesan and Rosemary. A brilliant combination I could have eaten them all day long and I can’t praise them highly enough. This was honestly up there with one of the best chicken burgers I have ever had. So often with a chicken burger you get served a dried out piece of flavorless meat with no effort or thought. That was definitely not the case here it was clear a lot of thinking had gone into all the dishes.

Reef, Beef and Bubbles!

The reef beef and bubbles came with a free glass of Prosecco all for £15 which we thought was very reasonable. The steak was tender and the size of my fist. It was well cooked and the peppercorn sauce was tasty and not overpowering. The lobster was delicious and fresh. The chips were tasty but not as good as the ones covered in rosemary and Parmesan.

For pudding we had three mini puddings in one. They were a generous size and beautifully served in colored glassware. All three of the puddings were extremely tasty. The true star was the raspberry and champagne sorbet which was something quite special. The lemon syllabub was a lemony biscuity delight. The chocolate brownie was also excellent and went perfectly with a scoop of vanilla ice cream.

Ice cream parfait

We also tried the ice cream parfait which was also beautifully presented and sweet and delicious in its own right. I loved my little doughnut which came with it.

Fable was a great experience and we will be going back in the future. Our waitress was extremely attentive despite having so many different tables to serve. The atmosphere was buzzing and the food was truly excellent there was nothing we could fault. The portion sizes were perfect my only minor criticism is that I found my chair slightly uncomfortable but now I’m just being picky.

Fable

52 Holburn Viaduct

London

EC1A 2FD

0845 468 0105

Verdi Italian Kitchen At The Royal Albert Hall | Restaurant Review

Posted on May 23, 2014 by Catherine Balavage

Rather obviously, the first thing you take in when going to Verdi is the surroundings. As gorgeous and historical buildings go, it is hard to beat the Royal Albert Hall. You really do feel like you are dining in a piece of history.

We start off by ordering Mozzarella di bufala with Coppa: Salted, seasoned, dry cured thinly cut pork shoulder from the Mozzarella Bar, where you order either mozzarella di bufala or a burrata along with a side of your choice. I have the Gamberi Con Pancetta: Grilled pancetta wrapped prawns, rosemary, chargrilled lemon.

The prawns are sizzling when they arrive and of a decent size. They are meaty and the pancetta is smoky. It is well seasoned. It is a good starter. The mozzarella is soft and creamy. It has a beautiful texture but could do with more flavour. There is too much rocket and the pork is absolutely delicious but is a little stringy.

We also ordered some bread, which we would have liked to have been a little softer. It came with some good balsamic vinegar.

We also ordered some amazing cocktails: a Aperol Spritz: Aperol, Moët & Chandon, orange bitters, which not only tasted amazing, but also a little like Irn Bru, so perfect for the Scottish amongst us and an IL Verdi: Gin, sciroppo di fiori and pressed apple juice, which was delicious and refreshing.

The service was excellent throughout and the atmosphere was peaceful due to the fact we went in-between shows. For our mains we had Agnello Ripieno: Stuffed lamb breast, white beans, tomatoes, smoked pancetta, spinach, garlic, basil and a Gamberoni pizza: King prawns, asparagus, mushrooms, tomato, mozzarella. The lamb was soft and beautiful. It came in a nice sauce, the beans added texture but the stuffing was just a little bit too spicy. A good meal all in all.

For a side we had Patate Arrosto: Sea salt roast potatoes, sage, garlic. We were not overly impressed. They were okay but not roast potatoes as we expected. The pizza was superb. It had a thin and tasty dough and was just wonderful. The prawns were generous and the ingredients worked together amazingly well.

For dessert we have Tiramisu: Mascarpone, coffee soaked sponge,cocoa, coffee liqueur and I have some Gelato because I am full and mildly allergic to coffee. You get to choose three scoops and I choose chocolate hazelnut praline, natural mint and chocolate chip and lime. The tiramisu is excellent, with a thick layer of cocoa dust and a delicious liqueur soaked base. The gelato is equally as good and the portion is generous.

I would recommend Verdi for good food in a stunning location.

Verdi, Door 12, Royal Albert Hall

Kensington Gore,

London, SW7 2AP

Tel: 020 7070 4401

www.verdiitalian.com

You can enjoy fantastic free live music on Fridays from 8:00pm played by popular jazz artists including favourites from Ronnie Scott’s and the 606 Club. Live music will also be performed on Saturday and Sunday lunchtimes. Full list of music dates and performers.

The Dining Rooms at The Worsley Park Hotel, Manchester | Restaurant Review

Posted on May 20, 2014 by Matthew Radway

The Dining Rooms at The Worsley Park Hotel is a light and spacious restaurant that takes traditional British food and gives it a modern twist. So far, so ‘every decent hotel restaurant’.

From the minute we arrived the staff created a pleasant and friendly atmosphere and our waiter was very helpful and knowledgeable about the menu and wine list. He recommended a 2013 Chenin Blanc to accompany our food choices and he was spot on. It was a lovely wine that somehow managed to compliment both the meaty courses that I chose and the vegetarian ones selected by my colleague.

All of our food arrived promptly, although this might partly have been because the restaurant was surprisingly empty for a Friday night. It’s worth noting here that the hotel is a little out of the way which probably explains the number of customers.

To start with I had chicken liver parfait and my colleague had asparagus with blood orange and hollandaise sauce, both off the specials menu. The blood orange nicely cut through the taste of the asparagus, which was well cooked. My parfait was flavoursome and had a lovely texture but, as is so often the way, it needed a little more toast to accompany it.

For the main course I had lamb in a Chambord jus with mashed potato and roasted beetroot and my colleague had a macaroni and cheese pie with garlic bread and salad. My lamb was tender and meaty and went perfectly with the beetroot and jus. My colleague too was impressed by her macaroni and cheese pie, finding it to be an inventive take on a classic dish which used great quality ingredients and was just the right size. However, there could have been more of the accompanying salad as on its own the pie was a little salty.

To finish, I had a white chocolate panna cotta with raspberry sorbet and a raspberry soup. The creaminess of the panna cotta went perfectly with the sharpness of the raspberry – it was possibly my favourite dish of the evening. My colleague had the sampler which came with miniature versions of the chocolate torte, the blood orange cheesecake and the sticky toffee pudding. Each was served with a suitable sorbet or ice cream and it was clear that thought had gone into the flavour combinations. The torte was dense and rich, just as it should be. Unfortunately, the cheesecake was a little bland and the sticky toffee pudding whilst delicious was lacking in sauce leaving it a little dry in the middle. However, I suspect that this might just be a problem with the miniature taster dish rather than the dessert when served on its own. Both desserts, as with all the courses, were immaculately presented.

The Worsley Park Hotel is a cut above your average hotel restaurant and is certainly a good choice for a meal on a special occasion. Does it manage to do anything radical in its attempt to provide a modern twist on traditional dishes? Not really. Would I recommend visiting anyway? I certainly would.

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