Kyoto Kitchen Winchester

Posted on April 17, 2014 by Sarah Bacchus

Kyoto Kitchen is one of the best places to eat in Winchester. The staff are wonderful, attentive and they make you feel like you are the most important people to ever eat at this incredible Japanese restaurant.

The sushi, maki and sashimi are fabulous especially the tuna with poppy seeds, they will make you think you are in heaven. Every morsel will melt in your mouth and you will be pleasantly surprised, if you have never eaten raw fish or sushi before, you will be hooked. The scallops are always the main event for us as they are so jaw droopingly amazing, you will revel in the memories of their succulent and delicate taste for weeks on end after you have visited.

In actual fact the miso soup is on another level, you would be hard pushed to find anywhere that could possibly compare to this astonishing array of dishes. You will be blown away by the service and the food.

We ordered a few dishes, Tuna crusted with poppy seeds, Miso soup, Edamame beens, plain steamed rice and the chefs sashimi selection, washed down with a nice glass of merlot, a sensible glass of water and a tasty drop of mango juice.

This face was a picture….oooh just look at all that delicious, tasty and amazingly well presented platters. I was more than happy to dive in and savour every mouthful.

The flavours will send shivers down your spine and you will feel like an extra on master chef…Its that good!!

Every mouthful of every meal I have ever had there has been exquisite. The decor is tranquil, serene and beautiful, the staff are wonderful and the whole experience will make you want to take all your friends along for a festival of a feast.

We thoroughly recommend this fabulous restaurant!

Book a table now!

70 Parchment Street | Winchester
Hampshire | SO23 8AT
Tel. 01962 890895 | info@kyotokitchen.co.uk

For more info on places to visit, tons of Winchester delights and loads of fabulous fashion advice visit www.slbstyle.com and Tweet Sarah @sarahbacchus

Prezzo Witham Restaurant Review

Posted on April 10, 2014 by Melissa Volpi

Prezzo is helping to make Witham High Street fashionable. This stylish silver painted Italian restaurant opened here at the end of last year and has become a busy nighttime dining establishment.

We arrive at 7:30 pm on a Tuesday evening and are glad that we booked in advance – as there is not one table unreserved. Karen, the Hungarian Restaurant Manager, greets us and we are seated in a comfortable candlelit booth with monochrome patterned bench seats.

Verdicchio

Karen gives us a few minutes before walking over to take our drinks order and after asking for a bottle of San Pellegrino; my partner asks her what the most popular wine is.

“The Sauvignon Blanc from New Zealand is our biggest seller here,” says Karen. “It’s a medium bodied wine with a crisp gooseberry fruit flavour.”

My partner orders two large glasses of the Sauvignon for us to try. It’s a drinkable wine that I think would go well with any vegetarian, fish or chicken dish. But it’s too non descript for me. And my partner agrees. So we scan the wine list again (which has a good selection of Italian whites from Trebbiano and Frascati to Pinot Grigio and Fiano) and order a bottle of Verdicchio Urmani Ronchi DOC. This is one of my favourite whites. To me, it’s the Italian Chablis.

Baked Mushrooms

There are nine starters on the menu. From classics like Bruschetta, Tricolore Salad and Antipasto to modern melts like fried mozzarella in tomato sauce and grilled goats cheese on ciabatta bread with a balsamic glaze. The prices are excellent value, with all starters under £6.00.

We pick two classic dishes. Baked Mushrooms stuffed with grana padano cheese, garlic, onions, mushrooms and breadcrumbs. And King Prawns cooked in tomato sauce with garlic, chilli and spinach served with ciabatta bread.

Karen tells us a story of her mushroom picking expeditions in Hungary as she serves us our starters. The Baked Mushrooms and King Prawns are elegantly presented on white square plates. The six mushrooms, which surround a bed of salad leaves and a bowl of aioli, smell like a forest and I cannot wait to dig in.

My partner and I share the first mushroom and both gasp with delight at the texture and taste. We try them with and without the aioli and both agree that they taste best without. The combination of creamy cheese and that straight from the earth flavour is heavenly.

The King Prawns are not as spicy as the recipe suggests. But they are a good, light choice nonetheless.

Executive Pizzas

The maincourses at Prezzo are what you would expect from an Italian restaurant. There are pastas, pizzas, risottos and meat dishes with a choice of sides. But the Executive Pizzas stand out.

My partner orders the Chargrilled Chicken Breast Funghi (with field mushrooms and baby spinach in a Marsala wine sauce) and Rosemary potatoes. And I order one of the Executive Pizzas: the Queen Margherita.

There are four different Executive Pizzas on the menu. There is Posh Pepperoni, Steak and Rocket, Prawn and Lobster and the Queen Margherita. If we had not ordered King Prawns to start, then I would have gone for the Prawn and Lobster pizza. But the Queen Margherita sounds interesting. And when Karen lays it down on our table, it even looks interesting.

The Executive Pizzas are bigger than normal Prezzo pizzas. And they have a crispier, thinner base. The Queen Margherita is made up of three sections. So you end up with one pizza that has three different toppings.

What I find striking is the tri-colour design. The three sections are cleverly done and made to look like the Italian flag: green, white and red.

The green section is asparagus, spinach and basil pesto dressed rocket leaves. The white section is béchamel sauce and buffalo mozzarella. And the red section is sunblushed and cherry tomatoes.

Prezzo give you a pizza cutter for ease. So I cut each section into threes and dig in. The pizza is as good as any I have tasted in the UK or Italy. The base is light and the flavours from each different topping really come through. My favourite is the béchamel sauce and buffalo mozzarella.

I can tell that my partner is enjoying his chicken dish. As he has not spoken one word in the past five minutes. He is too busy eating.

The Gelupo Gelato Burger

“This is one of our most popular desserts,” says Karen while placing the Gelupo Gelato Burger in front of me.

And I can see why. This toasted brioche bun with a light dusting of icing sugar looks like a real American burger roll. It’s a gimmick that works and immediately transports you to the set of a Godfather inspired movie, where Italians talk with a New York accent.

This bun would never be found on the dolce list of a traditional Italian Trattoria. But I’m very happy to see it on the menu of Prezzo in Witham. This is much more than a simple dessert. It combines the two things that Italians cannot get enough of: bread and ice cream.

Our burger is stuffed with two large scoops of Amaretti and Hazelnut Gelato and the idea was to cut the burger down the middle so that we could both enjoy our favourite ice cream. But as I try the combination of warm brioche and frozen Amaretti and let the sweet taste of bread and marzipan envelop my senses, I decide that half of this dessert is not enough and end up eating three quarters of it. Sorry Mike! (My partner)

Tiramisu

I try not to order tiramisu when eating out in Italian restaurants as I was brought up on my mother’s homemade version, which no other tiramisu can compete with (in my biased opinion!). But the other desserts on this menu just don’t do it for me.

The Honeycomb Smash Cheesecake, Chocolate Profiteroles, Sticky Toffee Pudding and Milk Chocolate Fudge Cake are not Italian enough for me. And although the Panettone Bread and Butter Pudding sounds delicious (and a dessert that I will definitely try on my next visit to Prezzo) we thought it would not compliment the Gelupo Gelato Burger. That it would be a case of too much bread. So, we opt for the Tiramisu – an Italian dessert that always satisfies, even if my mother didn’t make it.

And Prezzo’s tiramisu is no exception. This square of whipped up eggs and mascarpone on espresso-drenched ladyfingers looks good on the plate. A sprinkling of cocoa around the tiramisu and three dark coffee beans pressed gently into the top layer of this dessert add the finishing touches.

It’s light and creamy and the perfect end to our meal. But this time I let my partner eat more.

Hot Amaretto

Karen must have noted my love of Amaretti because she brings out a hot glass of Amaretto for me to have alongside my cappuccino.

My partner inhales the aroma and notes how nice it is to have a warm shot of liqueur. These little details are often a rarity now. But they make a meal. And they have certainly made our meal special.

We enjoy our coffees with Amaretto and both decide that Prezzo is a great Italian restaurant for couples. The décor is minimalist with lots of wood. The pizza is as good as any you would find on the streets of Rome. And the service is excellent. Thank you, Karen and Prezzo. We will be back.

Our meal for two:

1 x Baked Mushrooms £5.35

1 x King Prawns £5.75

1 x Queen Margherita £11.25

1 x Chargrilled Chicken Breast Funghi £12.75

1 x Rosemary Potatoes £3.50

1x Tiramisu £5.10

1 x The Gelupo Gelato Burger £4.50

2 x Sauvignon Blanc New Zealand 250ml glass £5.60

1 x Verdicchio Urmani Ronchi DOC Bottle £17.95

2 x Cappuccino £2.25

Total: £81.85 + tip (£40.93 per head for starter, maincourse, dessert, large glass of white, half a bottle of white wine and a cappuccino)

We like…

KAREN, THE DINING ROOM MANAGER

THE 60’s INSPIRED SEATS

THE LOW LIGHTS

THE BAKED MUSHROOMS

THE QUEEN MARGHERITA

THE CHARGRILLED CHICKEN BREAST FUNGHI

THE ROSEMARY POTATOES

THE GELUPO GELATO BURGER

THE VERDICCHIO

THE PRICES

Prezzo

70 Newland Street
Witham
Essex
CM8 1AH

Telephone: 01376 510171

Opening Hours:Monday to Sunday: 12noon – 11:30 pm

A Day In Bloomsbury | Travel & London Gems

Posted on April 7, 2014 by Catherine Balavage

Out of all of the boroughs in London, Bloomsbury is one that holds a special place in my heart. It is a classy, beautiful borough with a very special touch, an air of sophistication and lots of great independent shops. It also has culture at The British Museum.

We headed to Store Street to eat, drink and be merry.

Our first stop was The Life Goddess for lunch.

The Life Goddess is an amazing Greek deli which also sells lots of amazing Greek produce. We started with an amazing platter which had lots of great dips, cheese, olives and vegetables. (a tomato is actually a fruit but you get my point), and then for mains we had Roasted Vegetables in a light tomato sauce and a pork belly with potatoes in an amazing sauce. We didn’t have time for dessert as we had to head to The British Museum. The food was good and reasonably priced.

We also had some really good white wine and a rosé. We really liked The Life Goddess. It has great food and a relaxed atmosphere. I would also recommend the Life Goddess for vegetarians. The platters are great and the roasted vegetables dish I had was amazing. And that is coming from a carnivore.

29 Store St, London WC1E 7BS
020 7637 2401, @TheLifeGoddess

Beyond El Dorado exhibition at the British Museum.

I love the British Museum and was very excited to go to the Beyond El Dorado exhibition. With 200 artifacts from Bogota’s ‘Museum of Gold’, it was more bling than Jay-Z, Beyonce, Elizabeth Taylor and J-Lo combined. El Dorado means– literally “the golden one” and the magpie in me was in heaven. The exhibition was brilliant, if a little busy. People were queuing round the block. (which isn’t a complaint as art should be seen by as many people as possible)

The exhibition is full of wonderful models and masks made of gold and wonderful literature to read on the walls. This is an eye-opening exhibition not just because of the objects on display, but also because of all of the facts, videos and information. The connection of gold and cocaine (mixed with lime!) in Colombia was also interesting. It would seem decadence was the order of the day in ancient Colombia and we were rather shocked but glad to have had a glimpse of it.

We also managed to catch a glimpse of the Rosetta Stone. Something no one should go to London without seeing at least once.

Next up was dinner at Busaba Eathai.

It is quite shameful that we had never eaten at Busaba Eathai before, and, jeez, had we missed out. The food is amazing, the drinks are amazing and the entire place is first-rate. The manager was knowledgeable, friendly, generous, funny and was known and liked by a large amount of the diners. There was a lot of regulars.

We started off with the selection below. Yes, started. One of Busaba Eathai‘s most popular dishes is the Thai Calamari with ginger and peppercorn. It’s the one at the top of the picture. It’s amazing. One of the best calamari dishes I have ever had. We also had fishcakes (yummy and with a great sauce), pandan leaf chicken which falls apart when you open the leaf and a great yellow bean dish which had a good kick to it.

Our mains were equally amazing, I had a curry that was specifically made milder for me. For drinks we also had one of the best prosecco’s I have ever had, an good beer and excellent non-alcoholic cocktails. I had an amazing Grapefruit mojito with vanilla, mint, lime and chilli.

Busaba Eathai is a brilliant restaurant and I will join their large following of regular customers. It is also possible to have a great meal without blowing your budget here. There are many branches in London so check out their website below.

We finished with tea and biscuits.

@busabaeathai

http://busaba.com/

Address: 22 Store St, London WC1E 7DF

Phone:020 7299 7900

We were incredibly impressed with how beautiful Store Street was. You can spend an entire day there, eating well and taking in the atmosphere, along with some boutique shopping. A real London gem.

Other places to check out on Store Street are One Alfred Place, Frost’s first ever restaurant review (oh, the nostalgia) and the Store Street Gallery.

@storestreetwc1

What do you think?

London’s First Fast-Casual Persian Dining Concept Dindin Kitchen

Posted on April 4, 2014 by Frostie

Innovative Persian eatery dindin kitchen has now opened its doors in Holborn bringing an exciting, new culinary experience to the capital. dindin kitchen welcomes customers to eat in a bright, vibrant 30-cover seating space to accommodate those short-stay diners, while also providing the option to take-away and enjoy an exciting range of products, on the move or at your desk. Located on the busy Gray’s Inn Road, dindin kitchen aims to deliver an accessible introduction to Persian cuisine with a modern twist to suit Western tastes. The first of its kind, dindin kitchen is a welcome addition to one of London’s most thriving business hubs and a new fast-casual choice for the city.

The eclectic all-day offering at dindin kitchen is built around a select few dishes, which can be ordered individually, allowing flexibility for customers to bundle items according to taste and appetite. The menu focuses on ‘grills’, delicious soups, savoury soufflés, rice dishes, fresh salads and healthy sides. Grills are served as finished-to-order flatbread wraps with salad and a range of sauce options. All dishes are seasonal. Breakfast features a selection of baked eggs, as well as flavourful breakfast wraps and a full ‘hot drinks to go’ list. A small selection of fresh pastries, ice-cream and sorbets are available including a unique Persian Granita topped with morello cherries, citrus juice and rose water. The main product offering is prepared on site, in a service kitchen, with hot dishes finished to order for optimum freshness – offering a quality-led alternative to other high street food offers.

dindin kitchen is a labour of love for founder and director Vida Tayebi, who has been working on the project for some time. A proud Persian herself, she has a passion for the food and culture of her heritage. Having left behind a successful career in the City, dindin kitchen is not only a business opportunity for Vida, but also a chance for her to act as an ambassador and champion of Persian cuisine. Vida comments: “The concept is an entirely new and original idea, though in essence it is very simple: to popularise, and make available, a modern version of Persian cuisine which has been evolving over thousands of years. We are bringing Persian food up to date by adapting authentic recipes to fit a Western palate and environment.”

dindin kitchen provides fresh and delicious food, quickly and at affordable prices, to a wide audience. With age-old recipes and high quality ingredients, Vida hopes to lift the shroud of mystery around Persian food, educating London one hungry customer at a time.

dindin kitchen

52 Gray’s Inn Road

London

WC1X 8LT

Twitter: @dindin_kitchen

The Knight Residence Serviced Apartments Review

Posted on March 24, 2014 by Melissa Volpi

The Knight Residence is a modern 6-storey townhouse on a quiet street between the two main train stations in Edinburgh, Haymarket and Waverley. There are two topiary balls in silver sparkling pots on either side of the front door. And a buzzer entry system for residents who have not yet checked in. Colin Stone MA, the General Manager of The Knight Residence, greets us from the concierge desk, situated in the lobby between the front and inside doors, and gives us a tour of the facilities and our city two-bedroom apartment.

Coffee & DVD’s

First things first: the keys. We are given a front door key and a key to our apartment as well as an electronic key ring sensor that opens the inside door of this townhouse. A nifty safety feature that I like.

The ground floor of The Knight Residence is a cosy living space full of newspapers and DVD’s. There is also a press and go coffee machine incase residents want a cappuccino to go. My partner is instantly drawn to the smell of roasted beans and makes us each a coffee before taking a seat on one of the two armchairs.

“We offer free wifi,” says Colin while calling the lift to take us to the 2nd floor. “But you can rent any of our DVD’s for £2.00 if you want a change from Netflix or Blinkbox.”

I often get lost in big hotels and forget where my room is. But that won’t be an issue here. When Colin ushers us from the lift to our apartment, we notice that all the doors have namecards on them. Ours says ‘Miss M Volpi,’ which makes us smile.

Colin opens the door and deposits our bags in the first bedroom. This apartment has a video ID entry system (incase you are expecting guests), laminate floor in the hall, one twin bedded room and one double room (each with a wardrobe, dressing table, set of two white bathrobes and slippers, alarm clock and TV), bathroom, lounge, dining room and kitchen. Every room looks chic and clean. And there is plenty of natural light.

The Kitchen

“We’ve stocked the kitchen with a few breakfast essentials for you,” says Colin while walking into the open plan sitting room and dining area that adjoin the kitchen at the back of our apartment. “Just to make you feel at home.”

The fridge contains two large cartons of fruit juice (orange and cranberry) and there is a sliced white loaf ready for toasting in the bread bin. But what impresses me is the selection of cereals, biscuits, jams, spreads, teas and coffees all displayed in a large wire storage rack on the kitchen counter.

There is Alpen, Corn Flakes, Rice Krispies, and Weetabix. Shortbread that looks homemade. Good quality raspberry and strawberry jam and orange marmalade. There is a choice of either Lurpak butter or Flora spead and teas ranging from herbal to traditional. There are fairtrade sachets of instant hot chocolate and freeze dried coffee (both strong and decaf) alongside a large 4-cup cafitiere with one pouch of freshly ground coffee. I often have trouble deciding what I would like to eat for breakfast. But The Knight Residence really does offer a selection of morning food to suit all palates.

The kitchen is fully equipped with toaster, microwave, hob, oven, fridge, sink and washing machine. There is a selection of cutlery and ceramic plates/mugs as well as plastic plates, cups and bowls for children. You could easily prepare a home cooked meal here. And we are sad that we have pre booked a table at Amarone restaurant instead.

The Bathroom

Colin shows us where the bathroom is before leaving us to get ready for our evening out in Edinburgh.

The bathroom is lit by spotlights and has a mirrored back wall. It’s a big space with a neat toilet basin and a sink big enough for two people to use at the same time. There is a bath with an electric shower overhead on the far side of the room and a heated towel rail next to the door.

The Knight Residence is big on protecting the environment. Not only are their profits from the car park used to plant native trees in Scotland (www.trees4scotland.com), their choice of toiletries are all eco-friendly and in eco-friendly packaging. I’ve never come across the ‘BeeKind’ range of products from Gilchrist & Soames before. But it’s a snazzy concept in looks, logo and logic.

“BeeKind to yourself by not using products with parabens, phthalates or artificial colours. BeeKind to your neighbours, animals, waiters and waitresses. Most importantly, BeeKind to the environment so future generations can enjoy your planet’s breathtaking beauty.”

The 30 ml bottles are all made from paper and the main ingredient in each product, whether it be shampoo, conditioner or body lotion, is honey. A portion of BeeKind’s proceeds are used to support honey bee and sustainable pollination research.

The Knight Residence also encourages you to re-use your towels instead of having them washed ever day of your stay.

The Personal Touch

“If you need anything at all, just ring down to reception,” says Colin before exiting our apartment. “We can order you a taxi for later or provide you with personalised directions and a map of how to get to where you want to go in Edinburgh on foot.”

My partner and I veg out in front of the TV for an hour to unwind, before phoning Colin and asking him to book that taxi…

The Knight Residence is much more than a home from home. It’s a haven of efficiency and environmentally friendly living. ALL your worries are obliterated from the moment you step through that door with your name on it. And ALL you can do is relax and let the pampering begin.

If the personal touch is what you’re looking for, then The Knight Residence should be on your accommodation list for that next trip to Edinburgh. I cannot recommend it highly enough.

*Our City two bedroom apartment was £402.00 per night. It accommodates 4 adults and 1 child.

Other prices are as follows:

City studio apartment: £264.00 per night
City one bedroom apartment: £287.00 per night
City two bedroom apartment: £402.00 per night
Comfort one bedroom apartment: £264.00 per night
Comfort two bedroom apartment: £402.00 per night
Comfort three bedroom apartment: £598.00 per night

*Rates quoted are inclusive of utilities, service and VAT. Ancillary services, such as phone, fax or newspapers, will be charged as taken.

Car Parking is charged at £7 per night. Profits from car parking are used to plant native trees in Scotland. www.trees4scotland.com

We like…

THE LOCATION

THE BUILDING

THE STAFF

YOUR NAME ON THE DOOR OF YOUR APARTMENT

THE SECURITY

KNIGHT KNIGHT SLEEP TIGHT TEDDY BEAR

THE KITCHEN SUPPLIES

THE ECO TOILITRIES

THE SERVICE

: hall in city two bedroom apartment

Contact details:

The Knight Residence

12 Lauriston Street

Edinburgh

Scotland

EH3 9DJ

United Kingdom

Telephone number: +44 (0) 131 622 8120

Email: info@theknightresidence.co.uk

Website: http://www.theknightresidence.co.uk/

Mews Of Mayfair Restaurant Review

Posted on March 10, 2014 by Frostie

Mews of Mayfair, the British bar and brasserie, is hidden away in the heart of London down a small side street just off Bond street. The main restaurant room has been beautifully decorated and its atmosphere is relaxed.

We started our bottomless brunch with a delicious Mimosa and Bellini. They were well made and generous with the alcohol content.

Like many restaurants at the moment Mews is offering limitless refills of Mimosa’s, Bellini’s and Bloody Mary’s at just £15 a head. We certainly approve. Not having to worry too much about cost allows you to get on with enjoying your lunch!

Eggs Benedict

To start with we had an Eggs Benedict. A classic combination and still one of my favourites. As someone who has sampled many versions of this dish I can honestly say this was one of the best I’ve had. It was packed with flavour. The Hollandaise sauce was flawless and when it was combined with the gooey egg yolk, ham and toast it was devine. It really was a treat and the portion was extremely generous as you can see. A perfect start.

Dorset Crab

This dish did a brilliant job of letting the crab, the star of the dish, shine. The crab was very tasty and fresh and the plate brought pack memories of the sea. The crab lay on a slice of toasted brioche. The slight sweetness of the brioche actually worked really well against the meatiness of the crab. The textures were very soft which was surprising but actually worked very well. Another superb dish

Fish and Chips

This was another extremely generous portion, the fish was huge. This was definitely a bottomless brunch. The sweet mushy peas were delicious as was the fantastic fresh tartar sauce. The fish and chips were tasty but didn’t blow us away.

Chicken

The chicken was cooked perfectly. It was very juicy and had a delicious crispy skin. The duck fat roast potatoes were stunning, absolutely perfect. The whole dish was perfectly seasoned and the stuffing and gravy added loads of flavour. Once again the portion was huge. By this stage we were absolutely stuffed. You couldn’t ask for much more from your lunch.

Pancake

This pancake was packed with fresh fruit and drizzled with honey. It also came with some delicious cream but it could have done with a bit more sauce of some kind.

Eton Mess

Eton mess is one of my favourite puddings. It embodies everything that a good pudding should be. This Eton Mess was made with blackberries. It was light creamy and delicious and went really well with the coulis and meringue crumb. A very good pudding.

We had a wonderful meal and really enjoyed ourselves. Mews had some truly excellent food and the atmosphere and service were perfect. Definitely worth a visit.

Mews of Mayfair

10 Lancashire Court, New Bond Street, London W1S 1EY

www.mewsofmayfair.com

facebook.com/mewsofmayfair

@mewsofmayfair

Review of Made in the Shade

Posted on March 8, 2014 by Kesh

The setting is an old East London Boozer, the décor, menu and booze, new East London. The transformation of what used to be The Bacchus was noticeable from 100 feet down the road with the most striking artwork by talented artist Ali Hamish Campbell. En route to Made in the Shade I felt like I had walked down these streets many a time but the frontage was completely unrecognisable. What used to be a dreary old watering hole, has now been turned into an Electric Blue Odyssey. Made in the Shade is the brainchild of Jeremy Thompson Jewitt, Jim Wrigley and Peter Lewis based on their idea of the ‘absolute ultimate bar’ and it shows through their well thought out and varied cocktails, their exotic Caribbean influenced menu and the totally eclectic décor inside and out of the joint.

First impression is that they’ve done a great job with the place. The Kitchen has been opened up which I always love about eateries as you can always see the chefs working hard and that they’ve made great use of the space, enough space to chill out in an intimate crowd and some great sofas for larger groups to fill. Oh and lots of space at the bar, always a good thing in my book.

Jim Wrigley serves up Shady Maid Lemonade

We tried 3 cocktails on offer first up was the Shady Maid Lemonade. This was unlike any cocktail I had ever had. The Gin based cocktail was served up with Lime Juice, Citrus Syrup and Cucumber juice. It’s the ultimate refresher… dangerous too as I felt like I could sip on these all night after a session at the gym!

The Pink One

Next Up was The Pink One also a healthy and refreshing cocktail. Very easy to drink and pleasing on the eye, The Pink One is a vodka based pomegranate infusion mixed with apple juice, bergamot syrup and lime juice. What I loved about this cocktail is that it was served with pomegranate seeds on top of a slice of lime and served up with a mini spoon to scoop up all the pomegranate goodness. Again, the flavours were so well balanced and fresh I could have happily sipped on these all night.

Then we got to the more serious Ultimate F**king Cocktail aka the UFC a mix of Whisky, Rum, Ginseng liqueur and ahem Guinness Liqueur. There was nothing fruity about this one we were told by the PR team, this was one manly drink. So manly in fact is that it is served up with a an WWE Figurine and a bunch of props are offered to re-enact your fighting fantasies. The ice is hand-cut for all of the drinks according to what you have but what I loved especially about the UFC was that the ice is a big huge block in the centre of the tumbler so it doesn’t melt into all that lovely Whiskey booze.

Drink of Champions

If the idea was to create an experience for customers to have the perfect mix of everything, then I certainly felt transported out of the busyness of London when tasting what Chef Patrick Williams had cooked up. His menu is a mash up of English plates with Caribbean influences. Anyone who serves up rice pudding arancini is a culinary wizard in my book. Move over bangers and mash and make way for plantain fritters and oxtail spring rolls. If traditional bar snacks is what you’re after don’t bother but once you’ve tasted the tasty and tantalising soul food on offer here, I guarantee you won’t be lusting after chips and mayo. The curry mutton was delicious and tender and passion fruit parfait for afters was the perfect ending. It’s no wonder when you see Chef Patrick Williams’ impressive career that the food is so darn tasty and with the carefully thought out cocktail and food menu I certainly was Made in the Shade.

A sample of what’s cooking.

Made in the Shade is open Wednesday to Saturday 5pm-12am and Sundays 1pm-12am and is located opposite The Hoxton Hall on Hoxton Street. There is a games room upstairs to play pool and Ping-Pong and from this Sunday they will be hosting a wicked-awesome BBQ in the Made in the Shade garden. If there is any truth in the weather report for tomorrow grab onto your BBQ hats and go!

Keshini Misha.

www.mitshoxton.co.uk

Made in the Shade

177 Hoxton Street

London N1 6PJ

@MitS_Hoxton

3 South Place Bar & Grill Restaurant Review

Posted on March 8, 2014 by Catherine Balavage

First thoughts of the South Place Hotel, where 3 South Place Bar & Grill is located, is how classy it is. And quirky, with dismantled mannequins and sophisticated decor. It is both up-market and relaxing. We come to review the bottomless brunch, where Bloody Marys, Bellinis and Proseccos are endless with the 2 or 3 course brunch at the weekend from noon until 4pm. We approve. It is also great value at £20 for two courses or £25 for three courses plus £15 if you want the bottomless brunch. I was very surprised at the price actually, for three courses plus unlimited alcohol in a five star hotel: brilliant value. The staff are excellent; knowing what you want before you do and very helpful. There is a nice warm atmosphere and excellent, modern decor

We start with great warm bread and good soft butter that is easy to cut and a Mimosa (orange juice and prosecco) and a Bellini (peach juice and prosecco)

For starters we had.

Welsh Rarebit

Rich, creamy, cheese on soft bread. The crunch on the bottom holds texture well. Comes with a tomato and red onion with balsamic dressing. The perfect accompaniment. Acidity of tomatoes and red onion works beautifully against the rich cheese. Simple but excellent.

English Muffin

Poached Egg, Hollandaise sauce, smoked salmon

Excellent egg muffin with a good poached egg, Hollandaise sauce and smoked salmon. Rich and opulent. The muffin is beautiful, a luxurious starter with wonderful lemony hollandaise

Arnold Bennett omelette

Béchamel Hollandaise sauce, smoked haddock.

It is rich and creamy, the Omelette has a great texture: Perfectly cooked and not overdone; it’s just the right amount of soft. The smoked haddock is fresh and goes amazingly with the lemon.

Bubble & Squeak

poached egg, blythburgh bacon
Perfect eggs with superb presentation. Comes with Crispy, smoky bacon and goes great with the potato and egg.

Ice Cream Selection

Rum and Raisin, cookies & cream, blackberry ripple

Amazing ice cream. Really wonderful. Tastes like it is homemade. The cookies and cream has proper cookies, the blackberry ripple is amazing and different and the rum and raisin is very alcoholic and delicious.

Treacle Tart

Clotted cream ice cream

This is amazing. Has a thin and crunchy base, lovely treacle. It is soft and crumbly but holds together well. It is not too sweet
Has an excellent clotted cream ice cream accompaniment.

Delicious food in a classy venue; it is hard to fault 3 South Place at all, one of the best brunches in London and excellent value to top it all off. We loved it and we will definitely be back.

Address: 3 South Place, London EC2M 2AF
Phone:020 3503 0000
Hotel class: 5 stars

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