Koya

Daily special

I returned to Koya for its outstanding daily specials on a sunny evening after really enjoying my first visit from a while back. Koya, a bib gourmand rated restaurant in Soho is one of the best Japanese restaurants in London, with an ever changing daily special menu off the board at a very affordable price, it is a no brainier for anyone who is a fan of Japanese food.

Sauteed cuttlefish with broccoli leaves

Marcus Wareing at the Berkeley

Hotel fine dining

This was my third visit to Marcus Wareing's namesake restaurant inside the five star prestigious Berkeley Hotel in Knightsbridge. Marcus is one of the few British chefs who really knows a thing or two about pioneering modern French cuisine using top British ingredients in a refined manner, his cooking is all about attention to detail with a world class service to match. Having eaten twice there already over Saturday lunches, I headed back there for dinner, hoping for a top class gastronomic experience. 

martini

Great cocktail bars around in London part 4

As part of my blog feature, I will highlight some great cocktail bars in London that are well worth a visit. London is the pioneer city in terms of cocktail movement and I would love to share all the wonderful and exciting cocktail bars I've been to. Part 1 Part 2 Part 3

For cutting edge cocktails: White Lyan

White Lyan in Hoxton is fast becoming the hottest bar in London thanks to its unique approach to cocktail making, created by Mr Lyan aka Ryan Chetiyawardana, one of the most respected names in the industry. Ryan has taken mixology to the next level, you won't see any drink brands on display as all spirits are sourced directly from distillers. All the cocktails are pre mixed with unusual ingredients before bottling with no ice and no garnish, Ryan has rewritten the rule of cocktail making with spectacular results. Try the White Guinness, a whisky based cocktail with aroma and texture of a normal Guinness but with a totally different tasting profile.

Ryan!

Hibiscus

French glamour with a creative touch

My fourth visit to Claude Bosi's 2 star Michelin restaurant on Maddox Street. Beside the cheap and cheerful restaurants, I'll only return to a restaurant if the food is exceptional in quality, great service with the cost justifying what you are getting and Hibiscus is one of the very few in London that ticked all the boxes for me. There is just something special about Claude's signature cooking, fine French but with a very different approach, lots of playful elements in texture and flavour but yet remaining elegant with the principal of high end French cooking.

chestnut mushroom, coconut and
curry en cocotte

Alexander & James

Mixologist at Home

How many times when you go to a house party or a gathering you have to settle for mediocre wine or undrinkable cocktails made by one of your friends who clearly have no idea what went into the drink? Alexander & James, an online retailer specialising in premium spirits has launched a new package: Mixologist at home, providing premium spirits, expert bartenders and all the necessary tools to your home with the package that can be adjusted to any format to tailor the needs of your guests. I was invited along with a few other journalists and bloggers to a studio in Shoreditch to experience the mixologist at home service.

Alexander & James' website

canapes

Berners Tavern

Glamour dining

Jason Atherton shows no sign of stopping in restaurant expansion, his latest London outlet, Berners Tavern in The London Edition Hotel on Berners Street is a stunning looking restaurant with photos and paintings across the dining room. This time around Jason took a totally a different path of launching a hotel restaurant, unlike all the "social" concepts he has had in the past.

decor

bread

Smokehouse

Meaty heaven

The London dining scene is growing at a rapid level, and one of the hottest trends has to be pub food, no longer the British associate pub food as boring and dull. Some pubs really have taken food to the next level such as The Hands & Flowers and The Harwood Arms, reaching Michelin status and becoming a food destination. I was keen to see what Smokehouse has on offer after seeing some very positive reviews from the media. Smokehouse in Islington is not your average local pub and is one of the most talked about openings this year thanks to its unique concept: serving BBQ dishes in a refined and delicate manner along with selections of British craft beer, what is not to love? 

Smokehouse

Launceston Place

Pure Class

My second visit to the single Michelin starred neighbourhood restaurant in Kensington. I had high expectations for my dinner based on my previous visit for a weekend lunch, I am one of those diners that tend to try out the lunch menu in a restaurant before deciding if it is worth going back and Launceston Place had absolutely nailed it at my lunch visit, it was the best set lunch I ever had in London in terms of quality vs value. With limited budget and ingredients, the kitchen still managed to pull off such high levels of cooking, this just shows Tim Allen clearly has bags of talent. 

canapes

bread

Outlaw's at The Capital

Fishy business

Nathan Outlaw, one of the most celebrated British chefs opened his London outpost "Outlaw's Seafood & Grill" at The Capital Hotel in Knightbridge last year. But within a year it has since changed to" Outlaw's at The Capital", all grilled items have been removed from the menu and refocused on fine dining and especially on seafood items. So it seems like the grill concept didn't really take off and I guess at a historical and prestigious hotel just behind Harrods, people would be expecting top level fine dinning rather than simple grilled food.

The Capital Hotel

fish cakes