Pizza Pilgrims

Pizza delight in Soho

portobello mushroom

When it's done properly, pizza is hard to beat as a comfort food. Originally a street van concept, Pizza Pilgrims now has two permanent stores in Soho with a massive loyal following. For a reason or two, I never quite got the chance to try out Pizza Pilgrims. Partly due to so many excellent choices when its comes to a good restaurant in Soho and I am already a big fan of Franco Manca so that is the place I usually go for when I fancy a good pizza, but after a fellow blogger introduced me to Pizza Pilgrims on a lovely sunny day, I finally got the chance to see what all the hype is about.

Bird

Half empty or half full?

Bird, Kingsland Road

One of the hottest food trends in London lately has to be the fried chicken, it is such a popular comfort food that has no boundaries in any culture. Fried chicken itself has been given a gourmet treatment from the likes of Jubo and Lockhart with more premium fried chicken joints launching, such as Chick & Sours. Bird, a fried chicken restaurant on Kingsland Road champions high quality free range fried chicken and I was keen to see if their chicken can really justify the premium price tag. They also offer a good selection of beer and a very tempting doughnut menu.

Medlar

Chelsea's gem

Tagliatelle with cod cheeks, broad beans,
asparagus, pied bleu and wild garlic

Medlar, a modern bistro located in Chelsea has delighted locals as well as destination diners for a while now. It has been almost a year since Medlar lost its Michelin star, personally I think it never deserved such status in the first place. In my first visit two years ago, I had some very capable cooking and generally really enjoyed it, but it was far from exciting or refined and these are the qualities I would be expecting in a Michelin starred restaurant. But stars aside, it is a lovely restaurant, one that I would happily visit on a regular basis if I lived nearby.

AeroDynamic Party

Monkey Shoulder Social Club

When it comes to a unique whisky brand, I can't think of a better one other than Monkey Shoulder, it is not a blended Scotch or a single malt, but a triple blended malt whisky from one of the most iconic drink companies in the world, William Grants and Son. The special triple malt production method gives Monkey Shoulder a smoothness but a richness at the same time which works extremely well in a cocktail. This leads to some fun and innovative cocktail recipe creations.

They also know how to throw a party aka The Monkey Shoulder Social Club, instead of the usual cocktail with club music event that you would see from other drink brands, Monkey Shoulder always manages to come up with something creative and original which makes it very exciting and spectacular. This time it was a theme called "AeroDynamic Party", a cocktail in the sky experience in a jumpsuit! Guests were given the chance to have a real "sky diving" experience with clouds and wind blowing left and right while having their picture taken.

Out of the two cocktails on the night, 'Aviator' was truly sensational, a modern take on the famous Manhattan cocktail, with the Dubonnet making it a very dry but sweet aperitif drink. It was another very enjoyable social club, if you love whisky and parties, keep a close eye on up coming social club dates. It's the kind of place you go to, to experience something new. To try something different. To let your hair down. It's a series of events for the young at heart but who are savvy with their choices. It's a night of fun, frivolity and downright tasty Scotch cocktails.

For more information about Monkey Shoulder, please visit:

https://www.monkeyshoulder.com/

Mad Scientist Soirée

Yelp's underground laboratory

When it comes to putting together a night of awesome entertainment, few can match Yelp's. An online reviews platform that publishes crowd-sourced reviews about local businesses, you can find anything from restaurants, movies to shops and even home services! It is a very popular and extremely helpful website with lots of social events that reward its users. This time, the team from London came up with a fun "mad scientist" theme that has everything from food, drinks to entertainment. It also features some trendy and independent crafty brands.

Tonic & Remedy

Freshness in Old Street

M by Montcalm

Tonic & Remedy is a newly launched restaurant inside the five star hotel 'M by Montcalm' by the Searcys group, who are specialists in private dining and bespoke events with venues including The Gherkin and Blenheim Palace. Headed up by Paul Welburn, former head chef at Michelin starred Rhodes W1 in the City, Tonic & Remedy championed itself using well sourced herbs and spices with a modern and creative touch in its cooking.
I took the 50% off soft launch deal and I was really impressed with what was on offer on the day.

Galvin La Chapelle

City glamour

Galvin La Chapelle, photo from management

Two years on, I returned to the single Michelin starred restaurant Galvin La Chapelle. The cooking is classical French in principle with some light modern touches. I had a very delightful tasting menu last time when I was there, the lovely decor (a formal chapel) is one of the USP's of this restaurant, with a very high ceiling and charming services make it one of the most popular restaurants in the City. Due to the location, expect plenty of city workers, while dress code is smart casual, you might look out of place if you turn up in jeans.

Shoryu Ramen

Ramen in the City

Fire & Ice Salmon Tsukemen

Shoryu as a ramen chain has grown at a pretty fast pace, now 5 branches strong with its latest joint located at the Broadgate Circle, a brand new developed dining hub at the heart of the City. This shows the confidence by Shoryu as I am sure the rent of such a prime location is going to be sky high. I visited there on bank holiday with a 50% off ramen promotion. I think the marketing team behind Shoryu got the strategy spot on as the place was jam packed while all other restaurants were half empty, as you can imagine the City can be a very quite place at the weekends.

The Breakfast Club

Worst launch of the year?

Cow vs Pig' burger

Part of the Cross Rail project at Canary Wharf is now complete with a good number of restaurants opening on the first weekend of May including The Breakfast Club and Sticks’n’Sushi. A fellow blogger kindly informed me that there was a 50% off soft launch offer that weekend with The Breakfast Club so I decided to tag along. The Breakfast Club serves simple American cuisine and now has 7 restaurants across London with further expansion under way. Sadly, my trip to the newly opened Canary Wharf branch was a real nightmare and by far the most disappointing restaurant visit in 2015 so far.

Chick n' Sours

Awesome chicks

Chick n' Sours

Fried chicken, yet another fast food item that has been given a premium makeover. We have a good number of fried chicken themed restaurants popping up left and right lately in London and Chick n' Sours is one of the latest ones riding the trend. Located in Dalston, Chick n' Sours is all about serving free range chicken sourced from quality suppliers and a wide choice of sour based cocktails, I am a massive fan of sour cocktails, the simple combination of sugar, citrus, egg white and spirit can be so heavenly when it is mixed with the right balance.

Jackson and Rye

Sorry Mr Jackson

Jackson and Rye, photo from management

Jackson and Rye, a modern American diner concept is right at the heart of Soho on Wardour Street. It serves a range of items you would find in your typical diner such as steaks and burgers with a good selection of American whiskies. London lacked a high level American diner and I was wondering if Jackson and Rye could fill the gap. After a long day at work, I popped in for a quick dinner but sadly it was one of those meals that is best forgotten.