Noble Rot

Modern wine bar

Slipsole

Noble Rot is a restaurant and wine bar in between Holborn and Russell Square tube station, it has been recently refurbished over the winter. I got to admit, the only reason I have decided to visit the venue is because of Stephen Harris, the chef owner of the much framed 1 Michelin starred The Sportman in Kent, he oversees the menu along with head chef Paul Weaver who has previously worked at St John and The Sportman. The menu at Noble Rot is short and simple, with only four mains to choose from. I rather enjoy the decor of the venue, it has a rustic but yet tidy feel to it with classy paintings surrounding the restaurant.

Piquet

Spectacular modern bar food

The Fir Room

Piquet is a modern European restaurant located on Newman Street, just a few minutes walk from the ever busy Oxford Street. Chef patron Allan Pickett championed using classic techniques cooking modern French food, using fine local ingredients with British influence. The restaurant is split into two floors, with the ground floor as a bar (The Fir Room) serving small dishes. Whilst the downstairs main room serves a more formal a la carte menu. I discovered that The Fir Room was running a winter 50% off offer for its food so it was a great introduction for me to try out Allan's style of cooking before deciding if it is worth spending the little more at its main dining room.

Bibimbap

Korean Stone pot

Beef Bool-Go-Gi Rice

Bibimbap restaurant is a household name for Korean lovers in London, unlike most other Korean restaurants, the menu is short and they focus on one dish: The "Bibimbap", a traditional steaming hot stone pot which contain rice with salad and meat. But the Bibimbap restaurant has modernised it with a wide choice of vegetables and meat to go with the rice, such as spicy chicken and tofu. The place also offers some simple side dishes like katsu and Korean savoury pancake. With each types costing around the £5 to the £8 mark, it makes this place one of the cheapest Korean restaurant in central London.

Meat Mission

Meaty King

Meat is good...

I am a big fan of Meat Mission, the burgers are definitely a step better than your average burger chains, not to mention they have an impressive drinks collection, from draft beers to a strong list of cocktails. Out of the three "Meat" joints in London, I just found Meat Mission is a notch above its old brothers Meat Liquor and Meat Market. The food are more consistent and the well spread out edgy dining room make this place more relaxing, and they take booking!!  First time trying the garbage plate which contained a massive tray of chessy chips with onion, gravy and a piece of beef patty. The flavours were a lot more mild than the burgers but it proved to be a pretty decent alternative. 

Pitt Cue Co

Soho BBQ

US Whiskey selection!

Pitt Cue Co, the legendary BBQ joint in Soho is regarded as one of the best BBQ restaurant in London. It is known for its well sourced high quality meat from farms across the UK. It has a short but solid American whisky selection, with top premium brands such as The Buffalo Trace Antique Collection. As it is a tiny restaurant, combining with a no booking policy means that it is impossible to plan ahead or knowing when you can get a table. Sometime it is normal to wait over an hour in the evening, my advice is to give yourself at least 2 hours for visiting Pitt Cue Co and avoid it if you got to catch a train or have a theatre booking elsewhere.

Hawksmoor Spitalfields

Steak treat

Porterhouse

Hawksmoor Spitafields was the very first Hawksmoor which was opened back in 2006, now a successful restaurant group with 6 sites across London, it is now regarded as one of the finest steak house in the capital. I haven eaten at its bar a few years ago and was really impressed with its burgers and cocktails, so a proper visit to the original Hawksmoor has always been on my mind. For dinner you only get an a la carte menu, with a large selection cut of steaks to chose from, along with a small alternative such as chicken and fish dishes.

Stef's Italian

Humble Italian 

Pan fried scallops wrapped in pancetta, mash with French beans

Stef's Italian is a family run restaurant just off Oxford Street, serving traditional Italian cuisine at an affordable price. There are so many Italian restaurants across London but it is difficult to spot a good value for money one. While I am fully aware there are some top Italian restaurants in London, such as Murano and Bocca di Lupo, these places are premium with diners usually needing to pay at least £50 a head without including drinks and service. Stef's Italian was recommended by a fellow food blogger and I was interested to see if I can finally find a good and affordable classic Italian restaurant in central London.

Hofmann

Queen of dessert

Under the tree

Hofmann is a 1 Michelin starred restaurant in the northern part of Barcelona, it is famous for its cookery school as well as its fine dining restaurant. Like most fine dining restaurants, diners are given either a tasting menu or choice from the a la carte menu (about 8 choices from each course). My starter of veal canelon was a fun but a fairly average dish, it had a lot of rich flavours such as the cheese and truffle. I think it needed some lighter ingredients to give it a greater balance as it was a very rich dish. 

Nectari

Salt shock

gazpacho with lobster

Nectari is a 1 starred Michelin restaurant on the western part of Barcelona, I booked in for dinner as it was just down the road from my hotel which made it stress-free for me to return. In case you are not aware, the Spanish tend to have dinner very late and most Spanish restaurants doesn't open till 9pm. When I dinned in Comerc 24 a few years ago, I had the tasting menu and didn't leave the restaurant till 1am. Nectari serves creative Mediterranean cuisine with some very unusual presentation which gave me plenty of excitement as I was browsing its menu.

Bodega 1900

Classy tapas

snow crab with dill on toast

Bodega 1900 is a trendy tapas bar in Barcelona by the legendary brothers Ferran and Albert Adria. Since after closing down El Bulli, which was regarded as one of the very best restaurants in the world. The brothers has been busy setting up many different dining concepts in Barcelona, including the 1 Michelin starred Tickets, which is now one of the hardest restaurants to secure a booking. Bodega 1900 on the other hand has a much lower profile, it is a cosy classic tapas bar, serving traditional tapas with a small modern touch.We had the tasting menu, suggested by our waiter so we can try a wide ranges of the menu.