Hawksmoor, Seven Dials Covent Garden

Steak steak steak, I love steak, steak is great. So when myself and Mr P met our friends Mr G and Miss F, we decided to give Hawksmoor a try. I had read that it was meant to serve one of the best steaks in London and that kind of claim needs to be put to the test.

So first things first. When we got there the feel of the place was warm and welcoming with an interior of brick, dark wood and metal kinda thing. It felt like a restaurant that was accessible and not snooty.

The staff were friendly but not overbearing, although a minor gripe was that we waited a little while to order. However, we were not in any hurry so it did not really matter too much.
Drinks first and we asked for a jug of tap water, which in some places can still feel a tad uncomfortable but they happily brought us one, and refilled during the meal without even asking, which was nice. We then ordered a bottle of the House White Le Lesc Blanc between three of us and Mr P got a Meantime Lager. The wine menu certainly had some pricey wines on there, the cheapest being £18 for a bottle that I could see.

We decided to go straight for the main course and after a little deliberation, Mr P and Mr G shared a T-Bone steak with Stilton Hollandaise, Miss F ordered a D-Rump with Peppercorn Gravy, and I ordered a Rib-eye with Bone Marrow Gravy, which is my favourite cut. I was a little tempted to share a Porterhouse but the only ones left were large and thus pricey. For the sides, we shared creamed spinach, roast field mushrooms, macaroni and cheese, beef dripping chips and triple cooked chips.

Again, there was a little wait while our stomachs grumbled but nothing too terrible that it ruined our night.
Once the food came, oh good lordy lord. My steak looked amazing as did everyone else's. The sides were not too big but just enough to sit nicely against what was the main show. The Rib Eye was so perfectly cooked it cut through with ease. Cooked medium rare it was so succulent and juicy, it was the cliche of melt in your mouth, and the Bone Marrow Gravy, well that was a revelation. As Mr G put it, it was the essence of beef. It was the first time I had ever tried bone marrow gravy and it was truly awesome.
Of the sides, although they were nice, I did not think they were as good as they possible should have been. The triple cooked chips were a bit drab and not as special as I was expecting, and the spinach could have done with a touch more seasoning. A couple of special mentions though. The mushrooms were perfectly strong on flavour and seasoned well, and the Tomato Sauce had a great depth to it that I do not find with the everyday tomato sauce. It gave a beautiful accompaniment to the lack luster chips.

Once all that steak was done with there was a little more room for desserts and I got the Eton Mess. I did not want anything too heavy and this was light, with the right amount of sweetness cut through with the cream. It was the best Eton mess I have ever had.

Mr P had a sticky toffee pudding sundae, which had the pudding running through it and at the bottom a warm sauce which he enjoyed.

Miss F had the Salted and Chocolate Caramel Tart which if I recall she enjoyed, but thought it was a bit odd with the contrasting salty sweet.

Mr G went for chocolate truffles with a glass of port. I cannot recall which Port but I had a cheeky sip and can inform you it was jolly nice. Mr G said the truffles were an intense hit of chocolate of which there were three, but just the right amount.

Overall we had a great meal and the steaks were just what you would want from them. Hawksmoor is not where you go for a cheap night out but if you can splash out for a treat, I would certainly recommend it. Main courses/desserts and alcohol for four people came to £220.

Ambience:10
Food:8.5
Service:8
Value for money:7
Overall:8.5

Rules Restaurant, Covent Garden

We had been to Rules restaurant once before about five years ago, and since then have said we should go back rather a lot. Well, it was my birthday so Mr P decided to treat me and what a lovely treat it was. We really do love this place. The history, the cocktail bar, the fact that although it is a posh restaurant it is not stuck up, (they quite happily give a jug of tap water and do not push bottled) and of course, the food. Oh good lordy lord.

So we started by getting there a little early so we could go for a drink in the cocktail bar upstairs. Even if you are not staying for a meal, I absolutely recommend a drink in the bar. There is a separate entrance that the door man takes you to, swipes his card and up the stairs you go, into a traditional oldie world. The restaurant/bar is all about its game so expect to see, stuffed animals, paintings of that nature, wooden panels, paintings/drawings of people from the past. You get the idea.

The staff in the bar seat you and take your order from the table which was nice, and we found them very attentive and charming. They had some special cocktails for the Queen's jubilee so we tried a couple of those. Queen of Saint Kitts & Nevis Rinquinquin Peach, Pisco & Champagne (bottom) and Queen of Saint Lucia Chairman’s Reserve Spiced Rum, Picon & Citrus (top). Both really lovely drinks to set off the evening.

                                                       

So, it was time for our meal and a waitress came to let us know our table was ready. As we entered the restaurant downstairs you are hit with the busyness on the wall. I loved it. Certainly an aquired taste but it was interesting to see all the different items.
We started off by ordering an aperitif. I had the Royal 29, sipsmith, pinky vodka, lillet, crystallised violet and rose petals, and Mr P had the Ale & Guinness served in a silver tankard. How cool is that! My cocktail  was fruity and sweet. Just how I like them and Mr P's drink given a lighter quality due to the ale mixed with the guinness.

Now onto the food. (Some of the photos are not very close up but you get the idea). I chose to start with crispy lamb sweetbreads with breast of lamb & caper mayonnaise.

Well all I can say is that starter was utterly Oh. My. Gawd. The sweetbread cooked perfectly with the breadcrumbs golden and crunchy. This contrasted with the soft sponge like sweetbreads and dipped in the caper mayonnaise, added a salty vinegary accompaniment. The breast of lamb was tasty and as you can imagine a delight when combined with the little cubes of mint jelly. Honestly, I cannot recommend this dish enough.
Mr P had potted shrimps with granary bread. He said the bread was still warm and seasoned beautifully. The potted shrimp all buttery and within a sauce which he was unable to describe other than sauce. I tried to get more out of him, but he just kept saying saucy. I gave up. However, he loved it and recommends.

Main courses were a little bit of a mixed bag. I originally was going to get the calves liver but at the last moment changed my mind, and I do regret it I must say. I ordered roast leg of rabbit with puy lentils and dandelion salad. Mr P ordered pork cheeks, pork belly & black pudding with leeks & apricot puree. We also greedily ordered a portion of mash potato, creamed spinach and buttered green beans.

So, I love potato. I specifically love mashed potato so eating Rule's mash was pure bliss. It was creamy, rich, smooth and awesome as hells bells. The creamed spinach gorgeous, the buttered beans were crunchy and just beautiful. Now the rabbit itself was nice, but I do not feel like I can say more than that. It did not feel like it had been cooked as well as other dishes and the dandelion and lentil salad was bitter and dull. The dandelion leaves not enjoyable at all. Even though I am being negative about this particular dish, I still love the restaurant because everything else was perfect and I feel I can forgive it. Plus it means I have to go back and try the other dish.

Mr P's pork dish, he said he is not normally a fan of pork belly but the layers were succulent. They had trimmed the fat so as not to be too fatty and the cheek very tender. He did think the apricot puree got a little lost in the porkiness but the star was the black pudding. Really light and full of flavour. It was quite a large portion but he did not complain over that.

And finally, dessert. I had the strawberry ripple arctic roll and Mr P had, and I say this with a great sigh, he had cropwell bishop stilton with a selection of biscuits. I personally do not understand cheese for dessert. I DO NOT UNDERSTAND. Don't get me wrong, I love cheese but not at the end of a big meal. I feel it should be rounded off with a nice bit of sweetness. So anyway, rant over, he had some cheese.

My arctic roll was covered in almonds and I am not a fan of nuts in my food. If they are crushed up so I cannot see them (yes like a child), then I don't mind the taste, it is more the texture but, BUT, I can honestly say they were great with my pudding. The cold centre and then the chewy meringue surrounding the ice cream. All this accompanied with fresh berries that helped cut through the sweetness. It was great.

I did have a bit of Mr P's cheese and I must say, it was just what you would want from a bit of stilton. When served the waitress brought over a whole cheese wheel and started digging in. She only stops when you say stop which Mr P only realised after the third giant spoonful, oh how we chuckled to ourselves. A slice of quince jelly and butter to go with an a ray of crackers, if you do like a cheese dessert then this was perfect.

So, twas the end of the meal and we enjoyed it very very much, even though I had a slightly dud main course. I still loved the evening. The service was smooth, our waiter could have a been a little more friendly perhaps if being picky. We also found ourselves sat next to an american couple who chatted to us a bit which was actually quite nice.

Price for two including booze in the bar was £170. Yes this was pricey, but it was my birthday dinner! Would I go back? Abso-blooming-lutely!

Ambience:10
Food:9 (one mark off for the bitter dandelion leaves)
Service:9
Value for money:7
Overall:9

Meat Liquor, London

Right then, I know I am probably way behind on the hype of this restaurant but I still wanted to give my two cents on it. We had wanted to go for a while but were put off with the whole no reservation thing, and we are not the biggest fans of queuing. However, we had a week off and decided to go for a late lunch to avoid the busy time, and well, it was great.
I have heard many people say that the food is awesome but the staff are somewhat rude. Now, it is possibly because there were only a handful of customers in there but we found the staff to be polite and helpful. We waited a little bit of time between our burgers and dessert but that is the only thing I can pick at, if I have to.
So the place in itself certainly has a feel of harshness. There is graffiti artwork all over with what I assume is meant to be splattered blood, accompanied with dark lighting. Certainly not relaxing to look at. I think this is the kind of place you get in america, Dive Bars, with informal service and ruddy cracking grub and booze.
In all honesty the decor isnt to my taste but it does add to the atmosphere they are trying to create so I cannot fault it on that.

The food. We started by sharing buffalo wings and deep fried pickles with a blue cheese dip, which were presented on a tray a la american style. OH.MY.GOD. AWESOME. I have never eaten chicken wings like this before. The sauce had a zingy spice that was cooled by the dip. They were just so succulent and tangy and hit everywhere in flavour. Then the deep fried pickles were immense. I love pickles and the batter gave them a complimentary crunch. Not at all greasy and a lovely, not overpowering vinegar taste went well with the dip. Going there for the wings and pickles alone is enough of a reason in my book.

Now for the main event. The burger of all burgers that I had been waiting for and well, it was nice. But was it the best I have ever had? No. I had a cheeseburger and Mr P had the dead hippie. My burger had american cheese and some thickly cut pickles which I love, plus a sprinkling of onion. The burger was succulent and tasty. I just felt like it was not as full of flavour as everyone seems to have made out. The bun on the bottom was also a little over toasted for my liking which is not a big deal but I prefer it softer. Mr P's dead hippie consisted of two patties, sauce, pickles, cheese and onions. He found his burger smokey, juicy and enjoyed it a lot. Good as they were, we both seemed to agree that we have had a better burger at Byrons.

The fries I cannot fault. Perfect little french fries seasoned well. Nice.

Dessert. I did not think we would have room but, well, when in Rome, stuff your face I say. I had the crack pie with flor di latte ice cream and Mr P the pecan pie with woodford reserve ice cream. My word. I have never tried a crack pie and it was moist, luscious and flipping great. The ice cream made a delicate accompaniment and am so glad I managed to fit it in. It is layers of oatmeal cookies which are then squashed down into a pie case. (I am sure there is more to it but that is roughly what the waitress said). She was very enthusiastic about it and explained how she had watched the chef make it. Mr P's pecan pie, not too sweet and the pastry was crisp. I tried some of the ice cream and wow, what a hit of whisky!

So, all in all a great place. Don't go expecting any knives and forks, this is finger food at its best. You are given a whole kitchen roll on the table as it gets a tad messy but this just adds to the fun. We did of course get a spoon for out desserts though!
Would I go again? Yes, for those unbelievable buffalo wings and pickles, yes yes yes. But I would do the same and go off peak.
The price came to £44 including a tip. That was for two drinks, two starters, two mains, and two desserts. Pretty damn good value for the quality and quantity of food we got. Give it a try!

Ambience:7
Food:9
Service:9
Value for money:10
Overall:9

The Hand and Flowers, Marlow

This was our first ever time at a Michelin Star restaurant, let alone a two Michelin Star restaurant, so Mr P and I were very excited about going to Tom Kerridge's establishment in Marlow. We had driven past many a time as we used to live nearby and decided to go for our Seventh Anniversary.

So onto the food. For our starters I ordered Salmon Tartare with Poppy Seed Crackers and Mr P the Parfait of Duck and Foie Gras with Orange Chutney and Toasted Brioche. While waiting for them to arrive we had the treat of homemade sour bread which was still slightly warm with lovely salted butter. We were also given whitebait served in a little paper cone accompanied with marie rose sauce. I enjoyed the presentation of the wooden block (they seemed to enjoy serving on wooden blocks a lot here), and found the whitebait perfectly pleasant. The marie rose sauce perhaps lacked a little punch but still a nice accompaniment.

(The drink that looks like a giant whiskey was actually a ginger ale in case you were wondering)

So the starters arrived and they both looked pretty, especially the salmon. The salmon had a bed of tartar with a mousse on top. It came with poppyseed crackers which was an obliging pairing. The mousse was just a little too cold and the size of the portion a tad too big for me to finish as it was fairly rich. However, I gave it my best shot and found it perfectly creamy. The tartar underneath helped to cut through the richness and a little pickle cucumber piece on top was very enjoyable.

Mr P's Parfait was also a delight. The rich foie gras with the orange chutney on top of the brioche was simply melt in your mouth. Did I prefer Mr P's starter over mine? Perhaps a little bit but they both had their merits. Mr P also thought his starter was a little too big but pointed out, he is a pig, so it was not the end of the world.

Next up our mains. I went for Slow Cooked Duck Breast with Peas, Duck Fat Chips and Gravy, and Mr P had the Loin of Cotswold Venison with Ox Tongue, Bérigoule Mushroom, English Lettuce and Prickly Ash with a side of Pomme Boulangère.
I forgot to take a picture before we tucked in hence the messy look in the photos.

We ended up doing a fair bit of swapping with our mains because that is what we are like, hence my plate (board) has his veg and he has my peas. I have no complaints over how my duck was cooked as it was perfectly seasoned, a nice salted bit on top, and the gravy tasted meaty. It also came with a duck faggot which was a confit of duck leg. Mr P ate most of this and said it tasted really gamey and was deep in flavour. The peas were delicious, fresh and mixed with pea shoots. I had been looking forward to the duck fat chips the most and was unfortunately a bit disappointed. They were ok but when biting into them they seemed to be a bit hollow. Rather than getting a crispy outside and fluffy middle it was an odd chip, just a bit empty and dull.
Mr P's venison was a taste sensation and I think I actually preferred his pick again. The ox tongue is something I had never tried before and found it to be the same texture to salt beef. It was a little too salty for me but still a delight to have. The prickly ash tasted like perfectly cooked cabbage and I enjoyed it a lot. The cooked lettuce I must be honest and say, I do not see the point. It was cooked lettuce, not really a fan of that. Mr P's Pomme Boulangère was more to his taste than mine, layered potato with cooked onions on the bottom which added a sweetness and he enjoyed it with his venision.

Now for the puds! I went for Passion Fruit Soufflé with Kaffir Lime Ice Cream and Warm Toffee, and Mr P the Hand & Flowers Chocolate Cake with Salted Caramel and Muscovado Ice Cream.

We both enjoyed our puds a lot. I had never eaten a souffle before and liked the sound of the combination of flavours. The souffle was light and airy with lovely fresh passion fruit. The kaffir ice cream was possibly my favourite part of the dessert as it was so refreshing. It had a sort of sherbet flavour to it and I poured the toffee on top. Simply yummy.
The chocolate cake was more like a rich torte. It was lovely bitter chocolate and the muscavado ice cream was in Mr P's words, delightful.

Mr P had some Redbush tea and I thought the teapot was cute, here it is with its giant cork (on a wooden board, that is 5 I counted):

A couple of minor things that irritated me on our visit that I did not quite like was how close the tables were to each other. They had big tables and maybe if they removed a couple it would feel less cluttered? But then they would have to serve less people which they probably would not want. I did not feel quite comfortable chatting without the feeling someone was listening.
Also, when someone called to confirm our reservation she hastily made clear they needed our table back for 14.15pm, we had booked it for 12.30pm. I know they need to turn tables and we had just enough time to relax and eat our meals but I found it unnecessary. They are not the first or shall be the last to do that but I do not like it.

Overall, I enjoyed myself and found that the setting, more gastro pub than posh restaurant to be welcoming. The staff were friendly and happy to answer any questions we had. They had a busy presence but not overly in your face. When the bill came we were pleasantly surprised that it had not automatically included a service charge which I like, as it gives the customer the option of paying what they feel is deserved, and I thought the service was great.

If I am 100% honest, I probably have enjoyed meals in other restaurants more without any stars, and perhaps had overly high expectations for our first Michelin experience. Saying that though, I am glad we went but I am not sure we would revisit. We have a long list of restaurants to try!

The bill for 2 people including service and drinks (no alcohol) was £110.

Ambience:7
Food:8
Service:8.5
Value for money:8
Overall:7.5

Sofra, Mayfair

I should start this post by saying when I got to the restaurant for dinner, I was a little bit sozzled on the count of having to kill a couple of hours with Mr P and My two Sister-in-law P's. They shall be known as Sister-in-law P (no1) and (no2). Too many P's. So, three bottles of red wine later and it was time to head to Sofra and I loved it. We all loved it. It was amazing food at a good price and this was not the booze talking.
Sofra is a Turkish restaurant and has several branches in London. I have walked past one of their other branches a few times and heard good things so used our meet up as an excuse to give it a try. We did not regret it at all.

(Apologies for the slightly dark photos. They normally come out better than that).

We were seated in a cosy corner and within a few moments bread and a bowl of hummus was brought over. This almost disappeared in seconds thanks to a certain Sister-in-law P (no.2). Our drinks order was taken and we decided to carry on with the red wine theme, and get a bottle of the Yakut/Angora wine which I think I liked more than everyone else, but it was still a decent drop. It was about £15 for the bottle.

After a little deliberation we all decided to go with the Chef's Special so that we could try a bit of everything. And boy, did we try a bit of everything. So many bowls of food it was brilliant.

The favourite seemed to be the Spinach and Feta Parcels. Oh my word, so good. The pastry was crunchy and then the soft flavoursome feta and spinach. Honestly I am not doing any justice to how gorgeous it tasted. Then smooth Hummus with succulent lamb and the Halloumi perfectly grilled so its soft. I sometimes find halloumi can be a little too salty and squeaky when chewing but not here.

The Falafel, admittedly I have had slightly better but it was a close second and yes that is a chip on that plate, they were flipping great even though not perhaps in keeping with the rest of the food.

The unexpected joy was the Red Lentil Patties, creamy and gently spiced. They are meant to be served cold but perhaps they were just a smidgen too cold, (only just taken out the fridge perhaps?) and could have been a little closer to room temperature if I were to nit pick.

The meat bowl was simply unbelievable. Every bit was juicy and well cooked. The beef meatball perfectly seasoned and nomsville. The chicken not at all dry and the lamb still with a bit of pinkness to it. This is how meat should taste! By this point there is pretty much nothing I eat that is not perfect or close to. The nut salad and Tabbouleh are two things I do not normally like and this is still the case but that is just personal taste. Everyone else around the table thought they were well balanced salads to go with the other dishes.

You can substitute the meat bowl for a Spicy Fish Pot with Basmati Rice which is what Mr P did. There was salmon and a selection of white fish with veg. Although a little too spicy for me it still tasted full of flavour and Mr P loved it.

Time for dessert and there was a slight struggle within me for two of my all time favourites were on the menu. Lemon tart and Creme Brulee. Finally I went for the Creme Brulee because it had saffron in it, and I had not tried that combination before.
Both Sister-in-law P's had mint tea which was brewed in a little cafetiere with fresh mint, which they both enjoyed very much. We were also given cubes of turkish delight which was a nice treat.

Everyone else had Apple Tart Tatin, Baklava, and Warm Organic Apricots.
The Apricots were lovely stewed spoonfuls of comfort. I am not too sure if I liked it with the walnuts but it was great with the cream.

The Tart Tatin (I love saying Tart Tatin. It is one of the few words that you can say in any accent and it sounds posh. Tar Tar sauce is another one) was perfectly balanced with the sweet apple and spicy cinnamon. The pastry underneath melted in the mouth and the Vanilla Ice cream a perfect accompaniment.

The Baklava I think was the best dessert which we all agreed on. It is one of the very few dishes I like with nuts in. Sweet, sticky, crunchy mouthfuls of happiness.

The Creme Brulee was nice but a little too browned on top so there was a slight burnt taste which was a shame. However, the custard underneath was perfectly balanced in vanilla and sweetness. I could not really taste the saffron to be honest but that did not ruin anything.

The quality at Sofra was just perfect and I wish I could eat at more places that take such care with their food. I would most definitely go again and insist anyone reading this does so too.

The staff for some reason had giant name tags which perhaps were unnecessary but they were polite, unintrusive, and there were reasonable waiting times between ordering, and the food arriving. In general we had no complaints about the service at all.

I very almost gave it a 9 out of 10 but one small thing niggled me a bit, the cover charge which is separate to the service charge. I do find it unnecessary to add an extra £2 per person. It did not seem to be optional and only finding out its a charge at the end of the meal just mildly annoyed me. It wasn't enough to make me hate this place and not want to go back because everything else was just great.

The bill for 4 people including service and drinks was £120.

Food:10
Ambience:9
Value for money:8.5
Overall:8.5