RECENT EATS

Sometimes I actually go out to a restaurant without my camera and writing head, and just to enjoy a meal and catch up with mates... That doesn't mean the places we go aren't worth writing about, just that I can't document every single thing I eat all the time. Having said that, I've eaten in some really excellent places recently, so feel I should share the love and tell you about them in case you want to try them out too. So excuse the phone snaps, but here's a few of my recent favourites.

6 Portland Road

I saw this hidden gem on Instagram and immediately knew I wanted to go. Everything about it seemed so similar to the wonderful Amarante that Lucy and I discovered in Paris earlier this year. A little French inspired restaurant in West London that does brilliant food and even better wine all with excellent service. It felt like a little secret we'd discovered though I worry that it might be less of a secret now that both Grace and Fay have given it such stellar reviews. I went with Lucy and we drank delicious wine and shared courses of ox tongue, terrine, calves liver and red mullet. I can really see myself spending many a lazy Sunday afternoon at 6 Portland Road. It's the perfect addition to West London.

 

Barrafina, Frith St

An oldie but a goodie - the one that when I'm asked what my favourite restaurant in London is, I always say, wincing slightly in the knowledge that it's no bookings and at least an hour's wait, but in my opinion totally worth it. The queue at Barrafina isn't even that bad - you're inside, shuffling along the bar against the wall, drink in hand and nibbles a plenty. Just don't eat so many that you fill up before the main event. After talking about going for nearly a year, Emily and I headed down a few weeks ago and once seated, sat and ate and talked, and ordered more, and wished we had the appetite to eat even more! Highlights included pan con tomate, croquettes, octopus, courgette flower, prawn tortilla, quail and chickpeas with squid ink. Barrafina never gets old!

Pergola on the Roof

If you've read my blog for a while then you might remember me deciding that doing a pop up restaurant for 70 people on a rooftop with no kitchen to raise money for Action Aid in Syria last September was a good idea?! Well, we did it, and raised lots of money, so it wasn't the worst idea. Anyhow, said rooftop has been taken over the lovely people at Incipio and it's now a Mediterranean inspired white washed rooftop dripping in flowers, with four food offerings and a bar selling some lovely wines. You can book a table or bench/bed and choose from food at Patty and Bun, Rabbit, Le Coq or Salt Yard. I've been a few times now and have sampled food from all four restaurants, and will continue to do so all summer!

Sosharu / 7 Tales

Jason Atherton's newest London site is a Japanese style restaurant. I had a catch up in the diary with Rhea, who I met on my Japan trip, so it seemed only right we go check out Sosharu. And check it out we certainly did.... Starting with sake cocktails before moving on to eat an absolute feast of food. Best bits for me were the seafood rice, chashu pork belly, stuffed chicken wings and open tuna Tamaki. Rhea loved the grilled asparagus with smoked tofu and tomato, though I wasn't a fan, and neither of us really rated the sashimi, so I'd say go for the non sashimi items and you'll be as happy as us little greedies were! We finished with more cocktails downstairs in their cocktail bar, 7 Tales, which is now a new favourite. You can order "snack" items down there and the staff are wonderful (as they are upstairs in the restaurant too). It was weird going to a fancy restaurant in a venue that used to be a slightly dingy club that I spent many a night at, but it's definitely an improvement!