Review of the Year – Top 10 Restaurants 2012

My now annual review of the top 10 restaurants that I enjoyed over the past year comes to you a little later than last year due to galavanting off to Madagascar and Kenya for Christmas and the New Year. I think it’s fair to say that for many, myself included, 2012 was a momentous year, one that will go down in the annals of history as a very fine vintage in the life of London. It was no different in the culinary sphere. I got to enjoy some very fine food and have an ever expanding list of restaurants I really want to try. This list reflects the places that I dined in between January and December 2012. With the exception of first place, where there was a clear winner, the margins were narrow between the remainder of the very fine members of the top 10.

10. Morito. This is a great tapas restaurant on Exmouth market. The restaurant is bright and airy and my assumption is that this is a reflection of the bright and airy disposition of the owners who present seasonal and sublime fare in delightful surroundings. Great for lunch, equally enjoyable for after work catch-ups.

9. 10 Greek Street. Grab a seat at the counter to watch the chefs prepare delightful plates for your consumption in this small venue in Soho. The daily changing menu reflects a fresh and innovative approach to food.

8. Polpo Farringdon. Great food in a lovely venue. It’s a lot easier to get a table in Farringdon than in the sister venues (also excellent). What’s not to like. Both food and service excel.

7. Burger and Lobster Mayfair. Since B&L opened, a host of others have sprung up around London. The Mayfair venue is the original and the only one I have thus far visited. The menu is simple – burger or lobster. Both are awesome, as are the staff.  

http://doughnutsswine.blogspot.co.uk/2012/04/burger-and-lobster.html

6.  The Modern Pantry. For me, this is an established favourite that serves up great food no matter what time of the day you visit. I’m still not sure myself if I prefer their breakfast menu or lunch menu as both are favourites and offer good options throughout the menu. The design is clean and functional and the menu consistently serves up some of the best grub in London.  

5. Vinoteca Soho. This could have been a risky venture. An already much loved Farringdon institution decides to open in Soho to much fanfare. The fanfare was warranted. Vinoteca continues to serves up simple and affordable fare in atmospheric surroundings, with an extensive and ingenious wine list to match. Anyone who has visited upon my recommendation has come back with rave reviews.

4. Hawksmoor Air St. I could just write steak and leave it at that. But it’s the type of steak that is so succulent that it seems to melt on the tongue as the flavour oozes throughout the body. That, and the caramel rolos are just a winner for me, as are the art deco venue and the friendly staff. 

http://doughnutsswine.blogspot.co.uk/2012/11/hawksmoor-air-street.html

3. Jose Pizzaro’s. I can only say so many times that I love this place – the food, the staff, the location. It’s a winner. I’m tempted to buy Jose’s cookbook, but frightened that if I do, I should actually attempt his tapas myself rather than just popping in for lunch or dinner. I find it difficult to separate the ventures and decide which one I prefer – Jose’s or Pizarro’s. On my most recent trip, I had dinner at Jose’s followed by dessert and a sherry at Pizarro’s. If I say so myself it was an idea that was nothing short of brilliance.

http://doughnutsswine.blogspot.co.uk/2011/12/pizarros-bermondsey-street.html

http://doughnutsswine.blogspot.co.uk/2011/11/joses-tapas-bar.html

2. Pitt Cue Co. I had the chance to visit on several occasions in 2012 and each time the food, music, drinks and staff excelled. The highlights for me are the pulled pork, the slaw, and the mash, topped off with oft too many whiskey sours. It’s a young, innovative venture and the manager (at least I think she’s the manager) is an impressive woman who keeps the operation in tip top shape. More power to her. 

http://doughnutsswine.blogspot.co.uk/2012/04/pitt-cue-co.html

1. By a country mile, the winner goes to Dabbous; the finest creation by Ollie Dabbous on Whitfield St. Superlatives would not do this establishment justice. The lengthy waiting list of customers wishing to dine at this establishment is an accurate reflection of enthusiasm people have for the venture. It presents simple, elegant and delicious creations in a casual yet professional surroundings with excellent staff. It also offers great value for money. A special mention goes to Oskar’s cocktail bar downstairs which also serves some food in addition to some of the best cocktails in London. Splendid. 

http://doughnutsswine.blogspot.co.uk/2012/09/dabbous.html

Hawksmoor, Air Street

Having subsisted the past few days predominantly on rice krispies during a trip to northern Uganda and South Sudan, I have harped back to a lunch at the new Hawksmoor on Air Street which I had the day before I departed for East Africa.

Many people are aware of the Hawksmoor phenomenon. To aficionados, they do the best steak in London. I happen to share this sentiment. The fan base is extensive, evidence provided when the 50% soft opening launch booked out within 8 minutes of the email being circulated to those signed up to the Hawksmoor mailing list. Considering that this was an extensive soft opening and that the Air Street venue can host 300 patrons, it’s no small feat. I sent my confirmation within 10 minutes of receipt of the email for the soft opening but was too late.

Hawksmoor being the kings of good service did however send a further option for lunch at 50% off on four alternative dates. So, on a Tuesday lunchtime, it was off to Piccadilly with a friend to check out Air Street. I was further excited by the fact that my friend with whom I was dining, was having steak for the first time, having recently converted from pescatarianism to the deity of carnivorism. In beef we worship.

The venue is big, replete with low ceilings, green leather upholstered seating and lots of very helpful staff. It’s got a nice art deco texture to it. I ordered (a very large) chatauebriand and the former pescatarian the fillet. For sides we selected the baked sweet potato (always a must at Hawksmoor), the triple cooked chips and the creamed spinach. I would have liked to have seen some sort of tomato salad on the menu as I had an excellent one previously at Spitalfields but none were on offer. We also ordered a pepper and béarnaise sauce though really, the quality of the steak means that there is no need to do so.

I ordered my chatueabriand rare. It was full or enormous flavour with the juices eeking from the fibres as I cut into it. It really was an excellent piece of meat. The fillet also was delicious and an excellent introduction to beef for my friend.

There are many things to like about Hawksmoor. For me the foremost is the attention to details. Little things, like upon our arrival and being guided upstairs, the staff knew our name. I assume the online system indicated that we had checked in downstairs so they were expecting us. Either that or the fact that we were 2 of the few females in the establishment made it easy to determine who we were. Whichever, I liked it.

Secondly, the drinks menu…we weren’t drinking alcohol with lunch and Hawksmoor possesses a non-alcoholic drinks menu with a great selection of soft cocktail alternatives. This just shows that, for those who do not drink alcohol, the non-alcoholic options are not just an afterthought at Hawksmoor. The ginger ‘n’ juice for me excelled…all that was missing was a shot of Jameson (ahem). The spiced tomato juice tempted me also (it would be great with a drop of vodka) and the cornflake milkshake had an allure to it, so teetotallers will not feel like an oft-forgot entity (presupposing that teetotallers are an entity).

Third, following my last review of Hawksmoor Seven Dials, I tweeted Will at Hawksmoor my review. I noticed on his twitter page, his response to customers’ comments on his twitter feed. Now, I don’t know if it’s him directly tweeting or whether staff undertake this task on his behalf, but regardless, this is a nice customer service touch.

The focus on customer service, emphasis on delivering a high quality product in fabulous surroundings means that the Hawksmoor brand continues to go from strength to strength. Long may it continue.

Oh, and before I forget, I should emphasise that Hawksmoor Air Street is different to its other offerings in that it has fish on the menu in addition to steak. Truth be told, I didn’t even read the fish options, so I suggest taking a look online if you’re interested.

Though full after the steak, we of course had to order the salted caramel rolos which are quickly assuming cult status at the new Hawksmoor. They’re like the rolos we grew up eating, only an adult version. They hit the nail on the head.

The bill all in (and bearing in mind this was 50% off) came to £80. Granted it’s not cheap, but you get what you pay for.

The Delaunay, Aldwych

With folk visiting London from out of town, I was asked to recommend a suitable location for a Sunday brunch. Straight away I decided upon The Delaunay, a relatively new venture from the brains behind The Wolseley (reviewed elsewhere on this blog). Located at Aldwych, The Delaunay styles itself as a grand European café restaurant, and it lives up to this self-styling.

Indeed, upon entrance, the first thing that I was struck by was how similar it was to The Wolseley in its internal appearance. Tables are seated in neat and stylish arrangement. A bustling atmosphere permeates the environment as staff meander the environs to ensure patrons are accommodated and served.

First things first; the staff. I was very impressed. They were friendly and professional from the doorman to the cloakroom staff to the waiting staff. I tend to make a note of this as staff can make or break a joint. I’m sure most people have faced the event where good food has been ruined by a sterile and unfriendly staff and atmosphere. It’s simply not good enough when you’re parting with your hard earned cash, and staff act as though you’re privileged to be there, or even worse are completely disinterested. The good thing about The Delaunay was that this certainly was not the case. 

We selected a variety of pastries – the mixed basket, the pain au chocolat and the almond croissant. The pasties were very good. The almond croissant for me was the best of the selection. There were multiple layers of buttery goodness to be found in the pastry. My assumption is that the pastries are made in-house but as I didn’t ask, I can’t confirm this.

The poppy seed danish was another highlight with delightful icing. The blueberry and almond muffin didn’t quite rock my world but it certainly wasn’t offensive. It probably suffered from competing against pastries where the constituent ingredient is butter. That’s hard to beat when the competition is butter based pastries. And I know there’s butter in muffins, it’s just how they put together those ingredients.

The girls had coffee with their pastries which they enjoyed. I first had the Delaunay Blend of tea which I enjoyed but it was by no means the best cup of tea I have had. Second time out I tried the Earl Grey which I thought was delicious. However, as one of the girls in the group said, she didn’t notice any difference between the tea at The Delaunay and the tea she had at the train station earlier that morning. Yes, I know, heathens.

So, all in all; good staff, nice pastries, lovely surroundings. But, and here’s the (big) but. As I looked around and took on board my surroundings, my overwhelming feeling was that this is the same as The Wolseley. Only The Wolseley is better. It’s the original and it’s the best. I don’t see what The Delaunay is trying to do different. As the place was full on a Sunday at the end of October for brunch, maybe it’s just that the decision was taken that there’s a gap in the market for another Wolseley. But I did expect some type of original twist, yet none was to be found. Possibly the philosophy is just to do what they do already and to do it well, and if so that’s quite ok. For me, I’d just go back to The Wolseley.

The bill for 4 came to £50ish. All very nice, but no Wolseley.