London Calling

unclepat · 9th March 2009, 10:10 AM

Just back from a couple of days in London. Had a small amount of business but mainly ate and drank!
I love eating out in London because the range and quality of restaurants is staggering. I'd had a few recommendation before we went and only one turned out to be a dud, despite having a Michelin star.
The highlights were Bocca di Lupo in Soho, Hereford Road ( oddly enough on Hereford Road) and L'Autre Pied on Blandford Street.
Bocca di Lupo (www.boccadilupo.com) is a casual Italian that delivers stunning flavours by using top quality ingredients and cooking them very simply. Their bread and olives on arrival were some of the best I've ever eaten. Prawn risotto was superb, veal and pork angolotti were so savoury and moreish I could have eaten them all night. The highlight of the meal there was a chargrilled poussin in a bread, pine nut and raisin salad. Fantastic stuff.
Hereford Road (www.herefordroad.org) was opened by the former head chef at St. John. The concept is very similar. Take the very best produce and serve them simply with minimum fuss or cheffing about. Duck livers with green beans and tarragon were exactly that and all the better for it. Brill with cauliflower and capers was as fresh a piece of fish as I've eaten for long time and the huge tranche for 13 quid represented outstanding value. We also tasted and warm pigeon salad and a whole lemon sole. Both perfectly executed and really tasty. Menu changes every day and the quality of everything ( another shout out for excellent bread) is simply amazing.
L'Aute Pied (www.lautrepied.co.uk) is the little sister of 2 Michelin star Pied a Terre. It is essentialy a fine dining restaurant dressed up as a bistro and it won a star itself in January this year. It is a bistro in appearance only ( no table cloths, reasonable prices, casually dressed staff etc.) as the cooking is seriously good and very detailed. Mosaic of rabbit and eel was a work of art and balanced very complex flavours perfectly. Pork belly with snails was another picture perfect dish with combinations of components and flavours on the plate that were worthy of two stars. Another mind blowing meal.
Dinner in La'Autre Pied was the only meal cost over £100 for two. The others averaged £60-£80 and with sterling weak at the moment, represented great value. There are very good deals to be had in hotels in London right now so it's possible to get over there mid week and eat incredibly well for relatively small money.

meatmonger · 9th March 2009, 10:22 AM

Kinda weekend i need!
to complete the story you would need to name and shame the 1 star dud

Ernie Whalley · 9th March 2009, 10:34 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by meatmonger

Kinda weekend i need!
to complete the story you would need to name and shame the 1 star dud

Second that.. having eaten there a couple of times I must say I'm no big fan of Pied a Terre either.

unclepat · 9th March 2009, 10:46 AM

Go on so..It was Rhodes W1. We were staying in the Cumberland Hotel so we had lunch there when we arrived. In contrast to the other meals, it was contrived, fussy, expensive and just didn't deliver. Also, there were myself and Alan and only two other diners for the whole lunch despite the hotel ( which has 1,000 rooms) being full to capacity. Probably tells it's own tale.

SpiderCrab · 9th March 2009, 11:48 AM

Stayed in The Cumberland a few years back - it had just had a big makeover. The lobby is stunning and the rest of the place is a dump. We had to move rooms twice because of ventilation noise.

unclepat · 9th March 2009, 12:31 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by SpiderCrab

The lobby is stunning and the rest of the place is a dump.

Not sure what you mean by dump. It's not the Dorchester but certainly not a dump and for the money it's hard to beat location wise.

mreeyore · 9th March 2009, 12:55 PM

Must say, I'm a fan of the Cumberland for London trips but nothing has ever drawn me in to Rhodes W1. And with Texture just 2 minutes around the corner there's no need to.

Great report unclepat. I have my own London eating weekend planned for 1.5 weeks away and bookings for The Square, Murano, Wild Honey and a return trip to Foliage. Will report back. I've commented on it before but there's amazing value to be had in London on the restaurant scene, even moreso with the strength of euro these days.

bigjoe · 9th March 2009, 01:24 PM

stayed in the Cumberland a few months back and I never saw one person eat the restaurant.

unclepat · 9th March 2009, 01:38 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by mreeyore

I have my own London eating weekend planned for 1.5 weeks away and bookings for The Square, Murano, Wild Honey and a return trip to Foliage. Will report back. I've commented on it before but there's amazing value to be had in London on the restaurant scene, even moreso with the strength of euro these days.

Looking forward to hearing how you get on Mreeyore. I've been to Arbutus and Wild Honey and think they're both superb. In hindsight, we shouldn't have bothered with Rhodes only we arrived late so would have missed lunch in most places.
I've heard great reports about Foliage and The Square.

bigjoe · 9th March 2009, 01:57 PM

just got a newsletter from Arbutus today. first one ever. must be trying to drum up some business/

here it is here in case you are interested.
Arbutus & Wild Honey Restaurants

In this issue:
Wine of the Month
Today's Special by Anthony Demetre
What to look out for in the coming months
Post Theatre Menu
Mother's Day March 22nd

Welcome to our first newsletter – a chance to keep you up-to-date
with happenings at Arbutus and Wild Honey restaurants.

Mother's Day March 22nd

This year we are staying open all day on Mothers Day from midday
until 9.00pm. So there is no need to rush out of the door on your
Sunday morning, take it easy and grab a later table in the afternoon.
We are offering a fixed price 3 course menu at £32.50 per person
(£10.50 children's menu). From 6.00pm we revert to the normal a
la carte menu.Book early as the restaurants will be busy.

Post theatre menu

We have started offering a fantastic value post theatre menu at Arbutus.
Available:
Monday – Thursday 10.00pm – 11.00pm Friday – Saturday
10.30pm – 11.30pm For the price of £17.50 for 3 courses.
Please find a sample of what you may find on any given evening:
Sample Pre and Post Theatre Menu
Soup of market vegetables or Sliced lamb breast, celeriac remoulade

*****

Caillette of pork, potato purée or Pollock brandade,
sautéed young squid

*****

Floating island with pink pralines, custard or St Nectaire

So next time you are out on the town, why not finish off your
evening with dinner at one of the restaurants. Don't forget that
Arbutus also offers a Pre-Theatre menu every evening from 5.00pm - 7.00pm also at £17.50 for 3 courses.

What to look out for in the coming months

Look out in your local markets for wild garlic leaves. If you
can't find them and you live in the countryside you can often
find them growing wild in hedgerows and pathways. You can make a
delicious soup with these which you will see on the menu in
March/April.

Also Sicilian blood oranges are available now. Try making a winter
fruit salad with a little pomegranate and some Yorkshire tender
stem rhubarb.Alternatively make a refreshing cocktail with blood
orange juice and Prosecco finished with a dash of Campari,
currently available at both restaurants as the perfect aperitif.
Looking ahead, over the Easter weekend we will be open as normal
in both restaurants for lunch and dinner on Good Friday, Easter
Saturday and Sunday and Bank Holiday Monday. Coming into the west
end can be such a pleasure when so many Londoners are away.

Wine of the Month

German red wines are little drunk in the UK but for those in the
know, this can be a marvellous wine offering superb value.
Werner Näkel has established an excellent reputation for his
extra-ordinary reds. His unbiased ways of working smoothed his
way to success. Only after five years he was awarded the coveted
red wine prize of the German wine magazine Vinum. Most recently
his top cuvée, the Dernauer Pfarrwingert Spätburgunder Grosses
Gewächs 2005 won the Decanter World Wine Awards for the top
Pinot Noir in the world.

We sell the Spatburgunder (Pinot Noir) Estate Selection,
Meyer-Nakel, Ahr, Germany, 2007

'A very Burgundian style Pinot Noir, with good red fruit on the
nose especially red cherry and raspberry. Strong body with
earthiness and slate on the nose and a little oak that lets the
fruit flavors prevail, the wine is light yet flavorful on the
palate. Fantastic with poultry, rabbit and fish dishes'

Available on our wine lists at £46.00 for a bottle or £15.50 a
carafe. We can also sell this at a special off sale price of
£18.50 per bottle. Just email us at either restaurant and we
will order it for your collection in any quantity.

Today's Special by Anthony Demetre
Anthony's first cookbook is available for purchase from both
restaurants. Featuring uncomplicated recipes of all your favourite
dishes and more, the book has received excellent reviews and is
a must-have in your kitchen. If you haven't yet bought a copy,
we have a special offer of £17.50 for a signed copy, until the
end of April. Each recipe is illustrated beautifully with
photography by Simon Wheeler. Here is a sample recipe
(http://www.arbutusrestaurant.co.uk/e...clickthroughs/)
from the book for you to try.

Opening times for both restaurants:

Lunch Monday – Saturday
12.00 – 2.30pm
Lunch Sunday 12.00 – 3.00pm
Dinner Monday – Thursday 5.00 – 11.00pm
Dinner Friday – Saturday 5.00 – 11.30pm
Dinner Sunday 6.00 – 10.00pm

Wild Honey Restaurant
12 St George Street

London
W1S 2FB
020 7758 9160

www.wildhoneyrestaurant.co.uk

Arbutus Restaurant
63-64 Frith Street
London
W1D 3JW
020 7734 4545

www.arbutusrestaurant.co.uk

burkean · 9th March 2009, 01:59 PM

I've done Wild Honey and loved the food but found the service weak.

I've heard remarkably similar service gripes from people who've eaten in Arbutus - so keep an eye out and kick up if they're not on the ball.

That said, both are still very highly regarded so I wouldn't look forward to them any less.

bigjoe · 9th March 2009, 02:10 PM

for what it is worth my meal / service in Arbutus was fantastic.

mreeyore · 9th March 2009, 02:10 PM

Been to Arbutus a couple of times and really enjoyed it and thought I'd give Wild Honey a go as we were going to be eating close to 11pm post theatre I thought the post-theatre menu was a steal. Imagine trying to find anything like that value in Dublin on a Saturday night.

meatmonger · 9th March 2009, 02:21 PM

I obviously caught arbutus on an off night and left v dissapointed

Haughey777 · 9th March 2009, 04:58 PM

Monday 16 March onwards is London restaurant week, most of the top restaraunts are offering £15 for two course lunch and 25 for 3 course dinner. We've booked the Hempel for 130 a night for Monday and Paddys Day with Breakfast and a free upgrade which seems like good value. Recession bashing luxury.

italian foodie · 9th March 2009, 08:27 PM

stayed in the cumberland too last year when we went to Locatellis, great location, didn't think much of the rooms but they're only to sleep in so it's perfect. Saw a really good review recently on bocca di lupo too so must add it to the "to do list" , the menu looks great!

DonalH · 9th March 2009, 09:00 PM

Good report Unclepat.

Hope you realise that one of the small financial benefits of being a restaurateur is that visiting other restaurants is tax deductible! Might take the edge off what was an expensive weekend.

unclepat · 10th March 2009, 06:14 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by DonalH

Good report Unclepat.

Hope you realise that one of the small financial benefits of being a restaurateur is that visiting other restaurants is tax deductible! Might take the edge off what was an expensive weekend.

Don't worry Donal, I twigged that one a long time ago!

italian foodie · 10th March 2009, 09:26 AM

mmmm noone told me about that! Must get onto the accountant

hutspot · 10th March 2009, 01:28 PM

Good report Pat was in London 2 weeks ago and had a late lunch at Bocca Di Luppa,when I say late I mean we got totally lost in Soho and arrived at 2.55 without a booking,but were quickly sat at the lovely bar given bread and olives and were happy to be able to order anything. I had the braised rabbit and herself the linguine vongolle, 500ml carafe of white and we let the stress dissolve,very grateful to a professional team look forward to going back.
Did not get to any starred places but had great noodles at cha cha moon,Alan Yaus noodle place in Soho,great value (nearly all dishes £5) good selection and a busy buzz to the place,so far ahead of Wagamama and wanted to go back the next day try more.
Climpsons and Sons on Hackney Broadway (we were staying with friends) made me think of Ernie,Jimmy Hendrix on the stereo and some great coffee to be had, great espresso and Esther was well impressed with her cappuchino.
London is a good place to visit always get a bit of inspiration and really enjoying seeing things being done well.
Off topic was looking at the site Pat and seen a picture of your brother and remember doing a placement in Morels 10 years ago,John Dunne was head chef and I had a busy six months, small world. Great to see you doing well.

9th March 2009, 10:10 AM	#1
unclepat Registered User Join Date: Feb 2005 Posts: 732	London Calling Just back from a couple of days in London. Had a small amount of business but mainly ate and drank! I love eating out in London because the range and quality of restaurants is staggering. I'd had a few recommendation before we went and only one turned out to be a dud, despite having a Michelin star. The highlights were Bocca di Lupo in Soho, Hereford Road ( oddly enough on Hereford Road) and L'Autre Pied on Blandford Street. Bocca di Lupo (www.boccadilupo.com) is a casual Italian that delivers stunning flavours by using top quality ingredients and cooking them very simply. Their bread and olives on arrival were some of the best I've ever eaten. Prawn risotto was superb, veal and pork angolotti were so savoury and moreish I could have eaten them all night. The highlight of the meal there was a chargrilled poussin in a bread, pine nut and raisin salad. Fantastic stuff. Hereford Road (www.herefordroad.org) was opened by the former head chef at St. John. The concept is very similar. Take the very best produce and serve them simply with minimum fuss or cheffing about. Duck livers with green beans and tarragon were exactly that and all the better for it. Brill with cauliflower and capers was as fresh a piece of fish as I've eaten for long time and the huge tranche for 13 quid represented outstanding value. We also tasted and warm pigeon salad and a whole lemon sole. Both perfectly executed and really tasty. Menu changes every day and the quality of everything ( another shout out for excellent bread) is simply amazing. L'Aute Pied (www.lautrepied.co.uk) is the little sister of 2 Michelin star Pied a Terre. It is essentialy a fine dining restaurant dressed up as a bistro and it won a star itself in January this year. It is a bistro in appearance only ( no table cloths, reasonable prices, casually dressed staff etc.) as the cooking is seriously good and very detailed. Mosaic of rabbit and eel was a work of art and balanced very complex flavours perfectly. Pork belly with snails was another picture perfect dish with combinations of components and flavours on the plate that were worthy of two stars. Another mind blowing meal. Dinner in La'Autre Pied was the only meal cost over £100 for two. The others averaged £60-£80 and with sterling weak at the moment, represented great value. There are very good deals to be had in hotels in London right now so it's possible to get over there mid week and eat incredibly well for relatively small money.

9th March 2009, 01:59 PM	#11
burkean Registered User Join Date: Nov 2006 Location: London Posts: 315	I've done Wild Honey and loved the food but found the service weak. I've heard remarkably similar service gripes from people who've eaten in Arbutus - so keep an eye out and kick up if they're not on the ball. That said, both are still very highly regarded so I wouldn't look forward to them any less. Last edited by burkean; 10th March 2009 at 06:49 AM.

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9th March 2009, 10:22 AM	#2
meatmonger Registered User Join Date: Nov 2008 Location: Bridgend, Co Donegal Posts: 370	Kinda weekend i need! to complete the story you would need to name and shame the 1 star dud

9th March 2009, 10:46 AM	#4
unclepat Registered User Join Date: Feb 2005 Posts: 732	Go on so..It was Rhodes W1. We were staying in the Cumberland Hotel so we had lunch there when we arrived. In contrast to the other meals, it was contrived, fussy, expensive and just didn't deliver. Also, there were myself and Alan and only two other diners for the whole lunch despite the hotel ( which has 1,000 rooms) being full to capacity. Probably tells it's own tale.

9th March 2009, 11:48 AM	#5
SpiderCrab Registered User Join Date: Aug 2007 Posts: 11	Stayed in The Cumberland a few years back - it had just had a big makeover. The lobby is stunning and the rest of the place is a dump. We had to move rooms twice because of ventilation noise.

9th March 2009, 12:55 PM	#7
mreeyore Registered User Join Date: Oct 2006 Posts: 108	Must say, I'm a fan of the Cumberland for London trips but nothing has ever drawn me in to Rhodes W1. And with Texture just 2 minutes around the corner there's no need to. Great report unclepat. I have my own London eating weekend planned for 1.5 weeks away and bookings for The Square, Murano, Wild Honey and a return trip to Foliage. Will report back. I've commented on it before but there's amazing value to be had in London on the restaurant scene, even moreso with the strength of euro these days.

9th March 2009, 01:24 PM	#8
bigjoe Registered User Join Date: May 2004 Location: Dublin Posts: 485	stayed in the Cumberland a few months back and I never saw one person eat the restaurant.

9th March 2009, 01:57 PM	#10
bigjoe Registered User Join Date: May 2004 Location: Dublin Posts: 485	just got a newsletter from Arbutus today. first one ever. must be trying to drum up some business/ here it is here in case you are interested. Arbutus & Wild Honey Restaurants In this issue: Wine of the Month Today's Special by Anthony Demetre What to look out for in the coming months Post Theatre Menu Mother's Day March 22nd Welcome to our first newsletter – a chance to keep you up-to-date with happenings at Arbutus and Wild Honey restaurants. Mother's Day March 22nd This year we are staying open all day on Mothers Day from midday until 9.00pm. So there is no need to rush out of the door on your Sunday morning, take it easy and grab a later table in the afternoon. We are offering a fixed price 3 course menu at £32.50 per person (£10.50 children's menu). From 6.00pm we revert to the normal a la carte menu.Book early as the restaurants will be busy. Post theatre menu We have started offering a fantastic value post theatre menu at Arbutus. Available: Monday – Thursday 10.00pm – 11.00pm Friday – Saturday 10.30pm – 11.30pm For the price of £17.50 for 3 courses. Please find a sample of what you may find on any given evening: Sample Pre and Post Theatre Menu Soup of market vegetables or Sliced lamb breast, celeriac remoulade *** Caillette of pork, potato purée or Pollock brandade, sautéed young squid *** Floating island with pink pralines, custard or St Nectaire So next time you are out on the town, why not finish off your evening with dinner at one of the restaurants. Don't forget that Arbutus also offers a Pre-Theatre menu every evening from 5.00pm - 7.00pm also at £17.50 for 3 courses. What to look out for in the coming months Look out in your local markets for wild garlic leaves. If you can't find them and you live in the countryside you can often find them growing wild in hedgerows and pathways. You can make a delicious soup with these which you will see on the menu in March/April. Also Sicilian blood oranges are available now. Try making a winter fruit salad with a little pomegranate and some Yorkshire tender stem rhubarb.Alternatively make a refreshing cocktail with blood orange juice and Prosecco finished with a dash of Campari, currently available at both restaurants as the perfect aperitif. Looking ahead, over the Easter weekend we will be open as normal in both restaurants for lunch and dinner on Good Friday, Easter Saturday and Sunday and Bank Holiday Monday. Coming into the west end can be such a pleasure when so many Londoners are away. Wine of the Month German red wines are little drunk in the UK but for those in the know, this can be a marvellous wine offering superb value. Werner Näkel has established an excellent reputation for his extra-ordinary reds. His unbiased ways of working smoothed his way to success. Only after five years he was awarded the coveted red wine prize of the German wine magazine Vinum. Most recently his top cuvée, the Dernauer Pfarrwingert Spätburgunder Grosses Gewächs 2005 won the Decanter World Wine Awards for the top Pinot Noir in the world. We sell the Spatburgunder (Pinot Noir) Estate Selection, Meyer-Nakel, Ahr, Germany, 2007 'A very Burgundian style Pinot Noir, with good red fruit on the nose especially red cherry and raspberry. Strong body with earthiness and slate on the nose and a little oak that lets the fruit flavors prevail, the wine is light yet flavorful on the palate. Fantastic with poultry, rabbit and fish dishes' Available on our wine lists at £46.00 for a bottle or £15.50 a carafe. We can also sell this at a special off sale price of £18.50 per bottle. Just email us at either restaurant and we will order it for your collection in any quantity. Today's Special by Anthony Demetre Anthony's first cookbook is available for purchase from both restaurants. Featuring uncomplicated recipes of all your favourite dishes and more, the book has received excellent reviews and is a must-have in your kitchen. If you haven't yet bought a copy, we have a special offer of £17.50 for a signed copy, until the end of April. Each recipe is illustrated beautifully with photography by Simon Wheeler. Here is a sample recipe (http://www.arbutusrestaurant.co.uk/e...clickthroughs/) from the book for you to try. Opening times for both restaurants: Lunch Monday – Saturday 12.00 – 2.30pm Lunch Sunday 12.00 – 3.00pm Dinner Monday – Thursday 5.00 – 11.00pm Dinner Friday – Saturday 5.00 – 11.30pm Dinner Sunday 6.00 – 10.00pm Wild Honey Restaurant 12 St George Street London W1S 2FB 020 7758 9160 www.wildhoneyrestaurant.co.uk Arbutus Restaurant 63-64 Frith Street London W1D 3JW 020 7734 4545 www.arbutusrestaurant.co.uk

9th March 2009, 02:10 PM	#12
bigjoe Registered User Join Date: May 2004 Location: Dublin Posts: 485	for what it is worth my meal / service in Arbutus was fantastic.

9th March 2009, 02:21 PM	#14
meatmonger Registered User Join Date: Nov 2008 Location: Bridgend, Co Donegal Posts: 370	I obviously caught arbutus on an off night and left v dissapointed

9th March 2009, 04:58 PM	#15
Haughey777 Registered User Join Date: Jun 2006 Posts: 31	Monday 16 March onwards is London restaurant week, most of the top restaraunts are offering £15 for two course lunch and 25 for 3 course dinner. We've booked the Hempel for 130 a night for Monday and Paddys Day with Breakfast and a free upgrade which seems like good value. Recession bashing luxury.

9th March 2009, 08:27 PM	#16
italian foodie Registered User Join Date: Mar 2007 Location: Limerick Posts: 305	stayed in the cumberland too last year when we went to Locatellis, great location, didn't think much of the rooms but they're only to sleep in so it's perfect. Saw a really good review recently on bocca di lupo too so must add it to the "to do list" , the menu looks great!

9th March 2009, 09:00 PM	#17
DonalH Registered User Join Date: Jul 2005 Location: Kinsale Posts: 443	Good report Unclepat. Hope you realise that one of the small financial benefits of being a restaurateur is that visiting other restaurants is tax deductible! Might take the edge off what was an expensive weekend.

10th March 2009, 09:26 AM	#19
italian foodie Registered User Join Date: Mar 2007 Location: Limerick Posts: 305	mmmm noone told me about that! Must get onto the accountant

10th March 2009, 01:28 PM	#20
hutspot Registered User Join Date: Sep 2006 Location: amsterdam Posts: 81	Good report Pat was in London 2 weeks ago and had a late lunch at Bocca Di Luppa,when I say late I mean we got totally lost in Soho and arrived at 2.55 without a booking,but were quickly sat at the lovely bar given bread and olives and were happy to be able to order anything. I had the braised rabbit and herself the linguine vongolle, 500ml carafe of white and we let the stress dissolve,very grateful to a professional team look forward to going back. Did not get to any starred places but had great noodles at cha cha moon,Alan Yaus noodle place in Soho,great value (nearly all dishes £5) good selection and a busy buzz to the place,so far ahead of Wagamama and wanted to go back the next day try more. Climpsons and Sons on Hackney Broadway (we were staying with friends) made me think of Ernie,Jimmy Hendrix on the stereo and some great coffee to be had, great espresso and Esther was well impressed with her cappuchino. London is a good place to visit always get a bit of inspiration and really enjoying seeing things being done well. Off topic was looking at the site Pat and seen a picture of your brother and remember doing a placement in Morels 10 years ago,John Dunne was head chef and I had a busy six months, small world. Great to see you doing well.