Cliveden House is one of the most gorgeous luxury hotels in the UK and just a short ride from London or Heathrow. Nick Harman went to sample life as lived by the infamous Cliveden set in the ’30s and to eat at Waldo’s the hotel’s fine dining restaurant, one which puts the gourmet icing on the weekend stay cake.
Waldo’s at Cliveden House
Waldo’s is named after the architect of the great fountain in Cliveden house’s driveway, Thomas Waldo Story. It’s not perhaps the best of names to have chosen – I keep thinking of Nando’s – but this is seriously fine dining.
Tamarind
Tucked away in the money-laden back streets of Mayfair, Tamarind restaurant is by no means the new kid on the block. Established over 15 years ago, despite losing their Michelin star earlier this year, they still remain the original culinary big-hitter of Anglo-Indian cuisine.
The Abbeville, Clapham, re-launches
As we walked through the door of The Abbeville, we were struck by its old fashioned feel, the main entrance leads to a fairly small bar area, a couple of steps up from the entrance level. As we arrived we were each offered a glass of some soft bubbly Prosecco, which, of course we took and were then invited to take a look around.
Quo Vadis to open on Sundays
From October 4th this year Soho Restaurant, Quo Vadis will be opening its doors for Sunday lunch and dinner.
Harvest a Free Lunch at St Paul’s
The Restaurant at St Paul’s Cathedral is rewarding the time and toil of London’s keenest gardeners with a ground breaking ‘Harvest Swap Shop’ -one box of your finest horticultural efforts in exchange for one free Sunday lunch.
Apsleys- a Heinz Beck Restaurant
We left Heinz Beck’s after paying £610 for four people – far too much even for food this good. Outside the door was a Ferrari Enzo costing about $670,000. It could just have been a Russian oligarch’s, but I think perhaps it was just Heinz’s.
John Torode’s Chicken and other birds
This is Torode’s partner book to ‘Beef’ and a whole lot healthier. It’s actually titled ‘.. and other birds’ because, quite frankly, you’d be hard pushed to fill an entire book just on chickens. So pheasants, grouse, woodcock, snipe and other birds flap onto the pages, plus of course the rather more available duck.
Heinz Salad Cream. Welcome back old friend
It’s that peculiar vinegary tang that does it for me, the sharpness of the flavour and the way it’s the halfway point between vinaigrette and a mayonnaise. Best of all it is ours! As British as Marmite and losing resignedly at sport.
The Avalon
A short walk from Balham station, and very close to Clapham common, the Avalon is a little away from the main shopping drag, but in our view is all the better for it. A popular destination, serving great food, it is well worth a visit.