La Stazione is an Italian osteria/trattoria. It is sat immediately above Ryries Bar, an old Scottish pub that has been in operation since the 1860s, in a building that dates back to the 1749. La Stazione is a good local eatery, while there we noticed a number of tables occupied by tourists, like us, but it seemed clear that there were a good number of local customers, it is a popular place and rightly so.
Viajante. London
Viajante is not your average eatery, let’s be honest… it is more of an ‘experience’ than a run-of-the-mill restaurant, but it is quite special indeed. I think that it is definitely somewhere that the consummate foodies among you should experience before it becomes too trendy, too popular and too impossible to get a reservation at.
Le Garrick, Covent Garden, London
No one’s looking for Michelin Stars at Le Garrick; it exists to serve well-priced., well-cooked food in a cosy, clubby, environment. And it is very well-priced particularly at lunchtime with set menus. They’ve launched the Lunch Club which gives a 10% discount off a lunch bill to all members. Membership is free, so what’s not to like about that?
Inamo,London
‘Maybe we’re not the demographic they’re aiming at,” says C, kindly. I am grasping and confused, sensory faculties aghast, mind rollicking. OK, it’s not quite that bad but I feel a bit luddite here at Inamo, the hi-tec Soho restaurant where the menus are interactive, and you can webcam into the kitchen from your table top.
Medcalf, Exmouth Market, London
Medcalf’s home is in the middle of the trendy Exmouth Market. I’ve already become a fan of the strip, which possesses a great selection of bars and restaurants that let their produce do the talking. That’s the essence of the market, no frills or pretentiousness here, and Medcalf is a brilliant example.
The Mall Tavern
All in all, we enjoyed. There did seem to be a tendency to fritterise… were the ’70s solely a decade of breadcrumbs? But Jesse’s keen, the place is rammed, the menu keeps changing and everyone looks jolly. It’s fun, reasonably-priced and will surely draw votes this election.
The Old Brewery, Greenwich
I liked the Old Brewery, what they are doing and how they are doing it. The beers are made with care and attention, the beer garden looks promising for the summer, and the food has a cheerful solidity and lack of pretension that fits the restaurant like a well-worn doublet and hose. Henry would have liked it to, but would he have objected to any heads on his beer?
Hix Soho, London
What is it with the bloody front door at Hix Soho? Every time I go there I have to fight the thing to get in. I’m not alone either, I often go past the place and see would be punters shoulder-charging the door and bouncing off again. No visible handle and some kind of damper system seems to be the problem, but that’s what you get when you take over an old Japanese place I suppose. Inscrutable technology.
Texture, London
The menu is largely straightforward and unpretentious and each dish takes a handful of great ingredients and fuses them together to make something uncomplicated, unfussy but utterly delicious. These are just the kind of things that illustrate exactly why Texture were one of just six restaurants to be awarded a Michelin star this year and deservedly so.