Upstairs at The Ten Bells

Only a year old, Upstairs at The Ten Bells already has a loyal following. Set in the first floor of an infamous pub, not just known as the last drinking location of a Ripper victim but also as a recent stripper joint, this place has already had an interesting history.

With a simple, refined menu, you aren’t overwhelmed with choice which as a hugely indecisive individual, makes things easy. For starter I decided on the buckwheat pancakes with smoked mackerel and cucumber. It was delicious although the pancakes were a little big but the flavours mixed well. My friends went for buttermilk chicken that came placed on some old pine leaves, who said recycling Christmas trees was hard.

Main came and although delicious,Ii was slightly disappointed with the lack of size and variety in the meal. Braised swede with salsify and mushrooms implied a hearty meal and although bursting with winter flavour. I would have liked something with it or on the side. The fish on this course looked amazing with a thick piece of hake on a bed of vegetables and the addition of potted shrimp. The meat also looked grand with pork, lentils and vegetables. In this case, I think the veggie option looked like the poor relation to the other dishes but all the same it tasted great.

Finally, I couldn’t resist desert and this was the showstopper for me. Milk crisps with buttermilk ice cream and rhubarb sorbet was delicious. The sourness of the buttermilk went well with the sharp rhubarb and the milk crisps balanced it all whilst adding a new texture to the dish.

Overall, this was a great meal. The charm of the shabby decor, paired with the interesting history and delicious, yet innovative food makes this a top Shoreditch find.

La Bodega Negra

Billed as the new, trendy Mexican to hit London, La Bodega Negra has two locations giving you the option of visiting the café for lunch or the underground, cryptic restaurant for dinner. L

London is having a passionate love affair with all hispanic influenced food at the moment but in my experience it can be a hit or miss situation. 

Similarly to El Camion, the evenings here have a party vibe with a DJ and you have the added novelty of walking through a sex shop but Iafter an intense day of shopping I decided to re-energise with some lunch at the cafe location that immediately grabs your attention with its bright décor of turquoise and black.

The lunch menu is relatively short and we found that it is better value if you choose the set menu of a drink, taco selection and a side rather than a selection of dishes. On this occassion I had the fresh lemonade which had a real citrus kick, the prawn tacos and a side of rice and beans.

The tacos were delicious but tiny (and I mean tiny) portions and the beans were tasteless; I did choose to have them without meat which was a rookie error in this case. My friend had the mushroom and cheese tacos and these lacked flavour and any innovation. I know vegetarian food isn’t always exciting but they could at least come up with something better than bland mushrooms and cheese.

Unfortunately for me, La Bodega Negra isn’t a new star restaurant for Mexican food.  It was £10 for the set menu which was pretty steep for a few small tacos and sides. The atmosphere and good service saved it and after hearing rave reviews of the restaurant for the evening, I think I will have to try it another time to get a better impression. For lunch, I would much rather nip to Benitos Hat or a market stall for a tasty burrito to give me my Mexican fix.

Nopi

For me food signifies the best things in life; it’s a way of learning about culture, bonding with family and friends and is a wonderful cathartic process to de-stress after a long day. This year for my birthday, food was pretty much the focus of all my celebrations. I prepared a three course dinner party on the day of my birthday to take the opportunity to make some recipes I’ve been dying to try and treat my friends to something that I enjoy doing ( I revel in the glamour of a dinner party with candles, flowers and wine). During my stay to Portugal, my grandma treated me to a meal by the Chaine des Rotisseurs who had a two-star Michelin chef visiting to cook a special 7 course gourmet lunch and to top it off, two of my lovely friends, who I have a huge food bond with, took me to Nopi, the restaurant by famed Yotem Ottolenghi.

I’ve wanted to try Nopi for a long time, Ottolenghi is a chef I really admire for his ability to make innovative food that isn’t too eccentric and uses a good variety of vegetables. The setting was simple and calming with white walls and dusted matte gold furnishings. We were promptly sat at our table by the window and were delighted to see a wine menu specifically promoting Team GB with some British wines.  As we’ve never tried British wines before, we were given some samples to decide and went for a lovely medium bodied red.

Every detail has been thought of in this restaurant which distinguishes it as one of the top restaurants in Soho. The gold ‘O’ is incorporated into the furnishings including the napkin rings and cloakroom tickets. The toilets are also an experience, taking you into a magical setting of mirrors jutting out like glaciers.

We chose 7 of the sharing dishes which were more than enough for three of us, although I must admit it was hard to choose as every dish looked delicious.  The service was impeccable with the waitress helping in our choice and recommending dishes as we tried to get a good balance of textures and flavours. All the dishes were delicious, from the sweet potato with figs and goats cheese to the aubergine with pomegranate and feta but the stand out dish was the savoury cheesecake with beetroot. I am not exaggerating when I say this is one of the best things I have tasted..Ever. It was melt-in-the-mouth warm cheese which went so well with the sweet beetroot, basically a dream.
We made sure we had room for dessert and shared the strawberry mess and sweet filo pastry served with plum compote.  As it was such a special occasion we also treated ourselves to some after dinner drinks and coffee.

The food was delicious. Ottolenghi creates recipes that savour the flavour of quality ingredients. Everything was cooked to perfection and combined with the beautiful, ethereal-like setting and stellar service, it was a night to remember.

Image sourced from The Guardian

Ceviche

Despite being an aficionado of all things Hispanic, Peruvian food is something I have never tried. When thinking of Latin American food, the Brazilian Feijoada or Argentine Steak spring to mind but it seems Peru also has something to shout about with its own Ceviche.  A distinct dish, Ceviche is typically made from fresh raw fish marinated in citrus juices and chilli and I had my first experience at the new Ceviche restaurant located on Frith Street, Soho.  A quirky setting of turquoise accented walls, aged black and white photos and 50s style lighting, give you the impression that you have left the streets of Soho and found yourself enjoying the delights of a bar in Peru.

The menu is hugely varied, giving you a chance to try many flavours.  Pisco, is a speciality of the restaurant, which is incorporated into both the food and drinks and so we started off with a Pisco sour to get into the Peruvian mood.  We decided to get a few different dishes in order to try as many things as possible, something encouraged by the way the menu is set into different sections. We chose some Ceviche, a rice dish, a salmon skewer and some snacks in the form of Tequeños, melt in your mouth pastry filled with cheese and chilli and Cancha, salted dried corn.

The flavours were diverse and bold and yet managed to create a balance between the raw fish and the other strong ingredients. It’s very rare to say you haven’t eaten a certain type of food but this really was unique. The raw fish, was bursting with citrus and chilli which gave a kick alongside the calmer tastes of the potato cake or avocado. The seafood was really good quality and although small, there were enough mouthfuls to keep you satisfied. Moving onto the skewer, the salmon was falling off the stick and again was full of flavour. Another favourite were the Tequeños, simple and yet so delicious, who can say no to melted cheese and chilli (we ordered another two portions of these!)

Finally, we couldn’t miss dessert and chose the Suspiro de Chirimoya, a fruit mousse with cinnamon and port wine meringue and the Encanelado de Pisco, a cinnamon sponge soaked in the pisco spirit and with dulce de leche ice cream. I was blown away by both of these desserts, the fruit mousse tasted somewhere between caramel and papaya, absolutely delicious. The sponge was also amazing and had soaked up the pisco so that each mouthful had an extra kick after the cinnamon. Dulce de Leche is always a favourite and added another Hispanic flavour into the mix, a perfect sweet mouthful to end a delicious and yet light meal.

Ceviche demonstrates the diverse and interesting flavours that Latin America offers. The quirky and yet understated setting allows you to experience Peruvian food in an unpretentious way, enjoying the delightful food and fun atmosphere.

Food

Right now I have tonsilitis and as I can't eat anything but ice cream, I am craving delicious food. Living in London allows me to taste food from around the world and at a good quality. As I lay here, reminiscing about the places I have visited I thought I would write about them and inspire where I will venture next.

Coffee

Anyone who knows me, knows I L.O.V.E my coffee. My recent finds for brilliant coffee have been Full Stop on Brick Lane and St Ali in Farringdon.

Full Stop was introduced by a friend and has a lovely story behind it. Pete used to run a coffee stall in West London for two years, saving up to own a coffee shop and finally, last year he opened it with his friend. This is an adorable establishment, fitting in nicely with the quirks of Brick Lane but establishing its own identity with the focus on quality coffee, and produce from local places such as the brewery down the road and milk from a farm nearby. The inside of the cafe is cute with vintage finds all over the place and is the perfect place to chill and take some time from the busy life outside. Whats great is that Full Stop opens up late every night, giving you chance to taste the homemade pizza ( they are delicious), drink some wine and catch a pop up film or other events.

St Ali is another superb place for coffee. Based in Farringdon, it roasts its own coffee which I always find fascinating. Minimalist furniture and wood flooring make St Ali feel very open and fresh, perfect for Sunday brunch. The food is also great here, with all day eggs, corn fritters and other main dishes to enjoy.

I must also mention Joe and the Juice. This brand has swept over London and quite rapidly is taking over. With branches originally in Soho and Regent St, it is now located on the Kings Road and is opening another closer to Covent Garden. More than just a juice bar, the coffee here is delicious and rather innovative with their ginger lattes that with fresh ginger added so you feel kinda healthy even though you are chugging down milk and caffeine. Now, I can rave all day about the coffee here but I can't not mention the fact everyone that works there is super good looking. The brand is from Denmark and true to their heritage, they have employed a lot of Scandinavian men (ahem, Gods may the word) to serve the drinks. I'm shocked no one has thought of this before.

Food stalls

Pizza Pilgrims is something my friend has just become involved with and is based on Berwick St in Soho. Now pilgrims they are as they create traditional and authentic pizza's to spread the word of real Italian food. Unfortunately they are only open during the week ( sucks for me as I work in the City) but I can verify that with their skill, they are possibly the tastiest pizzas you will find in Soho ( and London!). They are perfect to pick up for lunch or if you are just walking around the shops and fancy something tasty and hot.

I'll save the rest for another time, my taste buds are getting frustrated at just ice cream right now.