Tatler Restaurant Awards
Shortly after the Michelin star announcement this week, Tatler held their Restaurant Awards party at the seriously stylish Mandarin Oriental Hyde Park. The coveted ‘Restaurant of the Year’ award went to the Hart Brother’s Quo Vadis, which has had no trouble filling tables since Michael Winner dubbed it ‘the new Ivy’ in 2008. Best Newcomer went to slick City Italian, L’Anima; while Sake No Hana was named ‘The It Room’ of the year. Despite mixed reviews for his Oyster & Chop House, Mark Hix bagged ‘Restaurateur of the Year’.
One of the more unusual choices was for the Best Value Set Lunch award, which went to the newly Michelin-starred Ristorante Semplice. Their 2 courses for £16 deal might be one of the cheapest around, but what about Launceston Place or Arbutus? Check out the other winners here.
Gino D’Acampo at No. 5
From Thursday 29th January 2009, celeb chef Gino D’Acampo is collaborating with No. 5 Cavendish Square to create some excellent Italian menus. Gino will be hosting a once a month lunch and dinner service, with Q&A sessions and signings of his latest book, Buonissimo.
The three-course dinner menu is priced at £45 per head and features classic dishes like beef carpaccio; roasted turbot with baby leeks and cherry tomatoes; calves liver with black pepper butter and sage; and lemon and mango tart. If you’d rather pop in for lunch, you’ll pay just £38 for three courses and copy of the book. Reservations are now being taken for lunch and dinner on Thursday 29th January, Thursday 26th February and Thursday 26th March, so don’t miss out!
Salsa at Floridita
If you’re suffering from the January blues, head for Floridita on Tuesday 27th for their first Cuban-inspired dance evening. The live band and professional dancers will bring some much needed Latin American heat and energy to your evening, but if you don’t feel like dancing you can just enjoy their delicious Salsa Contigo menu. To start, there’s sweet potato and pumpkin soup; warm spinach, red onion and feta tart; and pickled mackerel and octopus salad. For mains, you can choose from chargrilled chicken with courgettes; salmon with mussels and white wine sauce; and vegetarian quesadillas. If you still have room, dessert is a choice of cheese, coconut crème caramel and baked lime and vanilla cheesecake. At just £25 for three courses, including a Mojito, this is a wallet-friendly weeknight treat.
Chinese New Year
If you don’t fancy a weekend of whisky and haggis, save your cash for Chinese New Year next week. On Sunday 1st February, Trafalgar Square is hosting traditional celebrations for the Year of the Ox, and there will be plenty of authentic street food stalls set up in nearby Chinatown. If you’d prefer a sit-down dinner, there are special events and menus on offer at top restaurants like Hakkasan; Min Jiang; Gilgamesh, Lotus Chinese Floating Restaurant; Mr Wing; China Boulevard; and Shanghai Blues.
For something special, head for Kai Mayfair which is celebrating Chinese New Year and its first Michelin star. From 26th January to 4th February, they’re serving up three dishes to represent the traditional three wishes for prosperity, longevity and good fortune. If you like the sound of salmon sashimi, pork fillet with crushed white pepper, and steamed Chilean sea bass, you won’t be disappointed. There will also be a Chinese fortune teller available for I-Ching and face readings – perfect if you’d like to know what 2009 has in store for you.
New Openings
Its slim pickings this month, with only The Boundary and the City branch of Le Relais de Venise daring to open in the first few weeks of the year. More recently, Malcolm John – the man behind Le Cassoulet and Le Vacherin – opened Fish & Grill, a smart fish and seafood restaurant in Croydon. It’s a bit far to go if you’re used to eating out in W1, but the menu looks like it would be worth the trip.
Claudio Pulze’s latest venture, Osteria Dell'Angolo, has opened in Westminster with Tuscan chef Michele Brogi in charge of the kitchen. There’s a traditional set lunch and a la carte menu on offer, but he has also created a ‘rustic’ menu featuring hearty Tuscan dishes that should be worth a look.
As Flash sells off everything that isn’t nailed down, a new temporary restaurant has already sprung up behind Angel tube station. The Double Club is the brainchild of Fondazione Prada and Carsten Holler, the artist who installed the slides at the Tate Modern, so you can expect plenty of modern art and fusion fun here. There’s a barbecue-shack bar and disco, as well as a restaurant serving two separate menus – one offering traditional Congolese dishes and the other sticking to European classics.
p.s. Apparently Valentine’s Day is fast approaching, so keep an eye on the Valentine’s offers page for a bit of recession-friendly romance.
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