GOAT CHELSEA

London, UK

What I stumbled upon once as pure coincidence, has now become an all time local favourite on the corner of Fulham road and Park Walk in Chelsea. Once a traditional pub, Goat has been nipped and tucked into an uber chic gastro pub serving nothing of what one might expect by walking by. Abandoning the cliché of ‘reinterpreting’ traditional English pub cuisine, chef Marco Museli presents an array of delicious Italian dishes served to an impeccable standard one would expect from any top Italian restaurant. The chef does pay homage to the past life of the restaurant by serving one of London’s most delicious burgers which is topped with pancetta; a burger that every Londoner ought to try.  It has now been three times that I have been to Goat, and on all of my visits the consistency of the good food, great service and lively ambience has cemented it in being a local favourite perfect for a Sunday lunch in the sun, or a nice easy dinner any day of the week. When it comes to food, aside from the delicious burger, the pizzas are an excellent choice, which are wood fried and prepared with the simplest and freshest of ingredients. A favourite is the pizza with bresaola, rocket and parmesan, as well as the traditional margherita pizza. Both are fresh, and light, yet filling pizzas cooked to crispy perfection destined to please the harshest of pizza critics. With all the delicious food at Goat however, the smoking gun is the extensive cocktail list with cocktails rivalling London’s top bars. A must-order is the Earl Grey Martini, served in a bone china tea cup, and accented with flavours of lavender making it unparalleled in freshness and flavour. If ever in doubt of where to dine in Kensington and Chelsea, Goat is a definite choice that just keeps winning every time, and with a tucked away speakeasy style bar: The Chelsea Prayer room to its back, its also a solid choice for a night out in Chelsea.

www.goatchelsea.com

THE FARMHOUSE

Burlington, USA

When I asked for recommendations of restaurants in Burlington, Vermont, Farmhouse was the one that came up the most. It is located just off the main street, in a site that used to house McDonald’s. This branch of the infamous burger chain is one of the few that has closed down due to little turnaround. The people of Burlington are very health-conscious (despite it being the birth town of Ben & Jerry’s ice cream), so the Farmhouse took over, selling locally sourced food and beer. We went there on a weeknight, and the place was packed. After a quick drink at the downstairs bar, we got a perfect table outside. To start with I had a tiny portion of VT Cheddar Ale soup with garlic croutons. This was super good, and I’d gladly have it as a main dish. We also shared a starter of Marrow Toast, from which you couldn’t taste any bone marrow, so I don’t recommend that particular dish. The staff kindly divided our mains into two plates so that we could share easily. We had the burger of local grass fed beef, and gnocchi with rabbit meat. I always hesitate to order rabbit because I had them as pets when I was little and they’re cute, but they were also pretty darn delicious. The house-made gnocchi was in the shape of wide, flat bands, which made it feel closer to pasta, something I really enjoyed. The burger meat was cooked to a very juice level, and we got a sense that all of the ingredients were fresh. The fries were crispy, which is a must, and the portion sizes suitable. All in all it was a really good meal, with friendly service and a lively but relaxed ambiance. I understand why it is so popular. The Farmhouse Group also have a nearby Mexican cantina called El Cortijo, which I really wish I had tried while I was there. It’s a good reason to go back to the cosy town of Burlington though.

 

ww.farmhousetg.com

TRULLO

Trullo is a small Italian restaurant in Islington with a short and mouth-watering menu that changes daily. I chose the most deliciously heavy dishes available, without a green vegetable in sight. We started with sharing some large, fresh olives and a glass of light rosé prosecco. I then had the Pici with golden garlic and parmesan, a hand rolled pasta which is amazing but filling despite it being a starter. The chilled almond soup with garlic and olive oil was a completely new flavour and texture to me, and very good ones at that. I am slightly allergic to almonds, but the itchy throat was most definitely worth it. I finished with the Papardelle with beef shin ragu. This was also tasty, but needed some salt, which by that time had been removed from our table. After a big and heavy meal, I like to have a light and fruity dessert, but there was no such thing on Trullo’s menu when I was there, so I skipped puddings. I really liked this place, and the Pici alone has enough value for me to want to go back to Trullo as soon as I can. 

300 - 302 St Paul's Road, Islington, London, N1 2LH 

AL PARCO

London, UK

This pizza restaurant was recommended to me as being one of the best in London, but it is so far away from anywhere I would usually go, that I didn’t think I would ever make the trip there. I went online to check if they do delivery, but unfortunately they only do take away if you pick it up yourself. I ended up coming across Al Parco by chance one day, after I had visited the nearby Highgate Cemetery and I had started walking down the street looking for a taxi. When I suddenly saw the sign across the road, I had to go in even though I had a huge brunch just a couple of hours earlier. The décor of the restaurant is very unassuming, and looks like it could have existed in the same state for decades. I ordered a Capricciosa to take away. This is my favourite pizza, and the I usually order, so for me it’s a good gauge for the quality of a restaurant.  The crust at Al Parco is thinner than Firezza, but not too thin as in the Story Deli in Shoreditch. The textures were great and the amount of cheese and tomato sauce was perfect; juicy but not soggy. It was simply a very tasty pizza at a reasonable price. I don’t know any Italians who went there, so I’m not sure where it scores on the authenticity level, but I daresay this is the best pizza I’ve tried in London. It is a bit of a mission to make the trip there, as it is not near any tube stations, but I know I will go there again one day, it was really that good. 

2 Highgate West Hill, London, N6 6JS

CECCONI'S

London, UK

Few restaurants have withstood the test of time in London, but Cecconi’s happens to be one of these institutions that consistently draw Londoners and jetsetters alike into its beautiful Venetian inspired art deco style dining room. Dining at Cecconi’s is always an event, whether it’s for a casual brunch or formal dinner. On our latest visit we were meeting some friends for Sunday brunch, on what was a beautiful sunny day, so the dining room was flooded with natural light. To start we ordered the Calamari Fritti and Beef Carpaccio to share. Both were exceptionally delicious and light, just enough to warm our tummies up for what was next. For our main dishes, we each ordered something different, but still managed to have a little tasting of all the delicious offerings on the table.  The Lobster Spaghetti was not my favourite as I felt it could have used more tomato sauce (à la Scalini on Walton Street) and the lobster serving could have been more generous, but nonetheless it was very tasty. The Crab Ravioli was sublime but the portion size was not; it could have easily been double the portion. The Taglioni with samphire, prawns and bottarga was delicious and triggered volcanos of different but complimenting flavours in my mouth. Both the Eggs Benedict and Royale were also very tasty, perfectly cooked and simply presented. To conclude our feast we ordered a Tiramisu and a Colonel (a lemon sorbet with a shot of vodka), which is outstandingly refreshing. The Tiramisu was very creamy and not overloaded with liqueur, which can sometimes be the case. With a few glasses of fresh juice, wine and Rosé, this proved to be quite a delicious and successful brunch. A restaurant like Cecconi’s doesn’t need a recommendation, as it is a London icon. It’s a must when in London and goes down as being one of our favourite brunch spots in the city.

www.cecconis.co.uk

JOE'S PIZZA

When in New York it is always essential to have a slice of classic New York pizza at one of the typical pizzeria landmarks. Such a landmark is Joe’s Pizza, which is as synonymous to Manhattan as the yellow cab. Joe’s is a force to be reckoned with among New York pizzerias, and pizzas come served by the slice or as a full pan. I made a quick stop at Joe's on my way to a house party by Union Square. The selection at Joe’s is simple, where you can choose from the classic cheese pizza, the mozzarella cheese or the cheese and pepperoni pizza. I opted for two slices of the classic cheese pizza with a soda. I cannot stress how simple and delicious the food is; what you see is exactly what you get and what you get is an amazing quality, deliciously tasting cheese pizza. The two large slices didn’t leave me bloated, but full enough to keep me going for a night out. Joe’s is the real deal, it’s simple in its menu and its décor and comes as no surprise as being as of the best pizzerias in New York. 

 

150 East 14th Street, New York, NY 10003

POLPO

London, UK

I had two very different experiences at Polpo, the Venetian bàcaro. The first time I went to the Soho branch, we waited for a table at the Campari bar downstairs, which was dingy and quite charming. I also didn’t know that Polpo was a mini-chain at the time, which also helped my impression of it. We had some Chicheti, Pizzette and Meatball Spaghettini. I really like the latter because of its simplicity and the fact that it reminded me of the spaghetti and meatballs that the Lady and the Tramp share in the 1955 Disney movie. I always wanted to eat like that, and this is the closest thing I’ve been able to find. The second time I went, I ate at the Smithfield restaurant, a larger space, which was also very busy and popular. We shared some dishes, and quite a few of them were disappointing. The Cuttlefish & Ink Risotto with Gremolata was decent, but I wouldn’t have wanted to eat the whole dish on my own, as the texture is quite heavy. The Prosciutto was very poor and tasteless, and the Foccacia was more like a dry baguette than the moist Italian bread it should be. The Sliced Flank Steak with White Truffle Cream simply tasted strange and too much of charcoal. My friend rightfully pointed out that her drink was the smallest Negroni she ever did see. The serving of wine was generous though, in a cute little carafe. I was very happy with my Aperol Spritz as the size was decent and it came with an olive in addition to the usual orange slice, and I love any drink with an olive. I guess Polpo is one of those places that will draw crowds every day of the week because of the interior and atmosphere, and not so much because of the quality of the food. 

PESCATORI

Dinner at Pescatori Friday evening with some friends was certainly not planned. Along with some friends we walked down Charlotte Street in Fitzrovia in search for somewhere to eat. Following three unsuccessful attempts in finding a place at Gaucho, Bubbledogs and Navarro’s we finally landed in Pescatori managing to find a table. Having been down Charlotte Street many times, the restaurant goes by unnoticed but it is worthy of attention as the secret is not in its appearance but in its flavours. The menu offers a wide range of Mediterranean seafood dishes with some meat dishes, which one of my friends shamefully ordered at a fish restaurant! To start we sampled the Octopus Carpaccio with fennel and tomatoes, the Monkfish and Tuna Carpaccio and the Dorset Crab Bruschetta which was served with an avocado salad. The Octopus Carpaccio was sublime and managed to dispel any initial doubts I might have had of the restaurant; the Monkfish and Tuna Carpaccio wasn’t as great, as the raspberry dressing didn’t compliment the tuna at all. The Crab Bruschetta was also good and the side avocado salad with its citrus-y infusion complimented the crab quite pleasantly. To follow we ordered the Native mussels which came served with chili garlic and a tomato salsa, and it proved to be very yummy and full of flavor. The Seared Loch Scallops served with a cauliflower puree we also palatable and luscious, however the portion was quite small and kept us wanting more. The Veal Milanese however was not as good as the seafood dishes but was still acceptable, but not worth ordering again. Overall Pescatori proved to be quite an enjoyable dining experience; it served great seafood with great wine and the staff was friendly and attentive which made us all leave with happy stomachs and big smiles. 

57 Charlotte Street, London W1T 4PD 

ICCO

London, UK

Reminiscent of a proper New York pizza place in its image, this is arguably the best value for money pizza in London. I've been going to Icco since 2005, and I'm still not bored. The prices have barely gone up, starting at £3.90 for a Margherita that really fills you up. You pay at the counter and receive a little device that flashes and vibrates when your pizza is ready. The suspense of waiting for this combined with hanger is excruciating, but all the more exciting when it’s finally your turn to go to the counter. I usually go for the Funghi or Capricciosa, and add some chilli oil. The Pepperoni is also good, but they are rather stingy on the slices, only putting one on each slice of pizza. The crust is of a medium thickness, and the cheese-to-tomato sauce ratio is well balanced. I will always return to Icco, especially now that I got myself a brand new loyalty card. 

46 Goodge Street, London W1T 4LU