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 HARRISON

Around Kings Cross you can sometimes be strapped for choice when it comes to picking a place for lunch, especially when you work here. I went to the Harrison last week during one of my lunch breaks, it is not a usual lunch time spot and thus it was a nice change of pace. The Harrison is a small pub located on Harrison Street just off Gray’s Inn Road, and unless one is familiar with the area it can easily go by unnoticed. On such a warm and sunny day we sat outside on their benches which are quite worn down but did not bother me too much. After waiting almost 20 minutes for our order to be taken, I ordered the Harrison beef burger, whereas my friends ordered the Fish and Chips and the Goat Cheese Salad. The burger was a classic served with French fries, and it was really delicious. Even though the beef patty was a bit too thick for my liking, the meat was excellent. What I liked about the burger was its simplicity in both its ingredients and presentation; it only came served with lettuce, tomato and ketchup. The French fries were crispy and crunched perfectly at every bite. The goats cheese salad was served on a bed of roasted butternut squash and beetroot, dressed with a balsamic reduction. The salad was light and the grilled goat cheese was an ample choice for such a hot summer day. The fish and chips were quite typical and did not blow our minds, but were nonetheless tasty. Overall the food dining experience was above average although the service was really slow and made us quite agitated, as such I would not recommend anyone to go out of their way to eat at the Harrison but if ever in the area it is worth the visit. 

28 Harrison Street, Kings Cross, London WC1H 8JF

THE ADMIRAL CODRINGTON

Tucked away on Mossop Street behind the buzzing sounds of Walton Street, The Admiral Codrington has been a fixture in the Knightsbridge and Chelsea scene for quite some time. This Pub/Dining Room has garnered a reputation for serving top Sunday roasts and grills in a semi formal dining room that sits within a pub.  The Admiral Codrington finds itself being a casual version of a British restaurant but undoubtedly an upgrade from any old pub; it provides the perfect blend of both, serving restaurant quality food within a relaxed environment. I have visited the Admiral on a series of occasions and on my last trip I popped by with some friends on a Sunday evening for a bite of their delicious cheeseburger. Since we had spent the day outdoors, we were quite Hangry and quickly proceeded to ordering some drinks and appetizers. We started with an order of the crab salad alongside an order of the fried squid. The crab salad was light and delightful, and the squid was also crispy and yummy. Naturally we all ordered the Admiral Cod’s Burger; a cheeseburger. Served in a brioche bun, this burger comfortably ranks as being one of the best burgers I have had in London; if not the best. My burger was ordered medium rare and came served with two types of cheddar cheeses melted on top of the patty, as well as a slaw that added the necessary sweetness to the tender and juicy burger. The brioche bun was also perfectly toasted and tasted delicious. The only complaint, which is not even burger related, were the fries, which were actually chips (thick fries), whereas I was expecting my prefered thin golden crispy fries. On all my visits to the Admiral Codrington I have never tried anything but the burger, as it’s just too good to pass on any day and at anytime. It is simply divine.

17 Mossop Street, London SW3 2LY