Bill Lundstrom
Bill Lundstrom
i had RSJ in my original post. will most likely be there tuesday night.
London Questions
- Thread starter Bill Lundstrom
- Start date
Jeff Grossman
Jeff Grossman
What is the name of the cocktail place where you enter through a wardrobe?
Sharon Bowman
Sharon Bowman
It would be funny if it were called "Barnia."
Jeff Grossman
Jeff Grossman
Ah, I remember now... Callooh Callay. (I have a friend who likes speakeasies.)
Cole Kendall
Cole Kendall
A lurking friend notes:
The Rules for game birds prepared traditionally - hunted on their game estate in Scotland.
Sketch Library for a splurge - modern French technique applied to British ingredients (including game in fall) - cheeses from Borough Market and Alsace - an adventurous wine list with plenty of wine geek cherries.
The Duke's Hotel Bar for Martinis - do consider asking for their recommendations on the details - it will be prepared in front of you and serve as a master class if you pay attention.
The Rules for game birds prepared traditionally - hunted on their game estate in Scotland.
Sketch Library for a splurge - modern French technique applied to British ingredients (including game in fall) - cheeses from Borough Market and Alsace - an adventurous wine list with plenty of wine geek cherries.
The Duke's Hotel Bar for Martinis - do consider asking for their recommendations on the details - it will be prepared in front of you and serve as a master class if you pay attention.
Scott Kraft
Scott Kraft
Lots of great suggestions. Some not yet mentioned:
Barrafina
Trullo
Anchor & Hope
Already mentioned: Paradise Garage - haven't been yet but planning to!
Barrafina
Trullo
Anchor & Hope
Already mentioned: Paradise Garage - haven't been yet but planning to!
Bill Lundstrom
Bill Lundstrom
i'll do complete write up next week but so far....
St John Smithfileds for game birds was very good. wine list is meh, though.
Moro for African, Spanish influenced food and terrific Spanish wine list. Damn good.
RSJ Restaurant has good food and almost exclusive Loire wine list with good value across the region. i think the old stuff may have been picked over though. had a interesting 93 Le D'Or.
Cocktails here are on another level. Zetter Townhouse and Dandelyan so far have been incredible.
Got to drink the elusive "Tschida" wines at the all Austrian shop Newcommers. Tasting notes later but this is cool shop with quite a few interesting producers.
Thanks for all the suggestions so far!
St John Smithfileds for game birds was very good. wine list is meh, though.
Moro for African, Spanish influenced food and terrific Spanish wine list. Damn good.
RSJ Restaurant has good food and almost exclusive Loire wine list with good value across the region. i think the old stuff may have been picked over though. had a interesting 93 Le D'Or.
Cocktails here are on another level. Zetter Townhouse and Dandelyan so far have been incredible.
Got to drink the elusive "Tschida" wines at the all Austrian shop Newcommers. Tasting notes later but this is cool shop with quite a few interesting producers.
Thanks for all the suggestions so far!
Dave Stenton
Dave Stenton
(First post: Hi all)
Bill: Nick mentions it above but worth reiterating how worthy of a visit Rochelle Canteen is, particularly when the weather's this good as the location is a real sun trap.
It's where St John train their chefs. Only open for lunch Mon-Fri and they're unlicensed but offer cheap corkage (£5 per bottle). Noble Fine Liquor on Broadway Market is a good place to stock-up beforehand.
A few other favourites that haven't been mentioned:
8 Hoxton Square: sister restaurant of 10 Greek Street (but closer if you're Clerkenwell-based) with a great value wine list
Andrew Edmunds: Soho stalwart with lots of underpriced gems on the wine list
Trangallán: Galician tapas restaurant on Newington Green with great Galician and Jura wines (also best octopus I've had in London)
Bill: Nick mentions it above but worth reiterating how worthy of a visit Rochelle Canteen is, particularly when the weather's this good as the location is a real sun trap.
It's where St John train their chefs. Only open for lunch Mon-Fri and they're unlicensed but offer cheap corkage (£5 per bottle). Noble Fine Liquor on Broadway Market is a good place to stock-up beforehand.
A few other favourites that haven't been mentioned:
8 Hoxton Square: sister restaurant of 10 Greek Street (but closer if you're Clerkenwell-based) with a great value wine list
Andrew Edmunds: Soho stalwart with lots of underpriced gems on the wine list
Trangallán: Galician tapas restaurant on Newington Green with great Galician and Jura wines (also best octopus I've had in London)
Bill Lundstrom
Bill Lundstrom
thanks for all the suggestions. heres some impressions for future searchers...
st john bar and restaurant- certainly good but kind of a boring wine list. the night we were there the space seemed filled with tourists and business diners. great grouse though.
moro- spanish, african influenced food. terrific. ate here twice. interesting wine list full of Spanish wines that were mostly new to me.
rsj cafe- good food, if a bit simple, but really tasty. wine list has wide range of loire offerings but the older vintages are either not listed (there are a couple, we drank a 93 Le D'or) or picked over.
tonkotsu- terrific ramen. run by an ex st john employee. really good. very popular with the soho locals.
wine makers club- neat place kind of carved out of the side of earth under and overpass on Farringdon street. not to be confused with Farringdon road. you can buy retail and take away or sit and drink your purchase. theres also about a dozen wines by the glass. they offer a limited selection of food but you can order pizza to be delivered.
Newcommers wines- exclusively Austrian wines in a tiny shop. this i where you can find Herr Tschida's wines. which are expensive and good to very good but i'm not sure they are worth the price.lots of other great producers on offer. highly recommended.
cocktails- was able to get to zetter townhouse, playboy club, and dandelyan. all are superb. if you get a chance to go to any of these just do it.
sipsmiths distillery- if you can arrange a visit here go for it. small distillery which i believe is the only copper pot gin distillery in london. the best london dry gin I've ever tasted. it's worth it just to see the copper stills. (disclosure- a friend of mine is the distiller and owner)
borough market- for me, was incredible. jammed on weekends but manageable during weekdays. we bought meats and fish here to cook in our rented apartment. many stands selling a variety of game too. worth it to have a sublime grilled cheese at Kappacasein. made with Neals yard cheddar.
quality chop house- high quality meets butchered on site from whole animals. purchased sausages, and onglet here that were excellent.
museums- British Library, British museum, National gallery are all fascinating.
public transportation- the tube, the trains, and the bus lines are clean, efficient and fast. probably the best public transport i've experienced.
st john bar and restaurant- certainly good but kind of a boring wine list. the night we were there the space seemed filled with tourists and business diners. great grouse though.
moro- spanish, african influenced food. terrific. ate here twice. interesting wine list full of Spanish wines that were mostly new to me.
rsj cafe- good food, if a bit simple, but really tasty. wine list has wide range of loire offerings but the older vintages are either not listed (there are a couple, we drank a 93 Le D'or) or picked over.
tonkotsu- terrific ramen. run by an ex st john employee. really good. very popular with the soho locals.
wine makers club- neat place kind of carved out of the side of earth under and overpass on Farringdon street. not to be confused with Farringdon road. you can buy retail and take away or sit and drink your purchase. theres also about a dozen wines by the glass. they offer a limited selection of food but you can order pizza to be delivered.
Newcommers wines- exclusively Austrian wines in a tiny shop. this i where you can find Herr Tschida's wines. which are expensive and good to very good but i'm not sure they are worth the price.lots of other great producers on offer. highly recommended.
cocktails- was able to get to zetter townhouse, playboy club, and dandelyan. all are superb. if you get a chance to go to any of these just do it.
sipsmiths distillery- if you can arrange a visit here go for it. small distillery which i believe is the only copper pot gin distillery in london. the best london dry gin I've ever tasted. it's worth it just to see the copper stills. (disclosure- a friend of mine is the distiller and owner)
borough market- for me, was incredible. jammed on weekends but manageable during weekdays. we bought meats and fish here to cook in our rented apartment. many stands selling a variety of game too. worth it to have a sublime grilled cheese at Kappacasein. made with Neals yard cheddar.
quality chop house- high quality meets butchered on site from whole animals. purchased sausages, and onglet here that were excellent.
museums- British Library, British museum, National gallery are all fascinating.
public transportation- the tube, the trains, and the bus lines are clean, efficient and fast. probably the best public transport i've experienced.
Sharon Bowman
Sharon Bowman
Thanks for the notes, Bill.
They do corkage. That's always a better option.
They do corkage. That's always a better option.
Bill Lundstrom
Bill Lundstrom
now you tell me.... :)
Ben Hunting
Ben Hunting
Glad you liked Moro! The tube is less pleasant when it's very hot, sans A/C...
Jay Miller
Jay Miller
Arnold and I will be in London from 4/8 to 4/15. Tentatively planning to take the train down to Paris for a day on 4/12-4/13.
Bumping for any other suggestions or if anyone would like to meet up while we're there.
TIA!
Bumping for any other suggestions or if anyone would like to meet up while we're there.
TIA!
Ben Hunting
Ben Hunting
Fern Verrow no longer go to the Maltby Street Market/Spa Terminus to update my post above. 40 Maltby Street for lunch in December was as good as ever. I've been wanting to try La Grotta Ices, whose stand will be back at the market sometime in April.
The Sportsman at Seasalter doesn't take long to get to from London, getting off at Faversham and with a short taxi ride. Their tasting menu, which has to be booked ahead, is a great value. Corkage is £10 and worth taking advantage of. The cooking at Noble Rot in London is being overseen by Stephen Harris but isn't at the same level as The Sportsman (and doesn't aim to be).
I really liked the restaurant upstairs at Antidote Wine Bar in December also. Sister restaurant to Hedone but less costly. Bonham's is meant to be good for a weekday lunch or Thursday dinner.
The Sportsman at Seasalter doesn't take long to get to from London, getting off at Faversham and with a short taxi ride. Their tasting menu, which has to be booked ahead, is a great value. Corkage is £10 and worth taking advantage of. The cooking at Noble Rot in London is being overseen by Stephen Harris but isn't at the same level as The Sportsman (and doesn't aim to be).
I really liked the restaurant upstairs at Antidote Wine Bar in December also. Sister restaurant to Hedone but less costly. Bonham's is meant to be good for a weekday lunch or Thursday dinner.
Filippo Mattia Ginanni
Filippo Mattia Ginanni
Decent wine list though not as unspoofed as many here would like.
vaughn tan
vaughn tan
currently very good eats and drinks at ellory, p franco (very odd hours), sager + wilde restaurant. sportsman also gets a thumbs up.
the marksman has excellent food; brilliant corners is good for a bottle if you're in the area, but eat elsewhere.
robert ames
robert ames
rsj cafe has closed.
soif on battersea rise is very good, and lotsa disorderly wines.
scottreiner
scott reiner
Jenny and Francois bring him in, I drink them all the time.
Bill Lundstrom
Bill Lundstrom
in 2015 Tschida wasnt in the US or just beginning to trickle in I think. I find them awfully expensive for they are. I guess, just not my thing.