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Reviews of London's Restaurants, Supper Clubs and Hotels, Wine Tastings, Travel Writing, and Home to the Japanese and French Supper Clubs in Islington
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Name: La Mia Mamma
Where: 257 Kings Road, London, SW3 5EL, https://www.lamiamamma.co.uk/
Cost: The Mama's Menu, for a minimum of 2 people, is available in three possible combinations: antipasti to share and pasta for £28 per person; antipasti to share and a main for £33; while for those with gargantuan appetites, the antipasti to share, pasta and main course costs £38 per person. All three menus include an Aperol Spritz, a dessert and an espresso coffee.
About: Opened as recently as June 2018, La Mia Mamma on buzzing Kings Road presents an unusual concept of food cooked by an Italian Mamma (mother) from one of 20 regions of the country. At the time we were there, this was the Sicilian Maria Concetta. The aim is to offer genuine home cooking as you might eat in the Mamma's house. Each Mamma is flown in for a residency of three months, and other regions planned in the near future include Puglia, Campania and Calabria. Pasta is freshly made on the premises every day.
For those who do not want to try the regional Mamma's menu, the a la carte menu has a selection of national dishes to choose from, though the menu is reassuringly short.
What We Ate: We opted for the antipasti and pasta menu at £28 per person, including an Aperol Spritz, dessert and espresso coffee. The meal started with a generous selection of antipasti, chosen by Maria. I was expecting a few slices of Parma ham, cheese and olives, but what arrived was much more interesting and varied.
There was a board with 3 types of vegetable antipasti: Sicilian caponata (grilled aubergine) with stracciatella (the cheese from the heart of the burrata); peperonata (simmered peppers) with onions and olives and fried courgette escabeche, with mint, garlic, vinegar and oil; ricotta cheese with crumbled pistachio and balsamic glaze.
The panzerotti, like small fried calzone, were filled with ricotta cheese, ham and tomato sauce. They were clearly freshly made, authentic and delectable.
A round platter with four other antipasti included the gateau di patate (a little potato cake) with mozzarella and cooked ham; aubergine frittata; a large arancini rice ball filled with spinach and cheese. Best of all was the meatloaf with chunky shreds of meat covered in melting mozzarella cheese. They were all well seasoned and rich.
We also had a couple of fried pizzette topped with ricotta cheese, tomato and basil.
The antipasti were a meal in themselves I thought, although to my palate they were a tad too substantial and carb heavy (and I eat a lot). I enjoyed them, and what they lacked in sophistication they more than made up in flavour and generosity.
For our pasta dishes, we had the Pasta Nasciata del Detective Montalbano - oven-baked rigatoni with beef Bolognese sauce, cooked ham, boiled eggs, mozzarella and Parmesan cheeses. This was the fictional detective Inspector Montalbano's favourite pasta dish, and was rich and delicious, rather like a good home-made lasagna.
The other pasta was Pesto di Pistacchi and Ricotta. A quintessential Sicilian dish with home-made pistachio pesto, and Busiate pasta (a long twisted macaroni-shaped pasta from Sicily), this was creamy but to my palate lacked seasoning.
For dessert, we had the Tiramisu al Pistacchio. This was absurdly good, with the magnificently flavoursome caramelised Pistacchio Verde di Bronte DOP from Sicily, a layer of pistachio cream over a base of whipped sweet mascarpone, topped with caramelised pistachios.
The Cannolo Scomposto is the restaurant's deconstructed take on the popular Sicilian dessert, and in this version, rather than being in tubular form, there were layers of crisp pastry dough, covered in a sweet creamy ricotta and crumbled pistachios. This was light, crunchy and delectable.
What We Drank: There are 6 cocktails all priced at £9.50, with a selection of wines by the glass (125ml), ranging from £5.95 to £11.
The Aperol Spritz was well made and refreshing. With my meal, I had a glass of Primitivo (£6.75) - robust, full bodied and with smooth tannins. The espresso was strong, rich and authentically Italian.
Likes: The baked rigatoni with Bolognese sauce was wonderful, but the stars of the meal were the two desserts. These can be ordered separately at £5.50 each. Excellent value set menus, friendly and well-informed waiting staff.
Dislikes: I loved the antipasti but was full after eating them. The portion was commendably generous but carb-heavy (perhaps less pastry?).
Verdict: For an authentic experience of Italian regional home cooking, La Mia Mamma is the real deal. I look forward to learning more about other regions of Italy over the coming months there. Recommended.
Name: Blakes Restaurant @ Blakes Hotel
Where: Blakes Hotel, 33 Roland Gardens, London SW7 3PF, https://www.blakeshotels.com/eating-drinking/restaurant
Cost: A 3-course meal cost on average £50 per person, not including drinks or service. Starters range from £9 to £26, mains from £18 to £39, and desserts from £6 to £14 (for the cheese platter).
About: Blakes is a small luxury hotel in Kensington & Chelsea conceived by the celebrated interior designer Anouska Hempel. Opened in 1978 on a quiet residential street in London, Blakes Hotel is celebrating its 40th Anniversary this year and still is one of the most fashionable addresses in the area today.
Blakes Restaurant is set on the ground floor of Blakes Hotel, it is a stylish affair with walls and furnishings in black and gold and wood floors stained in a gorgeous checkerboard pattern.
The restaurant offers a range of Mediterranean and seafood dishes with a Japanese influence. On the mid week evening we were there, it was surprisingly heaving with a well-healed clientele, a mixture of hotel residents and locals.
From September 2018, the restaurant will see the seasonal return of seafood platters, courtesy of Italian and Brazilian Head Chefs, the Mariano Russo and Peter del Campo.
Breakfast and lunch can also be taken at The Courtyard, a lovely green open space within the hotel. The Blakes Below Bar, opened from 7pm to 1am, has live DJ and is a great spot for after dinner cocktails or just to meet up with friends for some beer or wine. Non-residents are welcome.
What We Ate: As an amuse bouche, we were served an artichoke with truffle mayonnaise and a very aromatic Spanish olive oil - simple but delicious.
The razor clam ceviche with chilli, coriander, toasted breadcrumbs spiked with lime zest had great texture contrasts and zingy flavours. We enjoyed this thoroughly.
Next up was a platter of 6 Maldon rock oysters served over crushed ice, with cabernet sauvignon vinaigrette and lemon (£21) – the oysters were plump, super fresh and utterly delicious.
The swordfish carpaccio (£14) was the weakest link of our meal - with fruity Espelette pepper, frisée and lambs lettuce and a lemon dressing (supposedly), it arrived completely unseasoned and with no dressing. However, it did come with a half lemon, a bottle of good olive oil, salt and pepper, so we were able to season it to taste ourselves.
The native lobster Paccheri pasta with cherry tomatoes and garlic (£28) was nothing short of sublime. The tubular pasta from Naples was a great conduit for the intensely flavoured lobster bisque, and the nuggets of whole lobster that were meaty and tender. A heavenly dish.
Surrey Farm grass-fed rib-eye steak (300g - £28) had a good depth of flavour and a wonderfully black charring from the grill.
We enjoyed our mains with sides of creamy mashed potato (£5) and courgette fries (£6), which were very well made.
To finish off our glasses of red wine we shared a beautifully presented cheese platter with four different types of cheese, figs, sliced apple and grapes, jam and honey (£14).
The Vegan Tiramisu (£9) which I would normally have run a mile from, came highly recommended. It was made from soft tofu, cashew nuts, coffee and mint. Served with edible flowers, coffee mousse, it was outstandingly good. The substitution of tofu for the traditional mascarpone was a revelation, making for a much lighter, fresher mouthfeel.
What We Drank: We kicked off with a refreshing glass of Laurent Perrier Brut (£16.50). The restaurant has an extensive range of wines, Champagnes and sakes available by the glass. The entry level wines are both Italian - the white is a Verdicchio di Matelica (£38), while the red is Sangiovese from Emilia Romagna at £38. With our starters, at the suggestion of sommelier Sarah Boukhelifa, we had a glass of minerally Picpoul de Pinet (£13).
To partner the main courses of lobster and rib eye, we had a glass of Givry, Pinot Noir, from Domain de la Ferte, Burgundy (£16). With fresh raspberry and redcurrant aromas and soft tannins, this was a deliciously light wine with subtle complexity.
Warming to the wine list, we decided to finish our mains and cheese with a Bordeaux Saint Emilion - a Chateau Orisse du Casse Grand Cru 2012 (£105 per bottle). This was a mature, powerfully complex wine, with notes of leather, cedar and blackberry, and a long, savoury finish.
With dessert, we had a glass of Moscato Passito Terre Siciliane (£12). Rich and concentrated, with aromas of ripe grapes, raisins, honey, pear and herbs, this was a delicious dessert wine.
After dinner, we repaired to the basement cocktail lounge for a couple of espresso martinis. Open Wednesday to Sunday evening from 7pm to 1am, this is a glamorous spot with a live DJ, open to the public (you just need to sign in at the ground floor reception).
Likes: There is so much to love about Blakes Restaurant - the lobster paccheri pasta was outstanding and the star of the dinner, the rib eye, the cheese platter and the tofu tiramisu were also very good. Service was very friendly and efficient, the sommelier's suggestions were interesting and of high quality.
Dislikes: The unseasoned swordfish carpaccio was the only snag of our dinner.
Verdict: The good burghers of Roland Garden are very lucky to have a neighbourhood restaurant at this quality level. For the rest of us, Blakes Restaurant is a hidden Kensington gem, with excellent ingredients expertly cooked and presented. We loved our meal and experience at Blakes Restaurant and highly recommend it.
Words and Photography by Felicity Spector
Sloane Square. It’s not exactly known for its buzzing restaurant scene - not, that is, until the newest outpost of the Corbin and King empire set up camp on the far side of the square, its crimson canopies instantly looking part of the Chelsea scene.
But walk a little further to the top of the Kings Road, and there’s a former Ministry of Defence site which has been transformed into a fancy piazza, replete with luxury shops. At the far end, the old barracks which was once the Army Military Asylum is now the Saatchi Gallery, filled with the most edgy kind of modern art.
I was slightly late for dinner, and it felt like the coldest night of the year: luckily I managed to get past the seemingly impenetrable iron gates to the welcoming beacon of the museum’s restaurant, Gallery Mess, which had invited us to try out the dinner menu.
Appropriately enough, on this most Arctic of nights, the current exhibition is a collection of mid-century Moscow art entitled “Breaking the Ice”. I’ll have to go back during opening hours to check that out.
Gallery Mess, its name evoking the officers’ mess which fed the military elite for almost two hundred years, is a grade II listed building which must be an architect’s dream of a place; all exposed brick, a wall of windows, and pieces of art in between the tables. In a room which once echoed to the tramping of squaddies’ boots, there’s a giant shoe on the back wall. Thankfully, there are no formaldehyde cows.
The food comes courtesy of the upmarket catering firm Rhubarb, which now runs a handful of London restaurants: there‘s an all-day menu with cakes at tea time, and some options for children. I have to confess I hadn‘t realised it stayed open in the evenings, but you can get dinner here every night apart from Sunday.
My friend, R, had already staked out a prime table right next to a powerful heater, and had started on the wine, getting the chance to taste three before settling on an organic chianti which she declared “smooth, well-rounded and delicious". We eyed up the menu, a short but fairly classic selection with prices on the Chelsea side of average: there were so many tempting dishes, although I was immediately won over by the butternut squash tortellini, one of my favourites.
R hovered between sea bass and rib eye steak, briefly swayed by the idea of a couple of starters. The scallops sounded excellent, as did a marinated salmon with beetroot and horseradish cream.
But with the sub-zero winds whistling around us, this was a time for something hearty and comforting. The waiter helpfully recommended the fish, and we were decided.
I’ve never been a huge fan of sea bass, but if it was always cooked like this I’d definitely order it again. It was perfectly cooked, with the crispiest possible skin, the flesh firm and satisfying beneath. There was some Swiss chard, and a pile of well seasoned crushed potatoes that had been fried to a crisp finish, almost like a hash. A generous circle of shrimp in a butter sauce surrounded the plate. It was delicious.
But the triumph of the night was my bowl of large, plump tortellini. The pasta was just thin enough without losing that necessary bite: the filling was dense, smooth, rich, with a warming note of nutmeg: a tangle of watercress on top came scattered with shaves of parmesan and some unusually fresh pieces of walnut. Lurking underneath was a puddle of squash puree, sweet and unctuous. I suspect there was some butter involved. I grudgingly let R try a tiny corner before I polished off the rest.
Onto pudding then, for we were being nothing if not thorough. The wintry weather seemed to rule out the ice cream or knickerbocker glory - so we ordered the other two options, a chocolate tart and a rhubarb steamed pudding.
The tart was filled with a very rich, very dark ganache: a little bitter for my taste - it definitely needed the accompanying salted caramel ice-cream to balance it out, but I might have preferred a less intense chocolate filling. Not that I wasted much time clearing the plate, of course.
R’s choice, the deconstructed rhubarb pudding, looked deceptively small, but the dense, syrup drenched sponge was just the sort of thing you need on a freezing night: presented on a long platter with a large scoop of clotted cream ice-cream and a few pieces of poached rhubarb alongside. R said it reminded her of the steamed puddings her mother used to make when they were children, and in a good way.
We were too full for tea or coffee, and even managed to turn off the heater for a nano-second, trying hard to delay the unwelcome idea of leaving the warm embrace of the restaurant and venturing back outside, where it had started to snow.
We were the last to leave, but no-one tried to rush us out: it was all very relaxed. I enjoyed the whole experience; had the chocolate tart been slightly sweeter it would have scored ten out of ten. To echo that old slogan, Gallery Mess is an ace café, with a museum attached.
Not so long ago, I was one of the lucky food and wine bloggers to be invited for an evening of Cloudy Bay wine tasting and food matching at Tom’s Kitchen. The event was organised so that we could help the good people of Mission with the arduous task of selecting the best 5 dishes to be served at The Cloudy Bay Shack, in Parson’s Green on the 24th and 25th July.
Each tasting dish was specially created by Tom Aikens for the event to showcase the versatile portfolio of Cloudy Bay, as well as being a perfect match for the full flavours and vibrant aromatics of the wines. Better known for their famous Sauvignon Blanc (reputedly one the most sought after white wines in the UK), I was also delighted to have the opportunity to try their Chardonnay, Pinot Noir and Riesling at the tasting.
The winery was founded as recently as 1985 in Marlborough (NZ), but has become one of the great wine marketing success stories of recent times. Whether this is due to their restrictive allocation policies from NZ, their brilliant marketing or the exceptional quality of their wines, Cloudy Bay produces the type of wine that will certainly not leave you indifferent.
Of the eight dishes we tried, five were chosen - each dish will be accompanied by a pre-selected glass of Cloudy Bay wine and will be priced at £8.50 (for both food and wine). The five best dishes were:
“Tomato salad with basil, watermelon, mint and crayfish tails”, paired with a classic 09 Cloudy Bay Sauvignon Blanc. I enjoyed the combination of tropical fruit and herbal notes of the sauvignon with the tomato, watermelon and basil flavours in the salad, and felt these worked perfectly together.
“Deep fried paprika squid with lime”, paired with the 06 Cloudy Bay Te Koko. This dish was in my opinion the “weakest link” despite being served with a delicious aioli. There is only so much excitement I can feel over deep fried squid (as delicious as it may be – and this one certainly was). The Te Koko (another Sauvignon Blanc), had more intense floral and spicy undertones of orange blossom and ginger and was robust enough to stand up to the garlic and paprika aioli.
The “Dorset crab with chilli and ginger” was paired with the 06 Cloudy Bay Riesling. Riesling is one of my favourite white grape varietals and Cloudy Bay’s showed great depth of fruit and with a classic petroleum nose reminiscent of an aged Alsatian Riesling. It married well with the crab, ginger and chilli and was one of the best combinations of the evening.
The “Spicy crab cakes with tomato salsa or guacamole”, paired with Cloudy Bay Chardonnay, was another hit. The crab was fresh and delicately spiced and was a great match to the heady Chardonnay. The wine had citric characteristics with a touch of oak balancing the spiciness of the crab meat.
One of my favourite dishes was the “Seven hour lamb” which luckily made it to the final and was matched with Cloudy Bay’s Pinot Noir. The meat had been braised for 7 hours - it was sweet and melting in the mouth, and served with fluffy mashed potatoes. It was also an excellent partner to the delicately flavoured Pinot - showing characteristic red berry fruit flavours on the palate, with long but very soft tannins.
Other equally delicious dishes which did not quite make the mark were “Tomato gaspacho with crab” (my favourite). It was as creamy as bisque, and had a lovely sweetness from the basil.
“Salmon with chilli and lime, peanut crumbs and pickled radish” – I enjoyed the oriental flavours in this dish (peanuts, chilli and lime) and felt it went well with the fatty salmon and Chardonnay it was paired with.
“Marinated hand dived scallops with chilli, mint and lemon grass dressing”. I also greatly enjoyed this dish (similar to a “ceviche”) - the scallops had been seasoned in a delicious, tangy dressing with fresh vanilla seeds.
I can think of few more enjoyable ways of spending a weekend than picnicking with Tom Aiken’s delicious food, washed down by glasses of Cloudy Bay wine, with a live Jazz band in the background, and hopefully some sun! This should be an amazing event and one I will make sure to attend.
