Tag Archives: London

BAR + BLOCK ALDGATE: A RESTAURANT TO BLOCK OUT SOME TIME FOR

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As soon as you enter Bar + Block you’re immediately enveloped by this cosy, atmospheric and bustling steakhouse – mood lighting included! We took a trip to this humble favourite and are here to give you the lowdown.

THE FOOD

If at first you’re intimidated by the extensive menu, you’ll soon  be put at easy by the modest, and ‘so-not-London prices’. Everything about the menu screams comfort and big flavours, from the pulled beef tacos, aromatic crispy mushroom pancakes and middle eastern king prawns through to the hispa cabbage and beef dripping triple cooked chunky chips (heaven). And that just scratches the surface. The quality of the steaks at Bar + Block rivals the best steakhouses in town. Choose from classic cuts like rump and ribeye or specialty steaks like the spiral cut (marinated in garlic and parsley) or the Tira De Ancho (similar to the spiral marinade but with a chilli kick and chimichurri sauce).

Steak not whetting your appetite? Don’t worry, you can choose from handmade burgers, grills or fish. We hear that the grilled veg and burrata burger, lamb souvlaki and grilled salmon are excellent choices. If you think you’ve got room for appetite, we struggled but made it through, the Chocolate Toffee Fondue Sharer is the perfect sweet ending. Made up of warm churros coated in cinnamon sugar, triple chocolate brownie chunks, fresh strawberries, banana and apple served with a chocolate toffee dipping sauce – you’re welcome.

THE DRINK

As with the food, the drinks prices are much more appetising than that of other steakhouses. Cocktails start at just £7.99, swoon, and specialty gins come in at £4.95. Take your pick of wine, beer or soft drinks if you’d prefer – the welcoming prices continue!

THE ATMOSPHERE

Warm and welcoming would be how we sum up the atmosphere at Bar + Block. There’s a constant buzz about the large dining area and it’s packed with a mix of corporate singletons grabbing dinner, groups of friends, date night couples and families.

THE PRICES

Starters begin at £3.95 for the creamy mac and cheese bits and steaks begin at £12.95 for an 8oz rump. A steak sample will cost you £27.95

THE OFFERS

Half price cocktails Monday to Thursday – 5pm – 7pm

LET ME BOOK

To book, visit https://www.barandblock.co.uk/en-gb/locations/london-aldgate/book

 

 

 

 

360 RESTAURANT: TAKING TAPAS TO THE NEXT LEVEL

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When you think about tasting the most wonderful tapas, your mind won’t immediately spring to Surbiton. But after one mouthful of its olivo ascolane, you’ll shun central London and be waiting at Waterloo with your return ticket to Surbiton ticket in hand..

The food

Using only the freshest ingredients, Chef Akshay Sabharwal has brought a modern, flavoursome flair to the Kingston area. Having worked for the likes of Emirates and F1-Silvererstone, Sabharwal has thrown everything into 360 and his vision comes through in his dishes. Aside from the tapas, our personal favourite dishes of the day included Crisp Fried Crab with black risotto rice and a passionfruit and chilli sorbet or a Crispy Talo Corn Tortilla with burrata, heritage tomatoes, micro basil, chlorophyll infused olive oil. Still not convinced? Two words for you… truffle arranchini with Parmesan cream. OK that’s five, but we had you at ‘truffle arranchini’.

Every ingredient at the restaurant is paired in a way that’s the most sophisticated form of matchmaking we’ve seen. Not ordinarily searching for the sweets, we almost went to heaven when we saw the dessert menu and the tastes far outweighed the expectations set by the words on pages of the printed menu. The Pecan and Whiskey pie packs an almighty punch combo – sweet and seriously boozy. If chocolate dessert is your vibe, the Chocolate 360 Orbit with dark chocolate mousse, hazelnut praline ice cream, milk foam, honeycomb and popping candy will blow you away. Rich, sophisticated and deliciously decadent, we’d seriously suggest saving some room for this one, if you can contain yourself.

The drink

One of the things that surprised us the most about 360 was the affordable and classic cocktail lists.  From the whiskey sour, through to the coveted cosmo and margarita, you’d be hard pressed not to find your favourite. We opted for the gin fizz and spiced mojito – a culmination of fresh and festive in one serving! If you prefer a crisp and cold glass of wine to accompany your taste buds’ trip around the world, the wine selection is impressively varied, a true reflection of the restaurant itself. Choose your tipple from south Africa, Chile, Spain, New Zealand, Italy, the USA or of course, the Queen’s country itself.

The prices

Tapas start at £4.50 for Galician padron peppers and go up to £9.95 for smoked Scottish scallops. Dessert starts at £7.50 for a vanilla panacotta or a warm chocolate brownie and at the higher end is £8.95 for a cheeseboard. A glass of white wine starts at £5.50 for a crisp, dry Spanish and if you’re feeling like splashing out you can buy a Tattinger Brut Reserve for £45

The atmosphere

Set directly to overlook the Thames, 360 has a chic and modern look and feel. Plush seating, burnt orange and teal accents throughout the space and a venue is flooded with natural light, it’s a formula for a London local’s oasis. Soft and subtle music often plays the air warves and the team are more than happy to help, whatever your needs. For us, the beauty of 360 was that the London bubble felt like a distant memory. We were able to relax and immerse ourselves in whatever part of the world our palette was experiencing.

The important bit…

To book a table at 360, visit https://www.hikingston.co.uk/restaurant-and-bar/ or call
020 8786 6520

DINING IN ’94 WITH EL PIRATA MAYFAIR

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Looking for a meal in Mayfair that won’t break the bank? We know, we know, it’s like asking for a unicorn at the end the rainbow. Until now. The lovely lot at El Pirata are extending their 25 birthday celebrations to the masses, offering tasty tapas at their original 1994 prices.

The Back to ’94 Menu will feature 12 tapas dishes and two wines and each dish on the menu leaves change from a £10 note. Highlights from the menu include: calamares con arroz negro – black rice and squid £5.95; gambas pil pil – prawns in olive oil, garlic & dried hot chilli peppers £4.75; and montaditos de jamon serrano – toasted bread with olive oil and fresh tomatoes topped with cured ham £3.95.

 

This place could also help with some star-spotting. Johnny Depp, Brian May and Jose Mourinho have apparently frequente this spot and First Dates Maître d’ Fred Sirieix even named the restaurant as one of his favourite restaurants in London.

 

To book a space, head to https://www.elpirata.co.uk/

Dancing the day away: The Piano Works bottomless brunch

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As you might’ve noticed, here at Frost we have a penchant for prosecco filled bottomless brunches. What could beat it? A bottomless brunch with live music, of course. We headed to Farringdon to give The Piano Works ‘Brunch to the Beat’ a try and, whilst initially nervous as we first entered the lair, we quickly embraced the atmosphere and partied the day away.

At £50 per person, the bottomless brunch includes a two-course meal and two hours (none of that 90 minute malarkey) of unlimited drinks. Choose to wet the whistle with either prosecco, pink Italian sparkling wine, Aperol Spritz, Bloody Mary or mocktails.

You’d be hard pressed to find staff who support your quest for completely embracing the ‘unlimited’ part of the Brunch to the Beat experience too. Each time your glass is edging towards the dangerous ‘half full’ territory (yep, we’re eternal optimists), the suited and booted waiters are at your side, ready to serve and encouraging the party.

Although you can choose to purchase just the drinks at £35 a head, the quality of the food is not to be ignored. The chicken and waffles were the perfect mix of sweet and savoury and the crunchy, smokey batter that encased the chicken was packed with flavour. For dessert, it’s a modest list of options but they’re certainly fan favourites – sorbet, waffles, fruit salad or the pancake stack.

Above all else, it’s imperative we talk atmosphere. This bar is often packed with large groups of hens, stags and party people (which usually guarantees a good time) but the sheer brilliance of the on-stage professionals is something else. Music starts at midday with two piano vocalists, followed by a full band at 1.30pm. Once the band has bowled in, the party intensifies.

Playing only the audience requests with a fantastic jazzy twist to just about everything, the artists become the pied pipers, drawing crowds to the dancefloor with tantalising ease. To top this experience with the metaphorical cherry, it’s a no holds barred kind of affair, with all types of requests welcome. During our experience, we heard Ben E King, Jackson 5, Ellie Goulding and Lewis Capaldi – what more could you want!?

By the end of the session, it’s pretty much guaranteed that you’ll be dancing like you’re 18 again on the dancefloor at 4am. Although, the reality is that it’s 4pm, the harsh light of day awaits outside and the hangover is starting to prepare for its inescapable appearance… we wish you luck.

To make a booking for The Piano Works’ Brunch To The Beat, visit the website.

 

 

FROST’S FAVOURITE… STREET FRIES

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Let’s be honest, whilst we love donning the glad rags and heading for a sit down meal, there’s also something completely delicious and satisfying about rustic, hearty street grub. Enter, Poptata.

What started as a selection of street food trucks, Poptata is now making roots in four London foodie hotspots. It offers a feast of fancy fries and zingy cocktails to wash down the carbs.

The menu is split into three sections (Classic, Cheesy and Loaded) and both fries and toppings can be made vegetarian or vegan.  You can custo  mise your order too with a huge variety of dips including curry ketchup, caramelised onion & mustard and smoky BBQ. Swoon.

Looking for the fanciest on the menu? Check out these gorgeous options below:

Lucifer Fries – garlic, rosemary and thyme dusted fries, cheddar & Red Leicester, hot shot sauce (£4) Tex Pulled Pork Fries – pulled pork, sour cream, smoky BBQ, spring onions, cheddar (£7.95)
Guaca Fries – smashed avocado, grilled halloumi, red roasted pepper sauce (£7.95)
Halloumi Fries – deep fried cheese with banana ketchup/caramelised onion mayo/pink garlic mayo/sweet chilli (£6)


Parmesan Fries – fresh parmesan and pink garlic (£4)

You can find Poptata at Boxpark (both Shoreditch and Croydon), Portobello Road and Tooting Market.

ROYAL CHINA – RESTAURANT REVIEW

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Who wants some world famous Chinese food? Us, obviously. We took a trip to Baker Street’s Royal China restaurant and experienced huge flavours from its Cantonese menu with some superb service to boot.

Renowned for its Dim Sum and Hong Kong style dishes, alongside seasonal menus, the restaurant has something for any Chinese food lover.

The Baker Street branch is considered to be the Group’s flagship (of its six restaurants in London from Queensway to Harrow on The Hill) and when you walk into the atmospheric dining hall which can hold 250 people, you immediately see why!

Head chef Pak Kuen Ng is somewhat of a celebrity in the biz. Growing up in Hong Kong, his own experiences influencer the flavours. Our favourite dishes on the day included the Honey Roast Pork Puffs, deep fried stuffed crab claw, roast duck Cantonese style and ‘Royal China’ Lotus Leaf Rice. OK, we know that’s a lot on the favourites list but trust us on this one, the flavours are on point!

If you are drawn towards the Dim Sum, you’re in luck – there’s a new menu launching this month which will be served daily from noon through to 5.30pm. A huge mix of Cheung Fung, dumplings, buns and meat pots, all ranging from £3.90 to £6.60 a dish, it’s a budget friendly way to trial the lot however the Black Gold Yolk Lava Buns are eying us up…

You won’t be going thirsty here either, with over 40 different teas to choose from and over 100 wine bins, there’s a tipple to compliment each dish.

Visit https://www.royalchinagroup.co.uk/ to book and see what’s on

 

LOST BOYS PIZZA – MIXING MODERN DAY FOOD WITH AN 80s CULTURE

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Where can you pay homage to some of the greatest movie moments from the 80s whilst feasting on the latest foodie trends AND enjoying a full on Absinthe bar? Camden, of course!

Lost Boys Pizza recently opened its second branch in this tourist hotspot and serves up charcoal based pizzas in a down and dirty setting.

There’s so much to chat about with this place but we’re going to focus on three things – the food, the drink and the vibe…

The Food

So, charcoal pizza. Don’t get us wrong, we were a little apprehensive at first but it turns out that the taste barely differs to your standard crust (it’s just a bit smokier) but it does feel much lighter on the gut – meaning less guilt all round… hurrah! Lost Boys take a twist to their pizzas so there’s no traditional margerita or Hawaiian pizza here. What you will be treated to though, is an array of really reasonably priced dishes (avg. £8.50) with funky names (Santa Carla, Ready Pizza One and Fangs For The Memories) and even funkier tastes (in a good way).

The Drinks

One of the things that really makes this place stand out is its Absinthe packed lair. The first Absinthe bar in London town, here you can try variants of the strong stuff whilst getting a full education on its history and the best way to take the liquor. And no, it’s not straight from the bottle on a Greek street corner.

The Vibe

No matter where you look, there’s a nod to a retro movie. Black and white posters, actual costumes from top film sets (we won’t give away the surprises) and a playlist that will have you wanting to don your Doc Martins, you’ll leave wondering what this modern day madness is outside.

STOP EVERYTHING: A cheese wheel extravaganza is coming to London

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That’s right, London locals can reap the benefits of their postcodes to indulge in a pasta, cheese wheeling night of Italian luxury.

Pasta Remoli, a firm favourite of Frost mag, recently opened its Ealing Broadway spot and is celebrating by hosting three, yes three, exclusive evenings for locals.

It’s no ordinary evening though, each night, chef and founder Simone Remoli will present guests with deliciously moreish Maccheroncini Carbonara served hot straight out of a, wait for it, GIANT PARMESAN WHEEL. Just give us a moment to compose ourselves.

For £25, guests will enjoy a welcome drink, Italian starters including Italian salumi and cheese, crispy and velvety arancini, creamy burrata cheese, mixed bruschetta, bread and focaccia before the main event… the giant Parmesan wheel packed with Maccheroncini Carbonara.

 

If that’s not enough for your Italian food – appreciating selves, dessert is also included in the price. Swoon.

 

To make a booking, email ealingbroadway@pastaremoli.co.uk