Black White Red Winchester

Posted on June 3, 2014 by Sarah Bacchus

If you have the chance to visit Black White Red in Winchester you will be sure to want one on your very doorstep for breakfast, lunch and fantastic evenings out. We are so lucky to have this cool trendy and vibrant cafe and bar at our disposal. The coffee is exceptional and tastes like nectar. The food will send you on a trip to the moon! Out of this world is the only way to describe this brilliant, busy and fun new find.

Food from the gods, we ate poached eggs on toast, tomato and mozzarella and avocado & onion on the best fresh bread that had been lightly toasted and drizzled with olive oil. We all dipped in and shared mouthfuls of each dish as it was too good to miss a single flavour!

They believe Wine and Coffee are linked…even if you don’t drink them at the same time of day they are produced in very similar ways, with distinctive flavours and characteristics. Wine and coffee should live together and at Black White Red they do just that.

Try a few of your favourite wines and you will notice how the flavours between certain coffees and the wine are almost identical! The fun is trying, tasting and exploring all they have to offer. Its a totally new concept that no one has tried before and by golly it works. This place is always packed and you can just feel the happiness waft down the street. It has fast become our Sunday go to place for coffees, really delicious food and a place to just sit and watch the world go by!

Black….. is just for Coffee, White… is the link between the two (white coffee, white wine) Red……. is just for Wine. Simple as that but such a perfect place to take time out and create memories.

Follow, Tag, Tweet and Instagram them! Check out the menu here come say hello over at slbstyle.com or follow me on Twitter @sarahbacchus to check out my professional work take a look at sarahbacchus.com

t: @BWRWinchester
i: /BWRWinchester

The Fable Restaurant Review

Posted on May 26, 2014 by Frostie

Strawberry and Lavender Mojito

Porn star martini

Fable is a buzzing bar and restaurant set in Farringdon with seasonal British food. It is inspired by the world of fairy tales and this was evident from the books and writings which adorn Fable’s three floors.

We start with some cocktails, a strawberry and lavender Mojito, which was a nice twist compared to the usual style and the skinny porn star martini. Both were excellent.

For our starter we choose the chicken satay. The char-grilled slightly smoky succulent chicken was really superb, beautifully cooked and it went very well with the excellent nutty satay sauce. The prawn crackers were a tasty addition and also went well with the sauce.

Chicken Satay

My salmon ceviche with orange and coriander came served in a jar which I had to shake myself, this seems to be a common trend at the moment. It was fresh and healthy and the salmon was very tasty.

Chicken burger

For my main I had a chicken burger. These guys cook chicken well! Again my chicken was succulent and tender. The breadcrumb seasoning was delicious – it put the Colonel in his place, it really was excellent. The chicken was well accompanied by a nice juicy slice of beef tomato, lettuce, red onion and and a crispy bun. There was also a gherkin on the side which I don’t usually like but this one was wonderfully fresh. I also loved the chips which came with my burger. They were nice and chunky and covered with heaps of fresh Parmesan and Rosemary. A brilliant combination I could have eaten them all day long and I can’t praise them highly enough. This was honestly up there with one of the best chicken burgers I have ever had. So often with a chicken burger you get served a dried out piece of flavorless meat with no effort or thought. That was definitely not the case here it was clear a lot of thinking had gone into all the dishes.

Reef, Beef and Bubbles!

The reef beef and bubbles came with a free glass of Prosecco all for £15 which we thought was very reasonable. The steak was tender and the size of my fist. It was well cooked and the peppercorn sauce was tasty and not overpowering. The lobster was delicious and fresh. The chips were tasty but not as good as the ones covered in rosemary and Parmesan.

For pudding we had three mini puddings in one. They were a generous size and beautifully served in colored glassware. All three of the puddings were extremely tasty. The true star was the raspberry and champagne sorbet which was something quite special. The lemon syllabub was a lemony biscuity delight. The chocolate brownie was also excellent and went perfectly with a scoop of vanilla ice cream.

Ice cream parfait

We also tried the ice cream parfait which was also beautifully presented and sweet and delicious in its own right. I loved my little doughnut which came with it.

Fable was a great experience and we will be going back in the future. Our waitress was extremely attentive despite having so many different tables to serve. The atmosphere was buzzing and the food was truly excellent there was nothing we could fault. The portion sizes were perfect my only minor criticism is that I found my chair slightly uncomfortable but now I’m just being picky.

Fable

52 Holburn Viaduct

London

EC1A 2FD

0845 468 0105

Verdi Italian Kitchen At The Royal Albert Hall | Restaurant Review

Posted on May 23, 2014 by Catherine Balavage

Rather obviously, the first thing you take in when going to Verdi is the surroundings. As gorgeous and historical buildings go, it is hard to beat the Royal Albert Hall. You really do feel like you are dining in a piece of history.

We start off by ordering Mozzarella di bufala with Coppa: Salted, seasoned, dry cured thinly cut pork shoulder from the Mozzarella Bar, where you order either mozzarella di bufala or a burrata along with a side of your choice. I have the Gamberi Con Pancetta: Grilled pancetta wrapped prawns, rosemary, chargrilled lemon.

The prawns are sizzling when they arrive and of a decent size. They are meaty and the pancetta is smoky. It is well seasoned. It is a good starter. The mozzarella is soft and creamy. It has a beautiful texture but could do with more flavour. There is too much rocket and the pork is absolutely delicious but is a little stringy.

We also ordered some bread, which we would have liked to have been a little softer. It came with some good balsamic vinegar.

We also ordered some amazing cocktails: a Aperol Spritz: Aperol, Moët & Chandon, orange bitters, which not only tasted amazing, but also a little like Irn Bru, so perfect for the Scottish amongst us and an IL Verdi: Gin, sciroppo di fiori and pressed apple juice, which was delicious and refreshing.

The service was excellent throughout and the atmosphere was peaceful due to the fact we went in-between shows. For our mains we had Agnello Ripieno: Stuffed lamb breast, white beans, tomatoes, smoked pancetta, spinach, garlic, basil and a Gamberoni pizza: King prawns, asparagus, mushrooms, tomato, mozzarella. The lamb was soft and beautiful. It came in a nice sauce, the beans added texture but the stuffing was just a little bit too spicy. A good meal all in all.

For a side we had Patate Arrosto: Sea salt roast potatoes, sage, garlic. We were not overly impressed. They were okay but not roast potatoes as we expected. The pizza was superb. It had a thin and tasty dough and was just wonderful. The prawns were generous and the ingredients worked together amazingly well.

For dessert we have Tiramisu: Mascarpone, coffee soaked sponge,cocoa, coffee liqueur and I have some Gelato because I am full and mildly allergic to coffee. You get to choose three scoops and I choose chocolate hazelnut praline, natural mint and chocolate chip and lime. The tiramisu is excellent, with a thick layer of cocoa dust and a delicious liqueur soaked base. The gelato is equally as good and the portion is generous.

I would recommend Verdi for good food in a stunning location.

Verdi, Door 12, Royal Albert Hall

Kensington Gore,

London, SW7 2AP

Tel: 020 7070 4401

www.verdiitalian.com

You can enjoy fantastic free live music on Fridays from 8:00pm played by popular jazz artists including favourites from Ronnie Scott’s and the 606 Club. Live music will also be performed on Saturday and Sunday lunchtimes. Full list of music dates and performers.

The Dining Rooms at The Worsley Park Hotel, Manchester | Restaurant Review

Posted on May 20, 2014 by Matthew Radway

The Dining Rooms at The Worsley Park Hotel is a light and spacious restaurant that takes traditional British food and gives it a modern twist. So far, so ‘every decent hotel restaurant’.

From the minute we arrived the staff created a pleasant and friendly atmosphere and our waiter was very helpful and knowledgeable about the menu and wine list. He recommended a 2013 Chenin Blanc to accompany our food choices and he was spot on. It was a lovely wine that somehow managed to compliment both the meaty courses that I chose and the vegetarian ones selected by my colleague.

All of our food arrived promptly, although this might partly have been because the restaurant was surprisingly empty for a Friday night. It’s worth noting here that the hotel is a little out of the way which probably explains the number of customers.

To start with I had chicken liver parfait and my colleague had asparagus with blood orange and hollandaise sauce, both off the specials menu. The blood orange nicely cut through the taste of the asparagus, which was well cooked. My parfait was flavoursome and had a lovely texture but, as is so often the way, it needed a little more toast to accompany it.

For the main course I had lamb in a Chambord jus with mashed potato and roasted beetroot and my colleague had a macaroni and cheese pie with garlic bread and salad. My lamb was tender and meaty and went perfectly with the beetroot and jus. My colleague too was impressed by her macaroni and cheese pie, finding it to be an inventive take on a classic dish which used great quality ingredients and was just the right size. However, there could have been more of the accompanying salad as on its own the pie was a little salty.

To finish, I had a white chocolate panna cotta with raspberry sorbet and a raspberry soup. The creaminess of the panna cotta went perfectly with the sharpness of the raspberry – it was possibly my favourite dish of the evening. My colleague had the sampler which came with miniature versions of the chocolate torte, the blood orange cheesecake and the sticky toffee pudding. Each was served with a suitable sorbet or ice cream and it was clear that thought had gone into the flavour combinations. The torte was dense and rich, just as it should be. Unfortunately, the cheesecake was a little bland and the sticky toffee pudding whilst delicious was lacking in sauce leaving it a little dry in the middle. However, I suspect that this might just be a problem with the miniature taster dish rather than the dessert when served on its own. Both desserts, as with all the courses, were immaculately presented.

The Worsley Park Hotel is a cut above your average hotel restaurant and is certainly a good choice for a meal on a special occasion. Does it manage to do anything radical in its attempt to provide a modern twist on traditional dishes? Not really. Would I recommend visiting anyway? I certainly would.

The Italian Boys Putney | Restaurant Review

Posted on May 9, 2014 by Catherine Balavage

Putney, London, has a lot going for it. One of those things are Italian restaurants and one of the best is the newly refurbished The Italian Boys on Putney High Street. They have a good menu with a large selection of food to choose from. It takes us ages to choose what we want but the staff are patient and don’t rush us. We order some prosecco to start and it is very good wine. Some of the best prosecco I have ever tasted.

We finally decide on our starters: I have the Calamari Grigliati Con Polentina Fritta: Fresh grilled squid, pan fried polenta stuffed with peas & mint, slow roasted herbs & cherry tomato dressing and my colleague has Gamberoni Al Prosciutto Croccante: King prawns wrapped with crunchy Parma ham & lentils sauté. The calamari dish is superb, just make sure you add all of the ingredients together and don’t eat them separately. The chef really knows what he/she is doing and has an excellent grasp of flavours and the knowledge to put them together to make a stunning dish. I was incredibly impressed. The prawn starter was also superb, the sauce it came in was amazing and this dish made even the humble lentil into an ingredient worthy of a Michelin-starred restaurant. We cannot praise the starters highly enough: just absolutely amazing.

For our main we had the Merluzzo Con Pancetta Croccante E Uova Di Quaglia: Pan fried filet of cod wrapped in crunchy pancetta served with clams & quail eggs with spinach & butter sauce and the Ravioli Di Zucca Con Pancetta: Ricotta & pumpkin ravioli, pancetta & rocket with butter sauce. The mains were just as good as the starters: absolutely amazing. The cod dish is unique and delicious and the ravioli is first-class. The food is so good that this restaurant is unforgettable, you think about the meal you had long after and you just have to go back for more.

For dessert I had ice-cream and my colleague had the Torta Della Nonna. The ice-cream was great. You get three scoops and I had chocolate with cookies, strawberry and a very alcoholic rum. This was superb ice-cream, showing that Italian Boys even gets it right on the simple things. The Torta Della Nonna is a Tuscan dessert known as ‘grandmother’s cake’, it was also brilliant.

The Italian Boys is a must go to restaurant for all Londoners, not just those in Putney. Both the food and the service is first-class.

Address:157 Putney High St, London SW15 1RT

Phone:020 8780 1988

Hours: 7:00 am – 11:00 pm

http://www.theitalianboysrestaurant.co.uk/

Five Guys Restaurant Review Manchester

Posted on May 4, 2014 by Matthew Radway

I think it’s fair to say that a Five Guys burger is an event – or at least it certainly seemed that way when I visited the newly opened restaurant in Manchester’s Trafford Centre.
Five Guys has some rather fanatical customers; to give an example, when this branch opened on Monday there were people queuing for a burger 3 hours before it opened. The staff are passionate about the food too (refreshing for what is essentially a fast food restaurant) and the novel touch of being able to totally customise your burger with a range of toppings for no extra cost all adds to the feeling that your burger has been lovingly and carefully prepared.

Arriving, I was talked through the options by the friendly staff member who took my order. The burgers aren’t cheap in comparison to other fast food chains (a meal there can easily set you back £10) so it’s worth adding a good number of the toppings.

Drinks include free refills from a machine which allows you to choose a base fizzy drink and then add a flavoured syrup if you wish. I had coke zero with orange which was less horrendous than it sounds. Again, it adds to the ‘total customisation’ experience.
My colleague and I watched as our burgers were prepared (the kitchen is entirely open to view) and it was nice to see the manager encouraging and motivating her staff. It certainly seemed to be a very pleasant working environment. The burgers arrived surprisingly quickly considering the extensive queue that had formed. I chose a cheeseburger with ketchup, mayonnaise, lettuce, tomato, gherkins, mushrooms and grilled onions. My colleague had a bacon cheeseburger with ketchup, mayonnaise and mushrooms. We decided to share a portion of chips.

Now, that sounds like a fairly standard amount of food. It wasn’t, it was huge. The chips were lovely but we didn’t need them with the burger being a meal in itself. You can get a little burger but the burgers are so delicious that I think it’s worth just filling up on them and forgoing sides.

My colleague and I agreed that this was the best fast food burger we had ever experienced. All the ingredients are fresh, nothing is frozen, and the beef patties are hand made on site each morning from prime Irish beef.

As I sat in the restaurant having finished my burger I tried to come up with a three word summary for how I felt about the burgers and my colleague piped up with the perfect description: “delicious heart attack”. I cannot wait to return.

Foxcroft & Ginger Cafe Review

Posted on April 24, 2014 by Catherine Balavage

Foxcroft & Ginger is a very trendy cafe and artisan bakery in East London, owned by couple Georgina and Quintin. It is full of people who are far cooler than me. The decor is eclectic, keeping the industrial-chic design ethos of the Soho branch.

This one, in Whitechapel, only opened on 3 April 2014. We went to review it, deciding on brunch. We started with Eggs Benedict and Smoked Salmon, Pickled Beetroot, Avocado, Tomato and Red Onion Salsa, Grilled Sourdough. I also order some avocado on the side. An English Breakfast Tea and a Hot Chocolate.

The Eggs Benedict is interesting. My colleague loved it. He thought the eggs were perfect, but the egg I had was a bit watery, and the sauce could have done with a little more punch. The salmon dish was perfect however, just an amazing selection of fresh ingredients that work amazingly well together. The avocado was great with just the right amount of salt, olive oil and lemon.

The hot chocolate was very good, it came with spice and the cinnamon really added something special. The tea was also great, coming in a very cute tea cup and saucer.

Starting brunch off with some excellent English Breakfast tea. pic.twitter.com/xEWpnpAxwj

— Frost Magazine (@frostmag) April 12, 2014

After our brunch we had some amazing cake. I had the chocolate orange cake and my colleague had the carrot cake. Both were absolutely amazing. Everything is made in-house and these cakes really were superb.

Foxcroft & Ginger also do amazing bread. Their coveted sourdough bread, which is already supplied to a number of top London restaurants, is available to purchase in store.

Foxcroft & Ginger

Whitechapel

69-89 Mile End Road

E1 4TT
www.foxcroft&ginger.co.uk
(The nearest Underground Station is Stepney Green or Whitechapel).

Mews Of Mayfair Restaurant Review

Posted on March 10, 2014 by Frostie

Mews of Mayfair, the British bar and brasserie, is hidden away in the heart of London down a small side street just off Bond street. The main restaurant room has been beautifully decorated and its atmosphere is relaxed.

We started our bottomless brunch with a delicious Mimosa and Bellini. They were well made and generous with the alcohol content.

Like many restaurants at the moment Mews is offering limitless refills of Mimosa’s, Bellini’s and Bloody Mary’s at just £15 a head. We certainly approve. Not having to worry too much about cost allows you to get on with enjoying your lunch!

Eggs Benedict

To start with we had an Eggs Benedict. A classic combination and still one of my favourites. As someone who has sampled many versions of this dish I can honestly say this was one of the best I’ve had. It was packed with flavour. The Hollandaise sauce was flawless and when it was combined with the gooey egg yolk, ham and toast it was devine. It really was a treat and the portion was extremely generous as you can see. A perfect start.

Dorset Crab

This dish did a brilliant job of letting the crab, the star of the dish, shine. The crab was very tasty and fresh and the plate brought pack memories of the sea. The crab lay on a slice of toasted brioche. The slight sweetness of the brioche actually worked really well against the meatiness of the crab. The textures were very soft which was surprising but actually worked very well. Another superb dish

Fish and Chips

This was another extremely generous portion, the fish was huge. This was definitely a bottomless brunch. The sweet mushy peas were delicious as was the fantastic fresh tartar sauce. The fish and chips were tasty but didn’t blow us away.

Chicken

The chicken was cooked perfectly. It was very juicy and had a delicious crispy skin. The duck fat roast potatoes were stunning, absolutely perfect. The whole dish was perfectly seasoned and the stuffing and gravy added loads of flavour. Once again the portion was huge. By this stage we were absolutely stuffed. You couldn’t ask for much more from your lunch.

Pancake

This pancake was packed with fresh fruit and drizzled with honey. It also came with some delicious cream but it could have done with a bit more sauce of some kind.

Eton Mess

Eton mess is one of my favourite puddings. It embodies everything that a good pudding should be. This Eton Mess was made with blackberries. It was light creamy and delicious and went really well with the coulis and meringue crumb. A very good pudding.

We had a wonderful meal and really enjoyed ourselves. Mews had some truly excellent food and the atmosphere and service were perfect. Definitely worth a visit.

Mews of Mayfair

10 Lancashire Court, New Bond Street, London W1S 1EY

www.mewsofmayfair.com

facebook.com/mewsofmayfair

@mewsofmayfair

Frost Magazine

Books and Lifestyle

Tag Archives: Restaurant review

Black White Red Winchester

The Fable Restaurant Review

Verdi Italian Kitchen At The Royal Albert Hall | Restaurant Review

The Dining Rooms at The Worsley Park Hotel, Manchester | Restaurant Review

The Italian Boys Putney | Restaurant Review

Five Guys Restaurant Review Manchester

Foxcroft & Ginger Cafe Review

Mews Of Mayfair Restaurant Review

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