Author Archives: Milly

No.1 Duke St, Richmond

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Richmond is an area of London that is perfect for lovely walks, welcoming pubs and family eateries, but never before have I visited a stylish café that I feel suits my needs. No.1 Duke Street is an elegant neighborhood bar and restaurant offering irresistible breakfast dishes, lunch classics, and dinner feasts. Alternatively you can pop in for a quick coffee or cocktail to relax after shopping in town, or walking round the green.

I visited on a gloriously sunny Sunday morning with all my family in tow. Despite the abundance of space (there is even a private floor upstairs) the main dining room was packed and we were lucky to find a table on the front terrace. Before I looked at the menu, I ran in to admire the instagram-friendly décor – white walls, worn wooden tables and plenty of pretty plants. Unsurprisingly, the interiors are photographed as much as the food.

The breakfast menu features a long list of morning favourites and a few imaginative additions. My brothers were immediately won over by the No.1 House Breakfast – sourdough toast with poached or scrambled eggs, accompanied by dry cured streaky bacon, pork and sage sausages, slow roast tomatoes and field mushrooms. The less greedy end of the table (!) settled for Blueberry ricotta pancakes with maple crème fraiche and syrup, Breakfast sourdough bruschetta with roast tomatoes, spinach, avocado, dry cured bacon and breakfast mayo, and No.1 Eggs Benedict with honey roast ham, avocado and spinach on sourdough with housemade hollandaise.

Fresh juices and strong (Caravan) coffees arrived to quench our thirst, before the morning feast was delivered. After copious photos of the photogenic spread I set about tasting each dish. Despite the simplicity, my favourite dish was the light and fluffy pancakes served with a dollop of sweet crème fraiche and topped with plump blueberries. I also loved the crusty farmhouse-style sourdough bread that comes toasted with many of the dishes. No.1 Duke St work hard to offer ingredients that are high quality and taste great, the meat was all butcher standard and the sauces are freshly made in house. Needless to say, silence fell over the table as the group devoured the delicious food.

Though I now live in South London I am often visiting family in West London and it is wonderful to find new venues that I am excited about visiting in this part of town. Next on my list to visit is the sister establishment, No.197 Chiswick Fire Station, which has also been receiving rave reviews.

More information and book a table at No.1 Duke St. here.

The Masons Arms, Knowstone

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I am constantly amazed by Michelin’s ability to find the country’s best restaurants even when hidden away in an unlikely corner of the English countryside. The Masons Arms is a quaint pub in Knowstone, Devon, and is recognised by Michelin as one of the UK’s best pubs for foodies. The pub is run by a friendly couple who are passionate about good food and service.

This charming 13th century pub will transport you; as a Londoner I felt completely removed from the busy city life. I particularly loved the old-fashioned thatched roof. The dining room is cosy and comfortable offering lovely views of the verdant surrounding countryside. Before opening his own eatery, chef and owner Mark Dodson was head chef at Michel Roux’s renowned Waterside Inn in Bray. At Masons Arms he produces hearty, tasty food, which is what most of the visitors desire after a bracing walk in the area.

An a la carte menu is available at lunch and dinner and features a range of dishes championing British ingredients with a creative, often Asian twist. We sampled the reasonable lunch menu which allows guests to indulge in three courses (£25) or two courses (£20) at a cut of the normal price.

After a round of delicious crusty bread our starters arrived. Cream of cauliflower soup was a simple and comforting dish, lusciously smooth soup with subtle seasoning and finely flaked and toasted almonds on top. Duck liver parfait was a richer option with a luxurious and complex flavour accompanied with wonderful pear chutney and granary toast. The chef also delivered a plate of Seared peppered tuna with Oriental salad to our table, an eclectic and intriguing dish full of punchy ingredients with the highest quality fish steak.

Main courses were generously sized, especially for lunchtime. Classic Roulade of pork belly was sweet and indulgent, perhaps a little too sweet. A tender piece of pork was perched on a bed of braised red cabbage, apple compote and roasted vegetables. It was the ideal dish for a lazy weekend lunch. I chose to taste the vegetarian option (which would have been suitable for vegans too), a very pretty plate of Baked aubergine with roasted vegetables and balsamic reduction. It was artistically presented and tasted good but could have benefitted from a contrasting texture, perhaps some cheese or carbohydrate within the recipe would have been nice.


Dessert was my favourite course, a delicate and creamy Tonka bean creme brûlée with sharp, exotic passion fruit sorbet and a board of irresistible local West Country cheeses and chutneys.

Masons Arms is a popular local haunt perfect for satisfying Sunday lunches. Though more pricey, I would recommend opting for the a la carte menu which offers much more choice and finesse, and more exciting culinary variety and creative flair.

More information and book a table here.

Paradise Supperclub Series

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Paradise by Way of Kensal Green is so much more than a pub. I have enjoyed boozy brunches here, danced the night away to upbeat DJ sets and relished romantic dinners in the grand dining room.

Thanks to head chef Cat Ashton (previously at Petersham Nurseries) the food on offer at Paradise is better than ever with the kitchen presenting creative dishes showcasing the best of British ingredients. This season, Paradise welcome a host of talented chefs into the kitchen for their exciting supperclub events. The series will feature Ella Woodward (Deliciously Ella) on 17th May, Nicolas Balfe (Salon Brixton) on 16th June, Adam Rawson (Young British Foodie award winner) in September, and Anna Jones (cook, stylist and writer) in October.

I joined a group of food enthusiasts for the opening evening of Cat’s Spring Supperclub, which is kicking off the summer series. Our evening feast featured imaginative treats like Stinging nettle & cave-aged cheddar souffle, Slow cooked lamb shoulder with truffled pecorino and Vanilla cheesecake with early season strawberries. But my favourites were the luxuriously rich and woody Morel mushrooms with garlic bruschetta and Drunken pineapple with prosecco jelly.

The food perfectly suits the setting, rustic with a twist of sophistication, and plenty of character and flavour. The Paradise parlour has a lovely atmosphere and is particularly good for groups, so get together all your friends for a night of delicious food and fun.

Supperclub tickets are priced at £35 and can be booked here.

More information: www.theparadise.co.uk