Taberna do Mercado, Spitalfields Market

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Nuno Mendes is a quiet chef, so it probably came as quite a surprise when his kitchen at Chiltern Firehouse became the loudest, most talked about restaurant in London. As the hype begins to settle at the Marylebone establishment, Mendes is focusing his efforts on a new venture in Spitalfields Market.

Taberna do Mercado is a simple and unassuming eatery serving authentic Portuguese fare. It features recipes that Mendes remembers from his childhood from the south-west region of Alentejo. The restaurant is happily found in the busy marketplace, and with no reservations, it immediately evokes a very different feel to Chiltern Firehouse. Diners here are patient foodies rather than pushy celebs visiting for all the wrong reasons.

It is a modestly designed venue with distressed wooden floorboards, circular marble tables and whitewashed walls – a minimalist combination that instantly encourages a relaxed Mediterranean vibe. There is a kitchen inside and a live station outside. Here the stoves are expertly managed by head chef Antonio Galapito, who has worked with Mendes for years.

From the paper menu clipped to our table we chose a selection of tasty tapas style plates. I fondly remember the wisps of runner beans in batter, so light and moreish. Prawn rissoles were delectable parcels of tiny spicy prawns with a crunchy edge. There is a whole section of the menu devoted to the house-tinned fish, which is receiving rave reviews from fish fans. The plates of meat and cheese are particularly delicious paired with a glass of Portuguese wine, great for a light early evening snack. If you want to try something very traditional, opt for the Alheira sausage which has a consistency similar to ‘nduja but tastes quite different. Made with a mix of meats and bread it has a rich flavour but a rather stodgy texture, very tasty but unlike anything I have tried before.

Bifana is popular meaty snack in Lisbon, a crusty bread roll filled with thinly cut pork steak and mustard. It is the Portuguese version of a bacon bap and it is equally satisfying. It seemed a bit random amidst our meal, but I could imagine relishing this sandwich on a Sunday morning.

Desserts are unusual and daring. Abade de Priscos and port caramel is sure to be a crowd-pleaser. Made from a mix of egg yolks and pork fat it has a smooth texture and toffee taste and is served in a pool of sweet port. The olive oil cake also looked intriguing, I am keen to try it on my next visit.

Mendes can often be seen wandering calmly around the venue. It is a different man to the one I saw looking stressed in the famed Marylebone restaurant. Here he presents a cuisine he is sentimental and proud about and that love shows in the vibrantly flavoured food and charming atmosphere in the dining room.

More information here: www.tabernamercado.co.uk

Polpo, Soho

Polpo is a bàcaro, a Venetian word to describe a humble restaurant serving simple food and good, young local wines.

I’m a few years late visiting and reviewing Polpo, which has now become one of Soho’s most popular eateries. With new branches in Covent Garden and Smithfields, the concept is spreading across London. The group also count American inspired Mishkin’s and Spuntino as part of the family.

Polpo don’t do reservations. I have tried to eat at the Soho restaurant several times before, the response is always the same “hour and a half wait, and you’ll have to stand at the (cramped) bar in the meantime”… that’s the evening ruined then. However at 5.45 on a Friday evening before Christmas there were several tables free. We grabbed the opportunity and ordered two glasses of Prosecco to celebrate the triumph, we were finally eating there, just four years after opening!

The restaurant is cosy and atmospheric, couples sit huddled over wooden tables and friends chatter enthusiastically. To start we ate Arancini and Potato and Parmesan crocchettes which were impressively greaseless and tasty… crunchy shells with oozing creamy centres, although rather under-seasoned.

Of the meatballs we tried the classic (beef & pork) variety. They were wholesome and good, coarsely ground meat dunked in thin sweet tomato sauce. Pork belly with hazelnuts and radicchio has been on the menu since the beginning but I was disappointed. The meat was dry, and very fatty, and the radicchio leaves almost too bitter to eat. Duck and Green Peppercorn Ragu with Pappardelle was the top dish of the day, fresh pasta sheets with a rich meaty sauce, especially good topped with crumbled parmesan.

After four years of rave reviews and two new branch openings, I expected a little more from Polpo. The staff seemed unbothered and the kitchen rather slack: the food just isn’t as spectacular as some of the newer Soho eateries.

More information here: www.polpo.co.uk

The Shed, Notting Hill

The Shed is a family affair, run by brothers Oliver (chef) and Richard (Maître d’) Gladwin, with meat provided by their younger brother (a farmer) and wine from their mother’s vineyard. The skill and expertise clearly inherited from their father’s successful catering company.

These passionate and enthusiastic boys have created a restaurant that is an extension of their rural lifestyle back in Nutbourne, West Sussex. “Growing, foraging, great cooking and great company have always been the order of the day and this ethos has been brought to life at The Shed.”

I went along for lunch last week, kindly hosted by my grandparents who had heard about this new local eatery from Giles Coren’s Times column. Hidden round the back of Notting Hill Gate, it is moments from the tube station and easily reached from Portobello. Cosy and quirky, the unusually long room suits the restaurant layout with an open plan kitchen at the rear with a private Butcher’s Table for personalised dining. Tractor parts, old signs and vintage anecdotes give the place character and charm.

The menu is made up of small tapas style plates, priced around £9… guests are advised to order two each. Needless to say the three of us ordered seven plus bread between us. We regretted it and didn’t need it all – each dish is surprisingly filling. Lamb chips quickly became a firm favourite with Shed regulars, deliciously tender lamb coated in a thick crunchy coating and served with sensational spicy tomato harissa sauce. We also enjoyed the broccoli (with chestnut mushrooms, chilli, black sesame and tahini) and the wholesome Cider and herb sausages with addictively good homemade mustard.

The menu changes daily to ensure variety, using only the freshest seasonal ingredients. Oliver is a firm believer in nose to tail cooking, using the whole animal to create inventive and exciting dishes. His pride and passion is evident throughout the food, and particularly when he presented “my Magnum Vienetta Parfait.” This pudding is a real must – we had to fight over the final mouthful of the second portion! Lovingly made by Oliver, it is the perfect combination of creamy vanilla ice-cream, bitter shards of dark chocolate and sweet oozing butterscotch sauce.

As I may soon be moving to this area, I am excited to have The Shed on my doorstep… the perfect place to pop in for a modest lunch or for a longer satisfying supper, it is certainly the most special Shed I have ever visited.

www.theshed-restaurant.com