London continues to grow as a food capital of the world and this year Taste of London seemed bigger, better, and more popular than ever before. I went along on opening night to eat my weight in food and wander round the culinary stalls.

The list of restaurants exhibiting included some of my favourite London establishments: Duck & Waffle, Jose Pizarro and Ember Yard. Each eatery offered four dishes for hungry visitors to choose from, and with over 30 restaurants at the festival there were plenty of cuisines to choose from. Each day special guest chefs attended Taste to offer exclusive tasters of their signature styles, and iconic masters of the kitchen gave talks and demonstrations to enlighten the crowds about their cooking techniques and secrets.

It was almost impossible to decide which dishes to try from the never-ending list of tempting recipes. My favourites included the Cappelletti di vitello – handmade pasta stuffed with slow cooked veal and pancetta with porcini mushrooms, the addictive and spicy Aloo Chat from Trishna and the Lamb Cutlets with korean spices from Roka.

After sharing about 10 plates the four of us decided to take a wander round the stalls. We had the opportunity to taste sensational British Jubilee strawberries, learn about sponsor AEG’s kitchen equipment and admire handmade pottery and plates at the Sytch Farm Studio stall. When we needed a drink there was plenty of cocktail, beer and cider bars to choose from. It was particular lovely to discover the Fishers delicious gin which makes a great g&t.

For dessert, the Duck & Waffle Golden Grahams soft serve with toppings was unmissable. Luckily we got to the queue earlier in the evening, as apparently later on the ice-creams ran out. With a subtle taste of breakfast thanks to the cereal infused milk and topped with indulgent caramel sauce and chocolate flakes this decadent ice-cream was the perfect sweet ending to a brilliant evening eating at Taste.

More information on Taste of London here.