Category Archives: General

The Culpeper, Spitalfields

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culpeper 1The Culpeper is my new favourite pub in East London. This upscale Spitalfields venue has it all. A stylish restaurant with mouth-wateringly good gastropub food, a sunshine soaked rooftop garden and BBQ area and soon, 5 bedrooms will be finished for guests who wish to stay a little longer.

The gorgeous Victorian building had a long life as a Truman’s pub, the new owners have preserved the historic features but added some chic contemporary features. Parquet wooden flooring, industrial style lighting give a trendy elegance while shabby miss-matched chairs and stools add character to the room. It is a lovely big space that I can imagine gets extremely busy on Sunday lunchtime.

In the kitchen Sandy Jarvis cooks up seasonal British delights, crowd-pleaser recipes with a focus on great flavour. Instead of trying Jarvis’ celebrated menu I wandered upstairs to the roof in search of the BBQ. It was a scorching hot day and the roof was full of sun worshippers, slurping refreshing cocktails and indulging in grilled meat.

OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERAOLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERAThe food we tried was simple but delicious. Merguez sausages are a must, intensely spiced with a hint of charcoal smokiness, they cost just £4 for two sausages. They were so good we had to order a second portion! Pork Chop was tasty too, though once the fat was removed there wasn’t a huge amount of meat left to fight over. The Chimmichuri sauce is particularly delicious with the pork. Of the vegetables I would recommend Romanesco, a cauliflower like vegetable that has the prettiest edible flower buds. The peppers with anchovies and green salad were nice accompaniments with the BBQ-ed meat too.

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Desserts here are not just an afterthought, as they are in many pub establishments. Roast peach with crème fraiche & ginger biscuit crumb was a soft and subtle summer hit. A lovely caramelised cooked fruit with contrasting cream and a crunch from the crumb. Strawberry Eton Mess is a more obviously British recipe, and The Culpeper do a great rendition.

Sitting amongst the vegetable garden on the Culpeper roof is one of the most enjoyable ways to spend a sunny Saturday in London. Book ahead as there are already a few locals who call this place home.

More information on The Culpeper here.

Lyle’s, Shoreditch

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Lyle’s is a beautiful, stripped back restaurant located within the colourful chaos of Shoreditch High Street. The focus here is on the food which is seasonal, inventive and exquisite. Co-owner and head chef James Lowe is from the St John family of restaurants, so it is hardly surprising that the establishment is white and minimalist in style.

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The set menu changes daily, four courses for dinner cost £44 and a vegetarian option is also available. The ‘no choice’ menu eliminates all food envy and decision dilemmas and instead forces guests to concentrate on the food put in front of them and the kitchen’s staggering creativity. When I like the look of a chosen menu but there is an ingredient I’m not fond of, my mood turns bitter!

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Due to my fish aversion I tried a combination of the standard and the veggie menu and every mouthful was delicious. After crusty sourdough bread and dandelion-yellow whipped salted butter, we ordered a carafe from the reasonably priced wine list. Several extras were placed on the table: Italian lardo (cured pork fat) and peas still in the pod – in the stark white room all the food looked bright and beautiful.

Menu for the night:

Asparagus, Burford Brown Egg & Buckwheat / Onion Broth & Ramson

Monkfish & Cauliflower / Riseley, Cornish News & Lovage

Saddleback, Burnt Apple & Onion

Rhubarb, Elderflower & Goat’s Milk

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For me, the simplest dishes at Lyle’s were most thrilling. The onion broth was stunningly simple, an intensely flavoured soup with delicate ramson (a relative of chives with a garlic like scent) and chargrilled smoky soft onions. My next course was an airy, creamy delight, using little known cheeses. The Cauliflower was also lovely, gently cooked to give a sweet taste and served with a pristine white, meaty piece of fish. The Saddleback cut of pork was lean and carefully seasoned, paired with a sweet burnt apple puree and grilled onions. Silence fell over the table as we gobbled up every last bit. Dessert was a pretty pink assortment of textures and tastes, the granita made it refreshing and summery while the shards of powdery meringue added a sugary luxury.

Lyle’s lived up to my high expectations – a really special meal, and definitely one of my favourite restaurants I have discovered this year.

More information here: www.lyleslondon.com

The Devil’s Advocate, Edinburgh

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London is no longer the only place in the UK to try fine cocktails. The trend for culinary mixology is spreading and Edinburgh has its fair share of great bars. On my most recent trip to Scotland’s capital I visited The Devil’s Advocate with a group of friends and tried a range of their delicious drinks.  

In the centre of town but hidden away in the magical backstreets of Edinburgh, is this atmospheric bar and restaurant. Housed within an old Victorian pump house the venue has a historic feel to it, though the drinks are contemporary and innovative.

At night the bar was dimly lit and felt exciting, I noticed groups of friends were huddled around wooden tables trying strong drinks whilst catching up. The brilliant bartender came over and talked us through the menu of drinks which is split into categories depending on origin. Forgotten fairytale classics make an appearance, or you could try a ‘borrowed’ recipe from an inspiring bar somewhere around the world.

With a 200-strong whiskey shelf I decided to sample ‘Whiskey Rebellion’ a bourbon based cocktail mixed with Cocchi Americano, black tea maple syrup, absinthe and rosemary. It was a moody but fragranced drink with complex undernotes and well balanced taste. For something lighter try the long drink, ‘Once Upon a Thyme’ which includes sweet cherry and thyme jam, orgeat syrup, lemon juice, soda and cognac. The floral herb was well matched with the cherry and cognac and it was dangerously easy to drink. ‘Memento’ was also a tasty and smooth short drink, a delightful combination of Macallan Amber, Amaro CioCiaro, chamomile infused Aperol, Fernet Branca, Angostura and Whiskey mist.

If you are feeling peckish there is a relaxed mezzanine dining area and a food menu which showcases seasonal and Scottish ingredients. Though it is at night that this secretive cocktail bar comes to life.

More information and book a table here.