Tag Archives: Hamstead

Dach & Sons, Hampstead

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I had high hopes for Dach & Sons. My best friends and I had it firmly on our ‘to visit’ list but when I did eventually make a trip I found it to be a bit of a disappointment.

Seconds from Hampstead tube station and surrounded by chain shops and restaurants, it is refreshing to notice this independent eatery. I have always felt that this smart area of North London is quite conventional, but Dach & Sons adds some spice to the streets.

They describe themselves as “Hampstead’s premium hotdog, slider and burger joint, with a 60 seater restaurant, big roof terrace and ‘Flat P’, the upstairs speakeasy bar.” I’ve heard praise for the place on both burger and cocktail recommendation lists.

The cocktail selection is sprawled across the blackboard wall in chalk. The bar is from the clever people at Fluid Movement who are also responsible for the wonderful Purl and Worship Whistling Shop. Simpler (but arguably more drinkable) than the concoctions at the other Fluid bars we thoroughly enjoyed our cocktails. Innovative flavour combinations mixed to create very tasty and interesting drinks. The fascinating lemon meringue drink was delicious and old fashioned with a touch of (if I remember correctly) homemade popcorn liquor, it had an incredible taste.

In retrospect I wish I’d tried the sliders instead of the full blown burger. £10 gets you a trio of miniature handmade bitesize sliders with varied and eccentric toppings. Instead we both chose the classic Dach & Sons burger, £10 for a single or £18 for a double whammy. Made from short rib meat the patty was dry and bland, the gruyere cheese and smoked lettuce helped a little but on the whole it was very unsatisfactory. Fries (I’d call them chips as they are pretty chunky) are triple cooked, vacuum dried and made utterly indulgent with beef dripping.

Although we didn’t try them, I’ve heard the hot-dogs are great here. Using a variety of meats, spices and sausage casings to create some of the tastiest (and biggest) sausages that you are ever likey to see. The meat is supplied locally by the Hampstead Butcher, then de-boned, minced, mixed and stuffed into sausages in the kitchen every day. All sausages are cooked ‘sous-vide’ (under water) at precise temperatures, then flash fried. This ensures that they are as juicy as possible.The bread rolls are supplied by the award winning Flour Station, and baked daily.

If you do want to try Dach & Sons for yourself, I highly recommend visiting the brilliant Hampstead Theatre while you are in the area… and making an evening of it. And although I wasn’t as impressed as I thought I might be, compared to the competition Dach & Sons is still a reason to visit an often overlooked area of London.

More information here.

http://www.dachandsons.com/

THOROUGHLY MODERN MAN: Così Fan Tutte, Upstairs At The Gatehouse

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photography by Laurent Compagnon

Upstairs At The Gatehouse is the resident playhouse for Hampstead Garden Opera, a company that exists to provide, among other things, a platform for fledgling young opera singers to hone their craft before tackling some of the industry’s big-hitters.  In aiming to achieve ‘professional standards within an amateur framework’, this organisation more than fulfils its objective.  I was extremely impressed by both the standard of performance and the discovery of diverse singers at varying stages in their careers.  The venue was also a revelation for me; yet another great stage tucked away in the upper stories of a pub.  Top marks for offering Royal Opera House standard ice creams at fringe playhouse prices at the interval; I recommend the Honey and Ginger for your next visit!

On to the action and my ringing endorsements continue.  The opera buffa was presented in English, with a sparky and witty libretto that set the scene in Sicily during World War II.  The set was minimal and functional, yet effective.  I have recently performed excerpts from this opera, so I was poised to criticise anything that fell out of line with my own ideas.  However, I must say, I was delighted to be treated to a number of different slants on characters and relationships throughout the evening.  Nick Pritchard (Ferrando) and Jake Daichi Gill (Guglielmo) captured the camaraderie of two war comrades and also succeeded in conveying the ultimate hurt that these friends cause each other.  I also commend them for embracing and showcasing the youthful qualities in their voices, for it is all too often that one hears a strangled Pavarotti wannabe in an amateur opera performance.  Faustine de Monès (Fiordiligi) and Katie Slater (Dorabella) also complemented each other admirably, with the latter convincingly appearing to be the more coquettish of the two, who ultimately turns first for her naïve friend to follow.  The undisputed star for me was Alice Rose Privett, whose portrayal of Despina was masterfully sung and coyly acted throughout.

The performance was accompanied by the Musica Poetica London Orchestra, who gelled with the modern interpretation of the music, while maintaining Mozart’s quintessential touch.  Hats off to Dorian Komanoff Bandy, for fulfilling the tricky role of conductor and fortepiano player; his recitative accompaniment was at all times refreshingly evocative.

Unfortunately this great run has just come to a close, however, I recommend you get in early with reservations for HGO’s forthcoming production of Monteverdi’s ‘L’Orfeo’ in November.  I predict yet another sell-out run.

Visit the HGO website here for more information.

Written by a Thoroughly Modern Man, Mark McCloskey.