Tag Archives: restaurant

Höst, Copenhagen

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The first thing that struck me when I walked into Höst restaurant in Copenhagen, was the lovely atmosphere. The charming eatery is filled with whimsical plants and twinkling lights, and tables are tucked away in romantic corners.

Höst, Copenhagen

The restaurant has dimmed lighting and a cosy feel, not great for food photography but lovely for a long wintery dinner. Höst has won numerous awards for its creative ‘raw’ design style in the restaurant; think recycled wood, plenty of concrete and lambskin throws.

Höst, Copenhagen

Each day a 3 and 5 course set menu is offered, showcasing the best Danish produce and typical Nordic cuisine. After a delicious glass of Cremant we indulged in the Höst sourdough bread, served with wonderfully light whipped butter.

Höst, CopenhagenHöst, Copenhagen

My starter was a beautiful piece of baked cod with lumpfish roe and jerusalem artichokes. The disc of fish was charred on the outside giving a lovely smokey taste and was topped with a creamy fish sauce. The vegetarian option was a woody rustic risotto with mushrooms and herbs, a comforting dish for a cold winter’s night.

Höst, CopenhagenHöst, Copenhagen

The main course was a fine quality piece of beef sirloin concealed within a pile of beetroot spaghetti. The meat was cooked to perfection with a juicy flavour and a velvety texture, on top the beetroot (of which perhaps there was a little too much!) had hints of tarragon. Apparently the dish also had cep mushrooms in, but I couldn’t identify or taste that flavour anywhere in the dish.

Höst, CopenhagenHöst, Copenhagen

Höst don’t skimp on the in-between-course extras. We were treated to plenty of palate-cleansers and pre-desserts, including a refreshing pear sorbet before pudding. Just as I thought I couldn’t fit anything else in our final course arrived, Birch bark ice-cream with herbal chocolate, pear and caramel. It was an intriguing mix of magical textures and tastes, with almost medicinal fruity components and the satisfying frozen chocolate crumbs.

Atmospheric and delicious, Höst restaurant always ensures its guests have a memorable Nordic meal that you will remember long after leaving Copenhagen.

More information and book a table here.

Wolf, Stoke Newington

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It seems there are more and more reasons to visit Stoke Newington, a hip area of East London which is thriving with stylish neighbourhood hangouts. Wolf Restaurant serves seasonal Italian food in a beautifully designed dining room.

Wolf RestaurantWolf RestaurantWolf Restaurant

As I sat in the moody green room, with its hexagonal-tile floor and live wall of plants, I picked out features I’d like to add in to my flat. The tables, of course, are white marble, to help food instagrammers get the best possible shot.

Wolf RestaurantWolf Restaurant

The menu included all my favourite Italian things: burrata, homemade pasta and rabbit. Wolf have recently introduced their new winter menu which features a range of comforting classics. We sampled the burrata with Puntarelle & Anchovy dressing with croutons, and the Pear & Bra salad. The burrata was a blissfully simple dish, but made with the finest ingredients, the cheese was creamy and oozing with indulgence with a contrasting salty dressing. The Pear salad reminded me of the warmer seasons, a lovely mix of bitter endive leaves, sweet honey mustard vinaigrette and a crunch from the hazelnuts scattered on top.

Wolf RestaurantWolf Restaurant

The Pappardelle with braised rabbit ragu & chestnut has become the IT dish at Wolf, and luckily it did not disappoint. Strands of perfectly cooked homemade pasta were coated in a rich meaty sauce, and chestnuts were an unusual but brilliant addition. Priced at £16 a plate it is an expensive plate of pasta, but was a generous portion. The Gnudi (spinach and ricotta dumplings) was a more elegant plate of food, coated in a a parmesan sauce and decorated with crispy sage and roasted tomatoes… I found this dish less exciting and felt it needed some freshness to balance with the creamy sauce and rich dumplings.

Wolf RestaurantWolf Restaurant

I would pick pasta over meat anyday, but in Italy they eat both so in the name of research we tasted two dishes from the secondi section of the menu too! Slow cooked beef short rib was richly flavoured with Chianti, and the tender meat fell easily away from the bone – it was served with velvety wet polenta and gremolata. The pork fillet was a little dry for my taste, but was served with an assortment of lovely ingredients: Delica Pumpkin puree, chanterelle mushrooms and kale.

Wolf RestaurantWolf Restaurant

Desserts are often an afterthought in Italian restaurants, who fob diners off with gelato. Wolf exhibit true attention to detail in the sweet section of their menu. I was overwhelmed by the two sensational desserts we tried. Panna cotta with poached rhubarb and honeycomb was a beautiful plate of seasonal flavours, the rhubarb was nicely cooked with sugar to add sweetness and the panna cotta was the ideal consistency, flavoured with plenty of specks of real vanilla. Mandarin Flourless polenta cake was also wonderful, a light and textured cake flavoured with mandarin and dripping in chocolate ganache sauce.

I’m not sure there is anything better than delicious Italian food, and Wolf Restaurant is an asset to the Stoke Newington area. I live in South London but would travel for 40 minutes on the overground to eat a plate of that rabbit ragu any day of the week.

More information and book a table at Wolf restaurant here.

Foley’s, Fitzrovia

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I loved Palomar restaurant so was excited to hear about the Foley’s kitchen team, headed up by ex-Palomar chef Mitz Vora. The restaurant, in Fitzrovia, is set over two floors with an open kitchen downstairs so that guests can get a glimpse of the action.

Foley's

The restaurant is cosy and welcoming, with stylishly designed seating and warm lighting. After a round of fruity cocktails we moved on to the food menu, which is split into various categories: ‘Bits & Bobs’, ‘Veg’, ‘Meat’  and ‘From the Sea’. The menu is eclectic with an intriguing variety of dishes. The chef’s creativity is immediately obvious from reading through the first section of the menu where tacos, potato fritters and ham hock all feature.

Foley'sFoley's

The starters were perhaps my favourite part of the lunch. Korean BBQ charcoal grilled chicken ‘burnt ends’ were addictively good served with a spicy vinegar dipping sauce. Aubergine with pomegranate, dates, chilli lime yoghurt and puffed quinoa was a suped-up version of Ottolenghi’s grilled aubergines, with a lovely sweetness from the dates and a contrasting zing from the lime and chilli. A little taste of Italy came in the form of Truffle potato agnolotti with cauliflower, rocket, hazelnuts and parmesan… a little out of place amongst the fusion menu of Foley’s but very tasty nonetheless.

Foley'sFoley's

The daily lunch menu offers some of Foley’s best dishes at the very reasonable price of £20 for three courses. I recommend the Pork Belly with apple and swede vermicelli, buttermilk and toasted cashews. It was a lovely piece of meat, cooked to perfection so the fat was melting away to give a lovely rich and velvety taste. The Keralan duck with ginger and parsnip puree was also a delicious main course, with accents of coriander and coconut reminding me of the Indian influence.

Foley'sFoley's

Desserts were a mix of unusual flavours and textures. Lemongrass, lychee and thai basil pannacotta was a little too much like solidified Thai curry, but the ‘Fat Boy Elvis’ was a more successful pudding. This decadent dish is made up of chocolate chip banana cake, banana cream, peanut butter nougat and bacon & strawberry jam. I liked the saccarine sweet mix of banana, chocolate and peanuts, though the jam was a little too much for me.

Every Sunday, head chef Mitz Vora hosts ‘off-menu’ tasting sessions for 10 guests at a time. These evenings are priced at £65 per person for which you will be treated to 6 special courses inspired by the flavours of India and the Middle East. If you can’t make it to a weekend feast, Foley’s is equally good for afterwork cocktails and small snacks with friends, or a romantic dinner for two.

More information and book a table here.