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Inn the Park

18 Dec

The joys of living in London. There is literally always somewhere new to visit. Despite living only a twenty minute walk from St James’s Park in my first year of university I never visited. And despite having worked no more than a ten minute walk from the park for over a year, I still never visited. Until last weekend.

I have heard may good things about Inn the Park, which is a cafe / restaurant from Oliver Peyton of Peyton and Byrne fame. You might also know him off the tele – his face has graced our screens on Great British Menu for a while now.

We visited last Saturday at 2.45pm, which was the last lunch sitting of the day. It was a beautiful crisp (very cold!) day in London and the warmth that greeted us as we walked through the door was very welcome indeed.

We were seated and provided with the lunch menu. Almost immediately I knew what I wanted to order. Jack and I pretty much always share so that we can taste more of the menu and we decided on the wild mushroom soup with girolles and rosemary oil and a beetroot salad with whipped goats curd and a salted walnut praline to start, followed by grilled crown Prince squash with baked barley and chestnuts and grilled herb chicken with bubble and squeak and chestnuts for main. We shared a dessert but I’ll go into that later.

The mushroom soup was not quite what I expected. The soup itself was a little too thick, lacked seasoning and the girolles that sat on top were a little bland. There was not enough of the rosemary oil and the flavour didn’t really shine through. The beetroot salad however was a different story. Not only did the plate look extremely pretty, the range of flavours on the plate complimented each other very well. The salted walnut praline was dotted about and hidden in the pillowy goats curd so that each mouthful was a joyous mix of creamy goats curd, sweet beetroot and sweet and crunchy walnut praline.

Our mains were just as impressive. Both were presented well with balanced flavours. The chicken was delightfully tender, the bubble and squeak seasoned perfectly. The chestnuts gave the dish a new texture dimension and finished it off well. Both of us adore squash and had always thought Polpo serves the best dish – pumpkin with speck, cheese and pumpkin seeds. Inn the Park has a dish to rival this with the Prince squash. Again, chestnuts featured on the plate but this was no bad thing.

We were full but felt that we just had to try a dessert. We opted for the treacle tart with clotted cream and it arrived very quickly. It was a mini tart for one with a perfectly formed scoop of cream on top. At first I was disappointed that the tart wasn’t warm but then I realised that a treacle tart is hardly ever warm and by the second mouthful I was in heaven. The cream was thick, dense and utterly moreish. The tart filling was sweet, the pastry crumbly.

It wasn’t just the food that I enjoyed at Inn the Park. I loved the decor – Mid Century Modern, all encased in a wooden shell. The view wasn’t half bad either from where I was sitting. We left Inn the Park and had a quick stroll around the park before darkness got the better of the day. I am looking forward to heading back to Inn the Park in the warmer months so that I can enjoy the beautiful surroundings al fresco. Roll on summer.

For further information, please visit the Inn the Park website.

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Penks Queens Park

20 Jan

Looking to buy a flat has been a long and very laborious task. London is a big city and over the last year we have found it exceptionally hard to pin down one area where we really want to set our roots. But I’m pleased to say that after what seems like a lifetime, we have found it. The area in question? The lovely leafy Queens Park.

We have spent the last couple of weekends walking around and sampling what the area has to offer. Of course the first test was brunch. And having seen Penks made it into the top brunches in London list on Time Out recently, it was only fair to pay them a visit.

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As we walked through the door at 10am, we were greeted by two staff and an empty dining room. I was slightly confused as the Salusbury café across the road was considerably busier and I had found nothing online about this place. Still, we persevered with Penks and enjoyed a leisurely brunch. The menu consists of the usual cooked breakfasts, a veggie option, and healthy options such as muesli. We both opted for pancakes – one with mixed berries, crème fraiche and maple syrup and the other with hot chocolate sauce and crème fraiche.

I have to say that presentation wasn’t a strong point but the pancakes were light and fluffy and there was just the right ratio of sauce to pancake. My boyfriend polished off the chocolate sauce smothered pancakes and confessed that maybe chocolate sauce and crème fraiche was slightly too much for breakfast.

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I agree with Time Out that the breakfast options are good but I was sadly disappointed with the coffee. We both ordered lattes, which resembled a glass of warm milk more than a coffee. I have become custom to good coffee being served at all good brunch establishments so I’m hoping they can improve on that. After all, a morning coffee is so important!

I’m not sure I’d hurry back to Penks in the morning, especially not before trying the other brunch offerings in the area (and there are a few) but I will be heading back to check out the dinner menu as the restaurant has a lovely local bistro feel to it and I’m sure there is a great atmosphere when busy. I can imagine cosying up in Penks on a crisp evening with a nice glass of red and good company.

Penks
79 Salusbury Road
London
NW6 6NH
020 7604 4484

Penk's on Urbanspoon

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Granger & Co

27 Dec

It’s the day before Christmas Eve in West London. A black car sits waiting by the curb across the road from a grand London townhouse. Young professionals wander down the streets and into boutiques for a spot of last minute Christmas shopping. Mark Ronson casually walks across the road and clambers into the black car, careful not to knock his large white hat on the way in. Passers by don’t look twice. Such sightings are normal in these parts.

Across the road, a new restaurant buzzes. Granger & Co, the first and long awaited London based restaurant from Bill Granger, Australian culinary God, opened in November.

A long bar runs down the right hand side at which diners sit, casually eating their food whilst watching baristas perfecting their latte art. Objects adhering to the gold and cream colour theme adorn the bar and the windowsills around the room, including a beautiful lamp that I wished I could slip into my handbag. Tan leather banquets line the dining room, which the morning brunch brigade fills, along with a number of tables in the middle of the room.

The restaurant features an all day casual dining menu and is another to follow the ever popular no booking policy. As brunch is my favourite meal of the day, we arrived at 10.30am and snagged a table in the window.

We ordered two flat whites (£2.50) to start and I was delighted to see that the beans are sourced from Allpress Espresso. Anyone who knows me will be well aware that I have trawled London for the last year looking for the perfect flat white. And I think I have finally found it. Never have I had milk so silky, the perfect temperature, the coffee just the right strength.

The menu features sweet dishes such as bircher mueli (£5), toasted grain cereal (£5) and porridge (£5), alongside a range of specials from the bakery, including daily baked muffins (£2.75), toasted coconut bread £4.40) and gravalax & fresh curd with rye (£10.50). Customers can also enjoy ‘Bill’s Classics’ such as sweetcorn fritters with roast tomato, spinach & bacon (£11.90) or ricotta hotcakes with fresh banana & honeycomb butter (£10.50).

If I wasn’t already excited enough about the coffee, I spotted that the bread is supplied by the St John Bakery, which is, in my eyes, the best bakery in London. My sweet tooth would usually beg me to order the ricotta hotcakes but something was drawing me to a dish that I have never seen on a breakfast menu before – mozzarella & sage toasted sandwich (£7). We also ordered the avocado on rye with lime & coriander (£5.60), a dish that I had for breakfast nearly every day when I was in Australia.

The toasted sandwich was served on two doorstep slices of sourdough bread, which was heavily oiled and deeply filled with creamy buffalo mozzarella and fresh sage. The mozzarella left welcome a milky residue on the bread and I enjoyed this dish more and more after each mouthful.

The avocado on rye bread was also a delight. Perfectly ripe avocado placed on a thick wedge of rye bread, lightly toasted and doused in extra virgin olive oil, served with sprigs of coriander and a wedge of lime.

As both of us were eyeing up the banana & chocolate bread with fresh ricotta (£4.40), we ordered a portion to share for dessert, along with another couple of flat whites. The bread was light and fluffy, although ever so slightly dry, but the fresh ricotta was on hand to correct this minor problem.

The bill arrived (no, not that one unfortunately) and we were pleasantly surprised to see that it came to a mere £30, including service charge, for a whole load of delicious, fresh and unbeatable breakfast dishes in a calming and beautiful surrounding. I’ve already planned my trip back next week.

Granger & Co
175 Westbourne Grove
London
W11 2SB
0207 229 9111

Granger & Co on Urbanspoon

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Harvey Nichols Fifth Floor Café revamp

29 Nov

When I think of Harvey Nichols, the line ‘Harvey Nicks darrrling’ immediately pops into my head and stays there on repeat until something else grabs my attention. Thanks Jennifer Saunders. Ab Fab was always on in my house when I was growing up. I loved it. I would have been so proud had I known at the time that I would one day be following in Edina’s footsteps and working in PR darrrrrling. But I can safely say that I don’t quite live the Ab Fab lifestyle, honestly…

Harvey Nichols Fifth Floor Café has just undergone its first refurb in twenty years. EDGE Architecture + Design has designed the interior and created distinctive features such as a new horseshoe shaped Espresso Bar and an open plan kitchen. Executive Chef Jonas Karlsson and his team have created a range of new dishes, many using new and seasonal produce from The Foodmarket and I was invited to test it out last week. I arrived early and sipped a jasmine tea (£2.95) whilst I waited for my friend. Upon arrival, all flummoxed, he asked why I had ordered jasmine tea. I think I may have panic ordered as it’s not something I’d normally go for. And I didn’t really enjoy it. I found it a little watery and after peeking inside the pot to see why, I saw a lone tea bag floating around. It perhaps could have benefitted from two bags to create a stronger taste, considering the pot was large enough for over two cups.

We perused the menu and after I forbid him to order a Full English, because it’s too boring, we settled on Fried Eggs with Chorizo and Eggs Benedict with brioche. Having been out for breakfast every day so far that week (and this was Thursday), I was hoping for a moderate portion.

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But first we ordered a couple of juices. I opted for the Green Juice (£5), a mixture of cucumber, apple, celery and lemon as it sounded healthy, just what I needed after a hectic week. Also, another friend had tweeted an image of her super green juice the day before, which also contained cucumber and celery and I thought I’d try it as I’ve never been big on vegetable juices and was on the verge of being persuaded that they’re a good idea. My friend went for the Glamour juice (£5), which turned out to be a beautiful orange carrot and apple juice with a huge ginger kick – perfect for waking you up in the morning. I didn’t enjoy mine quite as much – but I think that’s because of my personal taste. I adore cucumber to eat but drinking it is a different story.

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The breakfasts arrived shortly after and I was happy to see that my wish for a moderate portion had come true with the Fried Eggs and Chorizo (£7.95). Baked chorizo and tomato is one of my favourite combinations but add eggs and a thick slice of toast and I’m in heaven. The Eggs Benedict (£9.75) was also delicious, although I think I prefer the dish with English muffins. That’s not to say that the brioche wasn’t a good addition, because it was.

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The café serves Illy coffee and my latte was smooth, creamy and topped with a nice bit of latte art. I’m always impressed by latte art, I think it shows that the barista has paid attention to my creamy cup of goodness and has lovingly prepared the pretty image, rather than just spilling the milk out of the jug into the cup willy nilly.

After breakfast, my friend decided that he wanted pudding. Interesting. So he ordered a bowl of yoghurt and honey, which wasn’t actually on the menu. It cleanses your palate apparently. The waiter obliged and soon after placed the bowl down on the table. I tasted it and was impressed – very soothing and I have to say it did clean my palate.

I’d like to go back in the summer and sit outside on the terrace, which overlooks Knightsbridge, although it’s not overly large so I imagine it’s hard to snag a table. The new Fifth Floor Café definitely gets a thumbs up from me – the environment is pleasant and calming and you have the bonus of being able to browse the fantastic produce of The Foodmarket on your way out. If you visit I bet you end up buying something. I just bet.

Breakfast served Monday – Saturday 8am – 12 noon.

Harvey Nichols Fifth Floor Café
109 – 125 Knightsbridge
London
SW1X 7RJ
Tel: 020 7235 5000

Harvey Nichols Fifth Floor Restaurant, Cafe & Bar on Urbanspoon

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Lemon olive oil cake recipe

22 Nov

Olive oil cake. What’s all that about then? Well, let me tell you.

I first came across cake baked with olive oil at Towpath in Dalston last year. Towpath, if you are wondering, is a delightful little café on the canal in Dalston, run by writer Lori De Mori and photographer Jason Lowe.

I wasn’t brave enough at the time to try it, despite reading that it was very delicious. But ever since that day I have been contemplating baking a cake with olive oil, rather than butter. I’ve baked with vegetable oil before and been impressed with the results, but it was only when I was in touch with the lovely team at Nudo that I finally bit the bullet.

I was sent a tin of Nudo Extra Virgin olive oil with lemons to try, which I decided I would use to bake a lemon loaf cake. Good choice. I found this recipe on Completely Delicious and substituted the lemons and extra virgin olive oil for my nifty little tin of Nudo.

The whipped egg whites made the cake unbelievably light, while the olive oil kept in the moisture and gave it a fantastic lemon flavour. I wouldn’t have been able to tell that there was no lemon zest involved if I had bought a slice from a café.

I didn’t bother with lemon icing as I don’t like icing but instead I dusted it with icing sugar. A lemon drizzle would have been nice but it’s definitely not needed. Maybe next time.

This cake is definitely best served with a cup of tea. Try it!

Lemon Olive Oil Cake

Makes 1 loaf cake

Ingredients

180ml Nudo Extra Virgin olive oil with lemons
150g plain flour
5 egg yolks
4 egg whites
170g golden caster sugar
Icing sugar to dust

Method

Preheat oven to 180 degrees C. Greast a loaf pan with olive oil and line with parchment paper.

1. Beat the egg yolks and 110g sugar together at a high speed until thick and pale. Reduce the speed and slowly add the olive oil. Add the flour and fold in gently with a wooden spoon or spatula
2. In a separate bowl (or transfer the batter to another bowl and wash the bowl if using a stand mixer), add the egg whites and beat on a high speed until thick and foamy. Slowly add the remaining 60g of sugar and beat to soft peaks.
3. Fold the egg whites into the batter until just combined. Pour into the cake tin and bake for 50 minutes, or until a skewer comes out clean
4. Dust with icing sugar and enjoy!

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Ottolenghi caramel and macadamia cheesecake recipe

17 Nov

A few years ago I found myself exploring an area of London that I had never been before. It was a far cry from the areas that I had been spending so much of my time during university. As I was casually meandering down Upper Street in Islington, I stopped dead in my tracks when I caught glimpse of the biggest meringues I had ever seen out of the corner of my eye. Now, even though I don’t really care much for meringues, what was beyond the mountain of giant white rock like meringues flecked with luscious red raspberry was utterly appealing. I stepped inside, amongst the hustle and bustle and gawped at the array of freshly baked cakes that lay in front of me for a good ten minutes before I decided on which one I wanted to take away with me. I’m not very good at making decisions at the best of times so present me with a huge range of delicious looking cakes and we have a problem.

Stood on a cake stand was a baked cheesecake with a muddle of caramelized macadamia nuts on top. It was the most rustic looking cake out of the bunch – the rest had been so perfectly created and each one stood in uniform like a bunch of neat soldiers on parade. I took it away in a box and shortly after the first bite declared it the best cake I had ever eaten. The café in question is, of course, Ottolenghi in Islington. Co owner and chef Yotam Ottolenghi is, in my eyes, a genius. After going on and on to my friend about the cake, she took note and bought me his first cookbook for my birthday a couple of years ago. The first thing I did was flick through the back pages to see if the cheesecake recipe was featured. And it was. I was so happy. But despite having the book for so long, I had never attempted baking it, until last weekend when I had friends around for a dinner party. It was the perfect opportunity.

You need a lot of time and patience with this cake as there are a few different stages. I would recommend setting a few hours aside at the weekend. I couldn’t believe how well it turned out, particularly as I’ve had a couple of caramel disasters in my time. Another bonus is that it keeps in the fridge for three days afterwards (if you can make it last that long). I urge you to bake this cake. The lucky people who get to eat it will love you forever.

Caramel and macadamia cheesecake

Serves 8-10

Ingredients

For the cheesecake
400g good quality ricotta cheese, at room temperature
(if it seems too watery, hang it in muslin overnight to drain)
200g good quality cream cheese, at room temperature
120g caster sugar
2/3 vanilla pod
4 free-range eggs, lightly beaten
60ml soured cream
Icing sugar for dusting

For the base
160g dry biscuits
(I used HobNobs, but you can use any digestive biscuits)
40g unsalted butter, melted

For the nut topping
150g macadamia nuts
90g caster sugar

For the caramel sauce
65g unsalted butter
160g caster sugar
100ml whipping (or double) cream

Method

Preheat the oven to 140ºC/Gas Mark 1. Lightly grease a 20cm springform cake tin and line the base and sides with baking parchment.

To make the base, whiz the biscuits to crumbs in a food processor (or put them in a plastic bag and bash with a mallet or rolling pin). Mix with the melted butter to a wet, sandy consistency. Transfer to the lined tin and flatten with the back of a tablespoon to create a level base.

To make the cake batter, put the sugar and cream cheese in a mixing bowl. Slit the vanilla pod lengthways in half and, using a sharp knife, scrape the seeds out into the bowl. Whisk by hand, or more easily with an electric mixer, until smooth. Gradually add the eggs and soured cream, whisking until smooth. Pour the mixture over the biscuit base and place in the oven. Bake for about 60 minutes, until set; a skewer inserted in the centre should come out with a slightly wet crumb attached. Leave to cool at room temperature, then remove the side of the tin. Transfer the cake to a cake board or plate – but you can serve from the tin base if that proves tricky. Now chill the cake for at least a couple of hours.

To prepare the nut topping, scatter the nuts over a baking sheet and roast in the oven at 140ºC/Gas Mark 1 for about 15 minutes, until golden. Remove from the oven and set aside. Line a baking tray with baking parchment. Place the sugar in a saucepan with a very thick base (it is important that the layer of sugar is not more than 3mm high in the pan, so choose a large one). Heat the sugar gently until it turns into a golden-brown caramel. Do not stir it at any stage. Don’t worry if some small bits of sugar don’t totally dissolve. Carefully add the toasted nuts and mix gently with a wooden spoon. When most of the nuts are coated in caramel, pour them on to the lined tray and leave to set. Break bits off and chop them very roughly with a large knife. It’s nice to leave some of the nuts just halved or even whole.

To make the sauce, put the butter and sugar in a thick-bottomed saucepan and stir constantly over a medium heat with a wooden spoon until it becomes a smooth, dark caramel. The butter and sugar will look as if they have split. Don’t worry; just keep on stirring. Once the desired colour is reached, carefully add the cream while stirring vigourously. Remove from the heat and leave to cool.

To finish the cake, dust the edges and sides with plenty of icing sugar. Spoon the sauce in the centre, allowing it to spill over a little. Scatter lots of caramelised nuts on top. The cheesecake will keep in the fridge for 3 days.

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Bill’s Covent Garden

19 Oct

I have wanted to go for breakfast at Bill’s in Covent Garden for a while. Last week I finally made it down and had a delicious breakfast with Helen.

Bill, for those who don’t know, is a man with a true passion for fruit and veg. He started off in a shed donated to him by his father and eventually set up his first café in his hometown of Lewes on the South Coast. There are now five Bill’s cafés dotted around the UK, including the London venue in St Martin’s Courtyard, Covent Garden.

Walk into the deli and be wowed by the vibrant colours. Fresh and seasonal vegetables hang from baskets and carefully sourced deli products span from floor to ceiling and include brands such as Brindisa. Olive oil, Ortiz anchovies, paella rice, cakes, you name it.

The breakfast menu features dishes such as full English, a veggie version along with sweet offerings such as waffles, eggs any way you want them and even bubble and squeak. Yum.

I opted for the full English (£7.95), something that I practically never order but fancied a change that morning. Helen went for the veggie version (£7.95), which included guacamole and hummus. Both were a good size and included two slices of toast. I have to say I think Helen’s had the edge with a delicious looking blob of guacamole!

We also ordered a couple of coffees. Now this is the only part of the breakfast that I wasn’t impressed with. I asked for a soya milk latte first time around and I’m almost certain it was normal milk. I only realised when I sipped my second order, a flat white that wasn’t really a flat white at all, more a milky coffee with a bit of froth on top. It tasted completely different to my ‘soy milk latte’. I probably should have queried at the time but thought it might be more hassle than it was worth.

Despite the disappointing coffee, the experience was enjoyable and I’d definitely go back to try one of the sweet offerings.

Breakfast for two with four coffees cost £22.56 inc service, which I thought was good value for money.

Covent Garden
28 St Martin’s Courtyard
London
WC2E 9AB
0207 240818

Bill's on Urbanspoon

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Caravan Exmouth Market – brunch

18 Oct

If you haven’t been for brunch at Caravan yet, I suggest you do. I have reviewed the coffee at Caravan before but this is the time for brunch, finally!

Based on the corner of Exmouth Market, Caravan produces the finest coffee and excellent brunch dishes. I visited a few weeks ago, when it was still warm enough to sit outside and enjoyed a leisurely brunch before heading to visit a few of the Design Week exhibitions.

Firstly I ordered an orange juice, which I pretty much never do because I don’t trust most places to bring me something freshly squeezed and not five times the price it should be. But I knew Caravan would be different. And it was. The bright orange, bitty, tangy and sweet at the same time was a delight to start with whilst we patiently waited for a table outside.

The table came and we sat down. I ordered a flat white and tried to choose my food order carefully. I had a hard time deciding, everything looked good! I had recently made the Bill Granger coconut loaf and I saw a coconut loaf with fruit and lemon curd cream cheese shining out at me from the menu.

Jack opted for the corn bread French toast with bacon, rocket and avocado, which was to make me envious.

The dishes arrived and I was slightly disappointed by the portion size of my coconut bread. It looked measly in comparison to Jacks mountain of corn bread, luscious tomatoes and handsome leaves. Had I made the wrong choice?

I savoured my dish. The yoghurt was tangy and sweet, a perfect addition to the moist yet fluffy bread. I had definitely not made the wrong choice.

I was nearing the end when Jack caught sight of a hair on his plate. And it wasn’t his. The staff, extremely attentive and very apologeic took the dish back to the kitchen and offered for a new one to be brought out. But Jack kindly refused (I’m not sure why). As compensation, they took all of our drinks off the bill, which worked out to be a better deal than just taking the one dish off.

Yes there was a hair in his dish but that can happen to anyone, at any restaurant, anywhere. I wouldn’t let it put you off and it’s definitely not put me off. When can I next go back to try that corn bread?!

Caravan
11-13 Exmouth Market
London
EC1R 4QD
020 7833 8115

Caravan on Urbanspoon

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Mooli’s summer menu

16 May

Mooli’s opened nearly two years ago on Frith Street in Soho, one of London’s busiest restaurant areas. Born out of a passion and a pining for good Indian street food, founders Sam and Mathew traveled around India for months for recipe inspiration.

I live in an area with a large Indian community and while fantastic authentic food is plentiful at cheap restaurants nearby, I have noticed that these are somewhat lacking in Central London. The only other good value (and by this I mean cheap) Indian restaurant (apart from Mooli’s) that I could recommend is Dishoom, who, by the way, has a pop up restaurant on the Southbank this summer.

However, Mooli’s isn’t your typical curry house. They serve a range of Indian wraps, which they call Mooli’s. Also on the menu are a fantastic range of side dishes, plus delicious lassi. They even have an alcohol license so you can enjoy a nice cold bottle of beer or a crisp glass of wine with your dinner, or lunch if you like that kind of thing. All food is freshly made on site – even the bread in a machine that they call their ‘Moolita’, which is basically a roti making machine. It is fired up every morning to create fresh, delicious roti breads that do not contain any nasties.

I have dined at Mooli’s many times and recommended it to many friends but last week I was invited to try their new menu, which was created to reflect the recent spate of sunshine that we have been having and celebrate the warm (hopefully) months ahead.

It’s a good job that I turned up hungry. I was greeted by Mathew who told me that he wanted me to try everything. So I sat down on my own and was stared at by the lunch customers behind me queuing to get their lunch time fix. On my tray was a mini pork Mooli (this is not new but is my favourite so Mathew threw one into the mix), a new chicken Mooli, a superfood salad, cool cucumber Raita, a superfood salad and a rose and cinnamon lassi.

The new chicken Mooli was delicious. The chicken is cooked with herby and aromatic fenugreek leaves and lentils. I particularly enjoted the crunchy pickled turnips. All of this is joined by a tangy and cooling yoghurt raita. This is replacement for the old chicken Mooli and although I never tried to old one, I’m hoping this one is around to stay.

I was also lucky enough to get a portion of the aloo papdi chaat, which isn’t usually available until after 3pm. I love potato curries so this dish went down very well, even more so because it contained chick peas. This is a slight change from their old potato and chick pea side and is topped off with crisp papdi and ruby red pomegranate seeds.

Also on the side was the cooling cucumber raita. Now, I don’t think that any of Mooli’s dishes are too spicy so I didn’t exactly NEED the raita. But want and need are two different things and I definitely wanted it. Cucumber is one of my favourite foods (I have taken a stick and peeled it with a knife in my hand to eat it as a snack for as long as I can remember) and teamed with yoghurt makes for a cooling, refreshing side dish.

The rose and cinnamon lassi was utterly delicious. Unfortunately, I just couldn’t finish it off due to the amount of food on my tray. I am not one to EVER leave food on my plate so was disappointed when I took my last mouthful – the food had defeated me.

I love this place. It has great food at fantastic prices, a good array of music blares out and every customer looks as though they are thoroughly enjoying what they are putting in their mouths.

Mooli’s
50 Frith Street
London
W1D 4SQ

Mooli's on Urbanspoon

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Petersham Nurseries Teahouse

10 Apr

The winter that we have just endured felt particularly long so I was overjoyed with the weather today.

I spent most of my time this weekend basking in the sunshine outdoors, and on Sunday I hopped on my bike to cycle to Richmond for a salad, a pot of tea and a slice of cake at the Petersham Nurseries Teahouse.

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My boyfriend and I do this a few times over the summer and this was our first visit of the year. I still haven’t dined at the newly Michelin star awarded cafe, which is run by Skye Gyngell but I’m perfectly content with the salads and cake on offer at the Teahouse.

We grabbed the last table in the sun and went inside to order. It’s not table service, which to me is a good thing because it allows you to see the fantastic array of freshly baked cakes on offer. After choosing my cake (rhubarb and polenta), I perused the menu and opted for the faro butternut squash salad.

I have never eaten faro before but would liken it to pearl barley – it has a delicious nutty crunch. The sunflower seeds in the salad were also a welcome addition. Dressed with peppery rocket leaves and olive oil, the salad was an absolute hit. The only downside was the portion size, for £7.50 it was slightly on the small side.

My boyfriend decided that he wanted the flour-less chocolate cake so went back to buy a portion plus a pot of tea. His cake was very nice, the nuts had been whizzed in the food processor before being added to the cake, which gave it a great crunch.

I much preferred my rhubarb and polenta cake however. It had a subtle ginger spice to it whist being crumbly and light. The perfect afternoon treat with a cup of tea.

There are a fantastic range of beautiful plants, herbs and garden furniture for sale around the nurseries and the place has a laid back atmosphere, despite actually being rather busy!

I love my summer cycle to Peterham Nurseries. Next time I’m going to book a table for the cafe – having looked at the sample menu, I just can’t resist.

Petersham Nurseries Teahouse
Church Lane, Off Petersham Road
Petersham
Richmond
Surrey
TW10 7AG
020 8605 3627

Sent from my iPhone

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