Eat + Drink – The Cultural Exposé

Oslo do a mean roast but here’s why we’re liking the summer menu too

Matilda — Sun, 17 Jun 2018 21:33:58 +0000

When Oslo opened in 2014, it was a major coup for Hackney Central – an area more notorious for its charming shabbiness than its potential to house a Nordic-inspired restaurant / club / bar that’s a stone throw away from the station. Four years on and it’s settled into the neighbourhood nicely, earning a rep for its Sunday roasts and live music nights.

Oslo’s latest move is a new, revamped menu in time for summer. New additions on the menu include:

Cod Bolinhos (cod croquettes)
Nordic Poke
Grønn Salad
Spiced Halloumi Sub
Poussin

On a recent visit, I went for the poussin – a tender, whole roasted baby chicken, finished off with a sweet balsamic glaze, and accompanied by a respectable thai salad and quality fries. It was more than a sufficient lunch – although my plus one and I couldn’t help but order the impressive banoffee sliders for dessert (a menu standard, but pretty extraordinary).

Of course, when the sun’s out, the last thing anyone wants to do is dine indoors, but on those days when the weather’s misbehaving, Oslo’s at least a destination that, unlike our summers, won’t disappoint.

Check out pics from my visit below:

To check out the menu or plan a visit, head over to their website oslohackney.com.

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Bill’s relaunched – and it’s brilliant

Matilda — Sat, 31 Mar 2018 13:23:18 +0000

The first time I visited a Bill’s restaurant, it was love at first sight. Well, first bite – of a mini donut. Those fluffs of doughy cinnamon-y goodness were exceptional, and quite telling of an establishment that looked and felt as warm a countryside kitchen. Alas, that was nearly four years ago during a summer in Cambridge, and since then, Bill’s hasn’t exactly been on the top of my hit list – simply because I’m on a bit of a health streak and have taken my eating out down a notch. But judging by a new and improved menu, Bill’s has cottoned on to the healthy restaurants trend, and nailed it.

I was recently invited to try out the new weekend brunch menu, which now includes healthy sharing plates and green smoothies – just the sort of place you’d want to swing by after a workout. Personal highlights included a moreish beetroot and goats cheese aranchini, and an extremely tasty panfried chicken with truffle and mushroom, with a side of seasonal veg. But there’s still loads of gorgeous, well-prepared menu item for anyone having a cheat day (like the incredible – and ginormous – Bill’s fish finger and prawn sandwich ). A special shoutout also goes to the melting banoffee sundae, which is as heavenly as it sounds.

Plus, it doesn’t hurt that the Covent Garden branch has had a sweet refurb, with the sort of interiors that were made for Instagram. Check out pics from my recent visit below…

Have you been to Bill’s recently? What’s your verdict? Let me know in the comments!

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What I’ve been up to… eating all the poké in London (for real)

Matilda — Tue, 25 Apr 2017 07:30:05 +0000

I’m not ashamed to admit I’m a tad late to the poké game: exactly nine months late. But hey, who’s counting? All that matters is that I’ve finally discovered poké in London – and I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t hooked on this tasty Hawaiian salad bowl, big time. In fact, I don’t think a week’s gone by where I haven’t tucked into a bowl on my lunch break (thanks to a very timely invitation from the guys at Hone Poké on Dean Street). So here are three reasons why you need to get involved with this foodie trend, asap:

Poké is life – fact

Sure, there’s many other things that sustain us on a daily basis – like water and oxygen – but there’s just something about poké that feels like you could eat it for the rest of your days and die quite happily, knowing it was part of your diet. It’s that good.

It’s better than sushi

To break it down, poké is like a combination of all the best bits of sushi with some added extras to become a super salad of all things right in the world. Some call it a natural progression from sushi, and I can see that. Except the marinated raw fish is a very big deal in poké. Now I totally appreciate some of y’all might freak out at the idea of raw fish, but it’s so expertly prepared you’ve got nothing to worry about (and FYI, raw fish in the UK has to to be frozen to death – literally – thanks to EU freezing laws to ensure it’s not dodgy).

There are a few places where you can try poké in London

I had my very first poké bowl from Tombo on D’Arblay Street in Soho. They do a lovely classic one made with salmon or tuna, sesame soy, edamame beans, onions and nori (from £6.95 to takeaway – poké aint cheap y’all!). Or if you want something a bit fancier or made up to your tastes, Honi Poke on Dean Street is a really good shout. I’ve also heard good things about Ahi Poké in Fitzrovia (and they’re planning on opening another branch in Victoria).

Have you tried poké yet? Let me know in the comments!

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Somewhere you should go… Chuku’s Nigerian tapas pop-up lounge

Matilda — Tue, 07 Mar 2017 08:30:35 +0000

We all know London’s got its fair share of restaurants with cool, creative concepts – but when it comes to the number of places reppin’ for the food of my heritage, you’re having a laugh. To be fair, let’s just say they’re few and far between, which is what makes the innovative Chuku’s a welcome addition to the capital’s foodie scene.

First launched in August 2015 by siblings Emeka and Ifeyinwa Frederick, the lounge takes some of the best bit of Naija cuisine to create a laidback and accessible dining experience – or what they’ve dubbed #chopchatchill. It doesn’t hurt that quality of the food is fantastic either. Shout out to the jellof quinoa!

If you fancy experiencing Chuku’s for yourself, they’ve extended their takeover of The Canvas Cafe off Brick Lane and will be there on Thursdays and Fridays from March 9th (6-10pm). They take walk-ins or you can find out how to book here. Check out pics from my recent visit below

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Somewhere you should go… Clerkenwell Grind

Matilda — Thu, 26 Jan 2017 07:39:50 +0000

When I first heard the name ‘Clerkenwell Grind’, I can’t say I was interested. It sounded like coffee was involved, and I don’t tend to have many nice nor necessarily terrible things to say about that beverage (except for the days I’m dog tired and that bitter nectar is the only thing that can fix me). Anyway, I was a bit hasty in my judgement. It turns out that not only is Clerkenwell Grind is a very cool, very reasonably-priced place in an old warehouse building to go for food and cocktails, but you don’t need to love coffee to visit. But if you do, you’ll be pleased to know that, like all of the other Grind branches (there are loads), they’ve nailed that too.

Clerkenwell Grind: one for the hit list

I was invited to try CG a few days after Christmas. Given the timing and its location in the city, the atmosphere was pretty dead that evening – but the excellent food more than made up for it. I had a gorgeous fig starter, followed by a perfectly grilled sea bass with kale on the side. And if I wasn’t on my low-cal diet at the time, I would’ve wrapped up dinner with the lemon cheesecake because there are few things better in life than LEMON CHEESECAKE.

So if you work in the Clerkenwell / Barbican / Old Street areas, Clerkenwell Grind should definitely be on the hit list, if only to let me know what you think of it. I reckon you’ll be impressed. In the meantime, check out pics from my visit below:

Find out more about the Grind restaurants.

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Four reasons why should fondue at The Lodge Clapham

Matilda — Sat, 07 Jan 2017 14:05:53 +0000

I’m 16 days into my Dry January / Death to Sugar / Eat More Greens detox diet – but all I can think about is cheese. Well, more precisely, the fondue I had at The Lodge Clapham a few months back. The ski lodge style restaurant knows how to do a good one along with a few other slick dishes – and it’s all courtesy of pop-up king Jimmy Garcia. Here are four reasons why you should visit once you’ve ditched the diet (which I’m so close to doing #prayforme):

It’s different

This cosy 60-seater has nailed the authentic decor – so if you’ve can’t splash out on that holiday to the Swiss alps, at least you can fake it in Clapham (I won’t tell if you don’t).

The food’s really good

The fondue’s the biggie here, but on our visit we were also loving sauteed green beans, the shallot fritters and the plum bakewell for afters.

You’ll get your money’s worth

You can either get a giant pot of fondue with all the trimmings (bread, potatoes, salad) for £24 per person – or there’s the £33 option that comes with a selection of side plates and the satisfaction that you’ll probably need to roll all way home. You’ll be stuffed.

It’s handy for south Londoners

It’s tucked away in a residential area but it’s quite a nice thing to find in a local neighbourhood down south.

Find out more at www.thelodgeclapham.com/jimmys-popup.

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Something you should do… brunch at the Social Pantry in Battersea

Matilda — Fri, 04 Nov 2016 07:57:13 +0000

You know what’s great? Brunch. Saturday brunch. Saturday brunch in places that understand how to make the unique marriage of breakfast and lunch go the distance – you know, ’til death do them part or until ‘Linner’, ‘Dunch’, ‘Lupper’, or ‘Sunch’ ever becomes a thing (although, I highly doubt it). I don’t mind if the menu’s a little more breakfast-y, but give me some dope teas, some cakes, some good tunes and just vibes and I’ll rate you. So Social Pantry, consider yourself highly rated.

This lovely cafe is on Lavender Hill and it won a Time Out Love London Award in 2015 for being the best cafe in Battersea. It’s easy to see why. They do brunch, a proper good one too, judging by the queue I walked past when I was invited down a fortnight ago.

A lovely spot with alot going on

I loved my fry-up, which came from a seasonal and creative menu, with produce sourced from the likes of Ginger Pig. But next time, I’ll try to squeeze in their beans on toast – it’s made with cannellini, kidney & butter beans served in cajun sauce. MATE.

Aside from brunches, this lovely spot seems to have alot going on with supperclubs, catering and their charity work to help young offenders, which is brilliant. But for even more reasons why you should get here the next time you’re in the area, head over to the Social Pantry website.

And check out snaps from my recent visit below:

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Somewhere you should eat… Fumo Covent Garden

Matilda — Sat, 29 Oct 2016 17:38:59 +0000

I rarely have anything nice to say about Birmingham. It’s where we first landed from Texas in 1993 (cue culture shock and many years of trauma), and in the six unfortunate years I lived there, the food, culture and nightlife scenes simply couldn’t live up to what was happening in the place that would eventually become my home – London. Love you girl.

But it’s funny what can happen in 23 years. Unbeknownst to me, Birmingham was the city where Sicilian entrepreneur Carlo Distefano opened his very first San Carlo restaurant in 1992, a classy, glam Italian eatery that’s been a go-to for celebs, sport stars and other seriously moneyed people. Well played second city, well played. Carlo would open more restaurants in Bristol, Leicester and Manchester, winning awards in the process, then launch a whole bunch of off-shoots in London (Cicchetti and Signor Sassi) before his new arrival in town, Fumo.

Fumo Covent Garden: Expect flavoursome and beautiful seasonal dishes

Manchester and Birmingham had dibs on Fumo ages ago with their own branches, yet the fact that it’s now come to London speaks volumes, especially when this town has its fair share of excellent places to eat. But the truth is, Fumo Covent Garden is truly in a class of its own. And it’s SO DAMN BEAUTIFUL. To set it apart from the other San Carlo spots, the focus here is on small plates (aka “cicchetti”) and cocktails. Flavoursome and beautiful seasonal dishes represent all different regions of Italy so can you can expect quality with a capital Q (and on the day we visited, we had the privilege of choosing from a menu prepared by Aldo Zilli, who’s been recruited as the restaurant’s head honcho where the grub is concerned).

So how much damage will all this good eating do to your pocket? Surprisingly, not much. Plates range from around a fiver (for fancy crostinis) to £12 for a delicious fillet of beef – and you’ll probably do fine with five or six plates between two people. The only thing to worry about really is what to wear to such a fine establishment. My tip? Keep it classy and you’ll fit right in.

Find out more at www.sancarlofumo.co.uk

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Somewhere you should go this weekend… Heist Bank in Paddington

Matilda — Fri, 28 Oct 2016 05:56:46 +0000

I’m a proud West Londoner, but when it comes to places to hang out on a good night’s eve, the struggle is unbelievably, frustratingly real. That is, unless you can make it rain like the Chelsea set that has the privilege to rock up to hotspots like Chiltern Firehouse. But Heist Bank, the new, very vibesy, very Shoreditch-y bar in Paddington looks like the answer that my fellow, not-so-wealthy citizens of the Westside and I have been praying for.

Pizza, Beer and Flowers (who knew?)

If you’ve ever been to Coin Laundry on Exmouth Market, that should give you some idea of what to expect from this playful new kid on the block, at least style-wise. The same guys are behind both venues. But the Bank does exceptional pizzas, proper bougie craft beers and slick cocktails (not to mention flowers?! Oooookay…!). It’s also a part of the Merchant Square re-development that is slowly but surely making Paddington a worthy contender for a respectable night out. I reviewed the bar for Time Out London a few months ago (read it here), but let me know if you’ve been yet. I really like it!

Find out more about Heist Bank at www.heistbank.com

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What we’ve been up to… afternoon tea at Little Nan’s Rio Bar

Matilda — Tue, 30 Aug 2016 06:58:29 +0000

I’ve been to some strange places in my time but nothing – and I mean, nothing – as freakishly charming as afternoon tea at Little Nan’s Rio bar. Just imagine: if us mere humans could hitch a ride all the way back to our memories of the ’90s ala Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind that’s exactly what this quirky pop-up looks and feels like. Except everything about Nan’s – the vintage tat, the retro posters which doubles as wallpaper, the cocktails in teapots, the Pic’nMix – are very REAL (and brilliant).

Proper scones and cake

I was invited to try Little Nan’s new spot in the basement of the Rio Cinema in Dalston. As I said, there were all sorts of madness going on with the decor, but Instagram/Snapchat opps aside, the tea itself was wonderful: we’re talking proper scones with homemade jam, solid sandwiches, a choice of vicky sponge and carrot cake (both delish) and a very generous pot of those teapot cocktails we guzzled down with teacups.

As it happens, this ain’t the only place you can try this out 0n the East side at the mo. They’ve also popped up at the National Trust’s Grade-II listed Sutton House until the end of September, but they’ve toned things down a touch to include a tour of the house (it’s the oldest once in Hackney) and a bespoke cocktail with your name on it. Check out pics from my visit of the Rio Bar below – but for more info about Little Nan’s, head to www.littlenans.co.uk.

afternoon tea at Little Nan’s Rio Bar

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