dining in London – The Cultural Exposé

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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What we’ve been up to… tapas in London at Camino Bankside

Matilda — Wed, 10 Aug 2016 07:30:32 +0000

Despite the flaky weather around these parts, ’tis the season to totally eat al fresco. So when a slick Spanish outfit like Camino invites you for tapas in London at their new site (which has an outdoor terrace AND gin bar that’s just yards away from the new Tate Modern), and it’s a bottomless brunch, you say yes. Happily.

Plus, this is the point where I admit, while I’ve enjoyed my fair share tapas over the years, I haven’t eaten at Camino before. Nope, never. But now I know what I’ve been missing – wonderful, well-made spanish dishes with like arroz negro (black rice made with cuttlefish and alioli), gambas ajillo (garlic prawns), a selection of charcuteria meats, and the tortilla de patata (TOO GOOD).

A photo posted by Matilda (@megerecooper) on Jul 23, 2016 at 8:39am PDT

The bottomless tapas brunch also gets you unlimited cava or mimosas for £25 and runs from 11-3:30pm on Saturdays and Sundays – so the next time you’re around those parts and the weather’s on point, heading here would be a good shout. And did I mention they do an amazing tortilla? Check out pics from my recent visit below:

Have you eaten at Camino? Let us know in the comments!

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Something for the weekend: Sunday lunch at the Ship Tavern

Matilda — Thu, 07 Apr 2016 07:30:09 +0000

What makes a wonderful Sunday roast? How about succulent, mouthwatering cuts of meat, crispy roast potatoes and veg, topped with the crustiest Yorkshire pudding and all the gravy. Every last drop. That’s my verdict of the Sunday lunch at the Ship Tavern, a rustic pub in Holborn I was invited to try out a few weeks back. The Tavern has been around since the 16th century (!) and it’s slightly off the beaten track – but the next time you’re looking for a top Sunday lunch in London that’s great value and steeped in tradition, it’s a good shout. They do a fantastic sticky toffee pudding too.

Check out pics from my recent visit below.

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