In Pictures: Ember Yard, Soho, London

Pre-theatre dining is an art form; you certainly don’t want to scrimp on a poor meal when you are having an extravagant evening out, yet if you are heading straight from work, as I usually am, then speed is also of the essence to ensure that you can eat at your leisure yet still have time for a Prosecco at the theatre bar.

With this in mind, my mum Tina, sister Jess and I decided to visit tapas bar Ember Yard in Soho before heading to the nearby Soho Theatre for an evening performance. We chose an array of dishes, including a cheese platter and a steak focused charcuterie board that was certainly a step up from the traditional salami versions. This meat-laden platter was by far our favourite; the steaks were literally melt-in-the-mouth quality and sheer heaven to eat. We also indulged in some cocktails, including one that featured blackberry puree, smoked vodka and cava brut.

We all know that tapas means small dishes, however the eye watering price for these dishes, shared three-ways remember, meant that we were expecting the finest quality. Luckily, it massively ticked this box and had us oozing with delight over our table, however the portion sizes are very small and the expense does put you off ordering too much, so do pay attention to what you order and how much you might need for your group.

I’m glad we decided to try Ember Yard; it has a sophisticated and exclusive atmosphere, yet the seating is informal and relaxed so it will accommodate a range of get togethers. The food is exquisite and worth a try, especially that epic abundance of rare meat, however do save up first and be wary that plate sizes are small, even for tapas.

Eating Around: Yalla Yalla, Soho, London

Middle Eastern food is having a serious culinary moment and, in my opinion, the dramatic jump in Turkish, Persian and Lebanese restaurants, in particular, are going nowhere. And why would they? Sociable mezze platters cater for meat eaters and veggies alike with both hot and cold dishes and encourage casual sharing and chatter, while the grilled meats often featured on the main menu are tender and served simply; uncomplicated food as an antithesis to complicated times.

One such hot spot is Beirut street food specialists Yalla Yalla; my sister Jess and I attended its Winsley Street venue prior to heading to the theatre and we figured that this genre of food would be both tasty yet speedy. The restaurant itself is very shabby chic with a stylish nod to homespun Middle Eastern tones, such as the yellow and teal painted tiles, mismatching furniture and rainbow array of colours coating every surface and item. Feeling like the home of an experienced and well-loved grandmother, Yalla Yalla is bright and welcoming, and we were looking forward to getting stuck into some grub.

I started by ordering a Beirut sangria; as a huge fan of the Spanish version, I couldn’t not try this twist, which used Lebanese red wine, triple sec, strawberry liqueur and orange Fanta. Served with bobbing strawberries and orange slices, this was punchy beverage full of fruity flavour and booze, a great combo when you’ve just escaped the office. We were also given a small dish of pickled items to munch on; I believe these were a couple of gherkins potentially and a sweet pepper, however I have no idea in all honesty and all of the nibbles had the same sweet yet acidic pickled flavour. One was a wonderfully lurid shade of hot pink that was both suspicious and enticing all at the same time.

For my main meal, I ordered the lamb kofta kebab, basically a spiced minced lamb skewer; this was served a side salad and rice. Jess opted for the lamb shish kebab, so her meat would be served in chunks rather than minced. We also ordered the halloumi, feta and za’atar man’ousha as a side dish; this is fundamentally a flatbread, topped with shredded halloumi, crumbled feta, olive oil and za’atar.

The flatbread was delicious and definitely a good choice. The halloumi had completely melted, while the feta remained in roughly strewn chunks, creating a completely cheese drenched soft bread. The olive oil cut through the cheese tones to lighten up the dish and I have to say this was wonderfully moreish.

I also thoroughly enjoyed my kofta kebab. I received two long skewers alongside a mountain of traditional rice and a mixed salad featuring tomatoes, red onion, finely sliced leaves and yet more of the oddly coloured pickled goods. Everything was really tasty and I thought the kofta had good flavour, was juicy and a good portion size. Unfortunately, I can’t say the same for Jess’ shish kebab. Although her meat was succulent and undoubtedly divine, she was served just five very small cubes of meat, haphazardly scattered on her rice bed to try and make it look more enticing. It was clearly a case of bulking up the dish with the cheap rice and salad while scrimping on the good quality meat. Clearly my portion was better because it was minced and therefore, I suppose, of lesser value than the lamb in a more raw form. Comparing our two plates, hers looked so paltry, I shared mine immediately so we could both actually have a filling dinner.

We also felt that the service was incredibly slow. We went at 5.30pm, so before the typical dinner crowd had truly hit, yet were waiting an age for two main courses and one mezze dish, which we had asked to all come at the same time, so effectively, we were only having the one course. It too far longer than it should, especially as the food itself is quick to cook and should have already been prepared by the kitchen ready for evening service.

Despite these undoubted niggles, the food itself was delicious and we couldn’t really fault the quality at all. The meat was not over-spiced but well flavoured, tender and well cooked. The side dishes were also lovely and the perfect accompaniments for the meal. The sangria, with its extra strawberry hit, also hit the nail on the head for me. So, in all honesty, I’m in two minds about this one. Whether you are satisfied depends very much on what you and your dining guests order and also if you actually have the time to spare to spend longer than normal waiting for food. If you order well and aren’t in a rush, then try it out, but don’t say I didn’t warn you.

Eating Around: Obica Mozzarella Bar, Soho, London

There was no way I was going to leave my lovely work colleagues out of my birthday month celebrations back in March. With this in mind, I decided to organise a lovely lunch out, so I hit Google to try and find somewhere near our Soho-based office that we hadn’t yet tried but would be suitably swanky as befitted birthday month.

I settled on Obica, an Italian restaurant and mozzarella bar situated on Poland Street, near Oxford Circus tube station. It was all sleek modernism, with glossy black floors and ceilings, a wall of windows along one side and statement orange glass ceiling lights dangling at regular intervals for a splash of colour. White walls and pale wooden tables finished off the look and helped to enhance the open and airy feel of the restaurant; although it was quiet when we visited, there was still a lot of floor space, so I don’t imagine you would feel too crowded even at busier times.

There was no doubt in my mind that I would be ordering a pizza; I adore Italian style pizzas. I chose a pizza that didn’t have a tomato base; it had plenty of mozzarella, but was topped with mushrooms, black truffle oil and slivers of black truffle itself too. As those who love me know, I absolutely love black truffle, so this was like finding a goldmine! However, I made it even more truffly. I spotted on the specialist mozzarella menu that Obica offers a black truffle mozzarella; I asked whether I could have this on my pizza too for even more truffle goodness. The bemused waitress explained that the cheese was a stracciatella, so it was a softer cheese. I gave the thumbs up, said to put it on the pizza, and to finish off being totally Italian, ordered an aperol spritz to boot.

No word of a lie but this is quite possibly one of the best pizzas, if not the best pizza I have eaten. The dough was spot on, lovely and thin on the bottom, yet wonderfully puffy in the crusts and soft throughout; there is nothing worse than a burnt and over crisp Italian pizza base and crust. The truffle flavour was dreamy and permeated throughout every bite of my pizza. The oil sunk deep into the cheesy base, while the slices of black truffle themselves were delightfully large and flavourful. The extra cheese I put on top though was definitely a winning choice. It also had that fabulous black truffle tone, but was also a great, almost spreadable texture, so it worked really well with my crusts. Every element of the pizza was just spot on for me and it was brilliant to revel in one of my favourite flavours so absolutely.

My aperol spritz was served in a fancy tumbler, which I found unusual, however it was still a vibrant orange in colour and mixed well to produce a lovely lunchtime cocktail, with that tangy orange tone and a bit of fizz too.

However, stuffing myself with black truffle is not an inexpensive feat. My pizza alone was around £20, and it was an extra £3 to £4 to add the extra cheese on top. Add in the price of a London cocktail plus tip, and my one course lunch with one drink cost me £35 ish. It was worth every penny, however I’m sure you could bring the price down if you went for black truffle-less options!

A good Italian pizza executed well is the stuff dreams are made of, and I’ll be dreaming of this pizza for quite a while yet.

In Pictures: The Wine Library, Tower Hill, London

Twin dates with my sister have gained a rather legendary status. Not only do we normally have a few activities lined up, but we always pepper our plans with foodie hotspots and lusted after beverages or meals, to keep us well fuelled along the way of course. Our latest find, however, has had us aching to go back for its sheer uniqueness and independence.

The Wine Library is slap bang in the middle between Fenchurch Street and Tower Hill stations, giving it location brownie points, but I would still call this place a true hidden gem. An unobtrusive regal green swinging sign above a cast iron fence and matching spiral staircase, plus a medium sized blackboard on the pavement are the only promotional indications that a foodie venue is afoot. The Wine Library is downstairs, in the cellar of a tall white townhouse.

Upon entering, you are greeted with the view of large floor to ceiling wooden bookcases, stacked with an abundance of fine wine, a walkway letting you walk around the wine cases to make your selection, as this is also a shop. With that classic dusty and aloof library feel, French wines run along the left hand side, wines from other parts of the world on the right, whites and roses gently chilling in the fridge, others and red wines mulling on the shelves. It is like a treasure trove of labels I had never seen before; we couldn’t help but rub our hands together and declare gleefully that we would take ages to make our choice.

Our main objective for our visit was to test out The Wine Library’s small bar and restaurant area, which served charcuterie platters alongside your chosen bottle of plonk, which you would pay corkage for. We were going to the theatre for the afternoon matinee and thought that this would be the ideal pre-show meal. Granted, the bar area is incredibly small, with only a few actual tables and chairs, the remainder is more like a shelf emerging from the painted brickwork, tall bar stools pulled alongside it around the edge of the space. Luckily, we came early on a Saturday, so were the only people there.

Exploring the stacks of wine was a delight; we eventually selected on a Puglian red wine, which our server poured into a carafe for us, presenting us with this and two large red wine glasses. Our charcuterie board was also wonderful and actually, a really great portion. I find most charcuterie boards to be rather stingy size-wise, but I thought this one was pretty darn good. We had a whole host of different salamis, lots of types of crackers and some slices of a bread baton. We also had some decent chunks of different cheeses, including a goats cheese, as well as pickles, grapes and pickled onions.

We absolutely loved our time at The Wine Library, and we already have plans to take our Dad there for Father’s Day. It is like a vault of excellent and exclusive wines, a hoarders’ dream. The wine ranges in prices too, which makes it affordable. Our bottle of wine, for example, was around the £13 mark. Although this is more than I would spend in the supermarket, it is definitely much less than I would spend in a restaurant, and for the quality of the wine, totally worth it. The food was also tasty, good quality ingredients simply being the star of the show and being paired together for some magical taste combos. The ambience was spot on and we didn’t notice the smallness of the venue as we were the only patrons. I’m not sure that many of friends would appreciate or like the fact that The Wine Library is rather poky, and I imagine at peak times it could get very crowded, however I view it as a fair trade off for the chance to taste test and peruse such a great collection of wine and have a relaxed bite to eat. I can’t wait to go again for the afternoon.

Eating Around: Levant, Bond Street, London

Catching up with friends after work always calls for something a little bit special after slogging it through the nine to five, especially on a Friday night when you are both based in the buzzing metropolitan of central London. When meeting up with my pal Meral the other week, we decided to visit Lebanese restaurant Levant, based a few minutes from Bond Street tube station, to tuck in to an early dinner.

Levant has a distinct aurora of mystery; it is situated down a shadowy and half-hidden side street, making it incredibly easy to simply walk past. Just the merest red awning advertises its location. However, Levant soon converts into an Aladdin’s cave, as stepping into the restaurant’s premises soon has you treading on patterned cream and black tiles, while mottled beige-black walls catch the shadows cast from elaborate black metalwork lanterns set heavily on the floor. The lanterns emit a bright and patterned glow as it filters through the filigree metalwork, lighting up your feet, and the floor is scenically scattered with real rose petals. Meral and I descended the stairs of this elaborate entrance in awe; it really was like being transported to a completely different realm – from London’s smoggy side street to the Middle East in a blink of an eye.

The main restaurant is in the basement, spread over two staggered levels; this consists of the bar area and then the main seating area. The same wonderfully opulent décor is maintained throughout the venue, with richly coloured and patterned dining chairs and stocky wooden tables. The tables were situated rather close to each other, but we were lucky that our table was at the end of a row, so we had a little more space there, and no one sat on the table the other side of us.

Revelling in the gorgeous surrounds, which I adored, we eagerly took up our menus. I firstly ordered a glass of merlot – it was Friday after all – before taking a closer look at the food options. For my starter, I decided to try the muhammarah dip. This was a spicy red pepper dip with onion, garlic and roasted mixed nuts. It was served in a heavy-set ceramic bowl, typically larger than the average dip dish, which made me very happy. It was a grainy consistency and orange-red in colour, with a cluster of raw nuts sat in the centre, surrounded by petals of sliced red chilli. The breads were a bit like pittas, but more oblong in shape and more domed in the centre, filled with air. The bread also had a scattering of seeds on top; they reminded me of poppy and sesame seeds. The dip was wonderful and a really generous portion size. It was surprisingly creamy due to the nuts, which added a firmness and crunch, yet also a creaminess and softness that was accentuated by the warm garlic hues. The red pepper was the predominant flavour but it was well matched by the dip’s other ingredients. Everything about this dip just worked, and I very swiftly was polishing the pattern off the bowl with my enthusiastic mopping! It was probably the best dip I have ever eaten actually and although it had a gentle warmth, it wasn’t spicy or too hot at all.

We also sampled some of the baba ghannouj dip, which is smoked aubergine puree, tahini, garlic and lemon juice. This was a little sharper to my taste buds, with a fresher, lighter tone. It was nice, but I much preferred my choice. Meral ordered the sambousek jibne to start, and these were also delicious, as I found after a crafty bite! These were little pastry semi circles, cooked to be golden and flaky and filled with melted halloumi, feta cheese, mint and parsley. The herbs were a bit of a non-element here as all I could taste was the oozy, glorious cheese, so soft and liquid juxtaposed with the flaky folds of the pastry. I certainly think we both made excellent starter choices. By this point, I was also enjoying my wine; the merlot was medium bodied, smooth and incredibly fruity.

For my main course, I decided to go all out and have the mashawy, also known as the mixed grill. At £23.95, this wasn’t exactly the best option for my purse strings, but it sounded fabulous. It basically consisted of both lamb and chicken kofta kebabs, which are minced lamb or chicken mixed with spices, herbs and onions, as well as both lamb and chicken shish, which is where cubes of the respective meats are marinated in garlic, lemon and spices before being grilled. The selection of four kebabs were served on a pretty flat beaten gold plate, with a mound of white rice and a side salad.
I really enjoyed my main course. The chicken cubes in particular were so tender and juicy, the flavour was very wholesome and natural and just felt like great quality meat. The lamb was a little tougher, as is to be expected, however the flavour was again spot on and the meat, although simply prepared and cooked, was tasty. The kofta equivalents were also yummy, the herbs and spices very mild so as to add flavour but not to detract from the meat. The main difference for me was the consistency of the meat, from the minced meat used in the kofta to the chunks of meat for the shish.

Portion wise, the skewers were smaller than I was expecting, especially for how much the dish cost. I’ve had mixed grills before where each skewer was as long as two of Levant’s put together. However, it was still a decent size for a main meal and not small in any way. I think Levant deceptively put their food on smaller plates to make it look bigger. The rice was well cooked and plain, the salad also simple and with a nice dressing to give it some zing. Granted, this is a very simple dish – there is literally nothing complicated about grilled meats, boiled rice and salad. Despite this, the dish was lovely and the quality of the meat and execution of the cooking helped to give it a bit of star factor. It hit my carnivorous cravings for the evening and I had yet another clean plate.

We were also able to enjoy some entertainment with our meal, as four belly dancers descended into the dining area, clad in a skimpy array of bejewelled bikini tops and swishing skirts. They unselfconsciously sashayed around the room and between tables, pulling up interested diners to dance with them. Luckily our main course arrived just as one was approaching our table, so we avoided that rather well! The belly dancers were fun to watch and added something different to the evening, as well as accentuating the theme and vibe of the restaurant.

We did try and order dessert and coffees, but this is where the absolutely terrible service came into play. Although the waiting staff were polite, and there were plenty of them bringing food out of the kitchen, there only seemed to be one or two of them who were able to take the orders. This meant that our drinks remained empty once we drunk them with no offers of a second or a refill and trying to get anything at all was a complete mission. It’s rare to find staff so inattentive, but the guys at Levant certainly have that attribute in spades. We wanted to order a dessert to share and a coffee each, however as the waiter was taking too long, Meral’s friend who joined us began to feel too warm and unwell, so we decided to simply get the bill instead. That, in itself, was a complete and utter mission and took an age to get. The service was appalling; making it hard to order is no way to get customers to spend more money. It just made us feel completely ignored.

I was also surprised at the expense. I know I was in central London, however we hadn’t been greedy. I’d only had my dip with bread to start, my mixed grill and one glass of wine; after that went I stuck on the tap water. Despite this, I still ended up paying £40 which to this day leaves me baffled. In addition, the crafty staff had already added on a £15 tip, which was most certainly not earned or deserved. I didn’t want to leave a tip at all, however one of the others left £5.
To be honest, I have mixed feelings about Levant. I really enjoyed the food and it was of an excellent quality with a wide-ranging and exciting menu; there was definitely lots I wanted to try. The décor and styling was fabulous and the restaurant had a vague party-like vibe; it was a little noisy at times with background chatter and music, the atmosphere you’d expect on a happy Friday night. Despite these positives however, the service was awful and we were unable to order what we wanted when we wanted, which is always a concern. Secondly, the price seemed very expensive compared to the simplicity of the food. So, I’m torn. I think I would go back, as the food was delicious and I did like the vibe, however I think I’d be more aware of pricing and be sure to have it as a treat meal. I’d also suggest pre-drinks at a cheaper venue first, as you definitely won’t be getting a top up at Levant.

In pictures: Bateaux Lunch Cruise, London

Scenically chugging up and down London’s river Thames, an audio tour flooding through the boat-wide radio, windows framing each side of the indoor space to allow for an abundance of views; although you may think this sounds more like a tourist experience, it is in fact a classy three-course lunch courtesy of  river hospitality firm Bateaux London. My grandma bought me the meal ticket, as it were, as a Christmas present a little while ago, however we waited until the following spring before embarking from Embankment Pier, as we wanted sunshiney views rather than winter wet ones.

As well as panoramic views of London right from the centre of its famed river, we also enjoyed a luxurious set three-course meal, paired with a bottle of wine between us. Luckily, the house white option was a sauvignon blanc; our favourite. It definitely went down a treat with our meal, which included a classic chicken main course and a strawberry cheesecake type dessert.

Take a look to see the delights you could enjoy during your very own river tour lunch…