My favourites over the last year.

Best Restaurant  

Bistro Du Vin and Bar Soho and Clerkenwell 

Under the management of Cheila Reais they are  a truly great addition to each area the are in, and reflect the local superbly, here is hoping they have a great 2012 to reserve tables  please call  020 7432 4800

http://www.bistroduvin.co.uk/bistros/soho/contact-finding-us.aspx 

Best Front of House  

Mark Wilson, Northbank Restaurant 

Yes Mark, it would seem you are number 1. You never cease to entertain and yet run a very tight ship. Thank you.

http://www.northbankrestaurant.com/

Best Dish

Snails with Bonemarrow, Morels, Lardons and Garlic Butter on Toast Brompton Bar and Grill

I have dreamt about this more than once so thank you

http://bromptonbarandgrill.com/

Best place on the high street to buy lunch 

Tossed, especially the one on St Martins lane, they now do really great hot pots, perfect for this weather and still healthy.  

  http://www.tosseduk.com/

Best Breakfast 

Nopi

http://www.nopi-restaurant.com/

BREAKFAST

Ottolenghi croissant or sliced sourdough (served with butter, jam, marmite)    £3.5

Black rice, coconut milk, banana, mango. . . . . . . . . . . . .                      . . . . . .    £6.5 

French toast, berry compote, orange yoghurt . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .        £8.5

Fruit and berry salad, Greek yoghurt, granola . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .       . £6.5

Borlotti bean stew, chorizo, fried Italian egg . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .      . £8.5

Scrambled eggs, Hansen and Lydersen smoked salmon, focaccia. . . . . . .  .   £9.5

Shakshuka (braised Italian eggs, piquante tomato sauce, smoked labneh).  .  £11

Courgette and manouri fritters, lime yoghurt . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .  £9.5

You get the idea, nice and healthy, a winner every time at 8 a.m.

Best Sushi 

Kyashii

http://www.kyashii.co.uk/

Really great every time. Thank you .

Best Pop-Up

Pret A Dinner @ the Old Vic Vaults

Great concept and wonderfully executed.

http://oldvictunnels.com/event/the-minotaur-pret-a-diner/

Biggest surprise of the year 

Spaghetti House, I had never been before I was amazed as to how good it was.

http://www.spaghettihouse.co.uk/

Best Party 

Home, 30th anniversary party  http://www.thisishome.co.uk/ catered by The Union, Greek Street. Private Members club. http://www.unionclub.co.uk/contacts.php and the brilliant  band Doreen Doreen http://www.doreendoreen.co.uk/

She's been Christmas Caroled!!

Carol Whitworth of Home, Many many happy returns for 30 years in business.

Best Canapes 

Cinnamon Kitchen

Works of art, look and taste AMAZING, thank you.

http://www.cinnamon-kitchen.com/

Best Cocktail 

Negroni at Trullo

http://www.trullorestaurant.com/

The best I can remember having . Ever.

Best Spirit of the year  

Belvedere Tomato

http://www.belvederevodka.com/

Just made a bloody Mary that little bit better.

Best Sommellier 

Romain @ Soho

and

Pierre @ Clerkenwell

Romain @ Bistro Du Vin and Bar Soho and  Pierre @ Clerkenwell.  To have 2 such good ones  is greedy and unfair to the competition. but great for the customers.

http://www.bistroduvin.co.uk/bistros/soho/contact-finding-us.aspx 

Best Bar

The view of Oxford Street from the bar

Great views and drinks available from the highest bar in London, if the drinks don't make you giddy the height will

http://www.paramount.uk.net/level-32/bar/

Best Bar Snacks 

Texture 

Crispy, crispy fish skin. devine.

Fish skin like you would not believe

http://texture-restaurant.co.uk/

Best Tea Shop 

Post Card Teas  9 Dering Street, they sell the most amazing range of teas. But don't expect any cakes!!

http://www.postcardteas.com/

Best for Weekend Brunch

The Providores, Marylebone High Street

A great way to start either day of the week-end.

http://www.theprovidores.co.uk/taparoom/tapa_breakfast.html

Most anticipated opening for 2012 

Andi Oliver with her floating bar @ 'The Firefly'  London  Pleasure Gardens, Pontoon Dock. East London

Andi Oliver

Contact details TBC will alert as soon as I have them next year.

Brompton Bar and Grill

Snails on toast with smoked bacon, garlic, girolles and bone marrow

which I have to say is on its way to winning my dish of the year, its that good.

On the site of what used to be Brasserie St Quentin there now stands a truly  deserving successor to that legendary restaurant. Brompton Bar and Grill (BB&G). Still very much a neighbourhood favourite by the look of some of the people that were there yesterday lunchtime. A very grand lady who would put Debo Devonshire to shame, lunching silently with her husband, a sixties supermodel with her toyboy sitting pride of place in the window and then a rash of young blood who have obviously fallen for the charms of Justina who runs the floor with a velvet glove. It was lovely watching her while she was talking a younger manager through the finer points of service, such as folding the customers napkin when the go to the loo. It was with that attention to detail that the whole of lunch progressed. BB&G is famous for its absinthe and we tried a couple of the cocktails infused with the stuff and very good they were too and not a green fairy was to be seen, thankfully.

The kitchen it would seem is run with the same slickness as front of house as the brigade of chefs didn't waist much time in getting our food to the table and the plates blisteringly hot meaning each mouthful was hot right up to the last one. I had the snails on toast which I must admit I was having again today and really everyday from now on. The combination of garlic, butter, snail, smoked bacon, bone marrow and girolles is one I will remember for a very, very long time. The rest of the food was all very well executed and was a great reflection to the chef who had nearly a full restaurant to cook for and whom all seated more or less at the same time. Ian who I was having lunch with had the set menu of Lobster Bisque followed by the fishcakes. I rather greedily had the steak after the snails with asides of fries and creamed spinach. With this we had a fantastic bottle of white Bordeaux Chateau Beaumont les Pierriers at the suggestion of the sommellier and really was a very good choice. There didn't seem to be any aspect of the service that needed to be improved on and more importantly they seemed to be having fun whilst doing it, which I find makes a huge difference to your own enjoyment. The General Manager  is doing sterling work and long may it continue.

The location of the restaurant is great for shopping and culture as its with walking distance from all the monolithic museums so beloved of children and culturally for the grown ups you have the V and A. BB&G are very keen on bringing entertainment onto the premises and are carving a rather good niche for themselves and promote all sorts of evenings in their downstairs room including Jazz nights and the grill club when Allens of Mayfair demonstrate the finer points of butchery and the next one is on the 5th December, Michael Gale of Allens twill  host the opening of the evening with demonstrations on the butchery and preparation of game birds, venison, rabbit and hare. Gary Durrant, BBG head chef, will then give a cooking demonstration on how to make a game terrine. 
Hosting the wine matching for the evening will be Patrick Sandeman of award winning wine dealers. They have Jazz nights so all going to make for a whole package and keeping everyone sweet.

I really do recommend BB&G a lot and the feel of the place would make an ideal setting for any celebration and with Christmas around the corner one to be kept in mind when booking. Their website is full of all sorts of things that you are far better off looking at your self, but it is worth having a look. www.bromptonbarandgrill.com

Jazz lovers head for THE BROMPTON BAR & GRILL on Friday 23rd September

TJ Johnson

Copyright © Spurstowe Music Ltd

The award-winning Brompton Bar & Grill will host an unforgettable musical event on Friday 23rd September when jazz legend TJ Johnson performs a one-off gig there.

TJ Johnson is widely considered to be one of the UK’s finest jazz and blues singers. He is also an accomplished piano player, drummer and a respected bandleader. Always a true ambassador of the soul, TJ sings songs of love lost and gained, of life wholesome and corrupt, songs of hope, songs of the night, all with the true passion and boozy swagger of only a man who has been there and knows. One not to be missed.

Dont know your topside from your sirloin ? then get down to The Brompton Bar and Grill on the 19th Sept in conjunction with possibly the best butchers in town Allens of Mayfair

THE BROMPTON BAR & GRILL LAUNCHES 

      ‘THE GRILL CLUB’

On 19th September the award-winning Brompton Bar and Grill, will launch its first session of The Grill Club.  Teaming up with the celebrated butcher’s Allens of Mayfair and the award-winning Hallgarten Druitt wines, the evening will be a truly unforgettable gastronomic delight.   The Grill Club will kick off with a demonstration of prime beef butchery by Allens of Mayfair entitled,  ‘From Rib to Fillet and Rump to Sirloin – all you need to know’.  Guests will have the chance to observe some of Britain’s finest butchers at work and also learn about the different cuts of meat, their sizes and different qualities.  Allen’s has been a butcher’s for over 120 years and has won a plethora of awards for its excellent meat and service.  Their famous Mount Street shop is manned 20 hours a day to supply the best produce to London’s finest hotels and restaurants. 

This will then be followed by a talk and tasting by Rupert Bairamian of Hallgarten Druitt Wines which will explore Burgundy wines and demonstrate which wines are best paired with the different cuts of steak.  Hallgarten Druitt wines is one of the historic names in the UK wine trade with over 70 years of experience and recent awards include European Merchant of the Year 2010 and Best On-Trade Supplier 2009.  

Finally The Brompton Bar & Grill owner and chef Francois O’Neill will demonstrate how to make the perfect steak tartare from the beef that has been butchered into fillets.  Guests will then enjoy a delicious two course meal of the Steak Tartare  followed by Prime Cuts of Beef, Chips and Béarnaise Sauce with Burgundy wines selected to match the meat perfectly.   Occurring regularly and exploring different themes at each session, The Grill Club will provide the perfect Monday evening activity for meat lovers in London.  The Brompton Bar & Grill is Knightsbridge’s stylish and local bistro offering superb seasonal cuisine, fine wines and delicious cocktails. Founded by Francois in 2009, it has gone from strength to strength and is the ideal place to eat, drink and enjoy regular live music.

The Grill Club at The Brompton Bar & Grill

19th September,

7pm start

£45

243 Brompton RoadLondon SW3 2EPTel: 020 7589 8005

 http://www.bromptonbarandgrill.com/