Testing London's best

I downloaded the app 'London's best coffee' and am now working my way through the listed establishments.

Today it's Kaffeine on Great Itchfield St in Soho.

Coffee about 7/10. It's nice and beautifully presented but a bit bitter and not as full and creamy as I like. ]

Atmosphere really nice - good space with exposed brick etc reminds me of the front room in Zekka, King Street.  The food looks ok - lots of sweet stuff - pastries, friands etc. One Brekky style sandwich with omelette and pancetta in ciabatta.

Jamie's Italian Round 3

Went to Jamie's Italian with Georg Mont.  Absolutely fantastic food as always (but still a bit of a wait for a table - 1 hour on a Wednesday...)

We had:

entree...

HERBY MARINATED WHITEBAIT
£4.10
Whole whitebait pickled with chilli, capers and parsley. Served chilled

Marinated whitebait - yum but I prefer crispy

ITALIAN NACHOS
£3.55
Crispy, fried four cheese ravioli with 'angry' arrabiata sauce

DELICIOUS Italian nachos 

mains...

COCKLES LINGUINE
£8.20/£13.35
Sweet cockles steamed open with garlic, chilli and parsley tossed with linguine, butter and lemon - beautiful.

cockles linguine

RABBIT RAGU PAPPARDELLE
£7.15/£11.35
Slow braised wild rabbit finished with mascarpone, lemon and crunchy herby breadcrumbs

and for dessert...

AMALFI LEMON CURD
£4.95

With toasted pistachios and English raspberries

wine


PRIMITIVO DI SALENTO, CANTINE LUIGI SCRITTI 13% 2008 PUGLIA
£16.75
Primitivo is the father of the zinfandel grape. Notes of cherries, cloves, wild blackberries and spice. Delicious!

Chorizo and Cannellini bean stew

Serves 4-6

glug olive oil
1 chorizo sausage, diced
1 large red onion, thinly sliced
2 stalks celery, diced
2 carrots, diced
2 crushed garlic cloves
2 teaspoons fresh thyme, chopped
1 teaspoon paprika
1 can chopped tomatoes
1 L chicken stock
800g tinned cannellini beans, rinsed
salt and pepper

(parmesan and sour dough for serving)

Heat the olive oil in a large pan over high heat and cook the chorizo for 3–4 minutes until crisp. Drain on kitchen paper.

Reduce the heat to medium-low, add the onion, carrot and celery to the pan and cook, stirring occasionally, for 6–7 minutes until softened.

Add the garlic, thyme and paprika and cook, stirring, for 1–2 minutes until fragrant. Add the tomatoes and cook for another minute.

Return the chorizo to the pan with the stock and bring to the boil, then reduce the heat and simmer, stirring occasionally, for 10 minutes. Add the beans and cook for another 5 minutes. Season with salt and pepper before serving.

Serve with a crusty sourdough and some grated parmesan.

Grublover comment

This stew is really yum and easy - just a joy to cook and eat.  I will definitely be making it again.

Bagels times tables

Bella Napoli

The food in Napoli was divine. They are famous of course for their pizza and we tried it on the street (for just 1 euro for a mouth-watering slab of margherita), and at the restaurant made famous by 'Eat, Pray, Love': Da Michele. We had to line up for about half an hour to get a table but it was worth it. They only sell pizza - margherita or marinara - beer and water. My dream restaurant!

Like all Italians simplicity is the key - the margherita was to die for with fresh tomato, creamy mozzarella and a single basil leaf.

Mailie eating Pizza Margherita in the old town

We had an amazzzzing dinner at Taverna do re - a little restaurant we stumbled on while looking for a late night wine.  We were really looked after with complimentary champagne to start and a bottle of limoncello to drink at the end! Lovely!  The food was fantastic - I had a dish that was a specialty of Napoli - Pasta Genovese - it is a meaty pasta dish with lots and lots of onions!  Very rich and absolutely delicious.

Salad - divine

Penne genovese

Tortellini funghi

Pho at Song Que

I love Kingsland Road aka the Pho mile. The Pho at 134 Kingsland (supposedly best in London) did rival our favourite little spot in Perth, Dao Vien - the broth fresh and clear. As always quick as a flash (we had to laugh when they seated us and said 'Can you be done in one and a half hours?', as we all knew it would take less than 15 minutes to nail a pho).