Category: London

Secret Garden brunch at Daisy Green #daisygreen #london

Reliving memories of my recent trip to London as the city rolled towards the COVID-19 shutdown last month…it was a slightly surreal visit to one of my favourite cities but filled with nice memories that will stay with me,

I found this delightful cafe called Daisy Green in Portman Village, on the corner of Seymour st and New Quebec St, just behind Oxford st.

Turns out it’s part of a group called the Daisy Green collection described on their website as:

“The Daisy Green Collection brings relaxed and buzzing Australian food and coffee culture to London. Through individually designed cafes and restaurants, the Collection creates iconic spaces which quickly become local destinations and meeting points for surrounding residents and visitors.”

Downstairs at Daisy Green Portman Village

The Portman Village cafe has been designed by UK street artist, Shuby, into an Alice in Wonderland esq outdoor/indoor garden.

I managed to quench my craving for a real Australian coffee or two and enjoyed delicious avocado on toast, with a sprinkling of paprika, chives and a squeeze of lemon, and a side of real bacon!

I would have been one of the last customers prior to the shutdown, but I sincerely hope the cafe and Daisy Green collection come through the other side of the pandemic to flourish once more.

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#Delicious #Indian dinner #Trishna London #b4covid19

Had a delicious dinner at Trishna In Marylebone on my recent, Pre-COVID-19 shutdown, trip to London.

Their servings were also super generous. The soft shell crab and crabmeat entree was divine and very creative.

I had the 3 course dinner special lamb curry and it came with naan, dhal, spinach and baby corn, and rice. The food reminded me of some of my recipes like my Dhal!

Sadly I was so filled up by this stage, I couldn’t fit in the delicious so7nding desserts! I hope they survive the shutdown so I can go back when London re-opens and I can get there again!

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Benares on a budget #michelin #indianfood #london

I had read about Benares’ reputation for the best Indian food in London, laying claim to having been the first Indian restaurant in London to receive a Michelin star and it has retained this star in 2019.

Having looked at the a la carte and tasting menu prices which are whopping by Australian dollar prices, we decided the lunchtime thali menu at £33 would be a great way to taste a range of their dishes and fit into our schedule nicely.

So after visiting the special Leonardo Da Vinci Life In Drawings exhibition, commemorating 500 years since his death, at the Queen’s Gallery, Buckingham Palace we sauntered through Green Park, across Picadilly to Berkeley Square were Benares occupies a prominent position between the Rolls Royce and Bentley showrooms.

Our meal started with a traditional serving of papadums and chutneys and yoghurt. The papads had obviously been made at the restaurant were a tasty, crispy nibble to begin with.

The thali came with naan and turmeric spiced rice, a crunchy quinoa salad, a fabulous piece of lightly spiced sea bass, a delicious lamb Rohan Josh, a smokey Chicken tikka Masala, very interesting spinach and baby corn curry, dhal and yoghurt. It was all more than enough for one very hungry person and certainly too much for me.

The Thali was followed by a serving of Indian steamed yoghurt pudding with rhubarb and jelly and a sprinkling of nuts, followed by a special birthday platter of petit fours.

A great way to sample the renowned Indian food from Benares on a budget.

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Tredwells – British food at its best #coventgarden #pretheatre

We chose Tredwells for a two course pre-theatre dinner before heading to the Garrick Theatre to see John Malkovich live in stage in the new play Bitter Wheat.

Perfectly situated in the heart of Covent Garden it is a Marcus Wareing restaurant and winner of AA’s London Restaurant of the Year the £25 pre-theatre dinner is great value for the standard of the food on offer.

According to their website: “Tredwells showcases the very best in British seasonal produce developed by Chef Patron, Chantelle Nicholson.”

And certainly we enjoyed the interesting take and presentation on classics such as brandade with fresh broadbeans and smoked peas with foam, pork croquette with cauliflower Picadilly, and grilled lamb chops with beetroot and tahini. The broccoli on the side with almonds and capers was also delicious!

Here’s a link to their website:

https://www.tredwells.com/#theatre-menu

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Check out Cichetti #sancarlocichetti #picadilly

We checked into Cichetti one of our favourite restaurants in London as our first stop for a quick light lunch.

Winner of many food and wine awards, Cichetti is the perfect Pre- or post theatre venues but also ideal to fuel up between shopping in nearby Picadilly and Regent Sts. Filled with a fashionable crowd at anytime of the day, the atmosphere makes you feel you are at the centre of the action and the menu is a wide and varied list of Italian delights ranging from Cichetti (appetisers), antipasto, pizza, pasta, small and large plates.

With a fab wine list and great speedy service, Cichetti is an excellent and reliable pit stop for breakfast, lunch, a snack, dinner or supper!

We had buratta with Parma ham and truffles, a delicious duck salad with a balsamic glaze, apple and rocket and Italian meatballs in sauce wiped up with fresh bread.

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