Little Social

On Thursday, a couple of friends and I went to check out one of Jason Atherton’s restaurants on Pollen Street. Little Social is a lovely “little” upmarket brasserie just off Hanover Square and directly opposite its sister restaurant, the Michelin starred Pollen Street Social.

The atmosphere is buzzy and busy, but not too loud. We were greeted by an extremely friendly maître d who walked us passed the speakeasy style mahogany bar and down to our spacious red leather booth.  The restaurant is surprisingly casual, an interesting contrast to the gourmet food.

My fellow diners and I ordered some custom-made mocktails. We were asked to provide the waitress with our favourite flavours and we were all given our own personalised drinks which made us feel a bit special! One of my friends wasn’t too happy with hers and it was gladly replaced.

To start, we ordered the Scallops with Dashi Jelly, Shiso, Wasabi & Avocado Puree. It may sound odd, but I am always sceptical about ordering scallops in non-Japanese restaurants. Nevertheless, I was thoroughly pleased with our choice and this scallop starter was the best scallop dish I have ever tasted. They were cooked to perfection and presented beautifully. The Japanese influence suited the dish perfectly and I would highly recommend it to anyone visiting this restaurant.

For our mains, we went for the Aged Scottish Beef Burger with Bacon, Cheese, Caramelised Onions and Pickles…

The Tagliatelle with Mushroom a la Crème and Parmesan Foam…. 

And finally, the Rack, Shoulder and Shank of Lamb with Potatoes, Morels, Wild Garlic, Rosemary Mayonnaise, Baby Onions and Hot Lamb Jus that was poured over the dish at the table.

All three mains were exquisite. My friend described the Tagliatelle as the best she had ever tasted and the Burger was succulent and juicy. The Lamb was in a league of its own – I don’t really know where to begin. It was cooked exactly as requested and I enjoyed the textures of each different cut of meat. The potatoes were SO buttery and rich and the jus was light and flavoursome. I could continue go on about the mains…but I won’t.

The desserts were a tease. We witnessed dessert after dessert go passed our table and were completely indecisive when it came to making a choice. The maître d recommended the Maple Glazed Cinnamon Doughnuts but we were tempted by the Hot Chocolate Moelleux with Sea Salt and Almond Ice-cream.

It was good, but not great. The salty ice-cream complimented the sweet chocolate well but on my next visit, I’m definitely going for those doughnuts.

We experienced excellent service at Little Social – right from our arrival to the very end. It is something that has set this restaurant apart from others that I have visited recently. We had a thoroughly enjoyable evening which led to me booking a table for my parents for a pre-theatre dinner the very next day. Needless to say, they loved it too – and they got those doughnuts! The restaurant was also kind enough to bring out a birthday card and individual celebration cake for my father – it’s small touches like these that make all the difference.

                                      

I can’t wait to visit Little Social again and I’m also keen to check out the others by Jason Atherton:

• Pollen Street Social
• Social Eating House 
• Berners Tavern – in the London Edition Hotel
• City Social – the newly opened restaurant in Tower 42

Rating: 5/5

http://www.littlesocial.co.uk/

The Delaunay

So, I’ve never been much of a brunch person. That’s right – a foodie who doesn’t like brunch. I'm always confused as to what to order and I often end up disappointed with my choice…or worse, with food envy.

One of my foodie friends organised a catch up brunch for a bunch of our law school buddies at The Delaunay in Aldwych. And this time, I was determined to enjoy it.

I arrived at The Delaunay on a sunny Sunday afternoon and to me, it is the perfect brunch venue. The décor is modelled on the grand cafes of Old Europe with dark wood, high ceilings and marble floors. The place oozes sophistication and elegance without being pretentious. It was packed full of people yet spacious – always a good sign!

Due to previous erroneous orders at brunch such as a full English and watery scrambled eggs, I decided to play it safe and go for a classic: Eggs Benedict. The restaurant offers you the option of one or two eggs which is great for those with a small appetite (ahem, unlike myself).

One of my fellow diners was struggling to find a suitable vegetarian option and asked our waiter for some assistance at which point he whipped out an entire vegetarian menu – much to her surprise! She went for the gnocchi with wild mushrooms, baby spinach and parmesan.

We ended the meal with an assortment of teas and coffees and I ordered a "wannabe coffee drinker" option – a single shot mocha…aka a hot chocolate with a kick.

I could not fault The Delaunay. I don’t know why I haven’t visited this place before! Great service, ambience, food and drinks…oh and a super friendly doorman(!) who was more than happy to smile for the camera! What more could you ask for?

So I guess it’s official – I am a brunch convert.

Rating: 5/5

http://www.thedelaunay.com/ 

Mad Hatter's Champagne Afternoon Tea at the Sanderson

“I’m late I’m late I’m late”

In the words of the White Rabbit, “I’m late I’m late I’m late.” The Mad Hatter’s themed Afternoon Tea at the Sanderson Hotel opened three years ago and I’d heard great things, but never had a chance to pop down and try it out for myself. My sister was lucky enough to receive a champagne afternoon tea gift voucher for her birthday and it arrived in this wonderfully themed Alice in Wonderland gift card which I had to share with you.

The Mad Hatter’s Afternoon Tea was a bit of a fairy tale. It was a sunny day which was perfect as the seating is split between the indoor restaurant Suka, and the outdoor area, The Courtyard Garden.  The menus are tucked away inside vintage books and a musical jewellery box opens up to reveal white and brown sugar cubes.

The crockery features kings, queens and paper crowns, all of which makes this the quirkiest afternoon tea yet.

We were presented with four special teas at the beginning of the meal; Rhubarb and Custard, Mint Chocolate Chip, Apple Pie and Strawberries and Cream.

We picked the latter two along with a classic English Breaksfast, a Darjeeling, a non-classic Cappuccino….and four glasses of Champagne! The special teas were fun and fruity and the perfect accompaniment to the colourful treats on offer.

Our waitress helpfully explained each layer of the tea stand and I’ll attempt to do the same!

The bottom layer contains a number of savoury items such as vegetable quiche, sun dried tomato scones and some sushi-esque sandwiches. I say “sushi-esque” because the sandwiches were curled up and reminded us all of maki rolls. The scones and quiche were both delicious but none of us were particular keen on the sandwiches. They were a bit stodgy and the bread didn’t seem fresh. Nevertheless, this is not your traditional afternoon tea and it was interesting to see the variety of breads on offer such as spinach, dark rye and lemon.

Next, we move on to the sweets – which were never ending! There was a Chocolate Tea Cup with Green Tea, White Chocolate Mousse and Popping Candy. One of my favourites was the Melting Mango Cheesecake which was amazingly rich and fluffy. Spoiler Alert: the Cheesecake explodes when you cut into it! Finally, there’s the Tick Tock Victoria Sponge which is a twist on the English classic. The cake is layered with the jam spread along the top but it was egg-y and my fellow diners thought the same.

The top layer was light and fun; Strawberries and Cream Marshmallow “Magic Mushrooms” and Carrot Meringue served on a bed of Pea Shoots.

My absolute favourite item on the stand was the “Drink Me” potion which was filled with Passion Fruit Jelly and Creamy Coconut and Banana Mousse.

The meal ended with a trip to the overly hyped jelly trolley. It looked and tasted unappetising hence it didn't warrant a photo! 

In some ways, the Mad Hatter’s Afternoon Tea was a case of style over substance. I must admit, I’m a classic afternoon tea kinda girl and unfortunately, a bit stuck in my ways when it comes to my finger sandwiches and scones. But there's no doubt that it was a lot of fun and a lovely day out on a sunny Bank holiday weekend. 

A couple of other quirky Afternoon Teas in London that I have experienced:

• Pret-A-Portea fashion themed Afternoon Tea at the Berkeley:  http://www.the-berkeley.co.uk/fashion-afternoon-tea/
• Sketch Afternoon Tea: https://www.sketch.uk.com/afternoon_tea.php

Rating: 3.5/5

https://www.morganshotelgroup.com/originals/originals-sanderson-london/eat-drink/mad-hatters-afternoon-tea