Sexy Fish

On Sunday evening, my cousins and I went to London's hottest new restaurant, Sexy Fish. The restaurant's star studded opening has led to a jam packed reservations diary. But luckily for us, my cousin is a serial networker who can pretty much get us a table any time and anywhere. 

The interior is worth the hype. It is stunning with a beautiful bar running down one side of the restaurant and tables and booths scattered around the rest. I was dying to see the large fish tanks in the private dining area but unfortunately it was booked out. 

We were seated in a cosy booth near the open kitchen and started to study the food and cocktail menus. I settled on a seasonal Bellini and one of my fellow diners picked a classic Moscow Mule. Nicely presented and not extortionately priced. 

Unfortunately our waitress was not very welcoming. Upon ordering, we were reminded that the table had to be vacated within two hours. I know that this is quite a standard policy for top London restaurants these days but restaurant staff should be tactful when they notify you about this. Other top London restaurants such as Hakkasan manage this very well.  

We picked a good selection of dishes from different sections of the menu; the raw bar, skewers, cold dishes, hot dishes and a final one from the robata. Once we'd placed our order for the Salt and Pepper Cornish Squid, we were told it was unavailable. I was little surprised that (1) we were not told about this when the menu was first presented to us and (2) our table was at 6.30pm.... suggesting they'd run out of squid very early on in the evening. 

I'm not going to go through each dish in detail because I have one word for them all - mediocre. I couldn't help but compare them to established heavyweights Roka, Nobu, Hakkasan  and Zuma - all of whom have had years to perfect flavours and exceptional service. 

The Crispy Soft Shell Crab with Wasabi Mayonnaise was my favourite dish but admittedly, it was quite oily. My cousin actually refused to finish her piece. 

The Smoked Japanese Sausages with Mustard Miso were basically frankfurters, but hey, I'm not going to complain about a yummy and familiar flavour. 

Chicken Wings with Sancho Salt...

Crispy Prawn Roll...with lettuce...

Prawn Gyoza with Soy and Ginger dressing...

Glazed Chilli and Onion Ribs...

Miso Lamb Cutlets with Cucumber...

When it came to dessert, we decided to go for the Cinnamon Doughnuts and the Chocolate Fondant. We placed our order but once again were told (too late) that the fondant was unavailable as the oven was out of order. Teething problems - fine, but not informing the customer when you initially hand out the dessert menus - not so fine. In fact, not at all fine when the bill comes to over sixty pounds per head.  

Nevertheless the non-available Chocolate Fondant was a blessing in disguise. The Vanilla Cheesecake with Cherries was probably one of the best I've ever had. The cherries were a little bitter but I think it complimented the sweetness well. 

Unfortunately I can't see myself returning to Sexy Fish for dinner. The menu and service didn't excite me and the food just doesn't compare to other restaurants in Mayfair at the same price point. I got the feeling that the food was very much an afterthought at Sexy fish - a classic case of style over substance. I would however, recommend it for drinks. But then, this is a food blog....

Rating: 

http://www.sexyfish.com/

Gatti's

This week I was fortunate enough to be invited to my first Zomato Meet Up at Gatti's. I was silly enough to show up at Gatti's original site in Broadgate. Nevertheless, I was escorted to the new Citypoint restaurant by Nelson, who was lovely. Great customer service before the meal had even begun!

The evening at Gatti's was exclusive to Zomato which meant we had the whole restaurant to ourselves. We had some lovely Veuve Clicquot champagne and canapés on arrival before being ushered to the deceptively large dining area in the basement of the restaurant. 

The menu was designed especially for us and we started off by tucking into a selection of bruschettas; cured ham and artichoke, traditional roasted cherry tomatoes and porcini mushrooms. They were crunchy and delicious and the sharing platter was a good way to break the ice between myself and the fellow bloggers at my table. 

I mistakenly thought that the mini bruschettas were our starters. However, it was just a way to stretch our tummies before the real thing...

Rigatoni with organic tomatoes and basil. Considering the simplicity of the ingredients, this starter was more flavourful than any other pomodoro I have had. 

Next up was something really spectacular. I have only ever experienced salt baked sea bass in other European countries (and most recently in Lisbon) so I was so pleased to find a restaurant in London that can offer the same. Although the sea bass is not on the regular Gatti's menu, it can be pre-ordered. 

Although an odd way to describe sea bass, it was very "meaty" and the parsley sauce was a lovely light accompaniment. 

Whilst we devoured the above, we were joined by the owner of the restaurant Jenny who gave us an insight into her vision and experience so far. We were also told that Gatti's was named after the late Luigi Gatti - the owner and manager of the first class restaurant on the Titanic. 

Apologies for the next photo, but lemon and prosecco sorbet is quite difficult to capture! The prosecco was very subtle and the sorbet was a very refreshing palette cleanser before we moved onto the next(!) main course. 

At this point, I was struggling to work out how I was going to manage all these courses in one evening...! We really were being treated. 

Ta dah! The photographs do not do this justice. It was fabulous and once again, it was presented to us at the table. It was also good to know that you can come to an Italian restaurant for a really good roast dinner and some Yorkshire puds! Who woulda thought? 

The roast scotch rib of beef and Yorkshire puddings were served with broccoli, potatoes and carrots. And yes, I ate all of it. 

A selection of little Italian desserts to finish; home made tiramisu, a profiterole, panna cotta with winter berries and cheesecake. I liked the idea of a selection of desserts on one plate. Sometimes one large dessert can seem too overwhelming! My favourites were the tiramisu and panna cotta (which is hiding away in the back of this photo). 

The restaurant had a warming, relaxed and traditional vibe with seamless service. I guess the best way to describe it is old school and familial. You can also tell that Gatti's really invest in good quality ingredients. It was obvious throughout each course.

I had a lovely evening meeting fellow foodies and bloggers. The exclusivity of the event made me feel as though I got a really deep understanding of this restaurant and what it is all about. I look forward to my next visit :) 

Rating: 

http://gattisrestaurant.co.uk/

Bravas Tapas

This blog post has been a long time coming. Bravas Tapas opened last year and I have been trying to find the time to venture down to St Katharine Docks to pay it a visit. Not least because the restaurant is owned and run by very close friends of the family! 

Traditionally, I am not a fan of Spanish food but my father had been raving about Bravas' "alternative style tapas" so off we went to celebrate my mother's birthday. 

I knew we were off to a good start when we were given forceps instead of a traditional knife and fork. It reminded me of my recent trip to Heart, Ibiza which was probably one of my most memorable dining experiences to date.  

We were totally at the mercy of our family friends when it came to selecting dishes. Each plate was a surprise and we sampled tapas that we wouldn't usually order. The first being Cantabrian marinated White Anchovies...

Blue Cheese Croquettes...

Pan con Tomate - simple but so effective. I could eat this all day.

Padron Peppers...I had  a portion of these at Brindisa recently but I preferred the Bravas version - more of a kick.

Fresh Salmon Rulada. This was one of my favourites of the day. I loved the contrast between the two consistencies; soft salmon against crunchy shoestring sweet potato.... 

Grilled Octopus with Garlic and Olive Oil...

Another stand out dish... Crispy Piquillo Wrapped Prawns...

And one final plate to really cement that Ibiza nostalgia... Cinco Jotas Iberico Ham.

My meal at Bravas was really memorable. We spent the best part of our Sunday there - with a lengthy break in between courses which gave us time to mosey around the area. We had sunshine, bubbly, wine, great food, fabulous hospitality and most importantly I was with family and very close friends. In essence, it was everything a perfect Sunday should be.   

If you hadn't already guessed it, I highly recommend Bravas Tapas. Let me know what you think...

Rating: 

http://bravastapas.co.uk/

Molé

Yey! Finally a restaurant that I'm really excited to blog about - Molé Taco Bar. Molé is a new opening on St James Street, just off Oxford Street. As you may have guessed, Molé specialises in Mexican and South American food. 

I arrived a little earlier than my friends and instantly felt at ease. The manager popped over to my table and it was as if he'd read my mind. "Is the music too loud for you?" he said...and yes, it was. He happily turned it down and I sat back and took in my surroundings. The restaurant makes  you feel comfortable and has a lovely relaxed feel. 

My friends arrived and we kicked things off with a couple of cocktails. Our waiter recommended two drinks based on our personal preferences.

The Coco Fresco, with 1800 Coconut, Passionfruit, Pineapple, Lime Juice and Agave...

and the Kraquiry with Kraken Rum, Demarada Syrup, Maraschino and Lime Juice...

We were absolutely starving after work and jumped at the waiter's offer of a big bowl of Guacamole with Lime, Sea Salt and Pomegranate. 

The menu does contain principal dishes but we decided to pick a lot of starters and shared everything between us. I am going to set out my dishes in my order of preference...ascending order.

Unfortunately we weren't fans of these Chicken Thigh, Tequila and Aji Amarillo Skewers. They tasted of raw egg and we couldn't get through the whole dish. 

Tuna Tostada with Yellowfin Tuna, Avocado Oil and Chipotle Mayo. They were average but contained large chunks of some kind of root vegetable which was a little unexpected. 

The Yellowtail with Guajillo Sauce, Radish, Serrano and Avocado Oil...

I wasn't too keen on the presentation of this dish. The Guajillo looked a bit overbearing compared to the delicate Yellowtail. The dish was fine but I've had better Yellowtail.

The following three dishes were absolutely scrumptious and are undoubtedly Mole's speciality. 

Chiptole Beef Shortrib Taco with Sweet Potato Hay, Radish and Jalapeno...

Pulled Pork Taco with Micro Coriander, Pickled Onion and Avocado...

And for the main event and my favourite dish of the evening...the Baja Fish Taco with Shark Fillet Tempura, Chipotle Mayo and Jalapeno Slaw...

For those of you who aren't fans of chilli, Molé is probably a good Mexican option. The dishes weren't as fiery as other tacos I have had recently e.g. Breddos Tacos in my "My Summer Round Up" blog post. 

I really liked Molé and I'm looking forward to going back. It's a good lunch option if you're looking for a pit stop whilst shopping on Oxford Street and there's a lovely oval table near the window which is great for larger groups in the evening. 

Check it out...let me know what you think...

Rating:

http://www.moletacobar.com/