Lunch at Antico Restaurant & Bar

Bermondsey Street. Located just a few minutes from London Bridge Station and The Shard. 

Not usually our hangout area but that weekend, we fancied trying something local and as we were walking up towards Bermondsey Square, we ended up in Antico Restaurant & Bar. 

As we walked into the restaurant, we were warmly welcomed by the hostess who seated us in the very bright dining room with very rustic decor and very large windows. I loved it! The room also had a few pots of lavender by the windows which looked surprisingly real! (they were plastic!)   hehe. 

Nevertheless, it made the room pretty! 

As we were handed the menu, they had a great Set Menu Lunch which was perfect for us to try out a few of their specialities. We learn that the Chefs used to work at Theo Randall, an amazing Italian place on Park Lane, and that their passion was for traditional Italian flavours (more specifically from Tuscany) which they automatically transfer on their dishes. 

 

As a starter, we decided to share the Antipasti Board. The trio of colours on the board were all really yummy. The Focaccia bread was really soft and tasty, the selection of meat were of good quality as well and I really enjoyed the Olives! I wish they gave more focaccia bread!! :) 

Antipasti Board - Selection of Cured Meats, Olives and Focaccia

Then came our Mains. I chose to have the Pan-Roasted Hake, Capers, Cavolo Nero and Lemon Butter while Mr. Hubby had the 'favourite of the menu' as recommended by our waitress, the Slow roasted Pork Shoulder Tortelloni with Sage Butter.

Beautifully presented Tortelloni with sage butter and parmesan

Both dishes were absolutely fantastic! 

The Tortelloni had an amazing flavour and the pasta was just perfect. Not too thick, not too thin. Perfectly cooked with just the right texture to go with the slow roast pork shoulder filling and the sage flavoured melted butter ... it was almost heavenly! :p 

Just needed some freshly ground pepper on top to add that last bit of Ooumpfhh!! 

Pan - Roasted Hake with capers

My fish was also very good. A crispy layer on top but still very soft on the inside, covered with capers and much more than a drizzle of lemon butter! I am not to complain as I love butter! 

Wasn't too sure what the Cavolo Nero was but at that time I thought it was just the Italian name for Kale but when I 'googled' it later, it was from the Kale family but just a different type which is popular in Tuscany. I do love my veg so enjoyed that too! 

As we finished our mains, we were very hesitant to go for dessert but as we were enjoying such a comfortable setting, we said 'why not!' ...

Pot of Chocolate mousse with a sprinkle of seasalt 

Traditional Lemon Tart with Mascarpone

While the Chocolate pot was a bit too much, the Lemon Tart however was very 'lemony' and tasted really nice! Felt like a homemade dessert which had lots of flavour and just the right amount of sugar! 

What a Great Treat this was! 

My. Hubby and I left very satisfied and happy and definitely will be going back. 

(Please note that this restaurant can get very busy in the evenings so best to book in advance! We tried going there few evenings after work but always always buzzing and difficult to get a table. So it is more advisable to go for a Weekend lunch! ) 

ANTICO Restaurant & Bar 

214 Bermondsey Street

SE1 3TQ

Tel: 0207 407 4682

 

Sunday Brunch at 3 South Place - Moorgate

3 South Place

Have you heard of it? It is a new-ish boutique luxury hotel set in the City of London near Moorgate, few minutes from Liverpool Street with beautiful and stylish Conran interior design.

I guess it is still very much a secret for all but once you get to know it, you will definitely be coming back or be recommending it to friends! I've visited 3 South Place twice now and have enjoyed their lovely Sunday Brunch Menu both times with the loveliest company! 

So during the weekend, there is a special weekend brunch menu where you can choose from having 2 courses for £20 or 3 courses for £25. Pretty reasonable especially knowing that the Executive Chef Tony Fleming only uses the freshest seasonal and local ingredients to prepare his menu. 

Additionally, you can also add unlimited Bloody Mary's, Prosecco, Bellinis or Mimosas to the set menu, whilst you dine for an additional £15! So if you are celebrating something and need the bubbles flowing ... This is a great place to be! 

On my first visit I had the Virgin Bloody Mary (since I do not drink alcohol), however sadly this was not part of the unlimited deal... Ah! It was yummy anyway! :p The hint of tabasco always gives the kick needed to start a lovely brunch!

The Cappuccino was also sooooo nice! The froth so smooth and yum!

Seriously smooth cappuccino with beautiful froth art! 

Have a look of the dishes tried and tested ...  They were as tasty as they look beautiful! 

- STARTERS -

English Muffin - Poached egg, hollandaise sauce and smoked salmon

Yorkshire Chorizo & Fried egg on Toast

- MAIN COURSE -

Day Boat Fish pie, soft quail eggs and chive sauce

Red Hereford Steak served with fried free range egg & chips 

Heron's Farm Longhorn Hamburger with Blythburgh bacon and Cheddar cheese

Cumberland sausage & mash with caramelised onion & sage gravy

- SIDES -

          

- DESSERTS -

Baked Cheesecake with Blackberry Compote

Chocolate Fudge cake with Vanilla Ice Cream

Chocolate Pot with Salted Caramel

Overall, the savoury dishes were all excellent. Dessert-wise, I would put a warning sign with the Chocolate Pot with Salted Caramel as this dessert was insanely sweet and even sharing it between 3 of us, we did not manage to finish it! A spoonful (or half a spoonful) was enough to satisfy any sweet tooth! The Chocolate Fudge cake though was Fabulous - still rich... but very smooth! :) Service was polite, kind and very efficient. 

If you fancy treating yourself to A Lovely Weekend Brunch, 3 South Place is one to try!

South Place Hotel

3 South Place 

London EC2M 2AF

T: 020 3503 0000

Enjoy! 

Lunch at The Great British Restaurant Mayfair

With friends visiting from abroad, we booked a table at The Great British Restaurant in Mayfair hoping to experience traditional British cuisine in style! The reviews were good and located conveniently off Oxford Street made it even easier for us to select this establishment.

 The booking process was very easy and having the membership to Tastecard, we were able to enjoy a 2 for 1 main course offer! How fabulous! :)  Who doesn't love a good deal! 

As we entered the restaurant,  the place looked very small but had a long corridor leading to the back. We were happy to see that there was already a buzz with customers enjoying their morning coffee. The hostess was lovely and directed us all the way inside to the 'back room' where there was more space to accommodate our party of six! Don't worry... the back room was not a dark scary room :) ! 

We were given the Lunch Menu to choose from and although we initially were going for the Classic / Traditional British Dishes, we ended up choosing different items from the Mains Menu. All the options were so tempting! 

The dishes we chose were as follows :

Goosnargh Duck with duck leg faggots, turnips & blackberries, mead sauce 

Devon Plaice fillets, Cornish Squid, Sea purslane in Shellfish juices

The Longhorn Beef steak served with Watercress, roast bone marrow and Duck egg

The Great British Restaurant prides itself in using fresh, local produce and this was definitely reflected in the dishes we had and how they tasted. I had the Devon plaice fillets and I was so impressed by the presentation! The fillets were shaped into a medallion and this must not have been easy to prepare and cook, and to make it sit so beautifully on the plate... Ah! Well done to the Chef!

We had a great time with friends and enjoyed a lovely meal but the only downside which will also be memorable for us (sadly) is that the food took a looonnngggg time to come!

We waited almost an hour for our food to come and it was a bit much. Luckily we were in great company so it wasn't so bad but if you are in a rush ... I would recommend you to let the hostess / waitress know so that they can get organised!

Complimentary Sweets to go!

Before we left, we were each given a little treat which I thought was very thoughtful! :)
Traditional British Sweets!

Overall I would say the Food here is excellent, the pricing is reasonable given that lots of efforts are put into finding the best local produce and I will definitely recommend if you are looking for a modern yet traditional place to enjoy British Cuisine.

They also offer a Brunch Menu and a Sunday Lunch Menu which is worth a try!


The Great British Restaurant
Mayfair
North Audley Street
London
W1K 6WE

Lunch at the SAVOY GRILL - Gordon Ramsey

To celebrate the New Year in 'style', we booked a set lunch menu at the SAVOY GRILL expecting a quintessentially British experience at one of the most exclusive London Hotels. 

Since 2007, The Savoy Hotel was closed and underwent a massive refurbishment which took almost three years to complete and reopened its doors end of 2010. I have not visited the premises since its reopening and with this beautiful Lunch Offer of 3 course meal at £26, it was a good time for a visit! 

As we were seated in a very comfortable corner of the restaurant, the surrounding of the dining room was (as expected) very glamorous and elegant with a 1920's theme, with majestic chandeliers illuminating the room. The atmosphere was formal, yet comfortable. 

Our three-course meal was lovely although not extraordinary ...  I will let you see for yourself the dishes enjoyed from the modern menu with classic French and British twists. 

Celeriac Soup with Crispy toast with blue cheese

This entree was made special by the delicious crispy toast. If you like blue cheese it's a winner, if not,  be warned ... the smell can be overpowering! 

Chicken Liver Parfait served with chutney accompaniment and toasted brioche

The other entree we chose, the Chicken Liver Parfait was smooth and light. The Chutney was the perfect accompaniment and I loved that it was served with toasted brioche instead of normal toast. 

I Love brioche :)  I could have this entree any day! 

Now to the Mains. We each had a different Main as below. 

All presented beautifully, portraying the British and French influence on the each dish. 

Grilled Hanger Steak served with Potato Puree and Kale

Pan fried smoked trout with shallots

Smoked salmon and brown shrimp fish cakes with lobster sauce 

Game pie with swede mash

The food was faultless. We could see that each element of every dish was carefully prepared and thought through. All classically prepared but presented in a modern way to suit the evolving and demanding customer, we were not disappointed as we moved on to our desserts ... 

Sherry Trifle

Treacle Pie with Vanilla Ice Cream

Overall an impeccable experience at the Savoy Grill and for the cost, very worth it! 

I would definitely recommend going for the Lunch Set Menu and take your friends who enjoy sophisticated service and environment. All for a very affordable price! 

SAVOY GRILL

91 Strand , The Savoy Hotel

London WC2R 0EU

A New Year to look forward to - Happy New Year 2014 !

Happy New Year 2014 everyone!!! 

I hope that you all had a wonderful festive season! It has been a while since my last post (more than a year! ) and it is time to jump back on the blogging train. I cannot believe that 2013 has gone by so quickly and I have missed you so much!!! 

Now, now ...  there is a lot of catching up to do for sure and I hope that you will stay tuned this new year to see what delicious adventure awaits for the Beautiful Fat Cow 

A lot has happened since my visit to Shoreditch and I have plenty to share with you this 2014 ! 

Thank you for reading and joining me in my simple but beautiful life! 

Love & cupcakes.

Deliciously Yours,