Cote St Pauls

I recently had the pleasure of organising a friends birthday party at this city venue. This themed event required seating and catering for 25 very fussy guest, some with food allergies and a few  fellow foodies who have high expectations. 

Unlike other chains, Cote prides itself on serving high quality food that's reasonably priced. 

Having had a great selection of food, we were further spoilt for choice when it came to choosing our drinks, from its sparkling wines to the great champagnes and wines on offer. 

"Avoid the house stuff and you won't go wrong"

Every menu choice was consistent in presentation, quality of produce and taste I am reliably informed. My seabass was perfectly cooked, the salmon starter fresh with just the right amount of dill to bring out its subtle flavour.  

Each dessert held its own, from a decadent chocolate mousse, creamy creme brûlée to the humble berries with cream, every palate was pleasured.

The private room and great service offered to us was amazing. Friendly staff led by the amazing events manager Frankie Skelt . This amazing team ensured everything ran like clock work. Faultless, enthusiastic service.

If you looking for a great venue that's reasonably priced without compromising on quality, gives these guys a shout. 

http://www.cote-events.co.uk/

tel: 02072364388

events@cote-restaurants.co.uk

Sheraton Park Lane Hotel London

Expecting to be treated to a fine dining experience associated with a  5 star hotel, we were in for a very uncomfortable surprise. 

The Palm court restaurant is currently being renovated so you are forced to eat dinner in the lounge. This would not have been a problem had we been forewarned or had there been proper chairs and a dining table. 

All 9 of us hobbled around a coffee table waiting in anticipation of our respective orders. A good 1hr45 minutes later the dishes start to arrive, mains followed by the side salads and finally the sweet potato fries. 

The braised lamb shoulder turned out to be a stew which left 8 of us looking at each other in shock, whilst disappointing, it tasted ok. 

The chicken salad was underwhelming, it lacked any seasoning or dressing.

The quinoa salad whilst nicely presented failed to hit the spot, It was flavourless and remained half uneaten.  

For dessert we opted to go elsewhere as we couldn't bear the thought of waiting another hour or having yet another underwhelming experience. 

The only decent thing was the wine, whilst a bit on the expensive side it numbed the pain. 

Service was slow and unenthusiastic. Will I be going back not at this point, maybe after the relaunch if these minor details are addressed.

Searcys One New Change

What a fantastic way to celebrate 13 years of friendship with my bestie, champagne tasting at one of my favourite champagne bars in London, "Searcys One new change ". 

This place has always held a special place in my heart due to the exceptional service from a former employee Michaela and today it reminded me just why it has me coming back time and again. 

Having bought a Groupon voucher, I was expecting to be sat at a table and presented with 3 taster glasses and some nibbles. 

However I was pleasantly surprised, as this turned out to be one of the best tasting experiences I have had. 

Conducted by the extremely knowledgable Rolph. I sat back and played ignorant, allowing him not to talk us through each of the champagnes, the production processes, and grape varietals used. 

This man knew his craft, from the blanc de blancs, blanc de Noir to the varying Cuvées, appellation and the build characteristics of each of the champagnes we tasted.

His vast knowledge, pairing recommendations, professionalism and impeccable customer service made this day even more special. 

I was pleased to see that they now do a great champagne afternoon tea alongside their vast champagne menu, amazing cocktails and fantastic nibbles. 

This place gets a well deserved 5 stars from me.

If you fancy spoiling someone special or just celebrating life pop by Searcy for a memorable experience of fine champagne, delectable oysters and customer service that's second to none.

I would recommend booking to guarantee a great seat. I prefer to perch  at the bar and watch the world go bar. 

Searcys champagne bar

1 new change 

Closest station St. Pauls 

020 7871 1213

OXBO Bankside take 2

OXBO Bankside provides a unique mix of contemporary design and the warmth and comfort of honest, flavoursome food.

This hotel restaurant could easily be a stand alone, Headed up by executive chef Paul Bates who utilises the freshest seasonal produce from both specialist suppliers and the local traders at the neighbouring Borough Market. 

Being my second visit and having had a great experience, I decided to recommend this little gem for my friends 40th. 

The 3 course set menu which included a glass of Fizz for £21 went down a treat.

 The chefs delivered course after course of amazing food from starters of Grimbsy cod cakes, pancetta, rabbit and snails on fried bread and a veloute of aromatic lentils. "Clean plates all round washed down with a glass of fizz"

'Mains'

Mouth watering Blade of beef marinated in 5 spice, accompanied by mash, violet potatoes and coriander shoots washed down with a Spanish Tempranillo. 

I opted to have the delicately poached sea bass salmon and crab "my palette had gone to heaven" this dish was light, refreshing and packed with flavour.

'Dessert'

A fantastic selection of desserts tonight from an AGEN Armagnac infused prune creme brûlée to a a decadent black forest trifle and a fairly generous portion of  Oxford white cheese with charcoal biscuits.

Tonight the chefs were the stars sending out top notch well seasoned   food that was beautiful presented. As always we had friendly attentive service. 

The little happy birthday cheese cake and limoncello shots were a great ending to a fantastic evening.

Total spend for the evening was £226,69 for the 8 set menus, 4 cokes and the bottle of wine plus service. 

Following my last review this place gets upgraded to 5 stars. 

Already looking forward to next months menu.

3 South Place

Set on the ground floor of the South place hotel, No 3 south place is a charming and welcoming venue. 

Being a sucker for a great deal, I decide to try out the evening standard menu. 3 courses and a glass of house wine for £25.

Great ambience and customer service from every member of the front of house and waiting staff. Sadly that's where it ends.

The starter of wood pigeon & beetroot terrine, green beans salad and horseradish cream left me feeling underwhelmed . Best described as a flavourless jelly overpowered by intense flavour of horseradish. We paired this with the glass of the Barbera.

My colleagues Cornish crab Raviolo, courgette chutney, basil and citrus fruit dressing was slightly better but the experienced ruined by a bit of shell in the dish.

 Having survived the starter we await our mains which look amazing . 

I opt for the rump of beef, oxtail hash poached hens egg and a béarnaise sauce.

The oxtail hash was the star of the dish, my rump was more medium than medium rare it was dry and tasteless. The smoother glass of Tempranillo went down a treat. 

Jacqui's slow cooked lamb, winter veg , pearly barley broth looked great. The perfect winter warmer. Sadly whilst very tender the lamb was a tad to dry. 

Dessert was an easy choice, I opted for sticky toffee pudding. 

The pudding was ok, the caramel was granular and felt sickly sweet .

The vanilla ice cream tasted strange but helped balance the sweetness. 

Jacqui seemed pleased with her cheese and crisp bread. 'Thankfully it's Difficult to get this wrong'

With its-great location and 5 star customer service this place has bags of potential, sadly the food let it down on this occasion. 

Word of caution steer clear of the house wine, spend a few pounds more and get something nicer. 

Service 5 stars 

Ambience 5 stars

Food 2 stars 

Overall 3

3 South Place, London, EC2M 2AF

Tel: 0203 503 0000

Email : e.hello@southplacehotel.com

OXBO Bankside

Sitting within Londons' most exciting new cultural district, OXBO Bankside provides a unique mix of contemporary design and the warmth and comfort of honest, flavoursome food.

This hotel restaurant is a welcoming surprise with traditional British dishes taken to a new level. 

Headed up by executive chef Paul Bates who creates unique cuisine utilising spices, herbs, garnishes and exotic flavours, using supplies from specialist producers and local traders at neighbouring Borough Market. 

Showcasing the area’s historic influences with urban design features, OXBO’s metal and timber surfaces are softened by William Morris-inspired fabrics. Quirky art pieces and Animal heads 

Having pre booked the 3 course set Menu which included glass of Fizz for £21 via open table, I wasn't expecting much from this hotel restaurant..But boy was I surprised!

From the friendly welcome, informative staff to the excellent unobtrusive service this placed surpassed my expectations.

The starters

I opted for the duck, chicory and orange salad. This dish was packed with complimentary flavours of citrus balanced by the sweetness of the dates and crispness of the chicory perfectly complimented by the glass of Champagne.

Toms Fennel marinated salmon, with mussels and crisp bread look like a work of art and I am reliably informed that it tasted just as amazing.

The main course

We both opted for the Rump of Gloucestershire lamb, onion soubise, Cretan potato, marjoram jus washed down with a Spanish Tempranillo.

Art on the plate perfectly cooked lamb, nice and pink on the inside and melt in the mouth morsels of meat. 

"however I found the dish slightly salty for my palette and sadly mine was slight charred on the outside, which meant that every second bite ended with acrid taste of carbon"

Dessert 

We opted for the Caerphilly cheese with quince chutney and wheat wafers.

This simple pairing of cheese and wafers went down a treat. 

Great ambience and faultless service the only negative of the evening was the charred side of my lamb  'greater quality assurance needed on dishes leaving the pass will ensure that every meal is consistent and take it up a notch'

Considering we booked a set menu our total spend for the evening was £82,33 for the 2 set menus, 2 sides, and the bottle of wine plus service. 

Will I go back, absolutely .This place gets 4 stars and has already been recommended to my fellow foodie friends. 

Word of warning read the wine list carefully as the prices quoted at the front are for 500ml and not the bottle 

Balducci CapeTown South Africa V&A waterfront

Last nights  I had the pleasure of dining at Balducci, this little gem is tucked away in the heart of the Cafetown V&A waterfront. 

It boast a large menu covering everything from  succulent steaks, tantalizing curries, seafood and Sushi.   The wine selection was top notch and at R450 plus for some of the bottles, I knew I was in for a treat .

Our waitress was an absolute Gem who was extremely knowledgable and professional. I was advised that if I opted for oysters they would be milky as its spawning season so we opted to share a pear, avocado,rocket, baby spinach,Gorgonzola and walnut salad gently drizzled with balsamic vinegar and olive oil and a light dusting of pepper  complimented by a glass of  steenberg Sauvignon blanc- this wine just oozed freshness - exotic fruits and green pepper on the nose opening up to an asparagus  flavor . This is one salad you don't want to miss.

Mains were something else pepper crusted fillet steak that melts in your mouth. Cooked and seasoned to perfection. Complimented by roasted pumpkin and a side of spinach.   We decided to push the boat out and sample a R450 2011 bottle of Kevin Arnold Shiraz - this single label from the Waterford estate - think liquid velvet in a glass with its heady mixture of spice, mocha and slight pluminess. The pairing was a match made in heaven. 

Sadly I had no space for dessert although the had a great selection including the South African favorite Malva pudding . 


Total spend for 2- including a shared starter, 2 mains, water, 2 glasses of wine and the bottle of Shiraz plus service approx £59 (R1241, 73) and worth every penny.