Roti Chai, Indian Restaurant, Marylebone

Roti Chai (literally ‘bread and tea’) is a cool new Indian snacking eatery conveniently located on the outskirts of Marylebone between Bond Street and Marble Arch, an area that has recently seen the arrival of a few new hip restaurants. Inside it is a simple layout, a kind of minimalist canteen, downstairs a dining room, and upstairs (where we ate) a relaxed ‘street kitchen’ designed for quick easy eating.

My expert eater, chef friend chose our meal, an assortment of exciting sounding dishes from the eclectic menu. The Bhel Puri arrived first, a Bombay speciality of puffed rice mix with tangy tamarind sauce… to me it tasted like a sort of exotic mix of rice crispies and chutney… a slightly odd combination but nonetheless quite fun to crackle in your mouth! Our waitress advised us to try the Chicken lollipops, which have apparently become a firm favourite with regular customers. These were yummy, very moreish spiced chicken wings, cooked to perfection with a crispy batter, successfully managing to avoid being too greasy.

The Hakka Chilli Paneer was a highlight for me, a fiery Indo-Chinese speciality from Kolkata that arrived warm and delicious, a mix of paneer cheese and vegetables, the only issue was its spiciness, and I found I really needed the cooling side portion of minty yoghurt. A generous basket of roti bread was fresh and warm, a much nicer accompaniment than rice.

If you are not opting for cocktails or Indian beer, it is worth having the masala chai to drink, the restaurant’s authentic take on the sweet Indian tea spiced with cinnamon, cardamom and cloves. A warm, sugary and comforting drink that smells and tastes like Christmas.

The desserts all sounded a little esoteric, I made an executive decision for us to try the Kulfi Indian ice-cream lollipops, mango for my friend, pistachio for me. These grown-up mini milks were surprisingly nice, a sweet icy conclusion to the hot and spicy meal.

Unfortunately the staff were a tad clueless on our visit, obtaining a glass of tap water was rather too difficult. More importantly though the food at Roti Chai is fresh and vibrant, a tasty and inexpensive choice for busy diners.

To really impress, I feel they could perhaps be a little more innovative with the menu… it felt a little too similar to restaurants like Dishoom and Delhi Grill. In London’s restaurant scene you need to be daring and adventurous to stand out from the crowd.

Visit the website here.

Meat Liquor, Marylebone

I must admit I felt pretty cool and smug arriving at Meat Liquor, the restaurant of the moment, which only weeks after opening already has a cult following. A queue on the street will now become a familiar sight for locals, a 'begging for burgers' look in their eyes.

Owner Yianni Papoutsis brings us the best burgers in town. Originating from a van, to a pop-up in New Cross and now a restaurant in Marylebone, he has certainly upped the steaks (!!). This dark dive is located beneath a hellish multi-storey car park, animal head murals are painted beautifully on the walls, lighting is very minimal, cables hang precariously and there is a mysterious red neon glow cast over the restaurant. It mimics the hip New York diners, and with the drawl of the Johnny Cash soundtrack is certainly all American inside.

Meat Liquor serves two of my favourite things: cocktails and burgers, and I savoured every mouthful. Keeping the menu simple they truly produce the best of both. A few starters including Deep fried Pickles with Blue Cheese dip and Buffalo Wings. There are two token “rabbit food” options, for those poor vegetarians who have come along with their meat hungry friends. And the main event: nine burgers are on offer, we chose:

DEAD HIPPIE – 2x Patty, sauce, lettuce, cheese, pickles, onions

MUSHROOM SWISS – 2x Patty, Swiss, Cheese, Shrooms etc

BACON CHEESEBURGER – Bacon. Cheese. Meat. Bread.

The burgers are extreme and delicious, the type of food you want to gobble in one go. They are so perfectly compiled that there is no need for extra seasoning, ketchup, mayo, it is just right as it is. Silence fell over our table as we devoured ours. The bun, which I often leave, is thin, soft and light. The meat, all cooked medium-well (unless you specify otherwise) is juicy and flavoursome. Topped with squares of cheese that is gooey and yummy, with vinegary pickles adding a kick.

Chips are not dissimilar to the McDonalds variety - extra thin, crispy and salted, seriously moreish and in a word, divine. Onion rings are light and airy, crisp and crunchy, sweet and delicious. Food is served on lined trays for easy eating and quick clearing; large kitchen rolls are placed on the tables for mopping greasy hands and mouths.

The cocktail list is intriguing and inventive. The drinks are made by hip barman who shouts across the restaurant when service is needed: “LIQUOR!” We couldn’t help but giggle each time. I tried the Silver Angel, a vodka based cocktail with peach and passion fruit, served straight up with a little fizz, it was fruity and delicious. My friends tried Henrietta Fizz which is served in a jam jar and has a real citrusy twist and St Thomas which is sweet and sour made with Bombay Sapphire gin, fresh lime, pink grapefruit and Aperol sugar.

When is the food is so good, expectations are high, and the service could have been better. Waitresses are lovely enough, though slope around in a cool manner, perhaps not as efficient as they could be. We had to wait nearly an hour for our food after ordering… we didn’t mind too much, the speculation and excitement for what was to come only increased, but a rather smarter couple behind us, enquired furiously about why they STILL didn’t have their food after a 25 minute wait. I felt too lucky, actually to be inside with a table, to complain.

You will have to queue, when we left at 3pm on a Saturday, the long queue was snaking right round the building. And be warned Meat Liquor is open only Tuesday – Saturday 12-2, no reservations. It cost us £18 each for a burger, side and cocktail. Amazing.

MEAT LIQUOR website here.