Dishoom Pop-Up Restaurant on Southbank

Rippling waves, golden sand, and delicious beach snacks... all found in London’s most exciting holiday destination... Embankment?!

Dishoom markets itself as London’s first and only Bombay cafe, selling authentic and traditional food of India’s famous city. This quirky restaurant set up a temporary pop-up on Embankment a few weeks ago providing hearty meals for hungry Southbank workers and visitors alike. The cafe is uniquely decorated with recycled newspapers, beautiful coloured bottles and amusing portraits. A bar lines one side and high stools the other, the atmosphere is friendly and relaxed.

Staff wander about welcoming you in, very eager to help, they wear hilarious neon t-shirts (that are also available to buy for £15) with bold slogans across their chest like “Bombay on Thames”. I am always on embankment, milling around before going to see a production at The National or The Old Vic and this pop-up perfectly suits my needs of needing a quick, filling, and interesting meal before a show. I went the other day before a play and tried the chicken curry and the popular Dishoom spicy lamb wrap. Both were delicious, much better than I expected. Rich and full of flavour the curry is thick and tangy, perfectly cooked chicken in a tomato based sauce that is packed full of spices, is comes with a separate portion of toasted naan. The wrap was a little too hot for me, but is a wonderful mix of crunchy vegetables and marinated meat.

To drink I tried a Chaijito made from chai infused Pampero run, fresh mint and lime. With no sugar (a crucial ingredient in a normal mojito) I found the cocktail a little too bitter, but it was an intriguing mix and certainly a refreshing accompaniment to go with the food.

Dishoom’s Chowpatty Beach will be adding spice to London’s Southbank until 4 October, so plenty of time to try out this bollywood Bombay bonanza for yourself.

Gabriel Orozco at The Tate Modern

At the age of 48, Mexican artist Gabriel Orozco is being heralded as one of the most influential creatives of this decade, and probably of the next one too. A retrospective of his work has just opened at Tate Modern showing some of his most familiar works alongside others less well known; I visited on my day off earlier this week.

There is a level of interaction for visitors at this exhibition. Various wacky sculptures are on display and you are encouraged to investigate the magic of these pieces yourself. An escalator lift sits stationary on the floor; you walk in to discover it only has a floor 1 option button, so even if it could move there would be nowhere to go. There is a fabulous ‘squashed Citroen car’ (see above) that despite having all four wheels is only one person wide. I couldn’t stop staring at it, and wanted to take it home as my car, though I’m sure as the driver you would feel embarrassingly like Noddy.

My favourite piece though was the moving billiards game that occupied me for a good while. The table has two standard white balls, and one red ball that hangs from the ceiling on a thin flexible string. One must attempt to hit the red ball with one of the white balls; cues stand nearby for one's use. Once hit, the red ball begins to swing, and the game continues. I’m no expert at average boring billiards, but I seemed to be pretty good at this propelling game, hitting the ball high in the sky,much to my delight. Richard Dorment of the Telegraph aptly puts it: ‘Orozco likes games – as long as he gets to set the rules.’

All these works are a contemporary take on Surrealism; Orozco explores the creative possibilities of often banal objects, altering them and imagining new configurations. This is particularly true of the empty white shoebox that sits undescribed in the centre of the main room, baffling passers by.

It is not just objects and sculptures though - there are a large number of photographs and drawings and these too are an important part of Orozco’s art. Sometimes it is just photographic documentation of a transient work that is long gone. The drawings are thoughtful and measured, and with little rational explanation they become very abstract. I particularly liked the Bubble drawing series that are displayed together in a small room. They are fascinating to study and resemble precise molecular diagrams.

This retrospective is Britain’s first major encounter with Orozco. In an amusing exhibition we are given an insight into an artist whose work is clever and original, full of fascinating experiment. It's not to be missed.

Gabriel Orozco continues at Tate Modern until 25 April, 2011, BOOK HERE.

Benugo Bar at the BFI

The Benugo Bar at the BFI is one of London’s best kept secrets, it's upstairs from the riverfront cafe.

This venue caters for everyone with wholesome roasts on offer for family lunches, or cocktails for evenings with friends. Many of my chums seem to choose it as a meeting place for those nervous first dates. Everyone loves hanging out on the Southbank, but in the winter months it’s not as fun to sit on the chilly benches... Benugo is the perfect alternative.

The place is filled with shabby chic mismatched furniture, and everyone from businessmen to scruffy artists, the atmosphere is friendly and yet there is an intellectual feel. I went to Benugo Bar with my best friend for an early evening drink and catch-up last weekend . We drank: cloudy lemonade, we ate: delicious handmade chips.

CANTEEN Restaurant

Canteen = 4 award-winning London restaurants. Great British food = honest food, nationally sourced, skilfully prepared and reasonably priced.

This is how CANTEEN restaurant describes itself, rather modest considering every time I’ve been I have had to wait in line with the rest of its keen fans. It is always full, and seems insanely popular.

I first went to Canteen, Royal Festival Hall branch, about a year ago with a good friend. After the first delightful visit it became one of our regular meet ups after work. The atmosphere suited us perfectly, and the warmth of the food and service was too good for us to resist. Considering the large portions, the prices are reasonable but not cheap, about £20 a head for drink, main, and side plus 12.5% service.

The name, I’m guessing, comes from the canteen-like layout of the restaurant, no fuss tables and chairs ordered neatly in an open plan room. It encourages casual, stress-free dining and is open for food, snacks and drinks all day. The breakfast menu, although I’ve never tried it, looks great.

The food has always been delicious, with maximum taste but also leaves you feeling completely satisfied and healthy. When I went last week I ordered the amazingly large portion of roast chicken and chips with garlic mayonnaise, plus a green side salad. The chicken was succulent with beautifully crispy skin, perhaps it had been cooked in one of those magical rotisserie machines. And the chips were perfectly cooked and cut, dangerously moreish. As a meat lover this is a good restaurant for me with numerous tasty meaty options, from freshly baked pies to roasts and bangers and mash. Canteen can also proudly say that all their meat and poultry comes from farmers who rear traditional breeds and practise good animal husbandry. It is free range and additive free.

This is hearty feel good food, the best of British cooking. Go visit one of their four branches, or buy their cookbook, which recently came out.

Visit the Canteen website here.

Gordon's Wine Bar

Gordon’s Wine Bar is the oldest wine bar in London, established in 1890. It is a quirky little venue perfect for a special glass of wine and catch up with a few friends.

The interior is unlike any other with wooden walls and faded newspaper cuttings and memorabilia, creating a lovely atmosphere. Down the rickety stairs you go and it is sure to be a bit of a squeeze because its always full. The wine cellar is so authentic that you do feel a bit like you are going back in time, and the close proximity makes everyone much more friendly and considerate.

It is a family business and this is shown through the character of the bar. They only sell wine and traditional, delicious (and well-priced) food to munch on with your drink. I usually go for a selection of cheeses, thoroughly yummy and perfect with wine. There are cosy tables inside but I usually prefer to sit in the outside seating area, where a long row of tables create a real buzz.

Gordon’s Wine Bar is located at 47 Villiers Street, just up from Embankment tube station. It was introduced to me by a good friend, and ever since we have continued to go together. Close to the city and the river, it is conveniently located.

If like me, you like places with masses of character, I’m sure you will warm to Gordon’s.