Ducksoup, Soho

At a bloggers lunch a few weeks ago, the other foodies at the table discussed the newest, hottest eateries on the London streets. Ducksoup was mentioned- a cute and atmospheric restaurant in Soho, serving up good quality, interesting food.

Wandering round Soho with two friends the other night for a catch up dinner, we were amazed by the amount of restaurants and quirky cafes to choose from. Initially we were intent on trying Polpo or Polpetto, two restaurants I have been meaning to write about for ages, but with long waiting lists at both we moved on to try and satisfy our hunger elsewhere. Ducksoup appeared and remembering the foodies' advice, we went in crossing our fingers that a table for three might be available. They were extremely accommodating, and worked hard and fast to clear a suitable space for us.

Ducksoup is the brainwave of chef Julian Biggs, helped by Clare Lattin and Rory McCoy, who at times have all worked with Mark Hix. The food is stylish but understated - they don't need to make it obvious through showy cooking... Ducksoup is cool, thoughtful and completely unpretentious. The decoration, or lack of it, may suggest carelessness... but this artfully unbothered look mimics the hip eateries in New York.

Sitting round the bar directly behind the lively musicians playing that night, it was very loud and felt just like dining in a buzzing Parisian bistro. The wine list is scrawled across the wall and menus are individually written out each day for the constantly evolving list of dishes available. Bar snacks, small plates and larger main meals are featured, we chose to order smaller dishes to share tapas style. I was just disappointed to see no duck soup on the menu!

Our waitress was very efficient and informative and, though the restaurant was completely full, brought out all our food promptly. She discussed the wine list with expertise, and advised us what we might prefer. We ordered a bottle of the very individual house white that has a very cloudy appearance and has a taste a little akin to cider, it was surprisingly delicious.

Some of the food was exceptional: the whole grilled quail with burnt lemon and tahini yoghurt was wonderfully crisp and caramelised with tender meat and a contrasting salty yoghurt dip. We loved the quail so much we dismantled it and devoured it, not leaving a scrap of meat remaining. The roast shallots with ricotta were delicious and comforting and the Fleurette cheese with fresh crusty bread was to die for, very creamy soft cheese with a mild but distinctive flavour. My friends seemed to love the braised cuttlefish with chorizo, that arrived black as night in a white bowl.

I was disappointed with the artichokes that arrived very dry, rather bland and under-seasoned; but aside from this the food was unusual and delicious, prepared and presented with care and attention. We paid £65 for a filling meal with wine for three and left wholly satisfied with everything about the dining experience at Ducksoup.

Visit the Ducksoup website here.

Beth Rowley, Jazz Pizza Express, Soho

Beth Rowley is a beauty: gorgeous figure and pretty face hiding behind enviously big blonde curly hair. She looked radiant when performing for two nights at the candlelit Pizza Express Jazz Club on Dean Street in Soho.

After securing our table downstairs in the jazz saloon we went upstairs to eat, the place was packed with keen fans. Beth Rowley, who herself mentioned many influences, has inspired me personally with my singing. I often sing her 'Nobody's Fault but Mine' with my little band, though our version is much more melancholic. It was lovely to hear Beth in her full glory singing it live, in fact she began the whole evening with it... the rendition was vibrant, upbeat and with the electric bass and drums, charismatically soulful.

The evening was split into two sets, for which she wore different, equally exquisite red frocks, something she mentioned was unusually showbiz for her. Accompanied by a musically sharp but small band (of guitar, bass and drums) the sound was perfectly balanced and projected well in the venue. Beth performed an eclectic mix of songs - some tracks from her new album (released next year) and other well known tunes by her favourite artists, but adapted uniquely to suit her style. There is no way to pigeonhole this singer, her music shows the influence of soul, blues, jazz, Americana and folk. I particularly love her adaptations of negro spirituals; she embellishes the melodies freely and artistically while injecting real passion into the words.

Speaking onstage, she was hesistant and timid and reminded me of a little girl, glancing over at her manager and father for reassurance (she introduced them both to us). At times it was almost awkward to behold and I was surprised considering her successful status. In the second half she loosened up and became more personable, communicating more openly with her eager audience, it was all more relaxed.

Pizza and Jazz is an undeniably good combination; Beth Rowley makes it even better. Already recognised as a jazz singer on the rise, I believe there is still a lot more to discover from this talented girl.

Visit Beth Rowley's website here.

Bistro du Vin restaurant, Soho

After attending the new Bistro du Vin restaurant opening in Soho, I was invited for supper last week to try out the menu. We went along on a Sunday evening to find the restaurant surprisingly empty, then again so is most of Soho at the end of the weekend. I was unable to see the design at the busy opening, but can now confirm the decor is elegant and refined, a bright and airy layout that I’m sure will entice people in either just for a drink at the plush bar or for a relaxed meal in the main restaurant.

This is the second Bistro du Vin restaurant, after the success of the first in Clerkenwell. The menu is one of British classics, with a focus on high quality meat and fish. The restaurant boasts a collaboration with ‘La Cave a Fromage’ a wonderful cheese supplier who works hard to find the very best French and British cheeses. So with that in mind, it would have been a sin not to try out the display of fine cheeses! For a starter we shared a selection of the artisan cheeses and finely chosen charcuterie. Our friendly waitress sweetly asked which flavours I preferred before bringing us a well rounded assortment of their current seasonal stock.

The cheese and charcuterie arrived beautifully displayed on two rustic wooden boards, along with a variety of fresh breads. All the cheeses were good, some were sublime... I remember thinking that cheese would be my luxury for a desert island, if the cheese I could take was this good. The finest salami and hams came amongst a bed of salad and figs, my favourite was the flavoursome Iberico ham, matured for 30 months.

As the name suggests Bistro du Vin has an enviable expertise in wine, and an awesome hand picked array is on display in the central glass room. A lovely sommelier came over to our table and suggested a white that would complement our starter, Stadt Krems Gruner Veltliner (Lossterrassen, Kremstal, Austria 2010). It was one of the most drinkable, light and refreshing white wines I have ever tasted.

After sampling the Donald Russell sourced beef on offer at the opening party, I was keen to choose a dish from the grill section of the menu. From the choice of cuts, I decided on Sirloin - priced at £24, my steak was lean and tasty, a wonderful cut of meat with a delicious chargrilled taste from the Josper Grill. To accompany I had a rich creamy peppercorn sauce and a portion of crispy pomme frites. We ordered a tomato and onion salad to share; I was delighted when it arrived to see the tomatoes were multicoloured, a group of bright orange, red, green and yellows. My friend chose the BdV Burger with bacon, gruyere cheese and grilled mushrooms on the side. A perfectly cooked stack of burger components, served with frites.

Before dessert, I asked to try a summer cocktail of the expert bartender's choice. The waiter delivered to me the sweetest peach-flavoured creation, a drink made specially to suit my request. For dessert, with our aromatic fresh mint tea we ordered the Belgian waffle, fresh strawberries and Valrhona chocolate sauce. I was pleasantly surprised to discover the waffle had just been homemade by the pastry chef in the kitchen; it was crispy and scrumptious with the darkest bitter hot chocolate sauce and sweet red fruit.

Soho is home to a wealth of tempting restaurants, but at Bistro you will find a little pinch of extra sophistication.

Visit website here to book and find out more.

Spuntino Restaurant

Spuntino is the latest labour of love from Russell Norman, the restaurant entrepreneur who brought us Polpo and Polpetto. If you’re someone that chooses your restaurant by location you won’t come across Spuntino. Squeezed in between the gaudy sex shops of Soho, this inconspicuous little eatery is reminiscent of a secret speakeasy. With frosted windows and a blank sign outside, we walked past several times before eventually spying it.

The restaurant has no phone number and no reservations creating exclusivity and consequently crowds queuing up to get in. To make things worse, Spuntino only seats twenty-six diners (that includes the single ‘kissing stool’). If you’re tactical you might just get in without a wait. The restaurant operates long opening hours and off peak times tend to be less busy, even at weekends. We went along for a snack at 6pm last Sunday and found two spare stools instantly, though ten minutes later there was a queue of eight.

After sitting down I was alarmed by how cool this place actually is: low hanging lights, hip tattooed staff, a vast variety of Bourbons behind the counter, and even bubblegum ball machines near the loos, all giving off a definite New York vibe. A sweet waitress told me about the history... it had previously been an Indian takeaway; Norman removed all the nasty decor to reveal the original beautiful old tiling that you can see in the photo above.

The place settings are dressed with Spuntino brown paper menus explaining the different small New-York inspired Italian dishes. They recommend two or three each. A mug of complimentary spiced popcorn was brought to us, which we munched on while choosing our food. From the ‘sliders’ section, we chose ‘Ground beef & bone marrow’ (£4.50) which is basically a mini burger... super cute and super yummy. Shoestring fries (£3): delicious and moreish and providing a perfect salty side. For a more Italian taste, we picked ‘Zucchini, chilli & mint pizzetta’ (£6) a small crispy pizza with thinly sliced courgette and grated cheese, a pretty smattering of chilli and mint specks. The flavour was sensational and very unusual, I was surprised too by its lightness.

For dessert we tried the ‘Peanut butter and jelly sandwich’ (£6.50) – slabs of triangular peanut butter flavoured ice-cream, with crushed raspberries between, and crunchy nuts sprinkled on top. It was strange and very filling; I found the nutty taste a little overpowering, with not enough juicy raspberry flavour to contrast, but I absolutely love the idea of it.

There was plenty more to try, I’ve heard the ‘Truffled egg toast’ is to die for, and the ‘Brown sugar cheesecake, grappa prunes’ looks dreamy, but we visited after a lunch of my dad’s unrivalled lasagne so I couldn’t fit it in. Perhaps I can try them if I manage to get in for a second time. Soho’s best kept secret, let’s hope it stays that way.

Website and info here.

Arbutus Restaurant

Arbutus is a modest restaurant with an understated elegance and a relaxed atmosphere. It opened in 2006 to rave reviews, and is the brainchild of Anthony Demetre and Will Smith. Located amongst the grime of Soho’s Frith Street, tucked away towards the Tottenham Court Road end. You eat in a plain oblong room, neatly arranged, painted in muted colours with low-key decor.

Arbutus is a strange name for a restaurant, don’t you think? Rather unappetising, but in fact an ‘arbutus’ is a tree from the Mediterranean. They serve modern European food with a strong French influence, and guarantee an uncompromised high standard at reasonable prices. I have been to my fair share of Michelin starred eateries (Arbutus was awarded its star in January 2007) and can confirm that these prices are impressively low by comparison. As is often the case, Arbutus offers a cheaper lunch menu to lure people in during their less busy times. With three courses priced at just £16.95 and surprisingly available at weekends as well as Monday to Friday, this is a particularly generous option.

We went during the Christmas period, when I had a rare weekday free. After considering all the choices I decided to decline the fixed lunch menu, and instead opted for two courses from the a la carte: main and dessert. Given the choice between starter and pudding, the latter always wins. Here’s what we had:

Mains:

Saddle of rabbit, caramelised endive, shoulder cottage pie (£17.95)

Grilled Bavette of beef (28 day aged), gratin dauphinois, red wine sauce (£17.95)

Desserts:

Clafoutis of William pears, vanilla ice cream (£6.95)

Cold chocolate fondant, chocolate wafer, salted caramel ice cream (£6.95)

My beef was delicious, and I was relieved to find they weren’t precious about my request to have it medium to well cooked, rather than the usual medium. It came with caramelised vegetables and a separate little steaming pot of gratin – a wonderfully creamy potato dish topped with cheese. The portions are generous; I found it a bit of a challenge to get through all the meat, but felt it was too good to leave any. The rabbit was nice, although aesthetically not as tempting as the beef. The cottage pie was a particular success, made with the lamb shoulder it was tender and full of flavour.

Thanks to the lack of starter I was completely ready for sweet when it came to our table. Very simply displayed, no foam, no spun sugar, no fuss, I was a little disappointed. A clafoutis is a baked french dessert; usually black cherries are arranged in a buttered dish covered with a thick flan-like batter. However mine was made with pears and had a delicate hint of almond, which the waiter later informed me was from almond flowers. It was near perfect, which unfortunately meant I had to share rather a lot of it with my companion. It arrived warm and each mouthful melted with juicy delight. The chocolate fondant was good too; I usually avoid chocolate desserts as they tend to be too heavy and rich for me, but this was definitely an exception. More of a mousse than cake it was light and scrumptious, paired well with the salty ice-cream.

The bill for two came to well under £60 (no alcohol, but including service charge), an amount which one can easily spend in a chain like Pizza Express, and very reasonable for a Michelin awarded restaurant. It was a lovely meal, I am looking forward to returning to Arbutus.

PUNK in Soho

PUNK in Soho has hosted some of pop’s greatest artists... including Lady Gaga and VV Brown. It is a groovy anti-establishment bar that welcomes creative souls of all kinds. I decided to embrace this freedom of expression and got dressed up with big fake eyelashes and my twiggy-like COS shift dress. A bit of hairspray in my hair, and some exaggerated eyeliner, and I was rather pleased with the overall look.

I went to see Jetson again (I must be their biggest fan)...on a night that showcased a variety of hip young bands, who all seemed delighted to be performing to Punk’s enthusiastic crowd. I enjoyed all the music, although at times there seemed to be a few sound problems. Jetson played with their usual flair, commanding the stage and filling the venue with a really positive vibe. The laid back ambience of this club is immediately noticeable, there is no dress code (like many Soho venues) and Punk has become a hang-out for scenesters, fashionistas, indie rockers, nu-ravers and all kinds of other people wanting to express themselves. I loved this feel-good atmosphere and felt relaxed amongst the crowd.

The bands were all being filmed for a show called Tftv. The crew will be travelling all round the country recording bands for a documentary for Channel 5 and Sky 3. This added an extra element of excitement to the evening’s performances, hopefully some of the bands from this night will be shown.

I was there with a few lovely friends who came to catch up and enjoy the music. Unlike many London clubs Punk doesn’t sell drinks at extortionate prices, so you can have a beer without breaking the bank.

Coming up at PUNK:

Monday 1^st November: Anthem

Thursday 4^th November: YOUR MUM’S HOUSE

Friday 5^th November: Dirty Pop

Friday 5^th November: Rockaoke

Saturday 6^th November: Dead or Alive

Saturday 6^th November: FU*K REHAB

Located on 14 Soho Street (just off Oxford Street) and open Monday-Saturday this is definitely a venue to check out.

GELUPO

I howl, you howl, we all howl for ice-cream... Well you will once you have visited Bocca di Lupo’s new Italian gelateria on Archer Street in Soho. GELUPO has been open just six weeks but already has some very keen, and greedy followers.

‘Bocca di Lupo’ is an Italian good luck phrase meaning ‘into the mouth of the wolf’, which is why the restaurant’s trademark image is the howling wolf. This restaurant is a favourite for foodies and just looking at the menu will make you hungry. Delicious regional treats from all over Italy, created by adventurous chef Jacob Kenedy. When dining at Bocca di Lupo it is best to share dishes, allowing one to taste as much as possible! There is a great atmosphere too, while sitting at a sleek wooden table you can watch the chefs at work.

When I went to Bocca di Lupo I found the desserts rather disappointing after the mouth-watering mains. And this is where Gelupo slots in: a lovely little deli just across the street from Bocca providing you with fresh gelato made that very same day. Open as late as 23:00 Sunday to Wednesday and 01:00 Thursday to Saturday.

My friend is the manager at Gelupo and he recommended I order the freshest flavours, which happened to be pistachio and strawberry. I narrowly missed the avocado & honey which sounds very intriguing... next time maybe. Every day the flavours vary, as they use only the freshest ingredients. Raspberry was apparently a winner, but they have had to stop making it due to the high cost of the fresh berries. For those of you watching your waistline, don’t fear, Gelupo’s gelato rarely uses cream or eggs in its recipes making it lighter and healthier.

Gelupo don’t just sell ice-cream, oh no. Amongst their beautifully stacked selves are all kinds of goodies to feast on. I spotted some yummy looking pasta, sausages and sauces.

Unfortunately Gelupo is rather hidden down yet another musky Soho street, but please when you’re next feeling peckish in Soho avoid Snog’s frozen yoghurts (just up the road) and wait to satisfy your cravings at Gelupo – I promise it will be worth it.

Check out the website here.

The Arts Theatre Club in Soho

The Arts Theatre Club is based in the centre of glittering Soho. This bar is in the style of a 1920s Prohibition Club.

The Club was recently redecorated by award winning designer Lee Broom.The decor is fun and stylish, but also comfortable with large velvet sofas to spread out on. You enter through a little door and follow steps downstairs where you reach a luxuriously dark red room. A functioning piano stands in one corner. The atmosphere is easy-going, and yet when drinking in The Arts Theatre Club you feel like you are brushing shoulders with an elite group of artists.

The club was started up by a group of actors as a meeting place after finishing on stage. A vibe which is still very much intact with a very interesting eclectic crowd.

I drank the delicious Arts Theatre Club cocktail – fruity with a little kick of spice, delicious and very moreish.

With so many fabulous places to drink in Soho it can be impossible to decide. I recommend The Arts Theatre Club, especially if you can manage to go on a night when one of their suitably retro DJs is performing.

http://www.theartstheatreclub.com/

Busaba Eathai

Situated in the heart of Soho, Busaba Eathai is a canteen-style Thai fusion restaurant. I went prepared to queue, but was pleased to find that we could run straight in (it had begun pouring with rain). Expansive dark shiny wooden tables fill the fragrant space, we were ushered to a long communal table to join another group of eager diners.


We had a strict time schedule, and needed to be in and out within an hour, which was no problem for our friendly and efficient waiter. Choosing a selection of dishes between us seemed like the best plan, and I was particularly proud of my clever choices - Guava collins juice, Mussaman duck curry with jasmine rice and a side dish of Morning glory, all delicious and fresh. The Morning glory with yellow bean, Thai garlic and red chilli tasted far too yummy to be a vegetable, and was definitely my favourite of the day. I previously knew only of the plant that produces beautiful flowers in the morning, and bloom at my grandmother's house in the South of France. However this Morning glory (Ipomoea aquatica), known also as water spinach, water convolvulus, Ong-Choy, Kang-kung or swamp cabbage is quite different and is used in East and South east Asian cuisines. It's actually banned in the US! (See USDA weed factsheet)

The open front restaurant with floating candles had a lovely atmosphere, and was the perfect refuge from the bustling streets of Soho. Busaba is like a glorified Wagamama, and now boasts five branches across the capital. Thai food can be a challenging mix of flavours, but if you're after a reasonably priced, good feed Busaba is a delicious choice and will leave you feeling completely satisfied.

http://www.busaba.com/