SUDA, Thai Restaurant, Covent Garden

Suda restaurant arrived in London five months ago, located in the romantically lit St Martin’s Courtyard in Covent Garden. The eatery is casual and comfortable and perfect for a light lunch in between shopping stints. Turning down Slingsby Place I was amazed by this sparkling oasis, lovely independent shops and flower stalls make it a gorgeous area to hang out.

Inside the staff are unassuming and sweet, offering help with the menu when I struggled to choose a Thai inspired cocktail. My dad chose the aromatic Lemongrass Bellini – fresh lemongrass with Thai ginger, a lemon twist, charged with prosecco and I had an eccentric but very pretty Thai Sunrise, a martini cocktail made with Gold tequila shaken with Cointreau, passion fruit puree, lime, sugar and finished with a drop of grenadine. Not a mix of flavours I would usually choose but the drink was surprisingly well balanced.

We decided on a selection of starters to share… an unbelievably yummy portion of chicken satay sticks, perfectly marinated and cooked served with a spicy peanutty sauce. Salty sweet potato crisps & tom yum flavoured rice crackers arrived presented in two glasses. A bowl of light crispy calamari looked so fresh and delectable that even I, a serial non-fish eater tried it, and though I found the texture a little rubbery, can’t deny that they tasted good. The signature SUDA fresh rice wrap with braised duck and Thai herbs was an interesting cold dish that I found surprisingly enjoyable. The only starter we didn’t approve of was the Thai eggplant salad with grilled scallops and chilli, it was an odd combination of ingredients, not very easy on the palate.

The fragrant mains created a wonderfully colourful table, Green Chicken Curry for me, and Red Roast Duck Curry for my dad, and a large bowl of Prawn Pad Thai to share. The curries were delicious with ample ginger and flavoursome vegetables, though still quite spicy considering we asked for milder versions of the menu options. The meat was thinly sliced, beautifully cooked and seasoned appropriately. The Pad Thai noodles were sweet and comforting, the ideal dish for a winter’s lunch.

To satisfy our sugary urges we tried a couple of the Thai desserts, notorious for being odd. Tropical fruit sorbets were a nice palate cleanser though a little boring, the banana fritters were much more exciting, arriving on the plate still hot and served with a dollop of creamy vanilla glace.

Suda offers fresh and tasty Thai food, inspired by a balance of the key five flavours – sweet, sour, salty, bitter and spicy. We had a lovely meal that reminded me, once again why Thai food is my favourite cuisine.

Visit the Suda website here.

Paramount Restaurant, Centre Point

A year or so ago I was taken to Centre Point's bar for a cocktail and a glimpse of the awesome elevated views, 33 floors up in the sky. It is a bar every Londoner should visit once. This time I returned the favour by taking the same person as my guest to try out the luxurious restaurant in this grand tower, Paramount, located on Floor 32. We were kindly escorted to the lift and told that we would arrive at level 32 automatically, we didn’t and instead hovered between floors 27 and 30 - the begrudging lift seemed unable to take us the whole way, and we had to walk.

The restaurant area was deadly silent, the type of place where a sneeze sounds like an earthquake, only a few formal lunches were taking place. We were seated on a lovely table next to a staggering view, much of the meal I was distracted by the dizzying height, amazed to be looking down at such insignificant dots of people and the tiny red blurs of buses. The chaos of Oxford Street feels like a distant memory, in Paramount you are blissfully unaware and removed from the mayhem. The waiters were polite and responsive, leaving us for just the right amount of time to settle down and survey the menu before bringing us the wine and bread. Paramount offer a set lunch menu (£18.50 for 2 courses, or £23.50 for 3 courses) and though we didn’t opt for this selection, it is definitely something I would recommend as a cheaper, good value alternative.

The food was immaculately presented, smart and appetising, almost too pretty to delve into. We were both drawn to the Sweet Potato, Sage & Parmesan Tortellini with Chorizo Cream Emulsion for a starter, but not wanting to duplicate, my companion decided on the Slow Cooked Mutton with Autumn Vegetables & Split Pea Broth. I was delighted when the hot plates arrived, the portion was petite and delicate, everything always tastes better when there is less of it and my tortellini was divine: soft pasta parcels with a sweet soft filling and contrasting crunchy salty fried pieces of chorizo and deliciously thin and crispy sage leaves. The broth looked hearty and wholesome, vegetables and meat in a soothing soup.

The list of mains was extensive and tempting with many meat and fish choices. My Roast Venison Loin was rich and delicious, with a flavoursome Braised Red Cabbage & Liquorice sauce trickled over, an unconventional combination which balanced out perfectly - the sauce complementing the red meat. My friend chose the Sirloin of Scottish Beef with Goose Fat Chips & Peppercorn, a more classic meal that was displayed beautifully with rocket, tomato and mushrooms. It was a generous portion, a very tender piece of meat lightly grilled with a pretty in pink interior. In my opinion the chips were a little too big and consequently tasted a little undercooked.

The afternoon began passing us by and it was time for pudding. Lemon Mille Feuille with Lemon Polenta Cake & Lemon Verbena Sorbet for me and Vanilla Crème Brulee with Red Wine Jam for him. Mine was an exquisite composition on the plate, like an exemplary offering in a Masterchef final challenge, every element delicately arranged to create a work of art. Dismantling it was all rather sad, particularly crushing the light layering of the Mille Feuille. The flavours were intense - tangy sharp lemon, cubes of crumbly polenta cake and sweet raspberry yoghurt cream filling. The Crème Brulee was creamy and silky with a deep purple red wine jam peeking through at the bottom of the dish, and crunchy biscuits, it was just as this typical French dessert should be but with a unique twist. Cappuccinos completed the meal.

A mist began to descend on the London skyline and darkness fell, a candle was placed on our table, perhaps a sign to leave from our lunch booking, three hours had drifted by without noticing.

Paramount presents stylish and very appealing food, fine dining which is smart but unpretentious. Along with the amazing bar this is the ideal venue for a special treat meal. We had a lovely lunch and afternoon eating and reminiscing at the top of the Centre Point Tower.

Visit Paramount, Centre Point website here.

Dirty Martini, Covent Garden

Dirty Martini has always been one of my favourite cocktail bars in London, in fact I'm not sure why I haven't blogged about the place sooner. Based in the centre of crowded Covent Garden they are certainly never short of customers, I have spent many friend's birthday parties here, as well as enjoying frequent spur of the moment visits!

Being underground, dark, crowded and raucous, I find it is not a great venue in the warm light summer months... however in Winter Dirty Martini offers a haven for chilly commuters in need of a cocktail before supper, we went along for an aperitif before eating at Loch Fyne last week.

The menu, as you'd expect is chock-a-block with martini flavours - we chose the passionfruit and the lychee. The cocktails are served in artfully frosted glasses, which look great but does cause constant dripping while drinking which is slightly irritating.

The drinks were delicious, not too sweet and extra flavoursome thanks to the real fruit and high quality spirits used. This is a real 'sex in the city'-esque bar, and with very generous happy hours (5-10pm on school nights - two cocktails for £8!) it is difficult to resist the urge to have martini hour every day.

Visit the Dirty Martini website here.

HUNter 486 restaurant, The Arch Hotel London

HUNter 486 is part of the stylish Arch London Hotel. A stone's throw from Marble Arch station and conveniently close to Selfridges shopping, it is the ideal location.

I went along to review after my final day of work at the property company, a meal to celebrate new beginnings, and the team at HUNTer 486 couldn't have made it more special. The venue is smart and savvy with clever design and cool artwork, it exudes a quiet elegance. We chose a particularly plush sofa table in the centre of the dynamic restaurant.

The menu is varied with options to suit any dietary requirements. I spotted the keen barman out of the corner of my eye, and immediately decided against wine in favour of bespoke virgin cocktails. These were concocted and delivered with expertise and grandeur... amazing tall sunset-coloured glasses topped with delicate slivers of mango.

To eat, after trying the warm fresh bread, I had a small but perfectly assembled Caesar salad, wonderfully crisp baby gem lettuce with generous shavings of parmesan and crunchy, ultra-thin crouton crisps coated in a thin layer of creamy dressing; it was absolutely delicious. My guest tried the grilled sardines on sourdough bruschetta with a wild rocket salad -very fresh fish seasoned immaculately, she loved it.

For main I couldn't resist the 8oz fillet steak, an impressive chunk of meat, grilled and cooked to perfection just as I asked. I could immediately tell the meat was of the highest quality and with the sweet chunky caponata sauce and crispy salty fries, it was the perfect combination of flavours and textures. My friend opted for the special of the day, the line-caught seabass grilled and served on a healthy bed of tabouleh salad. I don’t eat fish but I would have eaten this, it looked so good - it did make me feel very naughty by comparison gorging myself on steak-frites!

Desserts are inventive and fun at HUNter 486, and though we were tempted by a few, the frontrunners were clear: Pineapple carpaccio served with coconut sorbet and dark rum jelly and for me, 64% Valrhona Manjari chocolate fondue served with exotic summer fruits and homemade marshmallows. The Pineapple was delicious, and if we weren’t quite so greedy, this one dessert could have been shared perfectly as a little final palate cleanser… but we couldn’t resist the fondue and, be honest, could you?! It was heavenly, a pot of warm velvety dark chocolate coating the freshly cut fruit. We finished the meal with another custom-made virgin cocktail, courtesy of the lovely barman.

I honestly can't fault HUNter 486, a restaurant of class and sophistication, with a menu to die for, I would happily eat here every night of the week!

Visit the HUNter 486 website here to book.

Scarlet Hotel, Cornwall

A weekend out of London was just what I needed and the Scarlet Hotel provided a luxurious refuge for the night. Located in Mawgan Porth in Cornwall, a blissfully remote and quiet area on the coast. The Scarlet prides itself on offering a simple but beautiful grown-up hotel with the highest eco standards. When we arrived on Friday evening the welcome put us instantly at ease, a porter took our bags to our room and we were offered a drink. After a swift tour of the hotel, it became apparent that the Scarlet caters for one's every need, alongside the inviting spa there are numerous relaxation rooms, and places to curl up with a book or have a comforting drink.

Our room opened out onto the cliff edge with sun loungers overlooking the beach. A lovely Queen-sized bed placed centrally was surrounded by all the essentials, a sizeable desk, snazzy white TV (that took a while to work out) and two comfortable velvety chairs. The open plan bathroom was found round the corner, with a large bath and gorgeous toiletries.

After a quick freshen up, a bounce of the bed and an outfit change, it was time for dinner and I was intrigued about what the Scarlet restaurant had in store for us. The restaurant is quite “zen”: very spacious and facing the sea with an airy feel. The waitress explained that dishes change daily and there is a strong focus on local and seasonal produce. I was amazed that an entirely new menu is created every single day, an impressive feat for the head chef.

We were treated to a lovely bottle of house white. Our starters then appeared very promptly considering how busy they were on a Friday night: Butternut, artichoke & apple cannelloni for me and Cornish duck, artichoke and duck egg for my guest. The menu explained the dishes in the simplest form while they arrived exquisitely ornate and complex. The duck consisted of a single ravioli filled with duck meat placed precariously in an artichoke soup with a poached duck egg, a strange but yummy combination. My cannelloni had been carefully assembled and looked like a work of art on the plate.

My main course: Venison, wild mushrooms, garlic cream potato was one of the best dishes I have ever eaten. The meat was simply to die for, even though I asked for it slightly more well done than is standard, it was juicy, tender, flavoursome and utterly delicious. I asked myself, ‘why do I not eat venison more?’ My friend tried the monkfish with pickled turnip and confit potato that looked divine and she seemed equally delighted with the taste.

We were thrilled with our puddings, which we chose very carefully from the appealing list. The Chocolate cappuccino with pistachio biscotti was too tempting to resist but was a little too rich for me. My favourite was the local berry meringue with butterscotch... melt in the mouth crumbling meringue mixed with sweet butterscotch sauce and fresh berries.

Our adorable waitress offered to bring us tea to our room, and after choosing a DVD from the vast collection at reception we wandered down to find a silver platter with fresh mint tea and a plate of assorted fudges, the perfect end to the evening.

I woke feeling refreshed and calm, the silence of the countryside almost eerie to me as a busy Londoner. Fresh coffee was brought in to us at 9am and we sat for a blissful few hours watching a film and sipping our drinks in bed.

Breakfast the next morning was just as good as supper and I was amazed to find I could fit it in! A selection of fruit and pastries, wonderfully nutty homemade granola and a traditional English breakfast plate with Kernow sausage, dry cured bacon, hog's pudding, grilled tomatoes and mushrooms. Already placed on every table is a bottle of apple juice from the Cornish Orchards, a lovely alternative to orange juice.

I could bore you for ages about the fun things we tried at the Scarlet... highlights of the trip included walking the hotel dog Jasper down on the beach, splashing about in the seaweed hot tub outside with cocktails, and experiencing the facials and massages at the hotel spa.

I was so sad to leave, I felt totally relaxed at the Scarlet (helped by the lack of phone and internet signal) and the special attention to detail really makes a stay there unforgettable. I will definitely be visiting this heavenly hotel again.

The Scarlet Hotel is located at tredragon road, mawgan porth, cornwall, tr8 4dq. Visit the website and book here.

The English Laundrette, pop-up restaurant, Shoreditch

I love to blog anything unconventional and quirky and the English Laundrette certainly fits this category. This pop-up restaurant coincides with the rather posher French Laundrette event currently serving in Harrods under the helm of award-winning chef Thomas Keller.

I was a little disappointed to discover that the venue for the English Laundrette is not actually a vintage laundrette but just an interesting blank space in East London used for suppers, gigs and exhibitions. Even so, the team have done a brilliant job dressing the place up in a suitably kitsch and fun way with washing lines of drying laundry and hilarious moving washing machine projections. Fabulous girls greeted us, rollers in their hair and sporting adorable outfits... we were given incredibly strong Chase Gin punch cocktails to sip on while waiting for the other attendees.

Guests are served nightly a six course dinner with an eccentric menu created with nostalgic references to the 1960s. Dishes such as prawn cocktail and cheese and pineapple are revitalised and given a bizarre, inventive twist. I have to admit, most of the food was a little too odd for me, and there were a few courses I avoided, particularly the strange smelling spiced tomato juice that was up first. Next cheese and pineapple was adapted to goat’s cheese pannacotta (tasted like iffy ice-cream) with a base of pineapple weed jelly, and landcress puree, which made me squirm. The avocado veggie sundae I quite enjoyed, especially the little avocado breadcrumbed croutons... but by this point I was ready for some hot grub.

My wish was soon answered with the extensive Mixed Grill: Roe deer & malt scotch egg, crispy crumbled smoked bath chaps, fried duck egg, black pudding, triple fried chips and the list goes on. My table were rather overwhelmed by this cholesterol fest. Next, English rare-bit, mock caviar and Worcester sauce, basically a jazzed up version of cheese on toast.

The meal was completed with Lily Vanilli’s trolley of vintage delights including a rather dilapidated sherry trifle, which tasted delish but looked a mess. Then lots of little fancies the waitresses brought round on trays: mini bakewell tarts and custard cream cakes.

I can’t say I particularly enjoyed the meal, but I absolutely loved the concept and the idea of this pop-up restaurant, impressed by the passion and drive of its enthusiastic creators.

The English Laundrette is only continuing until 9th October, however the creators hope to bring their pop-up DISCO BISTRO (yes - food and dancing) idea to London next year, so watch this space!

Visit the website here.