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.

Malmaison hotel and Smoak and Ember, Manchester

It was typical that as I stepped off the train at Manchester Piccadilly station, the skies opened and fat menacing raindrops began pelleting down, a miserable welcome but one that I would expect after three rainy years at University here. Luckily my destination, the Malmaison is located only a few minutes walk from the main train station. We were relieved to step inside the warm hotel, appetising culinary scents wafting over from the new Smoak restaurant, tempting us in.

We were greeted by the enthusiastic manager and escorted up to our superior room where we were pleased to find seductive and pretty décor, a massive bed, inviting chaise longue and useful desk; it was fully equipped and more. The bathroom was the real piece de resistance: a smart black and white chequered floor, large mirror and huge bath. Our bathroom was fully stocked with the customary lovely Mal toiletries. I’ve stayed in several Malmaison hotels and am refreshed each time by the new exciting flavour of each destination, reflecting its location.

This building is a converted Victorian warehouse, with a red and black theme and gorgeous hemp cloth blinds, sheltering the downstairs reception, a combination of old and new. It has an indulgent feel, with individually designed boutique bedrooms and downstairs a large sumptuous spa for all your relaxation and pampering needs. We treated ourselves to luxurious aromatherapy back massages on Saturday morning, and had fun in the calming lounge playing with the massage chairs in our fluffy white towelling robes.

The expansive new restaurant, Smoak and the bar, Ember look flashy and chic alongside the hotel reception on the ground floor. This new restaurant hopes to entice non-hotel guests in from the street, and it was amazing to see the place completely full on a wet Friday night. I was disappointed with the service at Smoak, despite only being three months old I expected more. On the floor they were massively understaffed and service was slow and inefficient. Our young waiter was very sweet, but just a bit clueless, not offering any expertise when we asked about the cocktail menu and delivering everything very late in a clumsy way. There was one comical moment when he thought he had brought us the wrong starters so ran back to the kitchen only to discover that in fact it was our food, and returned all flustered with the same plates. My small Caesar salad was very overdressed, the poor leaves wilting under the strain of the thick vinaigrette, my friend tried the Tuna Carpaccio with aniseed cress, soya and lime dressing and left most of it disappointed with the flavour and the excess of soy sauce.

With steaks and the epic grill as their speciality, we both opted for the fillet steaks and these did not disappoint. Wonderfully smoked and rich, good quality hunks of meat arrived, cooked to our exact specifications. There is a big selection of sauces and chip varieties to accompany the meat, I decided on peppercorn sauce with garlic chips and my friend chose béarnaise sauce, and paprika chips.

The retro inspired dessert menu gave us a difficult choice, I couldn't resist my favourite Pannacotta and here served with delicate pieces of pineapple and a red fruits coulis. It was suitably creamy and tasted freshly homemade thanks to real vanilla sprinkled on top. My friend chose the selection of light sorbets, and seemed satisfied with the Mal's homemade passion fruit sorbet, though the texture was more like granita. We retired to bed taking our fresh mint tea with us. I was relieved to snuggle up with the fluffy duvet after a long and tiring day.

I am always amazed by the Mal breakfasts, guests seem to relish the continental selection, and the classic take on the English Breakfast. With the early morning sunshine streaming through the restaurant, it was a very pleasant and open place to enjoy the start of the day - we chose from the lovely fresh fruit and pastries and ordered big mugs of tea and coffee to wake us up.

As always, I left the Malmaison feeling energised and refreshed, ready for the day ahead.

VISIT MALMAISON WEBSITE HERE TO BOOK.

London Cocktail Club, Goodge Street

I have wanted to visit the London Cocktail Club for a while; this cool bar is regularly named as a top ten cocktail joint in London, a reputation I felt I needed to investigate, being the cocktail junkie I am. The LCC doesn’t need to impress with a showy entrance: it is located down a small staircase, very discreet and only to be found by those ‘in the know’. The bar is lined with multicoloured bottles, each holding a unique spirit ready to be magically mixed.

We sat at a small table towards the front of the bar... it was relatively empty but there was still a great vibe helped by the awesome soundtrack of hits humming in the background. I was most surprised, and impressed with the reasonable prices... it costs around £7 for a cocktail, expertly designed by JJ Goodman (mixologist extraordinaire) and artistically concocted by the experienced barmen.

The menu is extensive with numerous outrageous combinations - I was almost persuaded to try the bacon flavoured drink, but eventually decided on the more girly ‘Brixton Riot’: Lychee, Martini, Cranberry & Peach puree are shaken before Wray & Nephew overproof rum is added and ignited to put fire on the dancefloor! The drink was, quite literally on fire, as you can see in the photo... the barmen here certainly like the attention, making the drinks is a performance.

My friends tried the more traditional French Martini, a stunning ruby red cocktail presented with a single bay leaf floating on top. All the drinks were divine, deliciously flavoured and wonderfully inventive. For the second round we ordered the Porn Star Martini’s and I asked for a specially made fresh passion fruit dacquiri, which our waiter was only too happy to concoct for me.

Just before leaving, we were offered tiny complimentary glasses of an exclusive cocktail, a very special shot that the barman refused to reveal the ingredients of! It was strong but tasty, the perfect exit palate refresher. I can’t wait to return to the London Cocktail Club to try out the rest of the exciting menu.

Visit the London Cocktail Club 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.

Malmaison Hotel, Edinburgh

My brother’s room in Edinburgh University halls is a lot more pleasant than my dingy first year cupboard room at Manchester... however I was still very glad to be staying at the luxurious Malmaison Hotel for the night. Located in Leith, a district in Edinburgh that has recently undergone a transformation, the Mal hotel is part of a stylish cluster of lovely restaurants, bars and galleries along the waterfront. The building itself is a 19th-century former Seaman's Mission and oozes with history.

We were in the 'concept' room, a beautiful brand new spacious room decorated with the utmost care to evoke the beach and summer memories. The room, number 117, was so new the smell of paint could almost be detected in the air, and everything sparkled with freshness. With muted striped walls, matching comfy armchairs, a woodland coffee table, mirrored wardrobe, high tech TV and hanging retro photographs... the room seemed fit for a queen. The place was so big, our huge King size bed could neatly be tucked in the corner to allow space for all the other glamorous amenities. I felt I should be entertaining in such a commodious suite!

My favourite features were the Nespresso coffee machine and gorgeous vintage tea set that were available for our use.

The bathroom was minimalist and chic with a large bath and sink and a selection of sweet smelling Malmaison toiletries. It was here that I discovered the ultimate high tech invention... after my hot shower in the morning I stepped out to a miracle on the mirrors... all steamed up apart from two large rectangular sections that remained pristinely clear so I could still see perfectly in them, an unbelievably useful gadget that gave me quite a fright!

Being so new, there were a few teething problems with our room, no glasses for water and a few issues with the hot and cold taps in the morning but these were soon rectified and the staff were only too happy to help out, everyone was polite and friendly and very attentive, keen to make our stay as special as possible.

Supper is served downstairs in the elegant bistro. First we sat in the plush bar to sample the cocktails... and I can say from my ample cocktail drinking experience, that these drinks were mixed to perfection. The raspberry Bellini was particularly good, and looked stunning too.

I have eaten in the Malmaison London before and Edinburgh was not dissimilar in style, a glorious menu of British classics with particular attention to good quality meat and local Scottish produce. We tried a few quirky starters, the crispy frog legs with sauce gribiche and the chicory, walnut and Strathdon blue salad. Both were beautifully presented, and exciting for the palate. I was proud of myself for eating the frog legs and surprised to find them quite tasty, or maybe that was just the talent of the Mal chef!

The mains were extravagant and rich and we were glad to have left room by resisting the bread. We tried the Mal burger, the ‘St Brides’ coq au vin with pommes puree and the amazing aged entrecote steak (a meat feast for my starving student brother). Everything was delicious, and there were no complaints around the table, in fact everyone was very quiet concentrating on the food entirely. Quick mention also to the hand cut fries that were a huge success with this group of discerning chip critics.

Amazingly we had room for pudding, and ordered a creme brulee with spiced Madeleine and baked Alaska flambee to share between the three of us. The brulee disappeared almost instantly and was a definite hit. The flambee looked sensational arriving on fire (intentionally of course) and was life threateningly sweet, and couldn’t quite be finished despite our efforts!

Retiring to bed after supper was very welcome as I was exhausted after walking around Edinburgh all day. Our bed, aside from being huge, was exceptionally warm and cosy and ultra soft, perfect for freezing Scottish nights.

It is difficult not to gorge yourself on the breakfast, and I would have if I hadn’t eaten such a big supper the night before. There is endless choice if you opt for the continental, a spread of favourites with fresh fruit, vanilla infused yoghurt and cereals as just a few of the treats on offer. I ordered a bacon and sausage sandwich which was perfectly cooked and very tasty, I could tell that the meat was of a high quality. To drink we were brought fresh orange juice and large frothy cappuccinos.

Every time I visit a Malmaison I fall more and more in love with this chain of luxury hotels, they have a great philosophy and welcome every guest with open arms, making every stay extra special. If you are visiting Edinburgh I cannot recommend this hotel highly enough, if you are lucky the concept room might be available to try.

Visit the MALMAISON website here for more information and booking.

Bedruthan Steps Hotel, Cornwall

It was unfortunate that we visited the Bedruthan Steps after a night at the Scarlet, because any hotel would seem drab in comparison. Sister hotels, and separated by only a five minute walk, these two Cornish establishments are very different. Bedruthan caters for the whole family, with large homely rooms, regular children’s activities, and a relaxed inclusive feel. Naturally this meant the hotel was full of young families; the more sophisticated Scarlet caters for couples and smart getaways.

Everyone was very friendly, welcoming us to the Bedruthan, we were shown down to a Villa suite: a lovely large room with a huge double bed, and a separate additional area with a bunk bed suitable for littler guests! The room was very comfortable with tea and coffee facilities and a TV; a petite bathroom had an adequate bath and shower. Yet again phone signal and internet connection were nowhere to be found - luckily I didn’t need it, but I can imagine for some it would be an inconvenience.

After exploring and having a lovely treatment in the impressive spa, we went to the dinner lounge. Our meal was a little disappointing... inspired by the fresh innovative cooking at Scarlet, I was surprised to find Bedruthan's food of a lower standard. Bread and wine were brought to us and we were given the set evening menu to select from. My Alsace caramelized onion tart, Miss Muffet cheese, walnut crust & hazelnut dressing arrived lukewarm and though the taste was pleasant it was rather like bought quiche from M&S. The Vitello tonnato, tuna mayonnaise, capers & rocket also came a little misrepresented and wasn’t a hit with my friend.

Mains were better: Marinated roast lamb rump, chargrilled Mediterranean vegetables, lemon ricotta & mint oil for me, and Aubergine & marinated mozzarella balls with smokey aubergine mash for my guest. The lamb was a little oily and wasn’t a great cut of meat, the accompanying vegetables and chips were good though and soaked up the sauce from the meat deliciously. The aubergine was the best course, the cheese was encased delicately in lovely rosemary flavoured grilled aubergine and the mash was an interesting addition.

For afters we opted for the sticky toffee pudding with vanilla ice cream, and the pecan pie with cinnamon mascarpone & maple syrup. These were warm and sugary and a comforting end to the meal. The waiter kindly let us take the rest of our bottle of wine to our room where we enjoyed it while watching X-Factor!

I slept miraculously well at the Bedruthan, our bed was soft and as soon as my head hit the pillow I was deep in sleep. Our breakfast was wonderful, an array of options set out for guests to help themselves, everything you could wish for including the delicious Cornish apple juice! We ordered two massive cappuccinos that were particularly good and croissants and fruit to munch on.

For the reasonable price you certainly get a good deal at the Bedruthan Steps. In certain areas they excelled: lovely comfortable rooms and exceptional service, and a very high standard spa. For a family this is the perfect place to stay for a lovely Cornish holiday, but unfortunately, for me, the newer more glamorous Scarlet Hotel outshone the Bedruthan.

Visit the Bedruthan Steps website and book here.