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.

'Hell in a Hatbox' gig at the Mitre, Richmond

Looking at the tiny Mitre pub, down a residential road in Richmond, you would never imagine it to be a raucous music venue. Indeed most nights it isn’t, functioning discreetly for locals to enjoy the odd pint. But a few weekends ago, my well rehearsed band joined the list of other musicians to support Mad Sea Dog in a night of musical fun.

Turning up fashionably early (!) with guitars and amps in our hands, we were shown inside and told of the running order: four acts performing before Mad Sea Dog, each allocated enough time to power through five or six songs; we were up second. Oh, and to thank us for our efforts we were kindly allowed four free drinks, which my thirsty family members gladly used for me.

The event felt comfortably low key - the pub is small enough to not require any amplification so, much to my relief, I got to sing sans mic. Previously named the Lemon Golf Clubs, we felt this was an inadequate moniker for a second time and so discussion led to the temporary ‘Hell in a Hat Box’, which has little relevance but sounds quite slick, we thought so anyway. Actually I thought it sounded better suited to a heavy metal band but I had the minority vote so agreed nonetheless.

The venue worked wonders for our image: the men dressed in crisp black shirts and me in a full length, brightly patterned vintage dress - we looked strangely smart against the shabby wood-brown pub decor. After a very impressive performance from the singer-songwriter girl before us, we took the makeshift stage in the corner of the room. The pub was now full of eager punters, chatting and having a good time; it was a lovely atmosphere. We introduced the enthusiastic audience to our set of standards: Is You Is Or Is You Ain’t My Baby?, Nobody’s Fault But Mine (dedicated to Amy Winehouse, who passed away that day), Meet Me Where They Play The Blues, Someone To Watch Over Me (for Lucian Freud, the other tragic death of the week) and finally Ain’t Misbehavin’ – our signature number. The set went well, and the audience seemed to enjoy our performance, I only wish we’d been up there longer; it went by so fast.

The rest of the night was spent enjoying the other acts and tucking in to those complimentary drinks. After a rather aggressive protest singer (eventually) finished, Mad Sea Dog performed their set. A fantastically layered sound resonated from this chirpy band thanks to the clever multi-instrumentalists: acoustic and electric guitars, violin, ukulele, accordion. Just goes to show - never write off your local, you don’t know what you might be missing.

The Enterprise

The venue, The Enterprise, felt strangely familiar to me as I walked in a few nights ago; perhaps because the friendly relaxed atmosphere gave off a welcoming vibe.

The Enterprise pub (just over the road from Chalk Farm tube station) is now home to Music News Underground. Music News aims to promote upcoming new bands, showcasing their talent and reviewing the gigs afterwards. The monthly music nights kicked off with female singer Alice Watts in May of this year.

You enter through the bustling pub, up a narrow staircase in the corner of the room and into a dark dingy little space, ready to be illuminated by whichever band is chosen for the night.

When leaving the pub, I noticed the surrounding hip shops and cafes, in particular a few vintage/costume shops caught my eye. Definitely an up and coming area of London – the great Roundhouse is opposite and Camden Town is only a two minute walk. I made a mental note to return to Chalk Farm.

The Show After The Show: Sarastro

Sarastro or The Show After The Show, as it’s sometimes known, has been on my ‘to do’ list for far too long. This restaurant brightens up the whole of Theatreland with its outrageously flowery exterior. And inside it wows its visitors with the lavish decoration and opulent splendour.

I wanted to sit in one of the boxes which line the walls of the restaurant, and are not dissimilar to ‘real’ opera boxes. So, I went in the night before our visit to woo the waiters. It worked despite there being only two of us (the boxes are normally for six plus). They are used to cater for people pre and post show, in fact they expect you to be going to see something.

Opened in 1996 by owners Richard Niyazi and his nephews Salih and Richard Salim, Sarastro is one of a kind. The name ‘Sarastro’ comes from Mozart’s character in ‘The Magic Flute’. The restaurant is very theatrical and they always have appropriate music playing. If you’re lucky you might even catch some live music as on various nights they have opera and musical stars performing in the restaurant itself. Currently Sarastro has West End star Colin Roy singing a programme of Swing and Motown songs every Thursday.

The food was only average, we both ate steak which was a little dry and uninteresting. It is expensive for what you get. However you don’t visit Sarastro for the food, you visit for the experience. Open every day of the year, including Christmas Day and Boxing Day, Sarastro is an ideal place for parties or birthdays – the atmosphere is always dramatic and lively.

Visit the website here.