London Love

Let’s start with some buns to die for - Pophams Bakery in London Fields is one of my favourite artisanal bakeries in town. Bacon & Maple, Rosemary & Sea Salt Twist, Marmite & Schlossberger & Spring Onion, peanut Butter & Jam & Banana, Almond, Ham & Cheese, you name it.

And this is what they do Thursday to Saturday night. Choice of two starters like these pickles with bagna cauda...

... and PASTA! Delicious pig cheek tortellini in a classic Italian broth and hand-made led by Executive Chef Phil King. The founder of Pophams, Ollie Gold, spent seven years working in catering departments in various Formula 1 teams and wanted to bring an innovative spin on traditional viennoiserie baking techniques to London. Successfully so. And the pasta is definitely worth the visit as well - you can witness the production of both pasta and pastry thanks to an open plan kitchen.

If you’re up for some serious Sushi you should take place close to this guy. This is Endo Kazutoshi, chef and owner of Endo at Rotunda in White City. You’ll get a proper Japanese restaurant experience here.

Cornish sea bass sashimi with an English garden salad. Endo beautifully combines his highest skilled techniques with national products.

Otoro Aburi Nigiri. Almost too pretty to eat but please go for it as you’d as out on a fantastic experience of taste and texture.

Wagyu from Miyazaki and English caviar - perfection on a plate, verging on the sublime. So glad Endo followed the path of his family being a third generation sushi master himself. He was born in Yokohama, Japan, and recalls being inspired by his grandfather who owned a popular local sushi bar back then.

Canelés for tea. That’s one of the things I love about London - the combination of the best of the best products and recipes being brought from all over the world. A Canelé is a traditional sweet delicacy from the Bordeaux region of France, with a baked caramelized crust and soft custardy heart. And Babelle UK are offering their delicious selection every Sunday at Victoria Park Market.

Apart from being super lovely and kind two Michelin star chef Hélène Darroze luckily offers her classic French cuisine in the heart of London as well. Her restaurant is situated in the five-star luxury hotel The Connaught on the corner of Carlos Place and Mount Street in Mayfair - and worth a visit itself.

Try the crab of Cornwall with pomelo, lampong pepper and txurrango for example

Or the cep of Scotland with fresh walnut, snail, lardo di colonnata and persillade emulsion. So tasty!

Chef Anthony Demetre had twelve successful years with his modern European menus in Mayfair. Last year he moved to St. James, a few yards from Trafalgar Square, and added a striking dining room designed by interior specialist Jim Hamilton.

Grilled Cornish sardine with salad of beetroot and green vegetables. Simply delicious. Demetre was one of the first to invent the Bistronomy concept of Paris in the English capital and you can enjoy a good old glass of wine with your food for a reasonable price in city terms as well.

And this comes after the dessert for free - one of these lovely Canelé from Bordeaux. In a sea salted caramel version this time. Head there for lunch to watch the hustle and bustle of town go by.

Favourite french tartes in town: Fruit from Boulangerie Jade. They started in East Dulwich but have outlets in other parts of London now as well. A bit more unique and way more tasty than the cakes from one of the big bakery chains.

These are the doors to one of the most anticipated restaurant openings in London in the last decade. Three Michelin star chef Daniel Humm whose Eleven Madison Park in New York was voted Best Restaurant in the World by the Worlds Best 50 Restaurant list opened up in Claridge’s Hotel, London, in 2019

Variety of pear. Subtle perfection.

Osietra caviar with butternut squash, smoked shellfish and naan. Creamy, crispy, salty, smokey, sweet, rich and soft delight

Carrot salad. Well, let’s say in a quite sophisticated way.

Black cod roasted with napa and savoy cabbage, miso and kohlrabi. So far I thought chef Nobu Matsuhisa has mastered the way of handling black cod but Humm is giving it a whole new dimension.