Part 1: Putney and East London
Moving from the bustling metropolis of Melbourne with it's non-stop cafe culture, hip trendy bars and beautiful food wasn't easy. To say that eating a Greggs pasty and drinking a murky cup of coffee in rainy old Nottingham doesn't compare would be the understatement of the year. However, I took comfort in the realisation that London was a mere two hour train ride away and better than that, Jedward's hair told me that East Midlands trains go there every half an hour (I'm not hallucinating, it was on a billboard). With my lust for city living re-ignited I quickly booked my tickets and got to work on some serious planning.
My idea was simple, explore a suburb a month, do something cultural like go and see some art or maybe a show and then partake in some serious wining and dining followed by a nice dose of cocktails. My companion on this journey was trusty foodie and all around London adventurer CD, an old housemate and fellow PhD survivor. We vowed to see the city through fresh eyes and I vowed to write all about it.
I arrived at the majestic St Pancras station late in the evening, I was instantly hit by the beauty of this structure. To top it off my companion informed me that St Pancras is also home to Europe's longest champagne bar, well it would be rude not to toast to that along with my first proper pay cheque in Great Britain (and first hefty student loan payment...sigh).
The Champagne Bar
St Pancras International http://www.stpancrasgrand.com/
My first experience at the champagne bar was magical, I sipped on a glass of chilled rose while my companion enjoyed a glass of classic Moet. The atmosphere was truly lovely watching the world go by. The bar was full of loved up couples probably toasting some post-Parisian engagement, men in suits looking at the ladies and groups of women catching up on all of the news. After the indulgence was over a proper catch up over some food was on the cards and we decided to seek out a substantial and warming dinner. Eliminating any super fancy options we decided to go close to home and eat pie, this was part a nostalgia trip as during our poverty stricken house share days we often wiled away the evenings with a comforting Birds Eye chicken pie and enough mash to feed an army. Delicious, on to the review.
Putney Pies
136 Upper Richmond Road London SW15 2SP
Tel: 02087041117 http://www.putneypies.co.uk/
Unfortunately for me and for you I did not take any pictures of the pies (I'm a blog rookie) so I will just have to paint you a picture with the gift of description. As it was unseasonably warm (don't you just love a 27 degree day in October) we decided to perch next to the window and enjoy the cool breeze. The interior was rather lovely and had a cool fashionable warehouse feel to it, we noted as the rich pastry and mounds of mash darted past us, this was a good idea.
Jumping past the starters and straight to the delicious pies we ordered a pie each, chicken and leek pot pie for me (£7.45) and venison, ale and juniper berry (£8.50) for my dining companion and some mash and greens to share. My pie arrived and was delicious, buttery light pastry and a creamy chicken centre. The mash could have done with a little more seasoning (but I'm just being snobby and comparing it to my food heaven buttermilk mash experiences in certain fancy steakhouses in Melbourne so we can let that one go). We shared a bottle of crisp zesty pinot grigio (£18.95) which was light and fruity and the whole meal only came to around £40. A comfort food bargain.
I would recommend Putney Pies for a casual meal with friends if you are after simple, honest food (which let's face it apparently we all are these days). According to our hip and rather flirty waiter the place was packed a mere hour before we arrived so it is best to arrive early or late if it is a Friday or Saturday night. With a full stomach and an early start to prepare for, we got ready for a day of gastronomic adventures.
Fifteen London
15 Westland Place, London N1 7LF
Tel: 02033751515 http://www.fifteen.net/
I am a regular at Jamie's Italian and I find the food to be of good quality and value for money, although the menu doesn't change as often as I would like. I was keen to dine at his original flagship Fifteen to see whether the food was a notch above the standard fare. When I found out that our art exhibition was just around the corner then it seemed like the perfect opportunity.
We couldn't get a booking for the restaurant for the time that we wanted so opted for the Trattoria instead. As we entered the atmosphere was wonderful, the place was busy but not too loud and this being Jamie's the decor was understated and cool. We started with a round of cocktails, CD had the special, prosecco with a peach puree (£6) while I ofted for Fifteen's take on a margarita awash with fresh chilli's and tequila (£7.95). Having tried a lot of lovely, inventive cocktails in my time I must say that this was memorable, it was tangy with a hint of lime and real chili which gave a lovely kick to balance out the acidity. I highly recommend this for an aperitif, a real knock-your-socks-off digestion starter.
Our waitress arrived and explained the menu, we decided it would be silly not to go for the £15 lunch special each which gets your bread and sexy (I will explain in a minute) olive oil to share, a Fifteen signature anti-pasti plate (pictured) and either the pasta, risotto or tortillini of the day. My dining companion opted for the hearty slow cooked ragu while I chose a rather interesting sounding tortillini filled with fresh beetroot and an orange glaze. It's worth spending a moment to talk about the olive oil, it was supurb. Dousing a piece of fresh house made bread into the oil felt decadent and naughty as if slathering bread liberally with salty melted butter. It was a relief to know that thanks to all those lovely good fats, this oil might make you a little chunkier (it's worth it) but it won't block up your arteries. With that in mind we polished the lot off and eagerly awaited the platter.
I spotted the anti-pasti plate from another table and already began salivating. It was as good as it looks if not better. The buffalo mozarella was creamy and scattered with herbs and chili, the aubergine was chargrilled and tossed in some marinade most likely lemon, herbs and oil. I didn't brave the onions for fear of integestion but was reliably informed that they were tasty. The meats were delicious as well as the signature giant (and possibly Sicilian?) olives that Jamie always manages to source. Shiny and bitey they always look and taste like they have just been plucked out of a sunny Italian olive grove in the Tuscan hills. We were now fresh out of cocktails and moved on to a beautiful delicate Italian white wine that complimented the nibbles perfectly (Fifteen selection Gargenga 2009, Veneto). Our wine was positioned far from our reach prompting a debate as to whether in these fancy places the wait staff are ever tempted to take a swig, I'm sure they aren't.
Full to the rafters we prayed that the main would take a while to arrive and thankfully it did. C's ragu was rich and delicious while my tortellini was delicate, light and flavoursome. The beetroot filling was earthy and fresh and the pasta was cooked perfectly with a little bit of bite. I finished the whole delicious plate too engrossed to take pictures. This will be rectified next time.
Our whole meal concluded with a dessert to share, a fig and frangipane tart with sweetened mascarpone, this was light and not too sickly and finished a really lovely meal. The bill was very reasonable for the quality of ingredients, service and standard of cooking. The lunch deal makes the whole experience affordable for a regular visit and I'd love to go back to brave a grappa or just grab a lovely cocktail and a sharing platter with friends for a quiet night out. We didn't feel rushed and spent a leisurely afternoon enjoying our wine and absorbing the atmosphere.
As we tricked off to enjoy East London's finest nightlife, a bit of a dance and a memorable cab journey I knew my London experience was drawing to a close.
I will leave you with the image of Putney Bridge in the baking unseasonable heat and look forward to my next (much more chilly) visit.
Farewell London I will be back to see you soon.
Moving from the bustling metropolis of Melbourne with it's non-stop cafe culture, hip trendy bars and beautiful food wasn't easy. To say that eating a Greggs pasty and drinking a murky cup of coffee in rainy old Nottingham doesn't compare would be the understatement of the year. However, I took comfort in the realisation that London was a mere two hour train ride away and better than that, Jedward's hair told me that East Midlands trains go there every half an hour (I'm not hallucinating, it was on a billboard). With my lust for city living re-ignited I quickly booked my tickets and got to work on some serious planning.
My idea was simple, explore a suburb a month, do something cultural like go and see some art or maybe a show and then partake in some serious wining and dining followed by a nice dose of cocktails. My companion on this journey was trusty foodie and all around London adventurer CD, an old housemate and fellow PhD survivor. We vowed to see the city through fresh eyes and I vowed to write all about it.
I arrived at the majestic St Pancras station late in the evening, I was instantly hit by the beauty of this structure. To top it off my companion informed me that St Pancras is also home to Europe's longest champagne bar, well it would be rude not to toast to that along with my first proper pay cheque in Great Britain (and first hefty student loan payment...sigh).
The Champagne Bar
St Pancras International http://www.stpancrasgrand.com/
My first experience at the champagne bar was magical, I sipped on a glass of chilled rose while my companion enjoyed a glass of classic Moet. The atmosphere was truly lovely watching the world go by. The bar was full of loved up couples probably toasting some post-Parisian engagement, men in suits looking at the ladies and groups of women catching up on all of the news. After the indulgence was over a proper catch up over some food was on the cards and we decided to seek out a substantial and warming dinner. Eliminating any super fancy options we decided to go close to home and eat pie, this was part a nostalgia trip as during our poverty stricken house share days we often wiled away the evenings with a comforting Birds Eye chicken pie and enough mash to feed an army. Delicious, on to the review.
Putney Pies
136 Upper Richmond Road London SW15 2SP
Tel: 02087041117 http://www.putneypies.co.uk/
Unfortunately for me and for you I did not take any pictures of the pies (I'm a blog rookie) so I will just have to paint you a picture with the gift of description. As it was unseasonably warm (don't you just love a 27 degree day in October) we decided to perch next to the window and enjoy the cool breeze. The interior was rather lovely and had a cool fashionable warehouse feel to it, we noted as the rich pastry and mounds of mash darted past us, this was a good idea.
Jumping past the starters and straight to the delicious pies we ordered a pie each, chicken and leek pot pie for me (£7.45) and venison, ale and juniper berry (£8.50) for my dining companion and some mash and greens to share. My pie arrived and was delicious, buttery light pastry and a creamy chicken centre. The mash could have done with a little more seasoning (but I'm just being snobby and comparing it to my food heaven buttermilk mash experiences in certain fancy steakhouses in Melbourne so we can let that one go). We shared a bottle of crisp zesty pinot grigio (£18.95) which was light and fruity and the whole meal only came to around £40. A comfort food bargain.
I would recommend Putney Pies for a casual meal with friends if you are after simple, honest food (which let's face it apparently we all are these days). According to our hip and rather flirty waiter the place was packed a mere hour before we arrived so it is best to arrive early or late if it is a Friday or Saturday night. With a full stomach and an early start to prepare for, we got ready for a day of gastronomic adventures.
Fifteen London
15 Westland Place, London N1 7LF
Tel: 02033751515 http://www.fifteen.net/
I am a regular at Jamie's Italian and I find the food to be of good quality and value for money, although the menu doesn't change as often as I would like. I was keen to dine at his original flagship Fifteen to see whether the food was a notch above the standard fare. When I found out that our art exhibition was just around the corner then it seemed like the perfect opportunity.
We couldn't get a booking for the restaurant for the time that we wanted so opted for the Trattoria instead. As we entered the atmosphere was wonderful, the place was busy but not too loud and this being Jamie's the decor was understated and cool. We started with a round of cocktails, CD had the special, prosecco with a peach puree (£6) while I ofted for Fifteen's take on a margarita awash with fresh chilli's and tequila (£7.95). Having tried a lot of lovely, inventive cocktails in my time I must say that this was memorable, it was tangy with a hint of lime and real chili which gave a lovely kick to balance out the acidity. I highly recommend this for an aperitif, a real knock-your-socks-off digestion starter.
Our waitress arrived and explained the menu, we decided it would be silly not to go for the £15 lunch special each which gets your bread and sexy (I will explain in a minute) olive oil to share, a Fifteen signature anti-pasti plate (pictured) and either the pasta, risotto or tortillini of the day. My dining companion opted for the hearty slow cooked ragu while I chose a rather interesting sounding tortillini filled with fresh beetroot and an orange glaze. It's worth spending a moment to talk about the olive oil, it was supurb. Dousing a piece of fresh house made bread into the oil felt decadent and naughty as if slathering bread liberally with salty melted butter. It was a relief to know that thanks to all those lovely good fats, this oil might make you a little chunkier (it's worth it) but it won't block up your arteries. With that in mind we polished the lot off and eagerly awaited the platter.
I spotted the anti-pasti plate from another table and already began salivating. It was as good as it looks if not better. The buffalo mozarella was creamy and scattered with herbs and chili, the aubergine was chargrilled and tossed in some marinade most likely lemon, herbs and oil. I didn't brave the onions for fear of integestion but was reliably informed that they were tasty. The meats were delicious as well as the signature giant (and possibly Sicilian?) olives that Jamie always manages to source. Shiny and bitey they always look and taste like they have just been plucked out of a sunny Italian olive grove in the Tuscan hills. We were now fresh out of cocktails and moved on to a beautiful delicate Italian white wine that complimented the nibbles perfectly (Fifteen selection Gargenga 2009, Veneto). Our wine was positioned far from our reach prompting a debate as to whether in these fancy places the wait staff are ever tempted to take a swig, I'm sure they aren't.
Full to the rafters we prayed that the main would take a while to arrive and thankfully it did. C's ragu was rich and delicious while my tortellini was delicate, light and flavoursome. The beetroot filling was earthy and fresh and the pasta was cooked perfectly with a little bit of bite. I finished the whole delicious plate too engrossed to take pictures. This will be rectified next time.
Our whole meal concluded with a dessert to share, a fig and frangipane tart with sweetened mascarpone, this was light and not too sickly and finished a really lovely meal. The bill was very reasonable for the quality of ingredients, service and standard of cooking. The lunch deal makes the whole experience affordable for a regular visit and I'd love to go back to brave a grappa or just grab a lovely cocktail and a sharing platter with friends for a quiet night out. We didn't feel rushed and spent a leisurely afternoon enjoying our wine and absorbing the atmosphere.
As we tricked off to enjoy East London's finest nightlife, a bit of a dance and a memorable cab journey I knew my London experience was drawing to a close.
I will leave you with the image of Putney Bridge in the baking unseasonable heat and look forward to my next (much more chilly) visit.
Farewell London I will be back to see you soon.
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