All posts in Eating Out

Le Drunch

by Andrew on March 8, 2013 in Eating Out with No comments

maille_le_drunch‘Le Drunch’ is the latest foodie trend emerging from the culinary capital of Paris. The institution of Brunch has now found itself a new rival as more Parisians are choosing to eat later at the weekend, at a time that sits between lunch and dinner. Commonly known as “Le Drunch”, this new dining occasion is being enjoyed across the city, both in bistros and Parisian homes.

This Spring, premium French brand Maille will introduce Le Drunch to London.

Championed by two Michelin-starred Chef HélèneDarroze, Maille will be serving an exclusive Le Drunch menu at the Maille Boutique in Spitalfields Market from 15th-24th March.

Created exclusively for Maille, Darroze’s Le Drunch menu has been designed for those wanting to share delicious French-inspired cuisine that is easy to re-create at home.

Described by Time Out Paris as ‘a lunch-dinner hybrid’, Le Drunch is the perfect way to spend a leisurely afternoon enjoying delicious dishes with family and friends. From today, food lovers across London can book one of a handful of exclusive sittings where they can experience Le Drunch, courtesy of Maille.

HélèneDarroze, ambassador for Maille’s Le Drunch said

“As a chef and mother working in Paris, I have noticed a trend towards people enjoying a Le Drunch style of dining. Dining is an important part of Parisian culture, and meals have typically been held at traditional times, so enjoying a late afternoon Le Drunch with family and friends over the weekend is a new, increasingly popular occasion.”

Food lovers can now book a Le Drunch session by visiting www.maille.co.uk. Sittings are available between 3pm-6pm for a maximum of four people. All six dishes created by HélèneDarroze will be available to sample.

Alongside serving Le Drunch, visitors to the Maille Boutique will have the opportunity to sample and buy Maille’s extensive range of mustards, condiments and sauces. Taking inspiration from the established boutiques in Paris and Dijon, visitors will be able to take home exclusive flavours including a fresh Black Truffle mustard, served straight from the Maille mustard pump.


The Berkeley Launches Pret-a-Portea Collection

by Andrew on October 30, 2012 in Eating Out with 1 Comment

berkeley pret a porteaSponge cakes, ginger biscuits and macaroons are all set for the annual couture makeover inspired by the world’s top fashion designers such as Manolo Blahnik, Prada and Lanvin, as The Berkeley in Knightsbridge launches today its new Winter 2012/ 2013 Prêt-à-Portea collection. A firm date in every fashionista’s diary, Prêt-à-Portea is designed to add a creative twist to the classic elements of the traditional English afternoon tea with cakes and pastries resembling the latest catwalk designs for the style conscious. Prêt-à-Portea has become a-must visit location on the London style map.

The Berkeley Pret-a-Portea includes fashionista delectables such as Yves Saint Laurent’s “Cabas Chyc” forest green Victoria sponge cake handbag and Giambattista Valli red macaroon dress with rose ganache and lavish chocolate ruffles. With his trendsetting vision Marc Jacobs’ oversized double breasted chocolate biscuit jacket with show stopping sparkly pink icing promises to bring that all-important magic to this winter’s party season.

Prepping up for winter with a shocking pop of colour, Fendi’s maple and ginger ankle boot biscuit with yellow and black icing guarantees to lift spirits. Diane Von Furstenberg’s pink lady mousse and kalamancy cremeux topped with playful interlocking puzzles brings a hint of humor and with this season’s coveted psychedelic trend, Prada’s nougatine and beriolette mousse with geometric pattern transports us back to the seventies.

The Burberry trench is making a return on the afternoon tea stand as a layered praline, dulcey cream and chocolate mousse topped with a stylish umbrella, an accessory no one should leave the house without this fall.

Berkeley Pret-a-Portea 2012/13 Menu
Manolo Blahnik “Neurotica” pink polk a dot cake pumps with gianduja cream.
Fashionista’s favourite Yves Saint Laurent “Cabas Chyc” forest green Victoria sponge cake handbag
Sell-out Fendi maple and ginger ankle boot biscuit with yellow and black icing
Marc Jacobs double breasted chocolate biscuit blazer with show stopping sparkly pink icing
Lanvin chocolate and orange mousse topped with mouth-watering French meringue
Diane Von Furstenberg pink lady apple mousse and kalamancy cremeux topped with playful interlocking sugar puzzles.
Giambattista Valli red macaroon with rose ganache and lavish chocolate ruffles
Red-carpet favourite Prada nougatine and beriolette mousse with geometric pattern
Burberry Prorsum layered praline, dulcey cream and chocolate mousse trench coat topped with stylish violet umbrella

Prêt-à-Portea is served in The Caramel Room at The Berkeley from 1-6pm every day priced at £39 per person. (£49 including a glass of Laurent Perrier champagne, or alternatively for the fashion conscious, £55 per person including a glass of couture champagne)

To make a reservation for Prêt-à-Portea call 020 7235 6000 or visit www.the-berkeley.co.uk

Time Out London Eating & Drinking Awards 2012

by Andrew on October 22, 2012 in Books For Cooks, Eating Out with 1 Comment

Time Out Eating & Drinking Guide 2013Time Out London today announces the winners of its annual Time Out London Eating & Drinking Awards 2012, which recognises the best new bars, destination restaurants, and casual dining venues in the capital. The Delaunay, which takes inspiration from the ’Grand Cafés’ of the Continent, takes the accolade of Best New Restaurant.

All this year’s categories and shortlists reflect a busy year in fast-moving food and drink trends, from street trucks morphing into fully-fledged restaurants, to the boom in brewpubs and barbecue joints.
The Time Out London Eating & Drinking Awards draw on the expertise of the weekly magazine’s reviewers, using their up-to-date industry knowledge to celebrate the best new venues in London. The judges then anonymously visit all of the shortlisted venues to choose the winners.

The winners of Time Out London Eating & Drinking Awards 2012:

• Best New Restaurant – The Delaunay, Aldwych, WC2B
• Best New Cheap Eats – Boqueria Tapas, Brixton, SW2
• Best New Design – Mari Vanna, Knightsbridge, SW1X
• Best New Local Restaurant – Abbeville Kitchen, Clapham, SW4
• Best New No Bookings Restaurant – 10 Greek Street, Soho, W1D
• Best New Meat Restaurant – Tramshed, Shoreditch, EC2A
• Best New Latin American Restaurant – Lima London, Fitzrovia, W1T
• Best New Beer Bar – Crown & Anchor, Brixton, SW9

With a lively bar and culinary scene, the results indicate that Brixton has become destination for casual dining and drinking. The area is home to two winners this year, the Crown & Anchor, which has been awarded Best New Beer Bar, and to Boqueria Tapas, which has won the Best New Cheap Eats category.

Guy Dimond, Food & Drink Editor of Time Out London, comments, “London’s hospitality industry seems to be laughing in the face of recession. Restaurateurs have adapted to changed circumstances by creating no-bookings restaurants, which have faster turnover; with a trend for simpler restaurant food, exemplified by the explosion of meat and barbecue joints; and by embracing more casual drinking venues but with no compromise on the thrill of the drinks offered, which you find in the new craft beer bars. It’s been a great year for going out.”

Tim Arthur, Editor-in-Chief of Time Out London comments, “The capital is brimming with new venues and emerging trends, but 2012 really has been the year of the meat restaurant, with simple menus pleasing hungry diners. The chicken and steak menu at Mark Hix’s Tramshed took the crown in this category this year. We’ve also seen the rise of Peruvian food as Latin American restaurants pop up over the capital. The unusual ceviche dishes at the winning Lima London should not be missed.”

For the full list of this year’s awards, to book restaurants and to get the best eating and drinking recommendations from Time Out’s critics, visit timeout.com/awards2012.

The Time Out London Eating and Drinking 2013 (Time Out London Eating & Drinking) is available from Amazon for a pre=released price of £11.15.

Mercedes Drive Thru

by Andrew on September 12, 2012 in Eating Out, Television, Radio, Video, Film with No comments

Bompas & Parr - Melt People’s Brains from The Avant/Garde Diaries on Vimeo.

Digital interview magazine “The Avant/Garde Diaries” is inviting guests to enjoy an interdisciplinary art and dining experience in London between the 14th and 16th September, 2012.

The festival is being curated by leading food artists Sam Bompas and Harry Parr. The British duo is designing a temporary, driveable restaurant – the MERCEDES DRIVE THRU – in the lobby of the old Selfridges Hotel on Oxford Street (Mayfair). Together with the British multimedia collective the Jason Bruges Studio, they are presenting a spectacular mix of food and light art designed to turn the enjoyment of dining in a car into an exceptional sensory experience.

“The Avant/Garde Diaries project enables great creative talent to get together. Avant-gardists from the most diverse of areas are able to create new ideas which both inspire and excite at the same time”, explains Sam Bompas, co-founder of Bompas & Parr.

“Mercedes is a brand with a high standard of quality, and the aesthetics of Mercedes design are a great inspiration for us. We create luxury dining, Mercedes produces luxury cars – working together to create the world’s best “drive thru” is therefore an obvious collaboration.”

In the MERCEDES DRIVE THRU, guests drive along the marbled floor of the old building in the car and place their food order – accompanied by a spectacular light show – after which their meal will be served direct to the car by roller-skating service staff.

Through the interaction of food, light and the unique design of the restaurant, the driver is offered a new, interactive and unforgettable dining experience. The MERCEDES DRIVE THRU is therefore looking to re-explore the environment of the motor car on a performance, experimental and sensory level and at the same time indulge guests with exquisite and provocative specialities.

Opening hours of the Mercedes Drive Thru:
Friday, September 14th: 12:00 p.m. – 10:00 p.m.
Saturday, September 15th: 12:00 p.m. – 10:00 p.m.
Sunday, September 16th: 12:00 p.m. – 06:00 p.m.
For more information on ticket pre-sale, please visit www.theavantgardediaries.com

The video doesn’t show much in regards to Mercedes Drive Thru, apart from a bit of jelly, but covers the background of Bompass & Parr.

The Cloudy Bay Forager Weekend

by Andrew on August 7, 2012 in Eating Out with No comments

The Cloudy Bay Forager WeekendCloudy Bay wine is delighted to announce the launch of the Cloudy Bay Forage weekend – a luxury escape to Cornwall incorporating foraging, fishing and fine dining.

Experience Cornwall fishing at its best, learning about the variety of local fish and the different techniques to reel them in. Then forage for local ingredients including wild mushrooms, berries, nettles, sea beet, sorrell and marsh samphire before enjoying a cooking Masterclass with a Michelin star chef.

Partnering with the stunning boutique Driftwood Hotel in Portscatho, the adventurous weekend package is only available for four weekends across August and September.

The Cloudy Bay forager weekend includes a morning of foraging with a local expert where guests can expect to find wild ingredients, followed by a woodland picnic of Cloudy Bay and a selection of food from the Driftwood Hotel menu, guests then take a trip out to sea with local fishermen to net the catch of the day. Guests will then be taken back to the Driftwood Hotel to enjoy a cooking Masterclass experience with the hotel’s Michelin starred chef Chris Eden, who will use guests’ foraged ingredients to create a natural and delicious meal that can be enjoyed with Cloudy Bay wine. The day of adventure ends with a four-course dinner in the Driftwood Restaurant, where each dish is paired with a different wine from the Cloudy Bay portfolio to ensure guests experience the full variety of the wines and their famed foodpairing abilities.

This unique luxury experience is designed to introduce wine lovers and beginners alike to the concept of foraging, food and wine pairings, and exploration. The rugged beauty of Cornwall is the perfect backdrop for this adventure filled experience. Cornwall’s abundance of locally sourced produce is a perfect match for Cloudy Bay’s tradition of foraging for edible ingredients the local environment, which was begun at the New Zealand Maison and continues each year in new and fascinating areas.

Guests are able to book this weekend package through Driftwood hotel, contact details are 01872 580644.

The Cloudy Bay Forager Weekend is £870 if booking as a couple and £700 if booking individually:

2 nights at Driftwood
Breakfast both days
Transfers from station to hotel and back
3 course Friday dinner with wine
Saturday picnic with wine
3 course Saturday dinner with wine
Foraging (half day)
Fishing (half day)
Masterclass with Michelin starred chef

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