12 hours in London

Amateur Gourmet has recently posted on what he would do with 12 hours in New York and encouraged others to think about "12 hours in ..." (for example Clotilde of Chocolate & Zucchini has written a fabulous post on 12 hours in Paris). So, what about 12 hours in London town? Of course everyone has their favourite places, however this would be my ideal 12 hours:

• 12pm - I would have brunch at Ottolenghi in Notting Hill (pictured). At this time of day I would try and resist the temptations of their amazing cakes and stick with some Ottolenghi home made granola along with a freshly squeezed juice. Don't worry there is a lot of eating still to come in the day.

• 1pm - From here I would walk down to Hyde Park and stroll around the Serpentine, maybe stopping a while to doze in one of those quintessentially British striped deck chairs.
  
• 3pm - My next stop would be afternoon tea somewhere since afternoon tea is such an English institution. The ultimate destination is probably The Ritz. I could walk all the way through Hyde Park and St James park to get there. However if you don't want to spend quite that much a personal favourite of mine is The Tea Palace in Notting Hill (and thats not quite so far to walk) .

• 4pm - From my afternoon tea destination I would catch the tube to London Bridge and head to the Borough Market (assuming it is a Thursday or Friday, watch out on Saturdays the markets close at 4pm). I would browse around the stalls, tasting some cheese and picking up what I think is the best coffee in London from Monmouth.

• 5pm - From the markets I would stroll along the banks of the Thames until reaching the Tate Modern (open until 6pm on weeknights but later on Fridays and Saturdays) to have a look at what's happening in the world of contemporary art.

• 6pm - After all that art and walking I would rest my feet by heading upstairs to the top floor restaurant to enjoy a glass of wine at the bar with spectacular views of London.

• 8pm - Next I could walk or (more likely) catch one of London's famous black cabs to Vinoteca. Once there I would perch at the bar with (another) glass of wine while waiting for a table in this cozy wine bar/restaurant. For dinner there are a range of everchanging but delicious options such as fresh fig salad, sea bass or pigeon.

• 10pm/11pm - Finally I would head out on the town to finish off the night with a bit of dancing. A fun option would be Favela Chic in nearby Shoreditch with its Brazilian themed decor and packed to bursting dance floor. Naturally the drink of choice here is a Caipirinha to give me a final burst of energy after such a busy day.

Coco Momo

Was this the last weekend of sunshine before Autumn really sets in? That was the rumour and I didn't want to risk missing any of that sun so I didn't mind waiting for 20 minutes to secure a table on the footpath outside Coco Momo in Marylebone.

In the summer spirit I had the smoked mackerel and brown rice salad (pictured). It was a pretty concoction sprinkled with walnuts and cranberries along with various seeds and sprouts that I am sure are very good for me. Sadly the salad tasted somewhat greasy with the oily mackerel and oily dressing combining to ensure that it probably wasn't the healthy and light choice I had imagined. MTV boyfriend tried the sirloin steak sandwich which was served with chunky home cut chips. He thought that the steak was very good, however the sandwich itself was pretty plain with only a smear of red onion relish to enliven it.

In order to prolong our spell in the sunshine we ordered dessert of sticky toffee pudding to share. Sticky toffee pudding is one of my all time favourites, however Coco Momo's sticky toffee was a bit dry and served luke warm at best. Our coffees were decent enough by London standards, but not up to the calibre of Providores down the road. In a prime corner location on Marylebone high street, Coco Momo may have the sunshine in it's favour, but it needs to work on the food.

Details: 79 Marylebone High Street, Marylebone, W1U 5JZ (Ph 0207 486 5746)

Damage: Reasonable

6/10

Smiths of Smithfield

Going to the top floor of Smiths of Smithfield was like being upgraded from economy on an aeroplane, it would be hard to go back to the more casual (and cheaper) floors I had visited previously. You see, the way Smiths of Smithfield is set out is over several levels with a casual bar that serves burgers and other snacky foods on the ground floor, a moderately priced restaurant on the first and second floor and then you hit the rarefied air of the fine dining restaurant on the top floor.

I made it to the top floor courtesy of a business lunch, you would think being a lawyer that perks like business lunches would happen more regularly, but sadly they don't. So there we were with all the other suits at Friday lunchtime revelling in the fact that we weren't in the office and that when you make it to the top floor there is an amazing view out over the Smithfield meat markets. Being so close to the meat market, Smiths of Smithfield is known for its meat so the menu is dominated by steak and it also has a focus on good quality British produce.

Our waitress brought out bread and oil to begin, but she didn't give us any side plates. So there were crumbs all over the table by the time we had finished with the bread. It was a bit messy. I think we all would have preferred a side plate. I had the Dorset crab on toast for entree. It was a generous serving of finely flaked crab spread on top of some crisp toasted bread. Excellent light and tasty fare. Since it was a business lunch I couldn't sample everyone elses meals as I generally do with long suffering MTV boyfriend and other friends, however by all reports the salt and pepper squid was excellent.

We all ordered steaks for main, except for the one poor vegetarian. Obviously the lunch had not been planned with her in mind. After much deliberation of the various aging and provenance of the steak on offer I went with the Aberdeen rump steak. It was huge and came served with a Bearnaise sauce and scalloped potatoes. The meat was tender, flavoursome and cooked exactly as requested. It was hard to fault it. Sadly, I don't think John Torode himself cooked it given that he popped into the restaurant while we were eating in jeans and a shirt. Maybe now that he is famous from Masterchef he does not spend that much time grilling steaks anymore.

Dessert options were somewhat limited, so while most of the table just went with ice-cream I opted for the cheese selection. The cheese was from Neal's Yard Dairy and was of their usual excellent quality. A rich cheddar, creamy brie and pungent blue along with plenty of oat cakes. Sadly, it seemed that heading back to the office could not be put off any longer. We had a bit of trouble getting the bill which was symptomatic of the somewhat inattentive (for these prices) service. Nevertheless, if I feel like a decent steak in a casual but impressive setting I think I will head back to Smiths of Smithfield. Just next time I might not bring a vegetarian.

Details: 67-77 Charterhouse street, Farringdon, EC1M 6HJ (Ph 0207 7251 7950)

Damage: Budget Breaking

8/10

Pesto pasta with proscuitto and roasted tomatos

As summer draws to a close I had masses of basil that had (against all odds and copious doses of neglect) thrived in my window box and a bagful of cherry tomatoes courtesy of my friend Jeff. So I decided to make some pesto following Heidi Swansons' simple recipe in 101 Cookbooks and then to roast the tomatoes and add some fresh prosciutto to make a simple pasta dish.

Ingredients
Pesto
1 cup of basil leave
1/4 cup pine nuts
1/2 cup Parmesan
2 cloves of garlic
pasta (I suggest tagliatelle)
1-2 teaspoons olive oil
And...
4 slices prosciutto torn
I cup cherry tomatos

1. Chop the garlic along with the basil leaves gradually.

2. Add the Parmesan, garlic and pine nuts and chop finely then add the olive oil.

3. In the meantime, slice the tomatoes in half drizzle with olive oil and place on baking paper to roast in the oven at 180 degrees.

4. Also cook the pasta in boiling salted water.

5. Drain the pasta and mix with the pesto, roasted tomatoes and torn prosciutto.

La Table Anna (Gourmet Chick in France)

You have to wonder sometimes what comes over some restaurant proprietors when they are decorating. La Table Anna in Reims is a classic French bistro which severs excellent food, however the decor is decidedly quirky. What appears to be a tulip patterned bed sheet has been used as table coverings, seating pelmets and matching curtains. Meanwhile, the walls are covered with a bizarre mix of pictures ranging from photographs of pianists to cartoons of people having sex. Really it was all a little strange.

Don't let that put you off La Table Anna though. The atmosphere is welcoming and service is warm and effusive. Our waitress was extremely tolerant of our bumbling French even going so far to grab a dictionary at one stage to explain that the palate cleansing granita was thyme flavoured.

Dainty but tasty amuse bouches of salmon on toasted baguette were proffered when we sat down. An entree of assiette of parma ham and melon was well received thanks to the quality of the ingredients and generosity of the serving. My jamon with seeded mustard was a thick slab of ham almost like a terrine in appearance. The ham was fabulous with a really strong smoky flavour.

For mains, scallops "St Jacques" provencal style were slightly overworked but still well cooked, good quality produce. MTV boyfriend's beef fillet was the star of the show (pictured). The meat was succulent and served with a wedge of scalloped potatoes and roasted tomato. We washed it down with a very reasonably priced bottle of Beaujolais.

Desserts were not of the same high standard of the rest of the meal. I opted for the tarte tartin which was theatrically flambeed at the table. The tart was good however the alcohol was pretty overpowering even after the flambe. As for MTV boyfriend's creme brulee, he said "it is hard for creme brulee to be bad, but this was not a good creme brulee". The sugar was not crystallised at the edges and it was cold in places.

Dessert was the only let down in what was otherwise an excellent meal. I must admit that I was still laughing at some of the more lurid pictures on the walls when we left (although I could have still been drunk from the tarte tartin)

Details: 6 rue Gambetta, F 5100 Reims, France (Ph: +33 (0) 3 26 89 12 12)

Damage: Reasonable

7/10

Chateau d'Etoges (Gourmet Chick in France)

So you are sitting in an amazing chateau in the Champagne region in France called Chateau d'Etoges about to sit down to a multiple course dinner, what are you going to order to begin? Champagne of course, there is no other option. Very nice Napoleon champagne as well. Chateau d'Etoges is a boutique hotel and restaurant, and it is where MTV boyfriend and I were lucky enough to spend the weekend.

In keeping with the whole chateau thing that they have going on, the restaurant is fairly formal with high ceilings, plush furnishings and lots of space. Service was faultless and our meal was truly memorable for all the right reasons.

We started with an amuse bouche of goats cheese in a pastry tartlet. This was one of a flurry of amuse bouches which were all excellent. An entree of lobster with bisque and sauternes wine sauce was the highlight of the meal. It comprised a beautifully presented row of lobster pieces dotted with the sauce and a creamy foam. The fillet of turbot with pureed lettuce that followed was a little bland, however I suppose that is what happens when you puree lettuce.

We moved on to a bottle of red from the local town of Bouzy which was a great recommendation by the sommelier. My main of pigeon breast served with blood pudding, turnip apples and cider sauce was very tasty and the blood pudding, which I must admit I was not that enthusiastic about, was a revelation. Really quite delicious as long as you did not think too much about what it was. MTV boyfriend's stuffed saddle of lamb with an apricot and eggplant caviar tasted just as good as it looked . The lamb was tender and pink and the apricot and eggplant added just the right amount of flavour to enliven it.

When I caught sight of the cheese trolley I must admit that I thought I was truly in heaven. It was extensive and you could select as much as you wanted of the amazing French cheese. We finished up with more amuse bouches and a passion fruit tart which was served with mango sorbet and mango flavoured limonade exotique. A little bit too much mango going on there, but it was all good.

What a meal, and even better we got to retire to a chateau.

Details: 4 rue Richebourg, 51279 Etoges, Champagne-Ardenne, France

Damage: Budget breaking

10/10

The Champagne Route (Gourmet Chick in France)

"I drink it when I'm happy and when I'm sad. Sometimes I drink it when I'm alone. When I have company I consider it obligatory. I trifle with it if I'm not hungry and I drink it when I am. Otherwise I never touch it, unless I'm thirsty." - Lily Bollinger

I have just got back from a long weekend following the Champagne route in France (I know, my life is so horrible). It was one hundred days after the first flowers on the vines so the harvest was well underway. We popped into the different champagne houses to do tastings and of course had some fantastic meals (more about them later).

One food item that I discovered was Fossier's Biscuits Roses de Reims. These are pale pink biscuits made out of almost a meringue type substance. They are "pink for sweetness, powdered for nobility and crunchy for pleasure". The trick is to dip them in your champagne and then eat them. They become all fizzy and soft and simply delicious. I think that in London, Fortum & Mason stock Biscuits Roses de Reims.

The Holly Bush

I know that cute is a word that should usually be reserved for fluffy kittens and babies rather than pubs, but the thing about The Holly Bush in Hampstead is that there is really no better way to describe it. The place is just so cute nestled down a little pathway among the Hampstead mews with its old etched glass windows, potbelly stove and tin ceiling. The fact that it is over 200 years old just adds to the charming atmosphere especially when you are a girl from Australia where there are no buildings that old.

The menu offers a host of traditional pub options, including the "sexy homemade big scotch egg" which may be the first time a scotch egg has ever been described as sexy. However we are there on a Sunday with friends so all four of us get the Sunday roast. The roast chicken is all gone by 6.30pm so we are left with the roast sirloin and roast lamb. The menu says all the right things about the produce, not only is my sirloin organic, it has also been hung for 28 days and the potatoes that accompany it are cooked in goose fat so obviously they are the creme de la creme of potatoes.

The serving size was very generous - particularly the huge slabs of meat that would surely have defeated lesser men and women. Everything was very tasty (in particular those goose fat potatoes) although our meals may have been languishing in the kitchen for slightly too long as they were just a little bit cold. I will be back though, even just for a drink as it is just so darn cute.

Details: 22 Hollymount, Hampstead, London NW36SG (Ph 0207 435 2892)

Damage: Reasonable

6/10

Whitecross Street Market

Yesterday we caught the Eurostar to Paris and so a pre-trip provisioning mission to the Whitecross Street market was in order for picnic food for the train journey.



I picked up some Ragstone goats cheese and Montgomery's Cheddar from Neals Yard Dairy , olives and dips from the Borough Olives stall and last but not least some of the delightful little cup-cakes that come served in an egg container at the Netty Poskitt's Cakes stall. Of course you can't go to the Whitecross Street market without getting something delicious for your lunch at the same time.

Favourite stops of mine include Hoxton Beach for fabulous freshly made falafels (£4.50 for a large) or Luardo's for a fajita. The queue for the Luardo's van (pictured) is somewhat offputting but always worth it - the pulled pork is especially good. This time I opted for a chorizo burger from the chorizo man (he doesn't seem to have an official name) at the stall opposite Luardo's. The menu is extremely limited, but it is perfection in itself. For a princely £4.50 what you get is either one (a small) or two (a large) pieces of chorizo in a bun served with roasted red capsicum and rocket. Fabulous hangover food as well.

Details: Whitecross Street, EC1 (Thursdays and Fridays only)

Tay Do

It was my friend John's birthday, in order to overcome what he described as the "suffocating formality" (read as expense) of last year's 30th birthday dinner, he proposed somewhere "relaxed" (read as cheap) this year, so we headed to Tay Do in Hackney.

Tay Do has a mini-empire of Vietnamese restaurants around Kingsland road. We went to the restaurant at 60 Kingsland road. It is fairly utilitarian with lots of white formica, mirrors and long canteen style tables that you will probably have to share. For some reason, it is also really hot, whether it is from so many people in one room or the waiters rushing around, we all started to strip off clothes upon arrival.

Food generally arrived ridiculously promptly upon ordering although at fairly random times. Spring rolls were not as fresh as I would have liked and tasted slightly overcooked. The rong bien (crispy seaweed) they were served with was something I have not come across before and it was a bit too sweet, and, well, fried, for my tastes. The chilli salted and peppered ribs were also a disappointment as they were quite greasy.

Scallops with snow peas or "mange tout" as they are called here were fairly bland and tasteless, although MTV boyfriend thinks I am partly to blame for bad ordering. His sizzling beef with green pepper and onions in black bean sauce was much better. It came out on a hot plate, which although a cheap trick, never fails to impress me. The sauce was very flavoursome however the beef was slightly chewy.

The best thing about Tay Do though is the fact that it is byo, I have waxed lyrical before about the joys of bringing your own drinks, and despite the somewhat mediocre food the byo factor and the cheap prices helped to partially redeem Tay Do in my eyes. It was lucky that it was byo as well, as our next step for the birthday outing was a venture to a Dolly Parton night at George & Dragon. We would need to drink up before braving the renditions of Little Sparrow.

Details: 60 Kingsland Road, Shoreditch E2 8AG (Ph 020 7729 7223
Damage: Such a bargain even my mother would approve
5/10

Idlewild

The fabulous Sophie was visiting London so twelve of us headed to Idlewild in Maida Vale. A gastro-pub from the people at Ruby's, Idlewild is just as glamorous as their other ventures. The decor is all high ceilings, big mirrors, black glossy finishes and eclectic furniture.

Idlewild has a menu that "showcases mainly British produce", it is fairly crowd pleasing with a smattering of more adventurous ingredients. My risotto with tiger prawns, garlic, parmesan, parsley and lemon (pictured) was deliciously creamy. The prawns were plentiful and it was comfort food at its best.

Scottish rib-eye steak with home cut chips and bearnaise sauce was good but not cheap at £17 and the kitchen managed to mix up the orders (it was a popular dish at our table) so that people who wanted medium rare were served steak that was blue and vice versa.

Indeed, my only gripe with Idlewild was the haphazard service. Our amiable waitress kept on forgetting to bring bottles of wine that we ordered (it was a SLIGHTLY boozy night) and even if you went to the bar it was difficult to get served on a fairly quiet evening. However, when we did get the wine it was fabulous so I should put a special word in for the Rioja Navoja. Trust me, you will like it.

The dessert menu looked too good to skip so I opted for the apple crumble which was a dainty concoction, if somewhat on the small side. It was served with good quality vanilla ice-cream (I could spot the flecks of actual vanilla). Creme brulee was also popular and arrived topped with tiny blueberries. Again, it was somewhat on the small side but quite delicious.

Idlewild was good looking and fun with great food, they just need to work on their service.

Details: 55 Shirland Road, Maida Vale, W92JD (Ph: 0207 266 9198)
Damage: Reasonable
7/10

The Prince Bonaparte

The Prince Bonaparte used to be my local, but since moving (admittedly not very far away) I have not been there in ages. It has a bit of a mixed history, apparently in the early 90's it was quite the celebrity hangout frequented by Stella McCartney and the like. When I lived near it I didn't spot anyone famous but it was a good local with one catch, service that was sometimes appalling. You had to order your meal at least an hour in advance of when you wanted it, in the hope of it turning up at a reasonable time. So what about the current state of affairs at the Prince Bonaparte? There were still no celebrities but the Prince Bonaparte appeared to have got its act together service wise. It didn't take a ridiculous amount of time to order and our meals arrived fairly promptly.

The food was nothing to write home about. I had the haddock and potato fish cake which was served with chips and some token salad. It's appearance and texture indicated that it was clearly not home made, but to be honest it was still fairly tasty. MTV boyfriend went for the sausages and mash (pictured) which was quite well presented with curls of parsnip crisps on top of it. It was reasonable enough, although it is hard to go wrong with bangers and mash.

That said, I don't think you come to the Prince Bonaparte for food that is in anyway spectacular. You come for some pub grub, a good selection of beers and wines, and mainly for the atmosphere which is always buzzing and full of people. Bonus points are awarded for the fact that you can book a table (even for a large group of people), the open fire in winter and the Sunday roasts all year round.

Details: 80 Chepstow Road W25BE (Bayswater) Ph: 02073139491

Damage: Such a bargain even my mother would approve

7/10

Update: As my local, I have been back to the Prince Bonaparte quite a few times. It was taken over by new owners in around January 2009 and since then the sometimes patchy service has improved beyond belief and the menu has had a revamp. It is now almost the perfect gastro pub. I would improve my review to an 8/10.

Tapas crawl (Gourmet Chick in Spain)

Senzone Tapas Bar
(7 Calle de Rafael Alameria, Alicante, Spain)
Because we are lazy we started our tapas crawl of Alicante at Senzone tapas bar which was part of our fabulous hotel Hospes Amerigos. Super stylish with lots of granite and dark wood, Senzone looks the part but due to the fact that the only patrons seem to be hotel guests, it was lacking in atmosphere on our visit. A montadito (open sandwich) of aubergine, jamon and brie was delicious (pictured), particularly when washed down with a glass of Moet, but we decided to move on to somewhere more popular and less expensive.

Cafe Mediterraneo
(Calle de Rafael Alamaria, Alicante, Spain)
Across the street from Senzone, Cafe Mediterraneo with its vinyl floors and TV in the corner lacked the style of Senzone but at least it pulled in plenty of punters. We bagged a seat at the bar for patatas alioli which is like a potato salad and some fried octopus. The tapas was decent enough and a jug of sangria spurred us onwards.

Lizarran
(20 Las Ramblas, Alicante, Spain)
Lizarran was not meant to be our final stop, but the party atmosphere meant that we could not move on. The place was packed with Spaniards and sangria and beer flowed freely. Endless plates of montaditos and tapas were scattered along the long bar. Lizarran operates on a delightful honesty toothpick system where you keep the toothpicks from what you have eaten and are charged for the amount of toothpicks that you have at the end. It's great fun as plates of tapas arrive constantly from the kitchen. A breaded prawn montadito and chorizo montadito were both highlights. Best of all it was super cheap. The bill for our tapas and sangria was a grand total of 10 euros between us.

Nou Manolin (Gourmet Chick in Spain)

When you are sitting cheek by jowl on a stool at the bar of Nou Manolin in Alicante there seem few better places to be in the world. Nou Manolin is super popular with the locals so it is best to get their slightly early to secure a prime position at the bar. Legs of jamon hang overhead and prawns are heaped on ice along the bar. Behind the bar there is frenetic activity as the waiters race from order to order (so quick that the waiter in my photo is just a blur of hands!).

We sipped on sangria and selected some tapas from the menu while scanning everyone elses plates to see what looked good. MTV boyfriend has developed an addiction to calamari a la romana while in Spain so we started with a serve of that. Due to his addiction we are now connoisseurs of this dish and found Nou Manolin's version slightly heavy handed on the batter, however this was the only slip of the night.

Croquettes with ham were a highlight: toasty hot and oozing cheese. Meatballs cooked in wine were also decidedly moreish. Eggplant gratin provided a little cheesy vegetable content, however the stars of the show were the mini bocadillos, toasted rolls enclosing small fillets of tender steak and swathes of garlic butter. Simply divine.

It was a case of having to be prised off our bar stools in order to relinquish them for some hungry Spaniards jostling for position to sample the treats from Nou Manolin.

Details: Calle Villages 3, Alicante, Spain (965 200368)
Damage: Reasonable

9/10

Mercado Central (Gourmet Chick in Spain)

Valencia's market is in a magnificent old building slap bang in the middle of town. The exterior is covered with ceramics and mosaics. Inside is a riot of colour and smells.

We browsed around rows of fabulous legs of jamon and piles of fresh seafood (so fresh that the eels were still wriggling live in the tanks). Unfortunately, it would have been a bit difficult to get a jamon (or an eel for that matter) on the plane back to London so we had to content ourselves with fresh fruit and pastries.

There are a few cafes opposite the market selling simple breakfasts of coffee, pastries and tortilla. Try Los Parrones, C/ Mayor, 12 Alicante for a cheap and cheerful refuel after all that browsing.

Details: Plaza del Mercado (of course!), Valencia, Spain (Mon - Sat, 7.30am - 2.30pm)

Civera Centro (Gourmet Chick in Spain)

My hunt for a great paella in Valencia was still on after a false start at Cafe Valiente. So MTV boyfriend and I headed for Civera Centro which is tipped as one of Valencia's best seafood restaurants.
Set in an atmospheric laneway amongst a cluster of other seafood restaurants (like buses they must come in groups in Valencia) Civera Centro was in a prime location for people watching. We plonked ourselves at an outdoor table, ordered a jug of sangria and enjoyed the spectacle.

The menu boasted a huge array of seafood, however I was on a paella mission so seafood paella it was to be. First though some (excellent) bread with tomato pulp and a serve of calamari a la romana (fried calamari) to share. The calamari was perfect - firm, juicy and covered in a light batter. More sangria, which was also excellent and then onto the paella. It arrived in a huge iron pan and on first inspection there was plenty of seafood with prawns galore and truly ginormous langoustines. Alongside the seafood there was chicken, green peppers and butter beans. The paella was fantastic - packed with flavour from the delicate hints of saffron to the flecks of rosemary scattered throughout the dish. I was a happy camper, I had experienced a great Valencian paella.

Details: 10 Calle Mosen Femades (96 352 97 64)
Damage: Reasonable/Pricey
7/10

Cafe Valiente (Gourmet Chick in Spain)

We had come to Valencia for two things: La Tomatina and Paella. La Tomatina is an annual festival held at Bunol, a town just out of Valencia. To celebrate the tomato harvest, for one hour trucks of tomatoes are deposited in the streets and 30,000 people descend to throw tomatoes at each other. It is one of the most bizarre and most anarchic events I have ever participated in (see picture and thanks Tans for your bravery in attempting to take photos of the experience!).

Back to the paella, Valencia is known as the home of paella so I was determined to experience true Valencian paella. The problem was that we were hungry. It was late. MTV boyfriend is generally a saint but occasionally tires of being dragged around to find the 'perfect' restaurant. So we went to a place called Cafe Valiente that looked busy enough and had some outdoor seating to enjoy the balmy evening. It was a mistake.

Tapas came first. Calamari, patatas bravas and garlic prawns. The calamari was decent enough but both the patatas bravas and garlic prawns had been hit by a major oil slick. In the case of the garlic prawns they were literally swimming in the stuff, obscuring all flavour.

Then onto the paella which was not even served in a paella pan. I knew right then that there was no hope of this being a true Valencian paella experience. Actually I knew then that the paella wasn't even going to be average. Serving sizes were meagre and it was a case of spot the seafood in the paella. Perhaps to compensate for this a few greasy unidentifiable chicken parts were thrown in for good measure.

We decided it was best not to have dessert, another round of beers instead was safest.

Details: 8 Carrer dels Manyans

Damage: Such a bargain that even my mother would approve
3/10

Sky Lounge (Gourmet Chick in Russia)

Where does new Russia go to eat and play? On Saturday night the answer seemed to be Sky Lounge perched on the 22nd floor of the Russian Science Academy in Moscow. To get there, you exit the metro (although if you were truly new Russian you would arrive by driver rather than metro) and head left towards the brutalist skyscraper with a tangle of orange geometrical shapes on top of it.

An elevator whisks you to the top of this stark Soviet era building and suddenly you are in a different world. Sky lounge is a so hip it hurts type of place. A huge bar dominates part of the space and you can catch glimpses of private rooms and clusters of tables. Lanky model types clad in designer gear sip cocktails. The really breathtaking part though is the view. Laid out before you, the lights of Moscow twinkle and you can spot landmarks such as the Kremlin and the Seven Sisters.

Service was young and friendly if a little slow, however it gave us a chance to relax, order cocktails and decipher the menu. The menu was too far reaching for my tastes, making it to six pages covering the full gastronomic gamut from sushi to pasta with a few Russian specialties thrown in for good measure. However, in the end the food that we ordered was excellent so my fears were of over ambition were unfounded.

Our waiter brought us over some of the largest olives I have ever seen and some reasonable bread to tide us over until our meals arrived. So we decided to skip entree and head straight to mains. I had the scallops with vegetable ratatouille. The scallops were lightly seared and tender inside while the ratatouille was cooked in an Asian style with a rich brown sauce with hints of miso or oyster rather than a tomato based sauce. The whole thing was delectable and looked fabulous as well. MTV boyfriend's risotto with spinach and mushrooms was also a hit. The aborio rice was filled with flavour and there was plenty of the creamy mushroom sauce to go around.

For dessert (and another round of cocktails) we moved out onto the terrace to take in as much as possible of the amazing view. My chocolate pie of African Nianglo chocolate turned out to be a layered chocolate torte. It was nice enough but not in the same league as our main meals. MTV boyfriend fared better with the creme brulee which he pronounced as perfectly cooked.

Our meal at Sky Lounge was an amazing experience mainly because of the setting which quite poignantly highlighted the immense changes in Moscow from the old Soviet style to brash capitalism. To cap such a great evening, we decided to do as the new Russians do and head off to Fabrique to dance all night with the beautiful people of Moscow.

Details: 32a Leninsky Prospekt (Ph +7 (495) 9385104

Damage: Budget Breaking

8/10

Kvatira 44 (Gourmet Chick in Russia)

We headed to Kvatira 44 for our last meal in Moscow on the recommendation of An American in London who described it as "Cafe Pushkin lite". Once you locate Kvatira 44 in a side street off Boi Nikitskaya ul and then through an archway, the atmosphere is very welcoming. The timber walls are lined with books, a piano stands in one corner and service is (amazingly) with a smile.

The menu offers a mix of Russian and Italian dishes, so in this vein I ordered the borscht and MTV boyfriend the parma ham bruschetta to begin. My traditional Russian soup was a rich red colour from the beetroots. It contained generous chunks of vegetables, huge slivers of beef and was topped with a dollop of sour cream and fresh flat leaf parsley. It was so hearty that I wondered if I could fit my main in. MTV boyfriend's bruschetta was not so successful (that will teach him to order Italian at Russian restaurant) and was more of an open parma ham and sliced tomato sandwich.

He was appeased by his main course which was lamb cutlets with grilled vegetables and mashed potatoes. The restaurant was generous with the quantity of cutlets and MTV boyfriend was a happy man. As for me, there was a mix up with my main and although I thought I was getting veal with vegetables I actually got a fettuccine carbonara. I blame this misunderstanding much more on my lack of Russian than our waitress who was doing a sterling job so I decided to keep quiet and eat the carbonara. It was fairly heavy on the cream and I refer to my earlier comments about eating Italian in a Russian restaurant.

Since there was an extensive dessert and tea menu MTV boyfriend and I went for both to finish off our meal. MTV boyfriend had the apple pie which was actually an apple strudel and reportedly delicious. I tried the berry soup topped with a scoop of vanilla ice cream and some pistachio nuts. It seemed somewhat disturbingly like a dessert version of my earlier serve of borscht. In future I would say one red soup per meal was enough, but I would still recommend Kvatira 44 for its friendly atmosphere and good selection of traditional Russian dishes.

Details: 24/8 Malaya Yakimanka, Moscow, Russia (Ph +7 495 238 8234)
Damage: Pricey
7/10

Other tips for Moscow

Coffee Bean (everywhere): This is the Russian version of Starbucks and I do not mean that as a compliment. Bad coffee and sickly sweet blinis for a high price. Best avoided.

Cafe Margarita (Patriachs Pond, Malaya Bronnayu ul): Atmospheric book lined cafe. We enjoyed the spinach soup.

Vogue cafe (Ulitsa Kuznetsky Most Lubyanka): Yes really. Cafe based on the magazine. Order a cocktail and people watch the voguettes consuming blini with caviar.

Restaurant Scandinavian - Summer Cafe (Gourmet Chick in Russia)

At Restaurant Scandinavian in Moscow the food is western with a touch of Scandinavia and everyone speaks English. I can see the attraction for the expats that flock here in a city and country that can be hard work at times. That said, obviously don't come here for an authentic Russian experience.

The Restaurant Scandinavian is a fairly high end restaurant, but from May to September the "Summer Cafe" operates in the garden outside. Metal tables are clustered under leafy trees providing a welcome refuge from the city.

MTV boyfriend and I were very tame and ignored the Scandinavian options to both order the club sandwich. Inside the toasted bread was some nice chicken breast and bacon. It was served with a small side salad and we ordered chips as well. The chips were delicious, covered in a mix of spices and what tasted like chicken salt. Every other table had ordered the chips as well so they were obviously a bit of a specialty or maybe everyone was just hungover.

Sitting in the dappled sunshine with a couple of beers, even the bill did not seem too bad.

Details: Palashevsky per 7, Teverskaya 19 (Ph: +7 495 937 56 30)
Damage: Pricey
7/10

Yolki-Palki (Gourmet chick in Russia)

Yolki Palki had been recommended to us by a few friends who had previously visited Moscow, however in hindsight the stuffed roosters perched on balustrades in the restaurant should have been a warning signal.

The decor of Yolki-Palki is completely over the top with the restaurant set out to look like a farmyard with fake trees, wagons and of course the roosters. Nevertheless, we ignored the faux rural setting and sat down to our meal with some Russian beer. We started with a selection of piroski which are traditional Russian pies (pictured) to begin. These small pies made of bread are filled with cabbage, meat, mushrooms or apple and cinnamon. The apple and cinnamon version was a bit too sweet for an entree (it was like eating dessert to begin the meal) but the other piroski were light and tasty.

The main meals listed on the menu focused on grilled meats and the "all you can eat" salad bar (which seemed to comprise lots of potatoes mainly). I opted for the pork fillet served with rice and vegetables. Sadly the vegetables were almost totally lacking and I could only find small flecks of carrot in the rice. After a similar missing vegetable experience at The Other Side I was starting to worry that I might develop scurvy in Russia.

Yolki-Palki does provide food and drinks for a fairly reasonable price. This is no small task in a city where you seem to bleed money at every turn. It is also much beloved by Muscovites, and was packed on the night we visited. However, don't come here looking for quality or particularly tasty food.

Details: Novy Arabat ul 11, Moscow, Russia (and other locations around Moscow)

Damage: Reasonable

4/10

Salmon fillet with a Japanese twist

I generally agree with the school of thought that salmon is best served plain, letting the natural flavour dominate, however I think that this recipe for salmon fillets with a Japanese twist is a great alternative.


Ingredients: 1/3 cup mirin*
1/3 cup soya sauce
2 tablespoons grated ginger
2 tablespoons red miso**
2 teaspoons sugar
2 teaspoons lemon juice
4 salmon fillets, skin on
1 teaspoon black sesame seeds

*mirin is Japanese rice wine - you can get it in most good Supermarkets
** red miso is more difficult to find - you will probably need to go to an Asian grocery

Sauce

1/2 cup mirin
1/2 cup soy sauce
2 teaspoons sugar

Method

1. Mix the soya sauce, mirin, miso, ginger, sugar and lemon juice together. Place the salmon fillets in a shallow bowl and marinate for at least 15 minutes and ideally 1 hour.

2. For the sauce combine the ingredients in a small saucepan and bring the sauce to the boil and then simmer for 10 minutes until caramelised.

3. Heat the wok to medium and take the salmon fillets out of the marinade and cook skin side down, turning just when they are nearly cooked.

4. Pour the sauce over the salmon and sprinkle with the black sesame seeds.

5. Serve with steamed rice and broccolini or Asian greens.

This is adapted from a recipe by Bill Granger of the shining teeth (he actually does toothpaste ads in Australia) who is becoming more well known in the UK through appearances on Saturday Breakfast. The recipe is in his book Bill's Food. He suggests grilling the salmon, however I find it easier to cook the salmon in the wok as then you can quickly toss the vegetables in there afterwards.

The Other Side (Gourmet Chick in Russia)

Mara Voheres, the author of Lonely Planet's St Petersburg City Guide names a meal at self proclaimed "gastro bar and refuge" The Other Side in her imaginary top St Petersburg day. I was not so impressed.

The Other Side is in a semi subterranean room with some outside tables on the pavement. MTV boyfriend and I had some drinks outside before torrential rain struck (thats St Petersburg in summer for you) so we moved inside for a quick dinner.

I went for the salmon fillet on soba noodles with vegetables. I was looking forward to the vegetables but sadly there was not a vegetable in sight on my plate. Whats more the noodles were super greasy. MTV boyfriend's steak sandwich was a bit better. The steak was fairly tender and it came in a large bread roll with mushrooms and onions. All decent enough as steak sandwiches go. However we were not tempted to linger for dessert or to make a return visit.

Details: 1 Ul Bolshaya Konyushennya, St Petersburg, Russia (Ph: 312 95 54)
Damage: Reasonable
4/10

Other tips for St Petersburg

Probka, 5 Ul Belinskogo: You must go here if you visit St Petersburg. It is an ultra cool wine bar which serves wine by the quarter, half or full bottle. We didn't eat there, but the food was Italian and looked good.

Elephant, 30 Ul Makovaya: The whole menu is in Cyrillic and no one speaks English but ask for the blinis with coffee and tea and you will get good pancakes at a good price.

Molokhovets Dream (Gourmet Chick in Russia)

Molokhovets Dream in St Petersburg is inspired by a cookbook by Elena Molokhovets called A Gift to Young Housewifes. The book was reprinted 28 times between 1861 and 1914 and was a bestseller which was never reprinted during the Soviet era as it was seen as bourgeois.

Of course in Russia today, bourgeois is back with a bang. Molokhovets Dream is in one of the many palatial and slightly crumbling buildings in St Petersburg. The interior is fairly modern with only a handful of tables and its own cigar humidor and pianist. Despite being a fairly high end restaurant with a formal atmosphere, on our visit most of the clientele were tourists clutching guide books. However, there was one "new Russian" couple in the corner: a young peroxide blonde and an older man chain smoking (yes smoking is allowed in Russian restaurants even the bourgeois ones).


Service was (and particularly for Russia) fantastic. Once we sat down and ordered wine, complimentary appetisers of smoked salmon in aspic appeared. I am not a fan of aspic at all, don't get me wrong I like a bit of fat, but pure fat I find just too much. In it's defence the appetiser was beautifully presented and in Molokhovets time I suppose it would have been the height of chic. MTV boyfriend opted for the beef stroganof as a main in honour of the Stroganof Palace (yes really) we had seen earlier during our walk through St Petersburg. The stroganof was contained in a pastry shell with a birds nest of potato curls atop and potato croquettes dotted throughout. It was a very "busy"dish and MTV boyfriend felt there was not as much sauce as he would have liked, but otherwise he was a happy camper. I had the venison with mushrooms with cowberry sauce (also known as lingonberry or mountain cranberry). The flavours worked well together but the venison was just a tad dry.

Dessert was equally spectacular in it's presentation. MTV boyfriend had the apple tarte tartin and I went for the chocolate pudding with hazelnut and a cowberry (a recurring theme) sauce. Both desserts were excellent and provided the requisite sugar hit to leave us feeling sated.

As we left, the piano player was still tinkling away as a stern portrait of Elena Molokhovets looked down from the wall. Molokhovets Dream was an interesting concept in its faithful reproduction of a period of Russian history, however this theme meant that the cooking was somewhat over fussy and the atmosphere staid.

Details: 10 Radischeva St, St Petersburg, Russia (Phone 812/579-2247)
Damage: Budget Blow Out
7/10

Tate Modern Restaurant

Travel and Leisure magazine had an article this month on World's Best Restaurant Views, Travel and Leisure doesn't list a restaurant in London, however my nomination would be the Tate Modern Restaurant (Oxo Tower offers a similar view but with a heftier price tag). In a low lying city like London it is a real treat to experience panoramic views from seven floors up. Given the view and somewhat captive audience Tate Modern Restaurant could probably get away with fairly mediocre food, but it has so far resisted. The food is decent stuff. Not too fancy but not boring either. A sort of modern British focus which is a bit of a relief really after some of the more challenging pieces of art you may have viewed while at the Tate.

My friend Lucy and I had just been to see the Cy Twombly exhibition and after so much of the scatological we were in need of some sustenance. To start with we shared an entree of asparagus with soft boiled egg. Simple but spot on. Both ingredients were perfectly cooked, the egg was just set and exuding some runny yellow yolk while the asparagus was tender but not soft.

Since it was a girls night out we ordered a bottle of French white wine, although it has to be said that our waitress (while eager to please) was not much help with any recommendations. As a main course I had the penne with butternut pumpkin, toasted pinenuts and a pesto sauce. It was tasty but not particularly memorable. I should have ordered the same thing as Lucy who opted for the salmon fillet. This was served unadorned on a bed of julienned zucchini and cucumber which was lightly dressed. We were in agreement that it was a perfect summer dish.

The highlight though was dessert. The menu featured several enticing options but we could not ignore our Australian heritage and both went for the brown sugar pavlova. This came as an individual pavlova encased in hard meringue which yielded inside to a softer stickier brown meringue. The centre was stuffed with cream and berries. It looked fantastic and tasted just as good. The stickiness of the meringue ensured that the pavlova was moist rather than dry which is always essential when you are talking about pavlovas.

All of this good food while looking out over an amazing vista of London. A view which clearly outshone Cy Twombly that night at least.

Details: Bankside, London SE1 9TG

Damage: Reasonable

8/10

Pirosmani (Gourmet Chick in Estonia)

Georgia is in the news for all the wrong reasons at the moment, however food from Georgia with its mix of Slavic, Middle Eastern and Mediterranean flavours is very popular in Estonia. So our Estonian friends insisted on a trip to the Georgian restaurant Pirosmani, set in the forest about 20 minutes drive from Tallinn. This small restaurant that looks like a log cabin is reportedly the first place the Georgian president came when he visited Estonia in 2004. Proof of his visit is in the piano that he presented to Pirosmani which sits in the corner.

The food at Pirosmani is hearty and ridiculously cheap. Our group of nine ordered piles of dishes to share. We started with Kachapuri which is a bit like a gourmet toasted cheese sandwich. Next there were rolls of pastry filled with minced lamb and Hinkali which are Georgian dumplings. These were all fabulous and I could see why the Estonians were fond of Georgian cuisine.

Our main course comprised huge platters of grilled meats with some token salad and Kartofili (fried potato) as a garnish. MTV boyfriend and the other boys were in their element. There were platters of chicken fillets, pork fillets and lamb cutlets which were all grilled and served quite simply without sauces or adornments. Despite the cheap price the meat was fairly good quality and nice and juicy.

The food and presentation is all pretty low key at Pirosmani and the restaurant will not be winning any style awards any time soon. However for a cheap and filling feed in a unique setting it is worth the trip from Tallinn to Pirosmani.

Details: 1 Uliopilaste, Tallinn, Estonia (See map on the website)

Damage: Such a bargain that even my mother would approve

7/10

Other tips for Estonia

Controvento (12 Vene, Talinn): For the best pizza in town

Chocolates de Pierre (12 Vene, Talinn): Atmospheric cafe with home-made chocolates. See a full review on Nami-Nami.

Kompressor (3 Rataskaevu, Talinn): Super cheap and very good pancakes