With the launch of this season’s London Fashion Week, we wave goodbye to a term that, although is loved in small applications, is always hushed at these sort of events. This term is ‘Gorging’.

To take refuge in a high-carb meal this coming week will just bring you to an even lower state of well being, as the best dressed, almost technially sculpted, members of the fashion industry flaunt their stuff for your equal jealousy and admiration. So, for those of you planning on taking a visit to any of the shows, there is only one place to spend the time not soaking up the offerings of the most talented designers in the industry.

J Sheeky Oster Bar just so happens to be a stiletto heel’s length away from the centre of the event, and as such, they have decided to throw together the perfect, slightly pretentious but completely fitting meal together for budding fashionistas. You will be able to take a seat at the classic horse-shoe bar with a pallet of half-a-dozen oysters and a glass of Pol Roger Pure Champagne for £15.75. The restaurant holds a casual energy, flickered with elegance. The perfect mingling area.

The oyster bar will be running this offer throughout LFW, so Click Here for more information.

Over the past few weeks I have had the absolute pleasure of dining at three of London’s most delicious and delectable Indian-Asian restaurants. My previous reviews of Sitaaray and Chor Bizarre paint a pretty picture for the city’s Asian cuisine scene, but Tamarai can really lay claim to the culinary crown.

A bar-cum-restaurant-cum-club Tamarai is somewhere that – at first – you might think is a jack of all trades but a master of none… You’d be wrong to think so! Tamarai strikes a perfect balance between the three and as far as the food goes, it’s faultless.

The Location

Tamarai sits below Sitaaray in the Covent Garden theatre district of London. You’d be forgiven for assuming that the two are similar or share certain aspects of the building but once you’ve scaled the steps down to the lower levels Tamarai emerges as a dark and sexy basement bar that looks and feels nothing like Sitaaray: it’s its own restaurant and establishment – totally independent and completely different.

The Interior

Tamarai is certainly cool in the New York City sense of the word. The whole establishment is an open-ended restaurant that has a long lit bar running down one side and dark black theme painted throughout. The tables are decorated with a mixture of classic chandelier and modern velvet upholstery – purples, blacks, whites and dark greens seem to catch the eye and you really get a sense that you’re a VIP in an exclusive members-only arena. The lighting is wonderful: it’s low and soft enough that you can relax and recline in a sense of privacy but there’s plenty of illumination to let you see the menu. Lighting is really something that restaurants can get horribly wrong – Tamarai though gets a perfect ten.

The Drinks

Usually when I’m reviewing a restaurant, the drinks take a back seat because it’s not something you expect to be unique or particularly well though out. It’s fair – most restaurants will boast a range of authentic beers, a selection of cuisine-complementing wines or cocktails and that’s usually about it. Tamarai on the other hand turns it up a notch and provides a specially selected wine menu from Grover Vineyards in India. It’s a wine list that’s won the Independent’s coveted Best Wine List Award and – personally – moved the palette around the world’s vineyards in a delicate and unoffensive way.

The Food

Tamarai’s taster menu was on the cards when we arrived because the best way to rate what a restaurant has to offer is to get a little bit of everything. We started with a delectable mix of deep-fried crab claws and legs, corn-fed chicken spring rolls and – one of my personal favourites – the deep-fried tofu; it was a silky-smooth finish on the palette with an extra helping of hot chilli sauce. On top of that we were treated to extra dishes from the set menu (including a perfectly slow-cooked pork belly with crackling) and some main course platters such as Thai Green curry, sticky Jasmine Rice and the biggest black tiger prawns you’ve ever seen!

The restaurant’s senior chef – Manish Mehrota – should be commended for his dedication; he has travelled the world in search of the finest spices and the most authentic cooking styles. What comes together is an excellent blend of those pan-Asian areas each famous for their own delicacies and delights. It’s a beautiful blend of tastes, textures and you’ll probably try something you’ve never eaten before – a truly enjoyable culinary experience.

Service

Really quite excellent. I was very well looked after and also well-considered which adds a nice touch to Tamarai – every drink or dish was carefully recommended and Raman, the assistant manager, remained friendly and professional yet unobtrusive throughout the night. Every member of staff also knew what they were serving (down to the last ingredient) and the wines were served with an informed explanation that made you confident the food and drink was being selected with care and love.

The Low Down

Tamarai is an elegant 110-seat restaurant renowned for its pan-Asian cuisine which follows the Latin Routes from Chettinad in South India to Burma, Thailand, Malaysia, Vietnam, Singapore and China. It’s the ideal spot to entertain in a luxuriously class environment

Tamarai are going to be loving-it-up for Valentine’s Day by offering couples the chance to dine on a specially selected chef’s menu that brings the romantic views and tastes of East Asia to your very table.

Dishes include mouth-watering starters such as baby calamari, smoked salmon Thayar Satahm or spring rolls and the main menu consists of a mix of Thai green curry, curry leaf chicken and black tiger prawns.

Finish up with a romantic chef’s dessert platter and all for £49 per person – leaving before 8.00pm – or £59 per person from 8.30pm onwards. Both offers exclude drinks and are available between the 12th and 14th February 2011.

See the website for further details and full menus…

All-you-can-eat experiences can often be a little on the cheap side – sure, you pay for what you get yet you can’t help but feel that you’re filling a spot rather than feasting on an a la carte menu.

Sitaaray turns all-you-can-eat dining on its head and ticks all the boxes.

The Covent Garden eatery is a kebab-come-curryhouse and is certainly one of the most quirky and unique dining experiences I have had in a long long time. With an authentic Bollywood backdrop and an innovative serving style Sitaaray manages to create a feast for the senses and a feast for your starving belly.

Location

Nestled comfortably in the Covent Garden theatre district Sitaaray made for a nice eat after I had walked up through the picturesque Piccadilly Circus and Leicester Square. With the city lit up and looking beautiful you could rest your feet and feast on some good food after a backstreet stroll or day-long shopping session. Even in the day Covent Garden hosts some of the nation’s most renowned street entertainers so Sitaaray have really settled on a great spot – with Warhorse playing just minutes away as well the restaurant would be ideal for a pre- or post-theatre treat… All the bases have been covered.

The Interior

Sitaaray certainly looked cosy – from a cold outside I just couldn’t wait to get my coat off and bask in what looks like a warm-coloured and well-lit interior. When you do get inside you’ll feel as if you’ve stepped some 4,500 miles to Bollywood: it’s a theme that runs through the whole establishment with gold-bordered cinema stills and some of Gautam Rajyadhaksha’s work portraying a myriad of Asian celebrities. At first thought the theme may put you off: some restaurants with a running gimmick can seem tacky or a bit dated but Sitaaray manages to pull it off with a bit of class and style. There is a genuine history of Bollywood on those brick walls and the backing music – also from Asia – is never loud enough to distract or drown out conversation.

The Drinks

Although I went for an authentic Indian beer – a refreshing and cool Kingfisher to be precise – there are plenty of wines, spirits and cocktail choices to keep you topped up. There isn’t really anything that jumps from the menu but when you’ve got a kebab and curry list that overwhelms the senses – and eventually your tastebuds – it would be culinary sacrilege to overpower your palette. Stay safe and go with your signature tipple and eye a good brandy for after the meal (you’ll need help with digestion I promise!)

The Menu

This is where Sitaaray really excels. Like I said, all-you-can-eat experiences can often be eating for eating’s sake, but Sitaaray provides one of the most diverse, delectable and delicious menus I’ve tasted on tap. The bite-size kebabs range from marinated and spice-infused chicken to Tandoori king prawns and from yoghurt and chic-pea parcels to white flaky fish covered in coriander sauce. It wouldn’t be unfair to compare the culinary selection to a Rosette-winning tasting menu and the curries that followed the kebabs were equally as appetising and filled with flavour.

Of course, what’s fantastic is that once you have picked and chosen your favourite kebabs, you’re free to ask for as much as you want! Fancy some more Tandoori-flaked fish? You’ll get it! I had a little chat with the chef later on in the evening and it’s clear to see the love (and sweat!) that goes into the dishes – there’s a genuine passion in the kitchen that certainly shines through onto the plate.

The Service

With a unique serving style that has a patron plying you with food for the entire night the service needs to be spot on – ideally it needs to strike a good balance between being informative (I need to know what I’m eating) and unobtrusive (I don’t need an extra guest at the table). Sitaaray got this almost completely right with an attentive waiter providing the food and explaining what each kebab or curry contained – each new dish was also served at a sensible time so it never felt like you were eating against time or being rushed onto the next kebab or curry…

My only gripe would be that we were left waiting for a refill for a good ten/fifteen minutes, but when you see just how busy a place like Sitaaray is it’s easily forgiven.

The Low-down

A truly affordable yet delicious menu that is selected and served in a really unique and tasteful way – Sitaaray is nothing you’ve ever tried before and I’d really recommend going down for a bite and bit of Bollywood.

This unique kebab and curryhouse has also just launched a special offer called Sitaaray Sundays – perfect for families or those with cloudy heads after a big night out.

Providing an irresistible day out for families and friends, Sitaaray opens its doors and presents a special Sunday brunch for just £22.95 per person.

Children under 12 year’s old are also allowed to eat free and families can also enjoy free parking in the neighbouring NCP car park which – to me – sounds very fair.

Sitaaray Sundays start from 1pm and run through the whole day until 8pm.

See the website for any further details…

Any sartorial gent that wanders the Mayfair district for a dapper suit may have criminally overlooked one of London’s most delicious and delightful curryhouses: Chor Bizarre.

As a Michelin-commended curryhouse, Chor Bizarre is – without a doubt – one of the finest Indian experiences I have ever had. As a regular food reviewer, sous chef of six years and a self-professed curry connoisseur that is no mean feat!

The Location

Chor Bizarre is neatly tucked away between the heavyweight fashion brands of New Bond Street and the countryside retreats of Green Park. I can always gage a restaurant’s reputation by having a good look at the surrounding area on my way down to dine – so as I passed the Porsche 911s, Ferraris F50s and the top-dollar boutiques I knew that I was going to be in for some pure class.

The Interior

The class has obviously oozed in from the outside because the Chor Bizarre interior is an eclectic mix of pastel green, rouge red and a combination of burnt and chocolate browns. Throw in some clear glass tabletops, delicate furniture carvings and an array of intricate upholstery additions and Chor Bizarre really is a feast for the eyes. Any direction or corner you turn your eyes there is bound to be something to steal away your breath or charge your curiosity – makes for some great dinner conversation!

The Drinks

Even as a sous chef for six years, something that I can never get right is pairing a wine with a curry dish. For me, it’s the overwhelming mix of flavours and spices that just put me off breaking open a bottle and instead I’ll lead my eyes over to the lager. Not that there’s anything wrong with that: Kingfisher and Cobra sit comfortably beside a list of custom cocktails and spirits, but it’s the wine-matching drinks menu that really impressed. Other eateries should take note because Chor Bizarre has listed every single dish on the food menu and have then recommended at least two bottles of wine for each – it really simplifies your experience but also guarantees your taste buds are fully satisfied.

The Menu

Here’s where Chor Bizarre really shines. Appetizers, starters, main courses and deserts have all been intricately balanced to ensure you get all the best bits from four curryhouse courses: the raw Indian heat, strong Asian spices and palette-cleansing creams. We started with a sweet yoghurt, lentil and banana dish served with a generous portion of popadums, dips and chutneys. This was closely followed by some Tandoori-cooked chicken (soft-cooked to perfection), salmon and lamb. The main course was a treasure trove of curries, stews, naans, rice, battered okra chips and a delectable slow-cooked lamb shoulder. Finish up with a melon sorbet to clean the taste buds and end on a sweet note to a scrumptious meal.

The Service

In a word: exceptional. Again, I’ve been to a few restaurants over the years of food reviews and aside from signing up to a gym (not by choice!) I have been quite surprised over how terribly rude some front-of-house staffs can be. Chor Bizarre restored my faith fully – me and my dining companion were well looked after and the staff were unobtrusive enough not to get on the nerves. Any questions, reservations or recommendations were quickly answered and conversation was interesting, friendly and refreshing.

The Low-down

A little hungry after some Hugo Boss suit shopping? Chor Bizarre is a fantastic, first-rate eatery.

Find a copy of the menu and loads else at Chor Bizarre’s official website…

On top of that, Chor Bizarre is running a series of December deals for a cure to that festive famishment – these deals include some lunch offers and early dinner deals. For example, book the private dining room at Chor Bizarre in December, spend £1000.00 or more and you’ll get 15% off your total food & beverage bill… Can’t go wrong there!

Offers will be available all through December, except 25th – 28th December.

See the website for further details, terms and conditions.

Usually when a three-way collaboration is mentioned, the magic sparked within the coallition would be spurned from three individuals from pretty much the same area. The Begee’s, the FC Barcelona midfield and The Musketeers to name just a few groups of this nature.

Although slightly different, all individuals are born with the same motives, and bring their enhanced ideas and skills to the table in a quest for brilliance. But this certain joining of arms is slightly different.

Young Turks is a project that welcomes, and indeed binds, the most acclaimed proprieters of London Art, fine wine and gourmet food in a completely unmissable, unflappable and unrivalled showcase of visionary and consumption class.

Ben Greeno from Tudor Road, Elliot’s Isaac McHale and James Lowe from St John Bread and Wine will orchestrate the culinary concerto, alongside wine merchants Bottle Apostle, who will be providing the high-class tipples.

The Five-course dinner will be held at Art Work Space, an art gallery that covers the entire ground
floor at The Hempel, where guests will be invited to sip on cocktails and converse between bites of the canapé offerings of some of London’s finest artists of Cuisine.

With a backdrop from artist David Wightman, entitled Secret Name, the night will completely alter the measuring stick of which you judge a dining experience, and after months of preparation, the stage is set for London’s elite to combine in an event that should be everything our hunger for an evening experience desires.

The event will start at 6:30pm on Sunday 19th December. For more information, call 020 8985 1549

A short walk from some of London’s most famous and prominent landmarks including Westminster Abbey, the Houses of Parliament and the London Eye, the Old Westminster Library was first opened to the public in 1893 and was carefully converted into The Cinnamon Club over a century later in 2001.The venue boasts the most hospitable atmosphere, approaching each and every guest in sovereign conduct. This remarkable eatery should have Michelin Stars dripping out of every orifice, and would be worthy of every last one. Vivek Singh, Executive Chef, has fused classic Indian cuisine with modernity and created a truly stupendous asian dining experience. The Club consists of the Main Dining Room, Private Dining Room, Mezzanine, Cinnamon Club Bar and Library Bar. So whether you are looking for the perfect Indian food or an elegant watering hole, the club has the capacity to satisfy both.The Mezzanine, suspended over the Main Dining Room, is perfect for Gastronomic Receptions and Corporate Entertaining, whilst the Private Dining Room is suitable for more intimate, formal occasions nevertheless, still embracing the restaurants semantic asian atmosphere.A wine inventory, suitable to tackle any wine aficionado and Sommelier, Jacques on hand to offer advice on which wines will best withstand spice. Chilean Syrah from £19.00 to Chateau Latour £3130.00In my opinion, one of Londons Premier Dining Experiences.Bon appetit! Read more →

Nestled away in the Royal Borough of Kensington & Chelsea, The Roof Gardens in Kensington, part of the Virgin Group’s Ltd edition range, hosts a truly astonishing dining experience. The venue fuses nature with dining and has created the most relaxing spa esq. environment fronting serenity! A haven from the flurry of Central London, The Roof Gardens is a celebration of relaxation whilst in-keeping with Central London’s air of convenience. Read more →