Dalloway Terrace
Just a short stroll from the fanfare of Crossrail and the ongoing Oxford Street regeneration is a new oasis idyll of sleek marble tables, trendy British throws and elegant furniture. Part of The Bloomsbury, but with its own private entrance, Dalloway Terrace is to WC1 what The Ivy Garden Chelsea is to SW3. An expansive, thoughtfully designed external terrace with sleek, sheltered hoarding and plenty of heaters house an intimate, jovial space which is set to become the go-to hangout for locals, hip tourists and visitors alike. The varied and playful menu concentrates on British classics. First up, a Dublin Bay prawn cocktail; crunchy morsels of meaty prawn with a lively lime Marie Rose sauce and creamy avocado. My companion’s flash-seared tuna was just so – firm and smooth, accompanied by a welcome soy and ginger dressing. The whole lemon sole, with the option to choose grilled or meuniere (I chose grilled) is superb – one of the best I’ve encountered in London. Our lively waitress recommended two side orders - steamed kale with lemon dressing and crunchy almonds, and blackened cauliflower smothered in smoked paprika and tahini. Both were inventive and punchy and accompanied the meals with aplomb.
Other items which caught our eye were the grilled organic salmon steak, the lamb rump with Moroccan spices and couscous and, as it wafted past to another table emanating delightful aromas, the hearty coq au vin served with crusty sourdough bread. Over on the drinks menu, we sampled the restaurant’s signature cocktail, the Mrs Dalloway; Champagne and Courvoisier VSOP muddled with sugar and Angostura Bitters. A touch heavy for a pre-lunch aperitif for our tastes, but the carefully curated list offered too many exciting concoctions to mention. Cherry Blossom, Quentin’s Manhattan and Lady Rosseter all grabbed our attention. The generous wine menu is Old World heavy with injections from England (Nyetimber), Argentina (Malbec) and New Zealand (Pinot Noir).
An absolute must-visit. Book immediately.
Frenchie Covent Garden
A touch of Parisien chic has launched in London’s theatreland. Last month Gregory Marchand, formerly of The Savoy, Mandarin Oriental Hyde Park and Fifteen, opened a branch of Frenchie, his achingly hip French restaurant brand, in Covent Garden. A simple and generous modern menu with influences from Marchand’s travels as far and wide as New York and London, to Madrid and Hong Kong. Bright, spacious interiors and an inventive cocktail menu will please even the most discerning of clients.
The in-house somellier is superb - hinting a number of excellent wines from the carefully selected wine list, which concentrates on small, artisanal producers. The ricotta tortelli with Lapsang Souchong and lemon caviar was divine, as was the 100-day aged chicken which really could have been the most sublime and creamy we've eaten in a long time.
The House of Ho Fitzrovia
In December, The House of Ho relocated itself from its Soho spot on Old Compton Street to a smart new flagship townhouse in Fitzrovia. Still offering a modern take on Vietnamese street food with delicious Asian-inspired cocktails, the new House on Percy Street is now led by group chef director, Ian Pengelley and swaps the edgy, rock ’n’ roll vibes of the original (now just called Ho) with four-storeys of colonial refinement. Start the evening at the bar on the top floor – the Quick Fix, with its blend of passion fruit-infused Snow Queen, eucalyptus cordial and Singha Beer is a refreshing tipple – before heading down the steep staircase to eat. The ground floor is neatly proportioned with a lively buzz, while the first floor holds a more intimate dining space with private dining rooms spread across the rest of the floors.
Dining at the House is all about sharing and the menu (including the wine list) is refreshingly compact. To start, classics like the crispy squid with chilli and sea salt and fresh prawn summer rolls are always a good idea. For a dish with a bit of theatre, the fried soft shell crab is a fragrant and flavoursome centrepiece. Perched on a large dish spilling over with dried red chillies and cinnamon sticks, the crab is delicate, sweet and with the perfect crunch. For mains, the lemongrass free range chicken comes with chicken scratchings coated in a sweet caramel glaze: moreish, but slightly outdone by the Chilean seabass with Vietnamese fermented plum sauce and the simple-but-stellar seared wild salmon rolls in rice paper. If you have space for dessert, Asian banana crumble drizzled with lemongrass crème anglaise is worth fitting in.