The Grill at The Dorchester, London

London is full of classic, grand hotels that are renowned internationally.
The Dorchester falls in to this category and can be even described as one of the leaders of the pack.
Located on Park lane, Mayfair, overlooking Hyde Park, it is a favourite for celebrities and wealthy tourists living the jet set lifestyle.
As this is my last week living in London, where better to dine than in the opulent surroundings at The Grill at The Dorchester?
Look at the detail that has gone in to the flower arrangements - beautiful!



 

 

We started with a broccoli-flavoured Amuse Bouche...



Starter was delicious hake wrapped in lettuce with mussels and cucumber.  The little black dots are lime-flavoured meringues with charcoal colouring....



Main course was salmon washed down with a delicious Alsace Riesling.  The salmon was perfect and the flavours complemented each other amazingly.
The boys went for pork which looked impressive but none of us were willing to share with each other as it was so good!



Dessert was a melt-in-your-mouth chocolate and hazelnut Molineux.
Crack open the chocolate ball and it oozes with warm melted chocolate all over your plate....



Surprisingly, the restaurant and the hotel as a whole was extremely quiet.  We're putting this down to it being a Tuesday night in January because, quite simply, The Dorchester is lovely - the perfect place to take the parents of if you are celebrating something special!
Fantastic food and large portion sizes - we all left in massive food coma!

Date Night...The Ivy, London

 

Friday night was date night.............So we put our glad rags on and headed for a delicious dinner at The Ivy to celebrate the confirmation of our move to Singapore at the end of this month -the best way to start the new year.

 

 

We ate lamb and venison with a delicious Rioja and finished off with The Ivy's delicious melt-in-the-mouth Baked Alasksa

Unfortunately you can't take photographs inside so I can't show off all the scrumptious food but I managed to sneak these shots....

               

Restaurant: The Hamborough by Robert Thompson

 

 

It's not every day that you get the pleasure of dining in Michelin Star opulence but two weekends ago we were lucky enough to be staying in the fantastic boutique hotel, The Hamborough.  Located on the clifftops of Ventnor, Isle of Wight, this luxury retreat is renowned for its culinary credentials as it is home to the only Michelin Star restaurant on the island.  So, as hotel guests, we thought it was only right to try the special treats on offer downstairs.

Set-up by chef Robert Thompson, the restaurant is a nice size with a relaxed atmosphere.  The menu has an awful lot of thought behind it, as would be expected of one with such credentials, and credit must go to the sommelier for creating one of the best wine lists I have tried in a long time - if you're still trying to get your head around food and wine pairing, they have it down to perfection at The Hamborough.

After some delicious cheese balls, we had a creamy mushroom amuse bouche.

Following current trends, Robert Thompson brings a taste of India through his clever starter of seared Scottish scallop with courgette "en fleur" with scallop moouse, tandoori spices and onion bhaji.  This was matched perfectly with a glass of Macon Pierreclos, Domaine Marc Jambon et Fils 2010 from Bourgogne.

 

Slow cooked leg of rabbit with locally caught lobster, peas, broad beans, baby onions and romaine lettuce sauce were served as the main course. This was matched with Clos Beylesse, Domaine de l'Abbaye, Cotes de Provence.

We followed this up with the epic cheese board additional course which included a local soft cheese from the Isle of Wight, Waterloo and Wigmore.  The wine list recommended Port to go with this but as I'm not a big fan, the sommelier suggested a red Rioja which, just as the other courses, very much complemented all the different cheese flavours.

By far the highlight of my meal was the dessert - a delice of valrhona chocolate with a lavender milk sorbet.  Literally chocolate heaven....it was amazing.  This course also had the best wine match and it was the first time I've ever tried a wine from Uruguay.  The chocolate notes and balance of the Alcyone, Tannat, dessert wine were again an extremely pleasant match.

Presentation was key with this dish and myself and other people around the room who ordered the same couldn't help but let out a 'WOW' as it arrived to the table.

 

After four hours of mind-blowing food, a range of fabulous wines and fantastic company it was time to toodle back upstairs to our room and collapse into a massive food coma whilst reminiscing about each course.

The Hamborough, Ventnor, Isle of Wight PO38 1SQ (www.robert-thompson.com).

London Life: Highgate

Highgate, North London, is without a doubt one of my favourite places in the Big Smoke.  I've been lucky enough to have joined the crowds of yummy mummies, multi-millionaires, super models (including a certain Miss Moss) and aristocrats that live here and call Highgate my home for the past couple of months (although not for much longer, sob!).

Perfectly situated away from the centre, but not too far that it's still an easy commute, Highgate has escaped the crowds of tourists that flock to Camden Town.  Walking around the streets lined with beautiful houses and even down the High Street it has a feel of being somewhat like a village - making it difficult to believe that you are only eight miles from the centre of London.

Below are some personal highlights that I feel are definitely worth heading up north for:

The Flask  77 Highgate West Hill, N6 6BU
Without a doubt The Flask has one of the best beer gardens you will find in London during both the summer and winter.  Outdoor heating and sheltered seating areas make it enjoyable to sit outside throughout most of the year and in summer it's the perfect place to enjoy a glass of Pimms.  Its appeal and popularity is clear with it sometimes difficult to find seating both indoors and outdoors.
Inside it offers a cluster of rooms, mixing traditional wooden beams with some modern refurbishments and be sure to try some of the great gourmet pub grub it serves up!

High Tea of Highgate 50 Highgate High St, N6 5HX
Situated on the main High Street in the village, High Tea of Highgate is a quaint little cake and coffee shop and the ideal place for a spot of afternoon tea, scones, jam, butter....the lot!
Offering a variety of homemade classics and a wide selection of teas it's no surprise you often have to wait for a seat here as well.  During the spring and summer it's the perfect stop off to pick-up some carrot cake on the way to Hampstead Heath for a picnic.

 Hampstead Heath
Ok, so the photos below of Hampstead Heath don't immediately feel you with the desire to pack-up your hamper and head outside but in the summer it is a sun worshippers paradise.
The Heath is HUGE, so huge I definitely don't think I've explored it all. It's a great place for exploring and I've even spotted people tight rope walking between two trees as well as acrobatics performing.
A highlight is Parliament Hill which offers spectacular views over the city and is a hot spot to escape the crowds and catch the New Year's Eve fireworks on the Thames.  It's also by far the best place to go tobogganing down when it snows.
Ideal for sports fanatics there is a running track, tennis courts, bowls club and ponds which the dedicated few take a plunge in EVERY day of the year.  


Below are some photos taken during the recent snow where the ponds frooze over but normally it is a beautiful vast area of greenery.

So Londoners, take a deep breath...escape the comforts of central London for an afternoon and explore the wonders u' north!!