1 | Cumin Lamb Chops @ Kutir
Rohit Ghai has the magic touch: after turning Gymkhana and then Jamavar (both in Mayfair) into unmissable restaurants, nabbing a Michelin star for the latter in the blink of an eye after opening, the chef has just launched his very own place, this time in Chelsea. Kutir is named after an Indian hunting lodge, or cottage, and the food is inspired by royal hunting trips and the feasts that would traditionally have been served after them. So the flavours are big and warm, with some little surprises thrown in here and there, but it is all done in the sleek and smart and painstakingly delicate manner for which Ghai has earned his stripes.
The setting is a townhouse that you’ll find at the end of an almost perplexingly residential street. You really do start to wonder if you’re in the right place or not, until you ring the doorbell. The rooms are tiny, and you feel a bit like you’re in someone’s sitting room, except that the cocktails are never as good at home. Opt for the 'Expedition' menu if you fancy a bit of a treat – and for £60 and six courses, it’s spectacular value. The aloo tikka is piquant and surprising; the cumin lamb is rich with spice and so tender, you’ll gurgle with delight. Overall, it’s delicious, intimate and very, very classy.
10 Lincoln Street, London, SW3 2TS; kutir.co.uk
2 | Wagyu Beef @ Kaia, The Ned
With 3,000 square metres of floor space, 252 rooms and 10 restaurants, it’s fair to say The Ned has been London’s most ambitious hotel opening of the past decade. It’s a testament to the skill and vision of its owners and staff that, just 18 months since its opening, the Bank behemoth has become a regular haunt for the city’s high flyers and thrill seekers, thanks to its glorious mixture of large scale luxury and barmy idiosyncratic design features (see the underground ‘vault room’ for evidence).
But can it do intimate dining? The huge, bustling ground floor initially suggests that could be a struggle – until, that is, you’re led to the new Asian-Pacific-inspired Kaia, for our money the best of The Ned’s already excellent restaurant options. Situated in its own discreet corner, Kaia’s menu is a happy concoction of first rate sushi, satisfying lunchtime poke bowls and glorious grilled dishes, including some unmissable lamb cutlets with spicy shallows and honey soy, succulent black cod with tarragon miso and a wagyu rib eye that more than does justice to that esteemed breed of beef.
Best of all, you feel both part of the club’s buzzing atmosphere and slightly outside it, making Kaia perfect for a business meeting, romantic dinner and everything in between - further evidence that, when it comes to nightlife in London, 2019 is going to be the year of The Ned.
27 Poultry, London EC2R 8AJ; thened.com
3 | Hot Gin & Gingerbread @ Sipsmith Gin Shop
If you have someone in your life who likes gin, then there’s nothing for it: you have to visit Sipsmith’s pop-up gin shop in Piccadilly. Because not only is it (apparently), the city’s first dedicated gin shop in over 200 years, but you can buy every sort of gin-based treat you could imagine for your loved ones whilst also sampling the wares at the in-house gin bar. Christmas shopping never seemed so delightful, right? We’re talking gin chocolate, gin stockings, gin tree decorations, blankets (in case the booze one doesn’t work), martini mixing glasses and, of course, gin itself. And sloe gin. And mince pie gin. And gingerbread syrup to put in your gin. The possibilities are endless and there are masterclasses too, in case you're a keen bean. It’s on until Christmas Eve, so you’re covered even if you leave things until the last minute. Go, drink, enjoy (responsibly, of course).
Until 24th December
Princes Arcade, 192 Piccadilly, London, W1J 9EU; sipsmith.com
4 | Gnocchi Al Sugo D’Oca @ Lina Stores
The Soho restaurant, borne out of the famous deli on Brewer Street, is celebrating Christmas in its own style but with a little nod to tradition: gnocchi with slow-cooked goose ragu. It’s just one dish on the menu, it’s simple in concept, but it’s bloody delicious and oh so satisfying on a cold winter’s day. Order a glass of red alongside it and your festive inclinations – which may, understandably, have been on the wane – will come back with a vengeance. And if you’re too full for pudding whilst there, head round to the deli (only a 5 minute walk) and bulk buy the panettone and the Baci chocolates. Yes, they’re good gifts, but they’re also rather great when you keep them to yourself.
51 Greek Street, London, W1D 4EH; linastores.co.uk
5 | Smoky Old Fashioned @ Stables Bar
And if Soho has a bit too much of a vibe for you right now, then take a tip from us and head to Kensington (honestly, bear with us) and to The Milestone Hotel; hidden at the back is their Stables Bar. It is so named because it really did used to house horses and so there is a distinctly equestrian feel: leather sofas and green tweed furnishings. It is small, has a countryside feel but, it is – crucially – quiet and, as a proverbial cherry on top, it prides itself on its Old Fashioned cocktails. Those are made with a custom whisky blend aged in a Solera barrel, and come to your table in a dome of smoke that seeps gloriously into the air around you as the drink falls into your hand, not to mention into the flavour of that liquid itself. (Side note: you can also have a rum or tequila Old Fashioned if whisky’s not your thing). If you want to hideaway in plain sight, then this bar is the oasis you've been seeking.
1 Kensington Court, London, W8 5DL; milestonehotel.com
6 | Taste History @ Simpson's In The Strand
Christmas dinner has suffered a bad rap for a long time, and it’s not really fair. Chances are you manage to cook the turkey and trimmings without a hitch, get through family dinner chit-chat without lobbing a fork at your uncle, and generally just have a nice, good, merry time, thanks very much.
That being said, your Xmas meal still doesn’t hold a candle to a carve-up at Simpson’s in the Strand. For 190 years, Simpson’s has been providing the best roast dinners in the capital. It is as it always was: a juicy roast is wheeled around the decadent dining room on a silver-domed trolley, and you’re free to pluck at slices of perfectly cooked meat (including, for the time being, a delicious roast Norfolk bronze turkey with roasties, sprouts, pigs in blankets and all that good stuff).
But there’s more on offer: specifically, a ‘Bill of Fare’ menu crafted by newly-appointed Master Cook Adrian Martin, which pays tributes to dishes from the past 19 decades of the restaurant's history. We’re talking salted ox tongue and cheek, roast Yorkshire grouse, calf’s liver, and cream of lobster soup. Dig in.
100 Strand, London WC2R 0EW, simpsonsinthestrand.co.uk
