Sticky Lamb Chops @ Farzi Cafe
Here we have an Indian restaurant serving modern (dare we say fusion) cuisine honed first in New Delhi, then across India and out to Dubai before appearing on Haymarket, honouring its newest home with a British lilt. And while you have every right to look askance at a menu heralding funky Scotch eggs and fish and chip variations, you really needn’t worry. There may be quirky ideas here but there is no silliness, and this is lovingly produced food. Buttered escargot are served with Indian bread for mopping up, and a tuna ceviche is balanced by the contrasting heat of a fiery jhal moorie (crispy rice). For a glorious smack of flavour, try the sticky lamb chops, bountifully coated in a maple and fennel glaze that caramelises on cooking to give a crunch as well as a jammy sweetness around the juicy meat. For texture, Farzi’s biryani is like no other: a tower of tender lamb tumbles over even more tender rice, as silky as orzo pasta.
For a smart and gleaming venue, the vibe is notably relaxed here, with larger tables happily ordering round upon round of the smaller dishes to accompany their cocktails, in addition to the more conventional diners. Those cocktails include a list of astrologically-inspired ones (for those versed in Ayurvedic lingo) which are thoughtful yet not overcomplicated. But true simplicity comes from the current Copperhead menu and its Gibson martini: garnished with a bright fuchsia beetroot pickled onion, it looks exquisite but hits the spot straightaway. Said drinks are all soaked up marvellously by the paneer poppers or wagyu sliders, if you want to keep things casual.
8 Haymarket, London, SW1Y 4BP; farzilondon.com
Smoked Salmon @ Fortnum & Mason At The Royal Exchange
If it’s a more traditional Scotch egg you’re after, then Fortnum & Mason’s new restaurant in the City could be for you. After all, legend has it that this quintessentially British store invented the delicacy. We are growing used to that distinctive Eau de Nil colour increasingly adorning various airports and stations, but The Royal Exchange now houses both a shop and a restaurant, too. And it’s not just Scotch eggs (though no one’s going to judge if that’s all you really go for) but myriad fine things, produce sourced from the mothership ensuring they’re all tip-top. The signature smoked salmon comes simply arranged, with half a lemon and a side of soda bread ready-doused in melted seaweed butter. Accompany with some caviar, oysters and a glass of bubbly for a delightful early evening date.
Or, you could get stuck in good and proper: steak tartare is made with meat from the Glenarm Estate and is hard to rival; Welsh Rarebit goes down gleefully with a glass of red; fennel and blood orange salad is refreshing; burrata feels decadent and comes with out-of-this-world tomatoes; and the steamed spinach with nutmeg will confound you forevermore when they tell you there is no cream in it whatsoever (it tastes like it must be marinated in the stuff). And what the heck, finish with a knickerbocker glory and a smile on your face.
The Courtyard, The Royal Exchange, London, EC3V 3LR; fortnumandmason.com
Cherry Blossom Specials @ Mei Ume
It’s cherry blossom season from now until early May and, under the Japanese tradition of Hanami, that means revelling in these stunning blooms while they last. East Asian restaurant Mei Ume is doing so with both floral decorations and special menus. Located within the Four Seasons Hotel London at Ten Trinity Square, this Grade II-listed dining room is already rather stately, with its high ceilings and grand pillars, and the addition of these seasonal pink flowers really brings out the red hues of the furniture and paintings. Settle in with the cherry blossom cocktail whilst perusing the menu: Suntory’s Roku gin (developed over 30 years and only released here last year) is mixed with Rinomato, cactus and chilli syrup, yuzu and sparkling sake for a delicate riff on a Champagne cocktail.
Food includes squid ink udon noodles, dragon rolls, Teriyaki chicken and some beautifully caramelised miso aubergine. Make sure to try the sea urchins, served with scallop fried rice, and the sake-and miso-marinated Chilean seabass. There is definitely too much to choose from, but that means plenty to enjoy. Custom calls for sake as the celebratory drink of Hanami, which is where the restaurant’s ample wine list comes in handy, though there are recommended pairings for each dish if you’re unsure. Pudding is a snowflake matcha cake served with salted caramel ice cream.
Until 22 April
10 Trinity Square, London, EC3N 4AJ; meiume.com
Rock Shrimp Tempura @ Foley’s
Hidden away behind the noise of Oxford Street is Foley’s, a petite and convivial restaurant that opened a couple of years ago helmed by a graduate of the Middle-Eastern food sensation that is The Palomar. Skip forward to this year, and a new head chef signals a rebirth for this friendly venue, Asian-style. Wagyu gyozas are moreish in the extreme, wafting over to your table in a cloud of truffle. The cod tempura comes in black squid ink batter and the rock shrimp one with a spicy kimchee sauce that, whilst not as hot as they warn you, will have you licking the bowl. The satay chicken is succulent and satisfying, and fried okra comes with a fiesty sambal sauce.
What’s more, the first Saturday of every month is offers an ‘off menu’ dinner, for which you sit up at the bar in the moody basement dining room whilst head chef Sakorn Somboon cooks brand new dishes right in front of you. You get four courses for £35, and booking is highly recommended as there simply aren’t many seats for this cosy affair.
23 Foley Street, London, W1W 6DU; foleysrestaurant.co.uk
St Paddy's Day Cocktails @ The Sun Tavern
And for St. Patrick’s Day this weekend, wander to Bethnal Green where The Sun Tavern is putting on quite the show. This excellent pub may not officially be an 'Irish bar’ but it has a bloody good list of Irish whiskies and is a poitín specialist at that. There will be a special menu of Slane whisky cocktails this Sunday, and we’ll be ordering the King George Cobbler (made with two types of sherry, cognac, lemon, pineapple, orange and bitters).
Oyster Boy will be on hand throughout the day, shucking complimentary oysters, with heartier options available from the main menu. Our tip? This place does a mean sausage roll (steak and ale) and a Neal’s Yard cheese board never went amiss. The sound track will be a ceilidh band all afternoon and then, erm, Suggs DJ-ing into the night… There’s no need to ask why.
17 March
44 Bethnal Green Road, London, E2 0AN; thesuntavern.co.uk
