Rabot 1765, 2 - 4 Bedale Street, Borough Market, London SE1 9AL

Rabot 1765, 2 - 4 Bedale Street, Borough Market, London SE1 9AL

www.hotelchocolat.com/uk/restaurants/rabot-1745

30/05/2015

She said: A restaurant dedicated to chcolate. Come on – how have I not been here until now. Occupying a prominent spot by Borough Market, Rabot 1765 is the cocoa-themed restaurant of Hotel Chocolate. Though the word ‘theme’ conjures up peple in fancy dress shaking cocoa-filled maracas, Rabot is a classy joint, above the chocolate shop, with each dish having a subtle cocoa influence. The indoor space has a industrial feel but the place to be is the outdoor terrace overlooking the hustle and bustle of the market; and overhead heaters and blankets are provided for the cold-blooded amongst us. The menu was extensive and inviting. I kicked off with a praline cocktail which was like a liquid, alcoholic pudding, yum. My starter pear and goats cheese with nib infused cocoa balsamic was perfect. My market fish with Jerusalem artichokes was just okay; the fish was a bit dry and I realised I actually don’t like Jerusalem artichokes especially in bulk (usually you get a pretty display of a scattering but here is sat like a pound of mash on the side of the fish. ‘Never mind’ I thought, dessert will be the killer highlight. I ordered the ‘Bafta’ salted caramel dessert. This was so underwhelming it actually made me sad. It was a sort of congealed icky caramel lump sandwiched in an impossible to cut shortbread with a spoonful of chocolate mousse thrown on top. The mousse was good but the rest, sigh, such a shame. And really, the pudding summed up what was missing from Rabot. This is a chocolate influenced restaurant; it will attract people that like, err, chocolate. So Rabot really needs to up the chocolate/cocoa influence and be more bold. Screw subtle. The biggest shock was the bill at £106 for a 3 course lunch, one cocktail and a beer. This was no Michelin or celebrity spot and though I heard a while ago that cocoa prices were on the rise – a few nibs and droplets surely doesn’t warrant such an extortinate lunch. Shame as I really like the idea of Rabot and there was lots of good things about it – but I would only return for a set lunch menu which I believe they offer during the week and I would pick my dishes more carefully. I also should add, I spent the next 90 minutes feeling rather sick (literally had to stop myself from hurling) – that could have been due to overeating or something else..The evidence was inconclusive.

He said: 'wasted potential' is the first thing that springs to mind when I think of Rabot. The location in Borough market is great, both as a venue and for access to good produce, and the idea of using chocolate in all the dishes is actually a good one, in the right hands. Except here the concept never gets beyond gimmickry, which is what anyone with an average level of cynicism might guess before going. Every now and then things work out when you take a chance, just not this time. It wasn't bad, just nothing special. The terrace overlooking the market is a nice space, but skip the restaurant upstairs (or lower your expectations), and just stick to the chocolate shop downstairs.

Sixtyone, Montcalm Hotel, 61 Upper Berkeley Street, London W1H 7PP

Sixtyone, Montcalm Hotel, 61 Upper Berkeley Street, London W1H 7PP

www.sixtyonerestaurant.co.uk

25/05/2015

She said: After the Bupa 10K jaunt through London I needed a food-related reward so we headed to this easily-missed spot half way along Upper Berkeley Street. A picture of their chocolate pudding in a magazine was what had alerted me to Sixtyone in the first place. Initial impressions were good – a bright, contemporary room with a three-course set menu for an impressive £22. I have to say, the goodness continued throughout. My crab ravioli was good, the cod main course succulent and the caramel tart a fine way to finish. Service was friendly and the whole experience made this a solid spot for a relaxed or business meal. My only reservation is that although the food was good, it was not quite amazing. The cod was more salty than it needed to be, the ravioli was ‘nice’ but something missing and likewise for the pudding. That said, given the great value, I’ll take good.

He said: this is definitely not the hot new table in town. No one is talking about Sixtyone, but you could do a hell of a lot worse in London. We only took a chance, despite my hotel restaurant phobia, because we're local-ish and we'd walked passed a bunch of times before. And I'm really glad we did; for £22 each for three courses of excellent modern British food this is really great value. The kitchen is imaginative with the flavours and presentation, maybe sometimes pushing the boat a little too far (my desert was more clever presentation than ease of consumption) but the enthusiasm of the cooking makes up for any such minor glitches. I really struggle to think of any other restaurants you might bring your folks to that represent better value.

The Gate, 370 St John Street, EC1V 4NN

The Gate, 370 St John Street, EC1V 4NN
www.thegaterestaurants.com/islington

17/05/2015

She said:
Yes I already raved about The Gate in Hammersmith but we decided to try the sister spot in Islington. It looks like an unassuming pub from the outside but inside is a bright, atmospheric dining space dedicated to vegetarian cooking. The menu is the same as Hammersmith and again I loved my starter and main dishes. I wanted pudding but he was keen to move on and I was short on storage space so agreed. This remains a great vegetarian London offering that stands out from the hippy-bean alternatives and though the Hammersmith venue feels like more of a ‘find’ in a more creative space, if Islington is easier to get to, this one holds its own.

He said: Scroll down for our review of the original The Gate in West London which, for me, was a much better experience. The location in Angel is more convenient, and the space arguably nicer, but the food was somehow lackluster by comparison. Don’t get me wrong: it’s still nice to go to a restaurant and not have to scan the menu and settle for the one veggie dish you can have. But this was style over substance, more about the idea and presentation than execution. Or maybe I’ve been totally spoiled by Terre a Terre in Brigton: the best veggie in the South East. For whatever reason The Gate in Angel was just ‘meh’ for me.

Sidi Maarouf, 56 Edgware Road, London W2 2JR

Sidi Maarouf, 56 Edgware Road, London W2 2EH
www.sidimaarouf.com

16/05/2015

She said: Craving middle-eastern food we hit Edware Road. We sat in an Iranian place with a great menu only to be told that each thing we ordered was not ready so we left. Starving, I noticed an inviting Morrocan spot I’d not seen before. Don’t know why as it’s a big, double fronted restaurant near the Marble Arch end. Most people were sitting outside along the narrow row of tables soaking in the polluted procession of buses and taxis but we opted for the indoor space which had a classic Kasbah vibe with hanging draped ceilings and shimmering chandeliers. The menu was great. When I got excited by the generous olives and crudites with garlic and chilli sauces, he pointed out there was a £2 cover charge each so the complimentary nibbles were not quite so complimentary – but good nonetheless. The menu was excellent with lots of choice. The food was amazing. My Briwat spinach was a creamy, smooth spinach delicately wrapped in a thin filo and my main fish tagine was full of flavour wih an array of juicy vegetables. I wanted pudding but had already made a later cake date…The service was friendly and efficient and we were told abut the live entertainment at weekends which created a wedding atmosphere of jubilation – so I need to come back for sweets and then to shake it off with the belly dancers…An excellent find for all occasions.

He said: when we came back form hiking in Morocco, a couple of years ago, we kind of looked around London for a solid Moroccan restaurant, hoping to recreate an amazing dinner we had, but mainly to find this killer desert called pastilla. But this gem was right under our nose, and we blanked it all along. Sidi Maarouf is one block from Marble Arch on Edgware Road – a busy, anonymous corner so easily avoided and with no pull whatsoever until the day we found Sidi Maarouf by total chance. At first I was a little worried by a décor so full-on Moroccan that it was borderline Disney. But the menu was good, and the service so genuinely hospitable that I quickly forgot about all that, and made a mental note to come back on a Saturday night when, according to our waitress, the ambiance is proper Moroccan wedding with live music and everyone dancing. I had a light lentil soup to start, and grilled prawns to follow. Both were just right, as were her fried filo parcels filled with fluffy spinach. My only gripe is that prices were on the high side, and amplified by that bizarrely antiquated practice of adding on a cover charge. Still, once you throw in the music and dancing, it’s probably good value for undeniably good food.

Ethos, 48 Eastcastle Street, London W1W 8DX

Ethos, 48 Eastcastle Street, London W1W 8DX
www.ethosfoods.com

9/05/2015

She said: A trendy, contemporary, serve-yourself vegetarian restaurant at the back of Oxford Street, Ethos presents beautiful food which you mount as you wish on to a plate then take over to a counter to weigh and pay. The selection is lovely; creative salads, lots of different warm options from different cuisnes, a tempting selection of desserts a bright, open dining space…The issue – the price! £15 for a plate of a mix of salads (chic pea, feta, beans) and some warm pasta and chilli. Fine it doesn’t break the bank – but I’m not sure the ethical concept of ethos quite stretches to its pricing strategy given the serve-yourself buffet concept. For a few pounds more many of the fancy-pants London restaurants offer a set 3-course menu in elegant dining rooms with waiter service. Shame. I did also find the food uncessarily more salty and saucy than it needed to be (so vegetarian in this case is not per say healthy) but that can be managed depending on what you put on your plate from their vast selection.

He said: Ethos is basically a dressed-up version of every self-service vegetarian place you’ve ever been to on the continent, from Vilnius to Bratislava. Ethos sets the clock back for the vegetarian cause (fight the power!) by at least twenty years: it’s the same old stuff, but just in a fancily designed place, at twice the price, or more. Ethos is really, really expensive for what it is. And you have to serve yourself! Those guys must be coining it. To be fair, I probably wouldn’t mind so much if the food was half the price. It is kind of stylish and cosy, and obviously popular with girflriends catching up. But man: this is London, food capital of Europe – why are there so few decent veggies around that this place is the most popular?