Zorita's Kitchen

 

It's been one week and one day and I've spent the whole time wondering: why didn't I come I here before?  I'm not going to wonder anymore and simply show up when the sun shines.

This is yet another Spanish restaurant where you can enjoy Spanish beer or wine whilst admiring the Tate Modern, the runners preparing for the next race and the executives from the City having a strall after work - as if they ever did that.

Please come round and enjoy a great selection of cured meats ("cecina" is a must), cheeses, salads and "tostas".  Zorita's Kitchen also has a shop where you can purchase wine to stock up your cellar at home - I don't have a cellar but my drinks cupboard is now full of excellent Ribera del Duero.

 DETAILS:
Zorita's Kitchen - www.the-haciendas.com/zoritas-kitchen/london.php - Broken Wharf House, 2 Broken Wharf, London EC4V 3DT

Pasha

Let me introduce you to Pasha, one of the many excellent restaurants in Upper St (Islington). I love spending time in this area of London, and the day after Arsenal won the 2014 FA Cup I couldn't be anywhere else. 

This little Turkish restaurant, offers great Mediterranean food for a great price. They have a lunch menu even on the weekends including 2 dishes for less than £20. My main reason for coming here, however, is because they're always open for business, from 10pm dinner on a Friday or to a 5pm lunch on a Sunday.

There is nothing pretentious about Pasha - probably it's one of the main reasons why I love it - but when you have the highest quality and attitude, experience and ingredients, why would you need to pretend?

DETAILS:
Pasha - www.pashaislington.co.uk/ - 301 Upper St, London N1 2TU

Bam-bou

If you are walking down Charlotte St you will directly land at Bam-bou in 1 Percy St. This is one of the many perfect spots of London, where you can take a date, go dine with a large group of friends in one of their private rooms or have a business meal - I've done all of the above. 

The main dining room is on the ground floor, there is another dining room (a bit more laid back as it includes a bar) on the first floor; on the third floor there are a couple of smaller rooms ideal for a bigger parties - it looks like you're dining in your own house - and if you make it all the way to the top you'll hit the Red Bar with a great variety of excellently made cocktails.

The food is also quite divine, as you would expect in any other of the Caprice Group restaurants, defined as Chinese, Vietnamese, and Thai. By now, I might have tried most of the dishes, and I can confirm that everything is good, really good (within my favourite's the prawn dumplings and the peppered beef).

Make sure that you save some energy to make it to the top floor bar after dinner for a drink or 2, in order to have a night with a cherry on top.

DETAILS:
Bam-bou - www.bam-bou.co.uk/ - 1 Percy St, London W1T 1DB
Caprice Group - www.caprice-holdings.co.uk/

Meat Mission

Brought to you by the same owners as Meat Liquor and Meat People, now open in Shoreditch and offering incredible burgers and out-of-this-world chicken wings. They do home delivery tooif you happen (meaning you are lucky) to live near by - we took our "gourmet club" friends a few weeks ago and since then, Meat Mission's number is in their speed dial.

There is always a good vibe, and there is a DJ booth, so evenings will turn messy - good messy, of course. They serve you the pints in garrafes - in 2s or 3s - and their cocktails' list is so yummy that I'd like to try everything from start to end.

Anyway, you should come here for the big tray of amazing food which will definitely raise your happiness levels :-D

DETAILS:
Meat Mission - www.meatmission.com/ - 15 Hoxton Market, London N1 6HG

The Engineer - Primrose Hill

I don't think the fact that I love pubs will come as a surprise to anyone, but who doesn't? In case you still hesitate, imagine a pub in Primrose Hill, including a beer garden, really friendly staff, a well stocked bar (including cocktails), and mouthwatering food, are you in love now?

In this pub I celebrated my first birthday in London, I met the General Manager of Liverpool football club, I got into a fight with a snob guy, I hung out with Jim Sturgess, I had lunch with my brother before he moved to the States (and go back every time he visits), I also said goodbye to Kevin before he left for Ireland, I took most of the friends who visited the city, and I ate Sunday roast with my dad in his last visit to town... there are countless great memories from this place even if the details were forgotten long before leaving the place.

I love this place!

DETAILS:
The Engineer - www.theengineerprimrosehill.co.uk/ - 65 Gloucester Ave, London NW1 8JH

Maroush

It's no secret that kebabs are the late night deal, something to get into the stomach once one might have had one drink too many. I'm sure everyone has at least once queued in a kebab shop at a random time of night on the way home - and potentially regretted that stop the following morning.

Maroush is an exception to the rule, and it's definitely far from a kebab shop. Maroush offers amazing Lebanese food served until early hours of the following day and if you make it before 1am, you can enjoy kebab & beer.

The light from the fake torch lights in the facade will guide you to the place run by guys who look like agents of the Lebanese secret service. The food inside, served at any time of the day and long hours during the night, also gets delivered home if you live near enough (and have the patience to wait for it).

DETAILS:
Maroush - www.maroush.com/ - 4 Vere St, London W1G 0DH

Sacred

Half way between the crowds of Regents and Carnaby street there is a little oasis, a sacred place to disconnect from the crowds, where sacred conversations happen. A sacred friend brought me here for the first time a while back, and since then when we need it, we come back for sacred coffee (for him), tea (for me) and a pick among the sacred cakes and muffins.

A few months ago, Bea came to live in London, and we took her to the sacred place. She fell in love with Sacred and now she frequently craves for sacred coffee, tea, cakes and conversation.

DETAILS:
Sacred Cafe - www.sacredcafe.co.uk - 13 Ganton St, London W1F 9BL

Lima

Following the recommendation of some Spanish friends who have been living in Peru for a long while, I came to have dinner at Lima not long after it opened and I was  amused by every bite I took. I'm not going to deny that I had knocked down a couple of pisco sours in the bar downstairs before dinner, which everyone knows makes your palate exquisite.

Lima is located at the end of Charlotte St and before getting into the hassle of Oxford St. As you would understand given the location and the fact that the restaurant is small, you will need to book a table in advance. 

The menu is not very long, which in a way is helpful so you don’t go crazy trying to decide what to order, but you will see a sample of the main proteins (pork, lamb, beef and a choice of fish). I will advice you to share so you get a chance to try more things. My recommendation is that you don't miss the Sea Bream ceviche (with Tiger’s milk #obvs), the suckling pig and the beef Pachamanca – and whilst you decide make sure that you have a pisco sour – or a Cuento del Diablo.

DETAILS:
Lima - http://www.limalondon.com/ - 31 Rathbone Place, Fitzrovia, London, W1T 1JH