No Reservations - Soho

Soho's food scene has gone from strength-to-strength in recent years and Londoners now have a long list of outstanding, affordable eateries to choose from right in the centre of town. However, you do have to be careful where you go as the trend for no reservations, championed by the likes of Polpo, Burger & Lobster and Barrafina, is still going strong.  Queuing is what we English do best though. Here are ten restaurants worth getting in line for:

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1) Bao - one of the hottest restaurants in London right now. Street food heroes Bao have settled down in a tiny space in Soho serving up their signature steamed buns and Taiwanese dishes. Queues start building before it opens at 12 for lunch and 5.30 in the evening, but it's worth the wait.  Don't miss the Pig Blood Cake or the Fried Chicken Bao.

53 Lexington St, Soho, W1F 9AS - Mon-Sat: 12-3, 5.30-10

Bao on Matt The List // www.baolondon.com

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2) Pizza Pilgrims - another street food team turned permanent, Pizza Pilgrims quickly took over Franco Manca as the sourdough pizza darlings of London. There are two Soho sites (Dean St. & Kingly Court) so there's never much of a wait for a table. I rarely make it past the Salsiccia e Friarielli on the menu, with some deep fried mac'n'cheese ragu balls and a shot of their very own Pococello on the side. Oh, and there's table football in the basement of the Kingly Court site. The Dean Street site does allow two bookings per night for groups of 8 or more in "The Crypt".

11 Kingly St, London, W1B 5PW - Mon–Sat: 11.30–10.30 / Sun: 12–9.30

11 Dean St, Soho W1D 3RP - Mon–Sat: 11.30-10.30 / Sun: 12–9.30

Pizza Pilgrims on Matt The List // pizzapilgrims.co.uk

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3) Smoking Goat - take a bib and night vision goggles. Smoking Goat is a smoky, messy affair, and you'll most likely come out covered in crab or some other fantastic modern Thai twist plus plenty of eau de BBQ. The menu changes regularly but Fish Sauce Wings are usually there to start you off. You can book the "Lazy Susan Feasting Room" apparently, but otherwise it's time for another wait.

7 Denmark St, Soho, WC2H 8LZ - Mon-Sat: 12-3, 5-12 / Sun: 12-9

Smoking Goat on Matt The List // smokinggoatsoho.com

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4) Blacklock - one stop shop for all the chops. Blacklock from ex-Hawksmoor folk has quickly built up a large fan base who get in line for chops cooked over charcoal with Blacklock irons. Go all in for £20 to get pre-chop bites, and a huge plate of the day's skinny chops piled on top of chargrilled flatbread.  You can reserve for lunch or for tables of 6 or more in the evening - huzzah!

The Basement, 24 Great Windmill St, Soho, W1D 7LG - Mon-Fri: 12-3, 5-11.30 / Sat: 12-11.30

Blacklock on Matt The List // theblacklock.com

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5) Flat Iron - Flat Iron in Beak Street has been around longer the most on this list but the queues are still there. A second site in Denmark Street has helped to alleviate the crowds. A beautiful £10 flat-iron steak is the reward for the wait (a lively basement bar with St John doughnuts in Beak St. makes time fly). Keep an eye out for Flat Iron burger specials.

Photo taken from Flat Iron Facebook page

9 Denmark St, Soho, WC2H 8LS - Mon-Sun: 12-11

17 Beak St, Soho, W1F 9RW - Mon-Sun: 12-11

flatironsteak.co.uk

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6) Barrafina - The most serious restaurant on the list, Barrafina in Frith Street was recently awarded a Michelin-star for their outstanding tapas.  Once you are in, it's relaxed and fun counter dining, and the food is phenomenal. There are two more sites in Adelaide St and Drury Lane, but I suggest starting with the original.

54 Frith Street, Soho, London W1D 4SL - Mon-Sat: 12-3, 5-11 / Sun: 1-3.30, 5.30-10

Barrafina Drury Lane on Matt The List // barrafina.co.uk

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7) Bone Daddies - Bone Daddies arrived early to the London ramen scene before it exploded, and their rock'n'roll Peter Street joint still draws the crowds. Multiple visits are required to work through their range of ramens. Their late night menu 10.30-11.30 Thu-Sat might be a clever way to avoid queuing. They have recently opened a second site in High Street Kensington and also run Flesh & Buns in Covent Garden and Soho popup Shackfuyu.  A third outpost in Old Street should be open by the end of 2015.

Photo from Bone Daddies Facebook page

Mon-Wed 12-3, 5.30-11 (Mon-10) / Thu-Sat: 12-11.30 / Sun: 12-9.30

31 Peter St, London W1F 0AR

www.bonedaddies.com

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8) Pitt Cue Co - another oldie in relative terms, Pitt Cue Co is an outstanding, 30-seater BBQ joint that started life on the street food scene under Hungerford Bridge.  Get a drink in the bar while you wait before heading downstairs for all the meat and bone marrow mash. Exclusive hire is available on a Sunday night.

Photo Credit : Paul Winch-Furness

1 Newburgh St, Soho, London W1F 7RB - Mon-Sat: 12-3, 5.30-11 / Sun 12-4

www.pittcue.co.uk

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9) Balls & Company - the newest addition to the list is a meatballs focused joint from Australian Masterchef 2012 finalist Bonny Porter. It's been an instant hit with its simple but superbly executed menu, and the basement bar is a great spot for a drink whilst waiting for a table. Groups of 8+ can reserve tables, but there's not a lot of space! Don't miss the Wagyu meatballs or the Brownie with Persian Fairy Floss.

58 Greek St, Soho, London, W1D 3DY - Mon-Sat: 12-11

Balls & Company on Matt The List // ballsandcompany.london

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10) Polpo - Restaurateur Russell Norman's original Venetian bacaro in Soho was an early proponent of the no reservations theory, and Londoners continue to flock to Beak Street for ciccheti and spritzes in a stylish space. There are now six Polpo sites in London, and chef director & founder Tom Oldroyd recently left the company to open his own neighbourhood restaurant Oldroyd in Islington which has been earning him rave reviews.

41 Beak Street, Soho, W1F 9SB - Mon-Sat: 12-11 / Sun: 12-10

Polpo Notting Hill on Matt The List // www.polpo.co.uk

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Notable omissions:

10 Greek Street, Duck Soup, Burger & Lobster, Koya Bar, Honest Burgers, Spuntino

I'll see if I can scramble together a Yes Reservations post soon...

Bao - Bleecker Burger - One Mile End Brewery at The White Hart Brewpub

Today on the blog - two of London's street food heroes Bao & Bleecker Burger settle down in Soho and Spitalfields respectively, and One Mile End brewery brings a Whitechapel boozer back to life.

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Wednesday April 8th - I made my way over to Bao about 30 minutes after it opened - beat the crowds and all that;  stay ahead of the game.  No such luck.  I joined the back of the (admittedly fast moving) queue, got me some water from Pret, and stared longingly at Clerkenwell Boy's food both through the window and on his Instagram feed.  

The foodie world was out in force, and Instagram was overrun by Baos and Blood Cakes for the rest of the day.  One of London's finest food writers Ed Smith (Rocket & Squash) was also one of the first through the door, and he put up another of his reliably witty and informative posts the next day, rendering this irrelevant.  Read up on all things Bao on Rocket & Squash here.

I'll soldier on.  Bao built up a loyal following whilst trading at Kerb, Netil Market and the like, and their tiny Soho site is surely the first of many.  Like Yum Bun and Beer & Buns, they focus on gua bao - super squishy steamed buns of joy filled with all manner of delights.  Take along a pair of googly eyes and you'll soon have something resembling Pacman stuffing his face.  

But that's not all.  It seems they had a few Taiwanese tricks up their sleeve that they were saving for a permanent site.  I'm talking Trotter Nuggets (£4), Scallops with Yellow Bean & Garlic Sauce (a little small for £3.50), and the room-dividing Century Egg with Eryngii Mushroom (£4).  

The two non-bao dishes you absolutely must get are the 40 Day Aged Rump Cap with Aged White Soy Sauce (£6) and the much-photographed Pig Blood Cake (£3.50) - see #eggporn collage below.  How we managed to share these two without trading blows, I'll never know.

Scallop, Yellow Bean & Garlic Sauce

Trotter Nuggets

Pig Blood Cake

Of course, you need to get some gua bao down you too. The Classic (Braised Pork, Peanut Powder, Fermented Greens, Coriander) is already an essential Soho snack at £3.75.  Be sure also to get the stunning Fried Chicken Bao, presented in burger form in a soft Sesame Bao, with Soy Milk Marinated Chicken, Sichuan Mayo and Golden Kimchi.  Confit Pork, Lamb Bao and veggie Crumbed Daikon Bao are ready on the subs bench.

Don't leave without ordering the Fried Horlicks Ice Cream Bao (Horlicks Ice Cream, Condensed Milk, Fried Bao) for £4, and eat it AS SOON AS IT ARRIVES.  By the time I'd done my offensive blogger photography, we had a sticky, gooey mess on our hands.  Delicious but disastrous.

Lamb Bao - Lamb Shoulder, Coriander Sauce, Garlic Mayo, Soy Pickled Chilli

Fried Chicken Bao - Soy Milk Marinated Chicken, Sichuan Mayo, Golden Kimchi, Sesame Bao

Fried Horlicks Ice Cream Bao - devour before it melts!

So the food is incredible.  What about the drinks? I went for some BaoZhong Foam Tea which I didn't agree with at all.  I would instead opt for the 10 year Aged Coal Baked Oolong which sounds magnificent.  Elsewhere, three types of Sake, Cider and Beer should be enough to see you through since Bao dining is a speedy affair.

How Bao? Go Now.

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Tuesday April 7th - Bleecker Burger, street food veterans and winners of London Burger Bash 2014, recently opened a burger hatch in Old Spitalfields Market.  I say hatch rather than restaurant or diner, as it is literally a hole-in-the-wall kitchen with a few benches outside.  

Is it any different to them parking their food truck behind a brick wall with a window? Not really, but who cares? Now we know where to go for a fix of angry fries and Bleecker meat every day of the week (from 11.30am-9pm).

The slightly bigger space allows them to produce some rather fine milkshakes (including Caravan coffee) which you might turn to after they stop serving craft beers at 7pm.  But you are really here for a burger; an award-winning Bleeckerblack burger to be precise.  Two medium-rare aged-beef patties, melted cheese, and a showstopping slab of black pudding, at your service.  Sure, you could get a Bacon Cheeseburger, or the Blue Burger, both superb, but I wouldn't.  What a burger.

What else? I can never say no to Sweet Potato Fries, but the Angry Fries with blue cheese and more than a bit of a kick put up quite a fight.

And that's all I need to say about that.  Just be wary of the 9pm closing time (which could change of course - check here).

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After all that food, you might fancy a drink somewhere nearby.  You've got Discount Suit Company, 46 & Mercy, Brewdog, Underdog, Ten Belles and many more worthwhile establishments within easy reach.  We decided to go slightly further afield to The White Hart in Whitechapel which recently had a refurb and has re-established itself as a brewpub with One Mile End Brewery in their basement.

Brewpub beer can often be rather bland and unadventurous, but that is not the case here.  One Mile End mean business, as a recent tap takeover of Brewdog Camden proves.  Alongside exemplary core beers such as Salvation Pale Ale, Snake Charmer IPA and Hospital Porter, you'll also find the likes of Rye Whisky Sour, Blood Orange Barrel Aged Saison, Farmhouse Pilsner and a Pale Ale infused with Pomelo and Chilli.  The winner for me though was a dark and dangerous 7% Barrel Aged Black Sour (pictured below).  

You will be able to find One Mile End beers in boozers all over London, but it's well worth a wee pilgrimage to their lively public house in Whitechapel.  With the District Line and the Overground a stone's throw away, it's actually pretty convenient.  Plus they've got Dirty Burger and Chicken Shop as neighbours.

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New photos on Matt The Tumblr this week - www.mattthelist.tumblr.com

A weekend in Paris // Joyeux Bordel // Street Feast Model Market // Peg + Patriot // Joe's Southern Kitchen // That Hungry Chef's Goan Thali Supperclub

Kerb Halloween Hellraiser - Southampton Arms

Friday November 1st - King's Cross has gone way up in my estimation in the last few months.  The long term work on the stations is finally showing signs of completion, whilst the food and drink scene has been taking off.  You are spoilt for choice for bars with Gilbert Scott, Megaro, Simmons, VOC and Drink, Shop & Do all nearby.  For food, you need to head to the beautiful Granary Square just over Regent's Canal, where you can find Grain Store (Bruno Loubet & Tony Corigliano), Caravan and Shrimpy's.  This is also where street food collective Kerb often set up shop to great effect.  

For All Hallows Eve, Kerb organised a special Halloween Hellraiser street food event in the West Handyside Canopy which is sadly destined to be a Waitrose car park.  I got thoroughly distracted by the stunning dancing fountains outside, before walking the very long way round with Andy & Molly.

We did a couple of laps of the familiar traders who had all come up with gruesome variations on their normal produce.  Tongue & Cheek brought their Heartbreaker burgers with a Trick or Treat twist whereby the customer had to choose from various unmarked bottles of hot sauce, some deadly, which was then injected directly in to the patty.

Ambriento, What the Dickens, Tongue & Cheek, Rainbo

You Doughnut, The Grilling Greek, Bell & Brisket

We thought we had found a cosy place to settle down with our food until Kerb turned on the spooky smoke machine which totally smothered us every few minutes!  

I started with the superb Hellbao from steamed bun specialists BAO who have received tonnes of plaudits this year - you can often find them at Netil Market on Saturdays.  Andy went for some Rainbo Gyoza which I wasn't that impressed with, whilst Molly had some tasty Triple Tortured Chips from The Grilling Greek.  To drink, there were respectable cask ales on offer from Trumans and Redemption, as well as wine, cider and a wintery rum punch.

BAO - Hellbao - best savoury dish of the evening

Bell & Brisket

More team members (Mary, Olly, Jane & Lee) turned up for round two, and we worked our way through several more stalls.  Well Kneaded Wagon impressed as usual with a delicious Pumpkin & Chorizo pizza, as did What the Dickens with their hot pork rolls.  

Well Kneaded Wagon

Moving on to dessert, there were quirky Sorbitium ice creams, themed cakes from Kookybakes, and deadly doughnuts from You Doughnut.  The death nuts and blood bites from You Doughnut were the standout sweet option in my opinion - warm, doughy and delicious, covered in white chocolate sauce with popping candy and marshmallows.

Andy with a Kookybakes Eye

Kookybakes cakes

We eventually made a move, and some of us decided to venture further North whilst we were near Camden.  We popped in to the new Simmons Bar near Mornington Crescent (the original one is in King's Cross - read more about it here).  They have kept everything that made the King's Cross outpost great - 6 hour long happy hours, sharing cocktails in teacups, retro games (this time round with a SNES) and a giant skull shaped disco ball.  It was very lively (the locals have clearly already discovered it), but it was pretty hard to get served, and the bar isn't terribly well placed.  Get here early to get a table and make friends with the barman so that you aren't waiting around!

We wandered over to Brewdog for a quick drink (how can you resist?) before getting on a bus towards Gospel Oak for our last stop of the evening, The Southampton Arms.  Any pub that has a bus stop outside gets extra points.  It may look small, but there is a lot going on inside.  Bring cash - no cards!

With 18 handpulls full of ale and cider, and a committment to supporting small independent UK breweries, The Southampton Arms draws in discerning drinkers from all over London.  Luckily though, it still manages to keep that local pub feel.  With a roaring fire and steamed up windows, this is the ideal spot to hole up in for the winter. 

We squeezed ourselves in and carved out some space by the piano opposite the fireplace. There were beers from Dark Star, Arbor, Magic Rock, Art Brew, Redemption, ELB and a few others to choose from, most of which were a bargain (these days) at £3.30 a pint.  There won't be many pubs in London where you can get three high quality pints of real ale for under a tenner.  There also aren't too many where you will find a record player behind the bar!  I'm glad we made the journey up North - The Southampton Arms (as I expected it might) gets straight on to my Top 5 (or so) Pubs in London list.

Thanks to the Team for coming out as usual.  Lee keeps the pressure on the Top 6 on the Team List Leaderboard, and Jane marches in to the Top 10 for the first time.

Book ahead - Tickets have just been released for Drink Feast, a 3 day pop-up bar event running from 12-14th December at Hoxton Docks.  Many of London's best bars will be represented there, and it will be a great chance to try a wide range of stuff at affordable prices.  You should also be able to do a bit of boozy Christmas shopping at the same time.  Tickets are £12 including a drink, and additional drink tokens are £6.  Buy tickets here, and I'll see you there!

Feast at Brick Lane Yard - 2013

Thursday July 4th - Here is a rather belated write up for Feast food festival at Brick Lane Yard from the beginning of July.  I will let the pictures tell most of the story - we ate a lot, then we had a rest, then we ate some more basically.  If you like what you see, get tickets which have recently gone on sale to their 1 year old birthday celebrations from 13-15th September, which are taking place in the Quadrangle of Guys Hospital in London Bridge.

Can't go wrong with Flat Iron from Soho - read my write up on their restaurant here.

Delicious When Mac met Cheese cooked on the spot by Sammy

Generous portion of yummy Satay Chicken from Ayam Legend

Find them at the Skyroom, London Bridge

Fantastic lamb flatbread wraps from Mike + Ollie

Find them at Brockley Market on Saturdays or Kerb King's Cross most Fridays

Alternatively sign up for one of their supper clubs in Camberwell

Ice Creams & Macaroons from Le Petit Paris

The efficient Mumma Schnitzel

The incredible Mumma Schnitzel burger - wow.

The Octopus with Potato Purée & Paprika from Copita (Soho) was outstanding

Thanks for the Morcilla taster! - Black pudding, apple and almonds

Best stall goes to Angela Hartnett's Whitechapel Gallery Dining Room for their blowup fish

The truffle chips weren't half bad either.

Undercover Edesia Shrine - Edesia is the Roman Goddess of Feasting apparently

Least appealing food sign ever by BAO?  See my post on Netil Market for a re-enactment

Finished off with sublime Lemon Parfait and Raspberry Curd from After Hours Dessert

Their Dessert, Coffee and Cocktail evenings are extremely high up on The List.

Not pictured here, we also had some excellent iced coffee from Caravan, and numerous tasters including some moreish La Bauma Cheesecake from Tramontana.  The choice of restaurant & street food stalls was impressive, but it never quite matched the atmosphere of the previous Feast (read more here). Unlike Brick Lane Yard, the Tobacco Dock was such a unique setting which allowed them to tuck away secret events like Ping Tron and Rita's Supper Club, and also have live bands and dancing.  Without exciting extras like that (there was a small croquet lawn, and a coconut shy that you needed to pay for), it is unfair to charge too much entry for street food that you can normally walk up to for free.  The main draw was therefore having tasters from restaurants that you might not normally splash out on.  I will probably go to the next one, but I hope that they bring back some more of the fun from Feast at Tobacco Dock.  Thanks to Natalie and Lauren for eating their way through all the stalls with me!