Paradise Garage - Shotgun - Black Axe Mangal - Hoppers

Photos and the odd word on four of London's finest new arrivals today. Don't say I don't spoil you.

Scroll down for Soho's Shotgun, Highbury's Black Axe Mangal and the Sethis' Sri Lankan Hoppers

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First up is the wonderful Paradise Garage in Bethnal Green from the team that brought us The Dairy and The Manor.

I've told many a Londoner about Robin Gill's superb restaurants in Clapham Common, but several (including the Michelin judges) seem to think it's too far out of their way. More fool them. Now that he's set up shop in a trendy East London railway arch, next door to Mission and Mother Kelly's, and down the road from Typing Room and Peg & Patriot, Clapham-abstainers might take notice.

As at the aforementioned sister restaurants, there is an outstanding tasting menu available at all times for £45, tempting a la carte options split up in to Snacks, Garden, Sea, Land and Dessert, and a ludicrous lunch deal of four courses for £25 every Wed-Fri from 12-3pm. One exciting new development is the "Picnic" option:

A whole rabbit for the table - roast saddle, confit leg, turnover, offal and rabbit bacon with sauteed chicory, capers, radish & artichoke piccalilli for £48.00.

We stick to the lunch deal, but may return for this as Fay Maschler did.

Whenever you eat at one of their restaurants, whether you are on a tasting menu or not, you get treated as such with little extras finding their way to your table. We are gifted parcels of Sweet Potato, Sultanas & Chestnuts and a filling basket of Sourdough Bread & Smoked Whiskey Butter. Two mocktails expertly made by GM Claire Wright keep the parentals happy, whilst I sip on an Oaked Negroni featuring whiskey barrel-aged bitters.

Sweet Potato, Sultanas & Chestnuts

Sourdough Bread & Smoked Whiskey Butter // Oaked Negroni & Mocktails

Snacks soon follow which are of a decent size. Dad opts for Venison, Juniper & Beetroot Salumi, one of a trio of Chef Simon Woodrow's salumi showstoppers that arrives on a charming tile. Mum meanwhile enjoys a plate of Cornish Crab, Clementine, Red Meat Radish & Bitter Leaves. It must be clementine season as they are turning up everywhere.

I wolf down a bowl of Grilled Leek, Federia Mousse & Toasted Buckwheat after Google tells me that Federia was one of 5 new cheeses to watch out for in 2012. One down, four to go.

Venison, Juniper & Beetroot Salumi

Grilled Leek, Federia Mousse & Toasted Buckwheat

Time for some gardening. Between us we cover the whole section:

- Tilley's Farm Egg, Roscoff Onions, Spinach & Lardo
- Heritage Beetroot, Fermented Apple & Pine
- Salsify, Smoked Curd, Pickled Quince & Walnuts

It's all delicious, though I still long for The Dairy's Rooftop carrots, goats cheese, oat granola & buttermilk from June 2014.

On Tilley's Farm Egg (pictured below), Jay Rayner says "A whole slow-cooked egg, wobbly beneath an overcoat of salty lardo, with a couple of charred onions, and raw mature spinach leaves sprinkled with oily fried breadcrumbs, is one of those textural experiences you either like or run screaming from." - I stay seated.

Tilley's Farm Egg, Roscoff Onions, Spinach & Lardo

Out of nowhere, a chef arrives with a blowtorch and some mackerel (caught the previous day), and promptly gets to work with no risk assessment form or health and safety officer in sight. This soon becomes Willy's Charred Mackerel, Cod Rose, Pickles & Rice Crackers, a dish from the tasting menu that they thought we might enjoy as an extra - they were right. It's probably the standout dish of the lunch - perhaps it should be on the A La Carte menu?

Willy's Mackerel being charred at the table

Willy's Charred Mackerel, Cod Rose, Pickles & Rice Crackers

For our "third" course, we pick our desired dish from the Land and Sea sections:

- Applewood Smoked Eel, Norfolk Peer Potatoes, Seaweed & Pied de Mouton

- Scottish Partridge, Toasted Barley, Chervil Root, Trompettes & Bread Sauce

- Lady Hamilton's Cod, Cauliflower, Chestnuts & Brown Crab

More thumbs up from the parents.  As for Lady Hamilton's Cod - it's not Lady Hamilton's, it's mine. And it's bloody delicious. Brown crab jus poured at the table is a nice touch. Don't miss this one.

Lady Hamilton's Cod, Cauliflower, Chestnuts & Brown Crab

Another bonus arrives in the form of Green Apple Sorbet, Eucalyptus & Tapioca - a pre-dessert palate cleanser of sorts. It's not really my thing, but it does the job, and the spoons are adorable. If you hadn't already noticed, all of the crockery is magnificent.

Time for dessert. While Mum (the sensible one) is away from the table, we order an extra plate of pastry-chef extraordinaire Kira Ghidoni's Spiced Pumpkin Tart with Creme Fraiche Ice Cream & Pecans so that we don't have to share. It's a wise decision. Elsewhere we enjoy Dark Chocolate Brulée, Stem Ginger Ice Cream, Rum & Pears and Innis & Gunn Beer Ice Cream, Quince & Malt. 

Finally, we succumb to coffees which come with a drawer of punchy Clementine & Star Anise Marshmallows. A fine way to finish off a fantastic meal.

Green Apple Sorbet, Eucalyptus & Tapioca

Green Apple Sorbet, Eucalyptus & Tapioca

Innis & Gunn Beer Ice Cream, Quince & Malt

Clementine & Star Anise Marshmallows

Four courses for £25 inevitably gets closer to £40 with drinks, coffee and service, but you could keep costs down if you are well behaved. It's another smash hit for Robin Gill & co., and another coup for Paradise Row. Book in advance!

Paradise Garage - www.paradise254.com

254 Paradise Row, Bethnal Green, E2 9LE

Lunch: Wed-Sun 12-3pm // Dinner: Tue-Sat 6-10pm

N.B. Closed for Tuesday lunch, Sunday dinner and all day Monday

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Still hungry? Yeah, me too. My second recommendation is an instant Soho hit - Shotgun BBQ. Authentic American barbecue from The Lockhart's Brad McDonald, and killer cocktails from Matt Whiley & J.H.Stevenson, in a New Orleans-influenced bar and dining room on the rapidly improving Kingly Street. AND YOU CAN BOOK!

I've already been in twice since it opened, once for lunch, and more recently for eats and drinks from the late night menu (served from 10pm til 11.30pm). With any luck, a late license in the new year will see that extended. 

It's a fantastic place for a date, but also for solo dining and drinking, especially if you grab a seat at the bar near head bartender James. Jay Rayner, Marina O'Loughlin and Giles Coren have already given the food their seal of approval, so I needn't say much. Check out Jay's full review in The Guardian.

@MarinaOLoughlin @ShotgunBBQ @jayrayner1 sure is. I've been once and already offered it to one of those dumb lists as my restaurant of 2015.

— Giles Coren (@gilescoren) November 4, 2015

The much talked about Pig's Ear & Pancakes hasn't been on the menu when I've been in, but I was perfectly happy scoffing on Smoked Ox Tongue, Carolina Style Pulled Pork, Fried Bologna, Brisket and Boston Butts, BBQ Baked Beans, Sweet Potato Fondant, Beets & Marrow, and more! At lunchtime (or late night) £12.50 will get you a hefty sandwich with two sides. At dinner, you can order particular cuts of meat by size or weight, or combo plates with a variety of sides, plus some great bar snacks.

What Jay skips over is the quality of the cocktails. The drinks at Shotgun are on a par with the superb food, and £8-10 is a reasonable price for a serious cocktail, especially in Soho. At lunch, you can kick off with some simpler but super fresh mixed drinks (e.g. Bloody Mary, Paloma, Seasonal Mimosa) that start at £6.

The cocktail menu is soon to change, so I'll be reporting back on that in full next month, but for now, make sure that you drop in for one of these outstanding boozy creations before they disappear: 

- Shotgun Sazerac - Woodford Rye, Maxime Trijol Cognac, Brown Sugar, Absinthe and Peychaud, in a glass coated with Cocoa Butter that gradually seeps in to the drink. 

- Carré Cuit - Rittenhouse Rye 100, Cognac, Italian Vermouth, Benedictine, and Coffee Cherry, "cooked" sous-vide-style in a vacuum packed bag.

- Lagniappe - Ilegal Mescal, Fermented Pepper Brine, Jalapeno Bitters & Lime, garnished with beer!

There are also some great photos on Shotgun's Tumblr page - shotgunbbq.tumblr.com

N.B. Thanksgiving is coming up on 26th November, and Brad McDonald is putting on specials at both Shotgun and The Lockhart. 

Shotgun will be offering a Thanksgiving Sandwich with smoked turkey, cranberry, and mashed potato with giblet gravy on the side. It will be available at lunch and post dinner on 26th November. Then, in honour of the best part of Thanksgiving (the left overs, naturally) the sandwich will remain on the menu for those who don’t quite manage to make it there on Thanksgiving.

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26 Kingly Street, W1B 5QD

Shotgun BBQ - shotgunbbq.com

Mon-Sun 12pm-11.30pm (Bar shuts at midnight)

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My third pick is a rowdy little spot called Black Axe Mangal on Highbury Corner which needs a bit of back story.

Chef Lee Tiernan (ex-St.John Bread & Wine) spent the summer serving up Mangal-style bread, meat and kebabs in a Copenhagen club called Bakken, with lots of help from guest chefs. This entertaining Vice video is well worth a watch - click here.

With his wife Kate, he has now brought his metal and mangal concept (see Kiss oven below) back to London, a few doors down from popular Islington eateries Le Coq and Trullo. With quick turnover, and limited space, no reservations makes sense here. If you can face being bumped in to a fair amount, standing in front of the open kitchen is great fun.

There are 12 or so items on the menu, so you could tackle the whole thing easily with a group of four, but you should really focus on the Tartine Bakery-influenced flatbreads, especially the signature Lamb Offal bread which is a filthy work of foodporn art, and a steal at £5.50. In contrast, a delicious bowl of Broad Bean Falafel, Curd, and Squash is curiously priced too high at £9.

The other must-order dish is the Bakken special - a comforting bowl of slow smoked lamb shoulder, roasted peppers, onions, and puy lentils that set us back £14 when we visited. It easily stretched to three when sharing a range of plates.

On the booze front, a couple of canned beers do the job, and there's an unexpected list of £6 cocktails created with bartender-of-the-moment Mr.Lyan.  If you want a more leisurely drink, I'd recommend heading over to the cosy Taproom down the road for a beer or two.

The Taproom on Upper Street

N.B. Black Axe Mangal is closed on Sundays and Mondays

Open Tuesday-Saturday 6pm-10.30pm

156 Canonbury Road, N1 2UP

www.blackaxemangal.com

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Finally, a quick look at the most-talked about restaurant in London at the moment - Hoppers. Yes I know, Sexy Fish, you've made quite a splash too.

In a nutshell - it's a classy introduction to Sri Lankan food, focused mainly on dosas and their open-faced cousins, hoppers. And everyone's gone gaga for it:

"A seductive, come-hither menu" - Fay Maschler

"...clearly the best thing since sliced bread/Bao" - Rocket & Squash

"Nothing about my meal there could be faulted... 10/10" - Cheese & Biscuits

The Sethi siblings (restaurateurs extraordinaires) have the midas touch - Bao, Gymkhana, Bubbledogs, Lyle's - all runaway successes, and Hoppers is their latest. It's taken over the much loved Koya space on Frith Street, and already has Londoners queueing down street for food they didn't know they wanted.

The no reservations queuing was a bit of a shambles, but I'm sure they'll find a system soon. Once inside, you might find yourself sharing tables, but it's that kind of place. We had a natter with both of our neighbours, including some bona fide Sri Lankans, mostly regarding unfamiliar words on the menu.  Most questions can be answered by the helpful glossary on the reverse of the menu - I do love a bit of learning at dinner time.  Feel free to ask me about Jaggery, Varuvals and Watalappams - they aren't rude, I promise.

I took a few photos as usual, but it's one of those dark, orange rooms that my camera doesn't get along with, so the next few photos taken by John Carey were provided by the Hoppers PR team. It's an attractive space with some lovely design touches including funky coat hooks and toilet seat handles - you've got to enjoy the little things!

Photo Credit : John Carey

Photo Credit : John Carey

London does already have Sri Lankan food of course. In fact, it has Apollo Banana Leaf - a marvellous, outrageously cheap restaurant in Tooting where mutton rolls are 90p a go. At Hoppers, they are £4, but, to be fair, most of the pricing is in fact reasonable.

From the "Short Eats" section, we enjoyed String Hoppers (steamed handmade rice flour noodles pressed into string pancakes) served with Kiri Hodi (a mild coconut milk gravy cooked with fenugreek and Maldive fish) and Pol Sambol (relish made with ground coconut, Maldive fish, onion and red chilli). See - lots of learning to do.  Duck Roti with Rasa (gravy) was also a big hit. The Bonemarrow Varuval (a Chettinad masala) is currently doing the rounds on Instagram.

Then it was on to the hoppers and dosas. A hopper is simply fermented rice batter and coconut milk fashioned in to a bowl-shaped pancake. The Sethis were probably hoping to introduce Londoners to hoppers, but quite by chance, a small street-food operation called Weligama started doing it at Druid St. Market earlier this year, so be sure to check them out too!

Anyway - you select your base, add some relish and chutneys, and pick a kari (curry) to go with it. We opted for a fish kari with our dosa (£9.50) and a lamb kari with our egg hopper (£10). Both were delicious, though the fish took a while to materialise.  N.B. Sri Lankans like it hot - if you don't, let them know, and get yourself a load of yoghurt (which I'd rather they didn't charge £1 for).  

Dosas at Hoppers - Photo Credit : John Carey

Egg Hoppers at Hoppers - Photo Credit : John Carey

There's another section with larger sharing plates, but after short eats, hoppers and dosas, we didn't have room for Buffalo Buriani or Ceylonese Spit Chicken - maybe next time.

For dessert, we braved odorous Durian Ice Cream served inside a Milk Hopper with Kithul Treacle & Jaggery (unrefined sugar) and found it to be quite delectable and moreish! Who knew? Again, there's more to enjoy on the menu here (Love Cake anyone?) - a return visit is bound to happen soon. 

Several thumbs up for Hoppers, but don't forget about Weligama and Apollo Banana Leaf amid all the rave reviews.

N.B. As at Shotgun, the cocktail list has been kicked off by Talented Mr.Fox Matt Whiley - always a smart move. I'll be back to work my way through them separately.

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Open Mon-Sat 12-2.30 / 5.30-10.30 - No Reservations

Hoppers - www.hopperslondon.com

49 Frith Street, W1D 4SG

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To finish, here are some top tweets and reviews from the fast moving London food scene:

So @zelman_meats is a bit of a stunner. Sexy beef at a friendly price in the middle of Soho https://t.co/iw8H4WnIui pic.twitter.com/7qwAVWtnEm

— Ben Norum (@BenNorum) November 18, 2015

Zelman Meats has taken over the Rex & Mariano space in Soho and early signs are promising.

Date and walnut babka at @TheGoodEgg_ with @clodaghmckenna - breakfast doesn't get better https://t.co/PXMiCIrpVH pic.twitter.com/RYqbLFayc3

— Felicity Spector (@FelicitySpector) November 13, 2015

The Good Egg has finally opened in Stokey for all-day brunch inspired by Tel Aviv, Montreal and more after successful crowdfunding and a slow build.

*THAT* pumpkin ice-cream with honey meringue & chestnuts @Mission_E2 🎃🍯🌰🍁🍂 https://t.co/l4QnGTRR2f pic.twitter.com/aokJwLqior

— Clerkenwell_Boy (@Clerkenwell_Boy) October 23, 2015

Mission has relaunched with a £30 tasting menu from new head chef Sebastian Myers.

It's heeeeeeeeere! #50Faves #restaurants https://t.co/QejJgneMIq

— Marina O'Loughlin (@MarinaOLoughlin) October 24, 2015

If you need a good giggle, read Marina's review of Hotel Chantelle.  I'm guessing it won't make the next #50Faves:

"I have no idea how they’ve fashioned this nightmarish chicken centipede... Hotel Chantelle is, in every sense of the word, utterly, utterly tasteless."

The Manor - Bermondsey Arts Club - 108 Brasserie

Wednesday 26th November - Ah, The Dairy.  Seven months have passed since my first encounter with their rooftop carrots.  A hundred or so restaurants later, and only Pizza Loves Emily in Brooklyn have made vegetables equally delicious.

Smokey carrots, lentils & ricotta at Pizza Loves Emily in Brooklyn

And so, the arrival of The Manor, a spin-off of The Dairy, is very exciting news indeed.  Not least because it's just down the road from The Dairy so everything from their rooftop garden (and the soon to open Delicatessen) is fair game. Chef Dean Parker & Manager Dan Joines have made the short journey from The Pavement to Clapham Manor Street to launch the "modern bistro" on the site formerly occupied by El Rincon.

It's much more open and airy than The Dairy (budding Instagrammers take note) with charming, rustic décor, and there are separate booze & dessert bars for you to enjoy.  But that's enough preamble; let's get down to the food.

For a full set of photos from my lunch at The Manor, visit Matt The List : Facebook

Much like The Dairy, there's a tasting menu (£42), a bargain lunch menu (£18 for 3 courses) and an A La Carte Menu.  It had to be the big one.

The amuses bouches & bread soon began to appear, starting with a Wakame & Tapioca Crisp that was gone before I could Google Wakame.  Then the Edvard Eriksen style chicken skin butter rocked up next to a snug loaf of squishy sourdough - a match for similar offerings at The Dairy, Picture & Trinity.  And finally, a selection of dense pork & beef salumi was laid down (presumably the same as the A La Carte Pork & Fennel Salumi and Spiced Beef Droe Wors options). 

Wakame & Tapioca Crisp

Chicken Skin Butter & Sourdough

Eriksen's Little Mermaid statue in Copenhagen

Pork & Beef Salumi

The four elements of small plates dining followed - Earth, Water, Air and Pigs.

Cauliflower with Grue de Cacao, Medjool Dates and Yoghurt made an early case for best in show, and wouldn't look out of place in the desserts category.  A load of this with the sourdough on the side would do me all day long.  "Flying Breeze" Sea Bass (referring to the ship that caught it) was beautifully cooked but slightly at odds with the chanterelles.  Had I the full menu to choose from, I might swap it for Cornish Crab, Charred Celeriac, Hazelnuts & Buttermilk.

Cauliflower, grue de cacao, medjool dates & yogurt

"Flying Breeze" sea bass, roasted salsify & chanterelles

We were soon back on track with rich Spiced Braised Pig, Morcilla & Squash and an outstanding (though unusual looking) plate of Hay Smoked Pigeon with Fermented Grains, Parsnip & Malt Granola.  Don't be put off by the maggot impersonators on top of that pigeon, they wouldn't survive a bout of hay smoking (currently all the rage in Clapham).  It's worth noting that they don't skimp on the portion sizes on the tasting menu - you won't have room for anything else.

Spiced braised pig, morcilla & squash

Hay smoked pigeon, fermented grains, parsnip & malt granola

That said, we went full glutton and ordered the optional cheese course - Baked Vacherin with The Dairy's rooftop honey and slices of a seasonal loaf to scoop it all up.  Unnecessary. Essential.

Baked Vacherin, “The Dairy’s” rooftop honey, chestnuts

Unbeknownst to us though, the show had barely begun.  For, after polishing off all our savoury treats, we were invited by Dean and his accomplice (pastry chef extraordinaire Kira Ghidoni) to sit up at the dessert bar for the final stages.  I peered over to see all their secret ingredients stashed away in no-frills tupperware boxes, much like the back bar of garnishes at Peg & Patriot in Bethnal Green.

The Dessert Bar

Whilst Kira prepared our Granny Smith Apple Parfait, Meringue & Brittle Sorrel, Dean pointed out the jars full of sweet treats along the bar that act as toppings for their DIY Manor Sundae - a return visit is in order.  He didn't hold our attention for long though as Kira started plunging sorrel leaves into a cylinder of nitrogen before shrouding my bowl in mystery.

DIY Sundae Toppings

Granny smith apple parfait, meringue & brittle sorrel

The result is a super sour and refreshing bowl of fun that you hack your way through blindly.  It is soon followed by another successful space age dessert of Jerusalem Artichoke, Smashed Creme Fraiche and Poached Quince - who knew that would work? It set Dad The List off on a quince fanboy rant which soon turned to a discussion of the whole London food scene with half The Manor staff involved.

Jerusalem artichoke, smashed crème fraiche & poached quince

Somewhere amongst all the chat, we managed to squeeze in some Petits Fours, cutely presented in a drawer removed from small chest on the dessert bar.  I forget exactly what they were, but I have to leave something for you to discover yourself, right?

The drawers are used to present Petits Fours

Treats from the Petits Fours drawer

Despite having only just opened, there was no weakness or need for improvement in sight.  Confident cooking, adventurous flavours, ample portions and show-stopping desserts could easily add up to a lot more than £42.  Book now.

If you need a second opinion, ask Fay.

For a full set of photos from my lunch at The Manor, visit Matt The List : Facebook

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To balance out the stunning lunch at The Manor, I skipped off to South East London later on that same day to preview the Winter cocktail menu at Bermondsey Arts Club, which is now available for all to try.

Bermondsey Arts Club is a fantastic little cocktail bar with big ideas, currently flying under the radar and under the road in a art deco-style former public toilet on Tower Bridge Road.  I'd be quite happy for it to stay hidden so that I could always get my seats at the bar, but this new menu really is worth shouting about.

For the full set of photos from Bermondsey Arts Club, visit Matt The List : Facebook

The twelve new drinks have been devised in equal parts by bar manager Adam Nordone and two more wise men, Milo & Jake.  

Not messing around, we started with Milo's Coupe des Garcons which arrived dressed in black tie (or a napkin, use your imagination) and smelling of Commes de Garcons.  Miraculously, the perfumed glass influences but doesn't affect the palate, and the boozy combo of Calvados, Ramazzotti, Port and Peychauds Bitters powers through at the end - quite a creation

Elsewhere on his list is the playful, rum-laced Jerk My Swag served with a cocktail umbrella, D.D.D. aka Dead Drowned Duck, and the maritime Poseidon's Reserve complete with oyster leaf akvavit, umeshu and mysterious Ocean's Mist. Milo means business.

- Coupe des Garcons - Fine Calvados, Ramazzotti, Port, Peychauds Bitters, Comme des Garcons Perfumed Glass

- Jerk My Swag - Jerk Spiced Rum, Pimento Dram, Cola Reduction, Pineapple, Voodoo Bitters

- D.D.D. -  Duck Drowned Cognac, Cointreau, Aperol, Orange Bitters

- Poseidon's Reserve - Oyster Leaf Akvavit, Umeshu, Pure Water, Ocean's Mist

Coupe des Garcons - Fine Calvados, Ramazzotti, Port, Peychauds Bitters, Comme de Garcon perfumed Glass

On to Jake's concoctions, the show-stopper is Three Wise - Taylors 10yr Port & Brokers Gin combine with sugar and festive gold, frankincense & myrrh bitters in a sake box garnished with an incense stick.  Underneath all the show, it's quite an easy drinker but more than just a gimmick.

Also on his list : Both Darjeeling Un-Limited and Grappa's Delight will appeal to Brits with their tea twists.  Compass Box Asyla needs no tweaking but darjeeling infusion works well here along with a dash of Yellow Chartreuse which is set alight before being plunged in to Jake's take on a whisky sour.  With Grappa's Delight, Jake hopes to bring some attention to underrated Grappa.  Infusing it with Camomile and chucking in some Green Tea Ice Cream is a good place to start.  I'll be back for Tracing Pedro.

- Three Wise - Taylors 10yr Port, Brokers Gin, Sugar, Gold/Frankincense/Myrrh Bitters

- Darjeeling Un-Limited - Darjeeling infused Asyla, Yellow Chartreuse, Mandarin Preserve, Lemon, Egg White

- Grappa's Delight - Camomile Grappa, Cocchi Americano, Lemon, Honey, Green Tea Ice Cream

- Tracing Pedro - Buffalo Trace Bourbon, Poire William, Pedro Ximenez, Muscavado, Lime

Three Wise - Taylors 10yr Port, Brokers Gin, Sugar, Hold/Frankincense/Myrrh Bitters

Last but not least, Adam's offerings.  My eyes were drawn to Hit & Mist as soon as I opened the menu.  Cider poached Apple Laphroaig? Treacle Syrup? Whisky Barrel Bitters? Apple Hickory Smoke? Yes to all of the above please.  Smoked drinks often take it too far, but Laphroaig is already so deep in charcoal territory that if anything, the cider & sweet smoke helps to make it more accessible.  Not one to miss.  Oh and it's all theatrical and misty - bonus.

Phra Phum (meaning spirit house - not that kind) is an acquired taste (Ella acquired it instantly), a savoury Thai sour in a similar vein to the Vietnamese Pho Money Pho Problems at Peg & Patriot. Jupiter Rising is right up my street - all booze, no fuss, except that it's served in an ice sphere of course. The inclusion of Branca Menta (a minty brother of Fernet Branca) might divide the room. No-one could take issue with A Little R&R with butter-washed raisin rum, cinnamon liqueur, lemon & cardamom bitters, unless you are one of those bizarre cardamom haters I guess.

- Hit & Mist - Cider poached Apple Laphroaig, Treacle Syrup, Whisky Barrel Bitters, Apple Hickory Smoke

- Phra Phum - House Thai Gin (Ginger, Chilli, Garlic, Spring Onion), Lemon, Sugar, Egg White, House Soy Bitters

- Jupiter Rising - Brokers Gin, Branca Menta, Cocchi Torino served in an Ice Sphere

- A Little R&R - Butter Washed Raisin Rum, Cinnamon Liqueur, Lemon, Cardamom Bitters

Hit & Mist - Cider poached Apple Laphroaig, Treacle Syrup, Whisky Barrel Bitters, Apple Hickory Smoke

It's a cracking menu, and the prices are very competitive with drinks coming in under £10 - good value considering the premium ingredients being used, the effort going in to presentation and the quality of the cocktails. Add to that possibly London's most entertaining bar team and superb service, and Bermondsey has got itself a rather special cocktail bar.  Oh, and there's live jazz on Wednesdays. Need I say any more?

Just don't take my seats at the bar.

Bermondsey Arts Club is open 6pm-2am Tuesday-Saturday

Jake at work - standing as still as possible for the camera

For more photos from Bermondsey Arts Club, visit Matt The List : Facebook

More Bermondsey bars - Cecil's, 214 Bermondsey, Bump Caves

Best value bars in London - Seven at Brixton and sister bar, Three Eight Four

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Monday 24th November - 108 Brasserie in Marylebone re-opened last month after a major refurb, in time for the busy Christmas period.  I went along with Dad The List to sample the food offering at lunchtime.

We were warmly welcomed into the spacious dining room, which is smartly opened up by a large bread table in the middle.  Though we were the first to be seated, it soon started to fill up.  If they reach capacity, they can always spill over into the bar, or The Pantry, a wonderful little area for afternoon tea.

After a good game of guess the bread, we moved on to an enjoyable but hard to eat Devonshire Crab Cocktail with Avocado & Apple, and some stunning Roasted Organic Baby Beets with Goat's Curd, Basil & Balsamic Vinegar.  With Octopus Carpaccio, Crispy Pig Cheeks and Seared Tuna with Soy & Ginger in reserve, the starters section is strong.

Guinness, Soda & Sourdough Bread

Roasted organic baby beets, goat’s curd, basil & balsamic

Post beets

On to the mains - classics such as Fish & Chips, Ribeye Steak and Pork Chop sit alongside the likes of Roasted Monkfish with Curried Lentils and Cornish Skate Wing with Black Butter & Capers. Being game season, Roasted Yorkshire Moor Pheasant and Whole Roast North Yorkshire Grouse also currently have their place on the menu.  With the remaining grouse count sitting precariously at two, Dad committed to it before we had even ordered drinks.

Hand cut chips, honey glazed carrots, and steamed spinach arrived in miniature saucepans to accompany our meaty mains.  The grouse provided yet another eating challenge, though after taking on the chilli crab at Smoking Goat, everything else is child's play.  The steak held its own with a creamy peppercorn sauce, but there is better for cheaper out there in London these days.

Grouse with bread sauce

8oz Ribeye Steak with Peppercorn Sauce

Honey Glazed Heritage Carrots

Chocolate Fondant seems to be turning up on every dessert menu at the moment.  I've had several fine examples of the genre this year at Pachamama, The Tower (Edinburgh) and Trinity (leading the pack), but it's still hard to say no.  Peanut butter often seems to be involved - it was employed here to good effect though I'd rather opt for classic vanilla every time.  A fine but unadventurous Lemon Tart made up the numbers.  Risk-takers might go for the Josper Grilled Pineapple with Coconut Sorbet, Chilli & Lime Glaze.

Chocolate Fondant with Peanut Butter Ice Cream

Lemon Tart

The drinks menu is a little behind current trends.  Meantime is the minimum craft beer requirement these days, and there's plenty of room for a mezcal cocktail or two and some more exciting gins on the list.  I'm sure they can still make a mean Negroni or Old Fashioned so I'll survive.

It's a charming place, and a great retreat from the hustle and bustle of Oxford Street.  Prices are pretty steep - not surprising given the location (though nearby Picture Restaurant is very competitive).  If it looks out of your price range, pop in to The Pantry for a relaxing coffee and a cake.

Cakes from The Pantry