Ziani, Chelsea - London restaurant reviews

It's always the way. Four days before we leave London for good, and we are introduced to the gold nugget that is Ziani, a Venetian restaurant in Chelsea.

Our friends, Rachel and Dave, fine purveyors of the world's Italian restaurants, go there almost every week and no doubt we'd be joining them if we were going to continue living in the same hemisphere.

The room is buzzing with full tables, chatter, corks popping and flamboyant Italian waiters who greet their regulars with kisses. The warm glow of the room falls across leather banquettes, small crammed tables and picture frames scattered randomly across the walls. The place has character and then some.

I loved it immediately, but it completely won me over when the food arrived. Big plates of pasta are fairly priced - at around £10 or less for entree size (add £1 for mains). My enormous (entree) plate of perfectly cooked fettuccine alle capesante (£10.50) was loaded up with fresh scallops and large chunks of artichoke - delicious. My Saltimbocca alla Romana was gorgeous - 3 generous pieces of tender veal with the comfort of ham and sage, and a large portion of some very Robuchon-esque (ie. heart attack inducing) mash.

There's a large selection of starters, pastas, meats and fish, all of which look superb and met with serious satisfaction from me, TPG and our 2 friends. The boozy tiramisu is also not to be missed.

Ziani is in a quiet street in Chelsea, completely off the radar. With apologies to the locals, this is a new favourite GD recommendation for non fuss, delicious Italian food with a boisterously fun atmosphere to match. About £30+ per head plus drinks and service.

Ziani, 45 Radnor Walk, Chelsea, London, SW3 4BP

Medlar, Chelsea - London restaurants

Chilled broad bean and pea soup with goat's cheese & oodles of truffles

Medlar aims to be a "neighbourhood restaurant" and by the look of the full tables last weekend, it seems the Chelsea locals are happy to make Medlar a place where everybody knows your name.

Medlar opened in 2011, and is the baby of chef Joe Mercer Nairne (formerly of The Savoy Grill and Chez Bruce in London and Rockpool in Sydney) and David O'Connor (former front of house manager of Chez Bruce, The Square and, GD favourite, The Ledbury). These are serious credentials.

The decor is more refined and the atmosphere more formal than your standard neighbourhood joint, so don't go for cosiness. But what the ambience might lack at times, is made up for on the plate. Seasonal ingredients of British leanings are cooked simply and presented prettily, with an easy going French flair.

Chilled broad bean and pea soup is is certainly more summery than the conditions outside, and given some lovely depth by fresh goat's cheese and generous shavings of truffle. It looks gorgeous too.

Crab raviolo with samphire

A large, plump crab raviolo is served with samphire, brown shrimp, a fondue of leeks and a sumptuous shellfish bisque sauce. Yes, it is as good as it sounds.

Middle white pork chop and cheek comes with celeriac puree, black cabbage, crackling and marjoram. It's straightforward and tender - cooked well but not something you'd be bursting to go back for. The steak on the other hand is nothing short of sublime - an almost gamey tasting under blade fillet with juicy persillade snails, salad, superb, crispy triple cooked chips (oomph big time) and a perfect bearnaise. Award winning.

Le steak

It's hard to pick a favourite dessert - we tried a large macaroon with divine English raspberries and lemon curd, a vanilla custard pot with blackcurrent compote and langue de chat (TPG mostly hogged this so it was hard to get a look in), a terrific, chocolately torte with almonds, topped in crunchy honeycomb chunks, honeycomb ice cream and a rich, velvety caramel sauce, and (finally) the tart Victoria plum ice cream with delicate brandy snaps and shreds of sweet stem ginger.

Service is pleasant and prices are very reasonable - £39.50 for 3 courses. Lunch is a steal at £25 for 3 courses, or £30 at weekends. Enjoy!

Medlar, 438 Kings Road, Chelsea, SW10 0LJ (Tel: 020 7349 1900) www.medlarrestaurant.co.uk

Emporio Sao Paulo, Parsons Green

Parsons Green. Who knew? I stepped off the tube on my way to Emporio Sao Paulo on a summery, very Brazilian-esque evening in London and there before me was a thriving, village of cafes, shops, beer gardens, and after work picnics and kick to kickers on the leafy green itself.

So this is how the other half live, eh?

Amongst all this is Emporio Sao Paulo, a little cafe cum deli established by Brazilian manager, Carminha. It's not strictly a Brazilian cafe, but the flourishes are there - little savoury meat pies ("empadas") filled with chicken, prawns, palm heart or cheese and, my favourites, fried "coxinha" - bite sized drumstick shaped bundles of shredded chicken and spices, both on the counter. But really it's about a relaxing place to enjoy good coffee and good food from around the world.

I attended a Brazilian themed event with fellow bloggers, The London Foodie, Gourmet Chick, Tamarind and Thyme and Hot & Chilli, and tasted the feijoada (a comforting blackbean stew served with rice, spring greens and farofa (manioc flour)), comfort food normally served on Wednesdays and Saturdays in Brazil which has the same standing for the Brazilians as the Sunday roast holds for the English. 

We also tried the Moqueca de Peixe e Camarao, a seafood stew cooked with a light tomato based sauce, peppers and in this case olive oil - although the Mooqueca Capixaba version from Spirito Santo state is more influenced by African flavours and made with palm oil and coconut milk.

Finally, sweet little brigadeiros de frutas - condensed milk with chocolate, passionfruit, grape or pistachio. Heavenly!

The food is home made by various off site suppliers. It's not all Brazilian, and the deli at the back is stocked with all sorts of supplies, Italian, French and other. But I have a feeling that part of the draw for the customers of Emporio Sao Paulo is that touch of Brazialian sunshine that manager, Carminha's, personality brings to the floor.

Having never been to Brazil, I was happy to continue my education with some more of the national culture - caipirnhas and Brazilian wine. I'll drink to that.

A true caipirinha should be made with cachaca, a type of rum produced in Sao Paulo and made from crushed cane sugar. We drank caiprinhas with Salto cachaca and they were summery perfection. A good cachaca should be enjoyed neat, like a whiskey, or for a twist we drank the Salto blended with lime, which is dangerously easy to drink. 

Nick from Go Brazil Wines introduced us to some Brazilian wines which he sources directly from Brazil - a crisp, citrussey sparkling (the Casa Valduga Gran Reserva Brut 130) that would rival any fizz in its £18 price range (a good party wine) and an unoaked chardonnay (the Casa Valduga Premium Chardonnay 2009) which made for inoffensive easy drinking in the hot weather.

That's it. I'm heading to Brazil.

Emporia Sao Paulo, 197 New King's Road, Parson's Green, London SQ6 4SR (Tel: 020 7736 5188)

Greedy Diva was a guest of the Emporio Sao Paulo

Murano, Mayfair

You leave home and it's hot and sunny. Half an hour later, you find yourself sopping wet in a singlet top and sandals with no brolly. The English summer claims another victim. But not quite... Because when the doorway into which you duck to escape the sudden inconvenient downpour on a Saturday afternoon happens to belong to Angela Hartnett's Murano, it's only natural that you keep walking all the way in. The £30 lunch menu and spare table at the side of the room seemed beacons of fate.

The room is elegant, if a little hotel foyer-like, but the energetic chatter from the floor cuts through the boring formality that might otherwise set in. Posited in the moneyed up heart of Mayfair, you get the feeling that most of the crowd live in a trendy little mews somewhere not far off Park Lane.

It's seriously hard to choose from the Italian menu where everything sounds appetising, although quite a few dishes didn't live up to expectations - my fresh tagliatelle with Ligurian sausage and tomato tasted watery and monotone, and my porcetta carpaccio, though pretty, didn't move the earth for me.

TPG's entree serving of risotto with brown onion, parmesan and truffle oil was better, nay perfect, and he immediately positioned it above my favourite truffle risotto at Gauthier Soho. Tender steak bavette with sweet corn salsa was lovely, if not a patch on the flavoursome steaks of Goodman and Hawksmoor.

Dessert was where our meal really hit its straps with a dreamy custard tart and a cold chocolate fondant worth writing home about - the latter accompanied by an addictive sour cream ice cream, thick, oozy salted caramel sauce and heavenly little crispy chocolate bits lining the plate.

The wine list is expensive, but we had a lovely glass each for £6.50 and £8.50 respectively - this is not somewhere you need be afraid of the "cheapies" on the list. You also get lots of lovely amuses and freebies along the way - although none so perfect as the little bowl of cherries at the end.

A good value way to try a Michelin star restaurant, but not one I'll be hurrying back to for repeat visits.

Murano, 20 Queen Street, Mayfair, London W1J 5PP (Tel: 020 7495 1127)

The River Cafe, Hammersmith

Linguini with broad bean puree, mint and pecorino

If you live in London and like your food, you already know about The River Cafe. The grand Nonna of simple, fresh, seasonal Italian dining in London has launched the careers of several of today's hot chefs. In its day, The River Cafe was revolutionary for its seasonal, twice daily changing menu and open kitchen. Today, it's still all very lovely even if it isn't as memorable for standing out above the fold of the new wave of Italian restaurants in London.

I've been twice now, for dinner in winter a couple of years ago, and for a summery lunch recently with some girlfriends.

Fritto Misto

After a girlishly pink Rossini (Prosecco with crushed strawberries), some antipasti plates were pretty as a picture - light, perfectly crunchy vegetable fritto misto, creamy prosciutto and bright and chirpy asparagus with lush buffalo mozzarella and greeny olive oil.

Prosciutto

Buffalo mozzarella with asparagus & olive oil

My linguini with broad bean puree, cream, mint and pecorino was light and fresh, the pasta cooked just right. However, it did become a bit same same after a few bites. Same goes for the hand cut tagliatelle with a summery pomodoro sauce, although my friend's ravioli stuffed plumply with buffalo ricotta (and with - I think - marinated tomatoes and basil) was probably a highlight among the pastas.

You'll pay through the nose of course because it's The River Cafe (antipasti generally range from £15-£18, pastas at £15 and mains from £32 upwards). And you can't actually see the water from the restaurant, so don't make the schlepp to the middle of nowhere in Hammersmith expecting to have the Thames floating past your seat.

Our sommelier picked a great bottle of white to match our mood, but other than that nothing about the service leaves a lasting impression either way.

It's all very nice. But, as much as the loyalists won't like me saying it, for my money, I prefer Bocca di Lupo, Tinello, Trullo or Zucca. There, I said it.


The River Cafe, Thames Wharf, Rainville Road, Hammersmith, London W6 9HA (Tel: 020 7386 4200)

Alimentari Cocorino, Marylebone

Chiltern Street is quaint little street near Marylebone High Street where people go for extra large sized shoes, bridal boutiques or whiskey specialists. So don't ask my why I stumbled across Ailmentari Cocorino.

Cocorino is cute and stylish in a Marylebone/Notting Hill kind of way. Its white walls are well stocked with high end Italian biscotti, sauces, salamis, hams and fresh pastas sourced from artisan suppliers in Italy. It's a "boutique Italian delicatessan and espresso room" - the coffee is good, and you can have them make you up a fresh foccaccia or nibble on some of the gorgeous little cannoli and Italian cakes or biscuits.

It's owned by Linda Yau, sister of Alan Yau (restauranteur behind Princi, Hakkasan etc). Apparently there's also a Cocorino Focaccia and Gelato bar around the corner. Very sweet. One to try if you're in the neighbourhood.

Cocorino, 18 Chiltern Street, Marylebone, London W1U 7QA (Tel: 020 7935 0860)

Timo, Kensington

I love being taken by friends to their neighbourhood restaurants that would otherwise escape me, just as they seem to escape the foodie airways.

Squid ink tagliolini with prawns, squid and clams

We have some very fun Dutch friends with whom we always end up having nights of hilarity. Last time, we started off at the Fernandez & Wells wine bar (a personal fav), then ate tapas at Tierra Brindisa (which was, frankly, disappointing, particularly as it was my pick - although we had a ball and got marvellously sloshed anyway), before stumbling across a doorway leading to some entertainingly bad club in Soho.

This time around, Mrs Dutchie is decidedly preggers so we were up for something far more serene and dignified. Our friends booked a table at one of their favourite local Italians, Timo in Kensington.

It looks cute from the outside, and inside things are all very inoffensive and Kensington - white walls, crisp linen tablecloths, polished service, a sophisticated clientele. It's small and elegant, and tables are spacious. We are the noisiest people in the room. But I like it immediately. One has to brush off the Soho cobwebs every now and then.

Manager Piero Amodio visits several times, oozing some old school Italian charm, and before long we've polished off our lovely, buttery chardonnay (you can take the Aussies out Australia but...) and we've moved on to the first of many excellent red wines (which was probably much to Mr Dutchie's relief).

The pasta dishes are all great. I absolutely love my special of the day - silky squid ink tagliolini with juicy prawns, squid and clams. Mrs Dutchie's ravioli filled with cream of aubergines, fresh goats cheese, butter and sage goes down well, and Mr Dutchie's humongous plate of risotto with porcini mushrooms and parmesan gets the thumbs up. TPG's lemony tagliolini with fresh crab meat, white wine, garlic, chilli, fennel is zingy and fresh - I like it a lot, but he's rather jealous of mine. Fork fights ensue.

My veal escalope is nice, but can't compete with the smashing veal chop I had at Tinello a few weeks earlier, and the boys' char grilled Scotch rib-eye steaks are slightly overcooked. But the vibe is good, we're drinking great wines and everyone's happy.

Expect to pay around £40 per head plus wine and service, or book before 8pm from Monday-Thursday and have 2 courses for £13.90 or 3 courses for £16.

We forgo dessert for Dutch biscuits and night caps at Chez Mr and Mrs Dutchie. But I'm left with an overall good impression of Timo and not just because they gave us free limoncellos and grappas to finish. If I was a local, I'd certainly be making a regular appearance to try out more. You can never have too many good, neighborhood Italian restaurants up your sleeve.

Timo, 343 Kensington High Street, Kensington, London, W8 6NW (Tel: 020 7603 3888)

Tinello, Chelsea

Tinello is sophisticated but fun, elegant but unstuffy. It serves quality food and wine at reasonable prices. London is certainly hitting its straps when it comes to Italian restaurants right now.

I like Tinello's ambience immediately - there's exposed brickwork, industrial lighting, wooden floorboards and well spaced tables with crisp, white tablecloths. The clientele are wealthy 30 plusers and, in case it gives you further confidence, there's many Italians among them on the night we visit.

To start, the mixed antipasto (£7.80) includes a selection of cheese, spicy salami and (my favourite) a silky, rich duck liver pate. Deep fried baby cuttlefish (£3.80) are coated in a crispy, light batter giving way to moist and inky pockets within. Wondrous fine shreds of fried courgettes (£2.60) look like fireworks in a bowl and are certainly moreish if slightly greasy. A creamy Pugliese burrata with tomato bread (£3) is served as a splodge on the plate, rather than whole, but loses nothing in taste for that.

A firm spaghettini with Cornish crab meat, chilli and garlic (£11) looks boring - you might go looking for the crab - but rest assured it's in there - and it tastes like sweet, spicy, al dente heaven.

Orecchiette with turnip tops, chilli, garlic and anchovies (£10.50 as a main course as above, £8.50 as entree) is one of our favourite dishes from Puglia. Here, it's not the greatest I've ever tasted, but it's good. It's salty and firm, with the kick of chilli giving it some lift. Taut pockets of pumpkin ravioli are nestled in a smooth smoked ricotta (£11.50 as a main course, £9.50 as entree). They're excellent - perfectly cooked with a terrific, robust smokiness. I'm certain you won't get flabby pasta at Tinello.

The roast veal cutlet is simply fabulous. It's juicy, fatty and tender, with the added bite of a braised fennel and lemon salad (£23.25).

They're out of tiramisu, so we take 2 serves of gelato and sorbet (£3.50 each) and a gorgeous white chocolate and pine kernel semifreddo with cocoa ice cream (£5) which I strongly recommend.

Service is attentive and friendly enough, but not overly fussy (which I count as a good thing).

With wine (a couple of bottles of fruity Valpolicella) and service, our meal tallies in at around £55 per head - excellent value for such great food and ambience. If you haven't been yet, put Tinello on your list.

Tinello, 87 Pimlico Road, Chelsea, London, Tel: 020 7730 3663

The Petersham, Richmond

Roasted venison loin

Fireworks, bubbles and feathers.... and not just on my plate. Where to begin with the tale of The Petersham?

The Petersham would be a terrific place to lunch on a clear day. It's posited high up on Richmond Hill in the grand old Petersham Hotel in Richmond, in prime position for glorious views over the Thames and surrounding meadows (see The London Foodie's blog for the day snaps). However, it's also pretty hard to beat it on Guy Fawkes night, when the hotel is lit up like something from a Golden Book and we sip our champagne watching the fireworks explode over the river.

Approaching the hotel is like wandering into a scene from Pride and Prejudice. It feels only right to start with champagne, and even better when it arrives in a 200ml bottle each (Joseph Perrier, £13.50).

Inside the decor is old school - classic and classy, it feels warm, romantic and elegant in the candlelight, if slightly like somewhere we should be in about 20 years time when we have a smart splash of grey hair and our own set of golf clubs.

Head chef, Alex Bentley, has gathered plenty of attractive options on the menu, but given the setting it feels right to stick to the seasonal "Glorious Game" menu.

Seared partridge breast with truffle toast

I start with the partridge (£13) - the perfectly seared breast nestles atop a rich black truffle toast with mushrooms (what better accompaniment could there be?) while the fabulously moist leg comes wrapped in a vine leaf. Both have an excellent, deep flavour although I find the leg a tad over salted.

Tandoori quail

TPG's tandoori spiced quail comes with shallot bhaji, chickpea salad, yellow tomato and mango (£12.50). The very Indian nature of this dish seems a little jarring in the setting, but the flavours here are fresh and vibrant, and the quail is superbly tender with lovely spices.

Pot roasted grouse

My pot roasted grouse. Oh my. If you like grouse, you'll love this. (And if you have your reservations, you'll almost definitely hate it). It's bloody, earthy and super gamey - you can almost taste the heath in the meat. The ends of the legs are still feathered up, which seems to add to the experience of eating something fresh from the hunt. It comes with a "game crouton" smothered in a luscious, rich pate, celeriac puree, braised red cabbage and a terrific bread sauce (£32.00). This is such an intense, memorable dish. I absolutely love it, but it's so immense in its rich "gameyness" that I'm unable to finish the last few bites.

TPG has the roasted venison loin (£23). It looks succulent and gorgeous, and the flavour is excellent although it's chewy. It's plated up with mushroom duxelle and walnuts, sweet potatoes, green beans and a well balanced chocolate and balsamic sauce.

Apple tarte tartin

Vanilla rice pudding

My gooey, apple tarte tartin with cinnamon ice-cream is a hit with us both (although I always think vanilla ice-cream makes for a better combination). TPG's chilled vanilla rice pudding is less of a success - it looks pretty, but the lemon flavour doesn't appeal and the accompanying tuile is slightly floppy. It's a minor lowlight in an otherwise fantastic meal. Perhaps we should have tried the rum baba? Puddings are £7 each.

Service is unobtrusive, but there when you need it. Our sommelier is particularly good and friendly. He recommends the Santenay 1er Cru, Domaine de la Pousse d'Or, Cotes de Beaune (£46) - big, fruity and earthy, it's a great accompaniment to our gamey meal. The wine list is extensive - and there's quite a few wines available for under £25, although there's nothing for less than £20.

The Glorious Game menu is available on an a la carte basis for dinner or for £24.50 as a 3 course set menu at lunch (£31.50 on Sundays) - although be warned that quite a few  dishes carry a supplement.

The food, wine, service and overall experience are excellent - a great place to treat yourself. After coffees (with chocolate petite fours), our bill came to around £175 for two (plus service) although we did go for some of the more expensive options on the menu. It's not cheap, but you could dine here less extravagantly and you can expect fine quality to match the price.

The Petersham, Nightingale Lane, Richmond, Surrey, TW10 6UZ (Tel: 020 8640 7471)

Greedy Diva was a guest of The Petersham

STOLEN: London Supper Club, Notting Hill

Ok, so you all know what a supper club is by now. I have previously penned some thoughts on the concept here. The idea behind the Stolen Supper Club is this: its creators are inspired by some of the world's best chefs, they eat at the restaurant, they rummage through the cookbook. Then, they create an evening at a funky pad in Notting Hill, inspired by the experience, for the likes of you and me to sample at reasonable prices in relaxed and fun surrounds. They even offer BYO.

I was intrigued.

Stolen's supper clubs are held on Monday evenings, for up to 15 guests. Mia brings her bubbly personality and over 10 years of hospitality experience to the service part of the venture. Leandro cooks, and cooks well. I attended the "Oyster and Chop House" event this month, which was inspired by Mark Hix's restaurant and cook book - right down to the Hix napkins and wine. The suggested contribution was £30 (but this varies depending on the menu, as advertised in advance on Stolen's website).

We started in the garden, chatting to our fellow diners from around the world over a lovely glass or three of Hix Tonnix Quinta de la Rosa wine (Douro, Portugal, 2007) - a wine created by the winery in collaboration with Mark Hix and Mitch Tonks (and Tracy Emin for the label artwork).

Moving inside, we sat next to the modern kitchen under high ceilings with exposed beams, surrounded by white walls and brickwork with a trendy but casual feel.

Fresh from Billingsgate market, platters of oysters on ice and shredded seaweed (6 oysters each) were brought out to start - both natural and "Oyster Mary" style with a light Bloody Mary granita topping.

The main event was a gigantic ribeye with Chop House butter, bearnaise or green (mixed herb) sauce. Sourced from Jack O'Shea (as is Hix's steak), you can't say Stolen don't do their research. Cooked to a perfect medium rare, the steak was certainly generous and flavourful, but lacked some caramelisation given it was finished off in the oven. The steaks were accompanied by crunchy, fine straw potatoes and a mixed leaf salad.

We finished up with some potent sloe gin jelly shots, sorbet and cream.

This was a fun spirited, good value evening, particularly given the BYO policy, and wine sharing around the table. At Hix's Oyster & Chop House, the equivalent meal would have cost around £48.50 plus £27.50 for the bottle of Hix Tonnix wine, plus service.

The next Stolen Supper Club will be held on 13th of September - a "Game Evening". It's a particularly good option for West Londoners wishing to try their local supper club scene.

Stolen Supper Club, a leafy part of Notting Hill.... London