Natural Wine Fair, London

I have just rolled off the train from Burgundy. Quite literally. My bloodstream is approximately 80% Meursault and 30% Beef Bourguignon. It may be hard to track down a plate of salad on the Cote D'or, but it certainly is a wine lover's paradise.

More on that later. In the meantime, while I still have out my red stained tasting glass, here's a brief plug for the Natural Wine Fair coming to London from 15-17 May 2011.

Natural wines are made without the addition of any synthetic chemicals (and usually no additives at all) from vineyards grown without the use of pesticides, fertilizers etc so they are, at a minimum, organic. All grapes are hand harvested and no yeasts or sugar are added to the wines. There are lots of different definitions about organic, biodynamic and natural wines, but I think you get my drift.

Isabelle Legeron (of "That Crazy French Woman") and 5 natural wine importers are sharing their passion for natural wines by bringing to London's Borough Market the Natural Wine Fair, showcasing 120 growers with 500 wines. I tasted some, and as much as I was sceptical about EVER finding a natural wine I liked (having given it a decent go at Terroirs and the like) I am now a convert, at least to continue exploring them. There are some really interesting wines to be tried - and, as much as I enthusiastically applied myself to the task, I didn't have a hangover the next day. Is there really something in that, or coincidence (the argument goes that it's the lack of sulphites in the wines that helps avoid the hangover, but is there any evidence)?

The fair is open to all on Sunday 15 May 2011 from 10am - 6pm (and to trade only on 16 and 17 May 2011). Buy a ticket for £18 and you will receive a catalogue, a tasting glass to keep and the opportunity to hold out your hand to try 500 natural wines and chat with the wine makers along the way. See the website for more information. Bottoms up!

The Natural Wine Fair, 15 May 2011, 10am - 6pm, Borough Market, London (www.thenaturalwinefair.com)

Zucca, Bermondsey

The only problem with Zucca is that it's not on my street. This is pure, unfussy Italian food at its best. And it comes in relaxed but brightly buzzy surrounds with pleasant service - and at prices so good, you could make it a once a weeker.

The room itself is one of those happy places that immediately makes you smile - clean lines, white tables, big sunny windows, open kitchen, bright warm splashes of pumpkin orange. It's River Cafe, without the river. And I said that on the night before I knew about chef Sam Harris' former connection with River Cafe. We dined in the evening, but I walked past again the next day and the whole room was bathing gloriously in sunshine - a lovely spot for lunch.

The food just broadens the whopping big cheeser that's already on your dial. Meatballs with sweet, hearty tomato sauce are a favorite (I think we ordered a second serve), and TPG and I also loved the fresh carpaccio of seabass which is liberally dressed in a grassy olive oil. Even the bruschetta is a memorable mouthful of caramel-like roasted onion and taleggio.

Since we all want everything on the menu, we also share among our starters a toothsome bowl of thin taglierini with spring herbs and ricotta.

For mains, D enjoys the casarecce pasta with pork and fennel ragu, and TPG and R share the grilled lamb chops for 2 (wonderously pink and juicy morsels) with potato and anchovy.

It must be Easter, as I seem to have a dose of bunny at this time every year - in this case, the slow cooked, ultra moist rabbit with trevisano and to die for creamy white polenta. It's love.

The only complaint is that there's a hell of a lot of olive oil on nearly every plate - but it's greeny, good, olivey olive oil at it's best.

Desserts are marvellous - TPG hops in to a seductively wobbly vanilla pannacotta (beautifully silky and creamy), but even he has to agree that my warm rhurbarb and almond cake is the real dark horse - perfect if you like a more restrained dessert.

Prices are incredibly reasonable for the quality and gorgeous surrounds - antipasti - £3.95 - £4.50, pasta (only 2 to choose from) at £7 or £9 and mains all hover around the £14.50 mark. Including 2 bottles of a lovely Barbera and service, I think we got away for less than £40 per head.

Zucca and Trullo (reviewed earlier) are exactly what I want from my Italian restaurants. These are two restaurants in London that I'm almost bursting to get back to.

Zucca, 184 Bermondsey Street, Bermondsey (near London Bridge), SE1 3TQ, Tel: 020 7378 6809

St Ali, Farringdon

Nothing like starting off your weekend with a flat white and a Mexican.

And now we can. No need to be shy about it. Because one of my favourite Melbourne coffee shops has just hit London. St Ali has opened a new outpost in Farringdon. *High fives the computer screen, moonwalks backwards across living room, does the Risky Business dance on the coach*.

St Ali is said to be named after "the patron saint of coffee", Ali ibn Umar al-Shadhili, the man who first introduced coffee beans to the Muslim mystics. They make some of the best coffee in Melbourne, where the competition is hot, and now they're doing it in style in London.

My flat white was seriously good. I don't even know what blend it was, so enthusiastic was I to wallow in the smooth, coffee, heavenly goodness that I last tasted in South Melbourne. There was no time for inquisitive banter. TPG had a rich and pure drip filter coffee which was well worth the wait.

But, best of all, the Mexican has come to town. The Mexican, oh the Mexican. The Mexican is, my friends - crispy corn fritters, creamy, salty halloumi, sweet sliced tomato, sour kasundi and 2 poached eggs. Happy, happy days.

Another serve of poached eggs came with 4 large pieces of thick sourdough (too much for even us to eat) and 2 runny poached eggs - bargainous value at £5, while I think the Mexican was about £9. (This probably better value than most breakfasts in Melbourne these days).

The interior at St Ali in Farringdon is along the same lines as the industrial, hollowed out factory look in South Melbourne, although slightly more polished and newbie looking - and I don't like it quite as much. But it's a huge space (the bathrooms are bigger than my flat) with high ceilings, big impressive looking coffee machines and a chunky wooden communal table in the window. The stools there are at an annoying, knee hitting height, and it's a bit dark inside, but otherwise it's all good.

This part of town is becoming quite the foodie hub, with Bistrot Bruno Loubet across the road and St John and Vinoteca around the corner. As far as breakfasts and coffee goes, St Ali can hold its head high amongst them.

St Ali, 27 Clerkenwell Road, Farringdon, EC1M 5RN (Tel: 0778 011 2631)

Nopi, Soho

Beef brisket croquettes with Asian 'slaw

I'm a big fan of Ottolenghi - both the cafes and the cookbooks. With such bright and bold flavours and colours, a table full of Ottolenghi salads is like an exotic, glistening jewellery box appealing to the eye as much as the palate.

The Ottolenghi team have now opened Nopi in Soho. It's an all day dining brasserie with small sharing plates, brimming with Middle Eastern and Asian flavours.

Kingfish carpaccio

After an enthusiastic days shopping, TPG and I dropped in for a pitstop at the bar for some shared plates and a glass of wine (or two). (Although other reports suggest it's best to book ahead).

Beef brisket croquettes with Asian 'slaw are sublimely rich, meaty and moist - the tangy slaw cuts through them perfectly. A must, I'd say.

Pan fried sea bream with turmeric potatoes and rasam is excellent, so plump and juicy, while a spicy kingfish carpaccio with pickled cauliflower is light and lovely.

Creamy burrato oozes onto a salad of bright blood orange and coriander seeds.

The wine list is interesting and our servers at the bar are fantastic - they do a great job of suggesting wines to match our meal, which really hit the spot.

The atmosphere is lacking something (might it be different in the evening?), and its quite a dark spot on a sunny day - but I do love the funky light fittings. It's smarter than the Ottolenghi cafes, but it's still fairly relaxed and people seem to be enjoying themselves. The downstairs canteen area has a big communal table overlooking the open kitchen, and is more in the Ottolenghi cafe style. Special mention must go to the room of angled mirrors that is the bathroom - try to find your way out in under 5 seconds (it's totally worth a visit while you're there).

Prices are in the mid-high range and can stack up - our bill came in at just over £70 for two people, including 3 glasses of wine and service.

Thinking about Ottolenghi's lusty cake selection, I'm tempted to go back to Nopi to try the cardamom rice pudding with rose syrup and pistachio. I'll keep you posted.

 Nopi,  22 Warwick Street, Soho, London, W1B 5NE (Tel: 020 7494 9584)