We often hear the term ‘Modern British Food’ casually bandied around, but to my mind, I don’t really know what this means.  At best, I’d say was traditional British dishes, deconstructed, poncified and served in measly portions – i.e. not terribly appealing.  However, with Benares, I think Chef Atul Kochhar has created the very definition of modern British cuisine.

With Asian food becoming as ingrained into our diets as much as pies and roasts, ‘modern British’ food should essentially reflect the flavours that our palettes now desire.  There’s probably not a house in this country without a bottle of chilli sauce of some description and most exotic spices are increasingly being used to liven-up the most traditional of dishes.  So it naturally follows that Indian influenced food is as dynamic and modern as it gets.

What Kochhar has done here is created a menu full of stunning British produce with the most delicate yet masterful spicing to create a tantalising array of dishes that would appeal even to those who don’t like Indian food. However, resultantly, if it’s a powerful curry you’re after, this is not the place for you. 

Our choice of the Grazing menu provided no less than twelve different dishes to try.  Fear not though, as the portions are pretty small, so you won’t feel like you need a trip to the gym on your way home.  I won’t go through every dish, as it was all by-and-large delicious.  However to give you an example of Kocchar’s unique style, dishes included Pickled duck terrine with citrus jelly; Kaffir flavoured Monkfish with a tamarind glaze; Tandoor roasted rabbit in red chilli & yogurt; Roast lamb on rosemary chickpeas; and Chicken supreme with a Korma sauce.   Even desserts were good, with the Lemon grass infused cheesecake really standing out.  At £69/head for the tasting menu, it’s certainly somewhere for a special occasion, but pricing is still on par with other Michelin starred restaurants.  Some well judged but fairly safe wine pairings can also be had for an additional £30/head. 

Like the food, the venue also takes a contemporary approach.  After a freak fire last year pretty much destroyed everything in sight, the new venue adopts the extensive use of dark woods and leather to create a fairly unremarkable dining environment, although the new Chef’s Table and a fountain in the bar add some character. 

Food: 4/5

Venue: 3/5

Value: 3/5

Cuisine type: Modern Indian

Dinner for two (excluding drinks): £100

Wine: £7

Cocktails: £9

Benares Restaurant & Bar

12A Berkeley Square

London W1

Tel: 020 7629 8886

www.benaresrestaurant.com

We all love the idea of heading down to a country pub when it’s cold & dreary outside to huddle round a big fire and tell stories over a couple of pints.  The problem is that when the weather does take a turn for the worst, making your way past the end of the street is effort enough, let alone braving it out of town.  However, with a few rays of sunshine starting to creep through and the worst of winter past us, a trip to the rural parts of the Home Counties on a Saturday evening or Sunday afternoon is far more interesting than hanging around the bustling city. 

Set in a 300 year old converted barn, The Red Barn is a traditional country pub full of character and charm.   The expansive beer garden sets the perfect scene for summer drinks, while warming fireplaces and a spacious rustic interior make it just as suitable for private parties as a hearty evening meal. Serving traditional pub comfort food, The Red Barn offers classic British favourites, while a drinks list featuring approximately 60 bins and a range of weird and wonderful beers is sure to satisfy even the thirstiest of guests. 

Starters of Caramelised onion & goats cheese tart was light and full of flavour, but less successful was the carrot & coriander soup, which lacked any real bite.  For mains, the Game casserole, with pheasant, rabbit & partridge, creamy mash & red cabbage was everything that pub food should be, with succulent pieces of meat and a rich, gamey sauce.  However, whilst beautifully cooked, the Slow cooked lamb shank with a root vegetable & white bean casserole was devoid of any real flavour from any of the components.  Fortunately, a wonderfully stodgy dessert of Steamed syrup pudding with custard brought things back on track as a top finish to a somewhat mixed meal.

Food: 3/5

Venue: 5/5

Value: 3/5

Cuisine: British pub grub

Dinner for two (excluding drinks): £45

Beer: £3.50

Wine: £5

The Red Barn

Tandridge Lane, Blindley Heath

Lingfield

Surrey, RH7 6LL

www.geronimo-inns.co.uk/theredbarn

Where to stay:
I’m a fan of the personal service you get in smaller hotels, so my choice was the mid-range Zwei Jahreszeiten, just a stone’s throw from St Anton train station. It also has the benefit of being a minute’s walk from the main street where many great bars, shops and restaurants are located and it’s close to three of the village’s ski lifts – Rendl, Galzig and Gampen.
In St Anton – a long and spread-out resort – accommodation is about location, location, location – and in this respect I lucked out.

My hosts, Daniela and Rainer Stremitzer, were fabulously friendly people with a wealth of local knowledge. It also helps that Rainer is a chef, so the platter that makes up each morning’s buffet breakfast (selection of breads, meats, cheeses, pates and vegetables, plus cereal, juices and hot beverages) contains only the finest ingredients and, most important to me, perfectly boiled eggs.

The modern, stylishly-designed hotel has six double en suite rooms and two suites. My double room, spotlessly clean with fresh white bed linen, also boasted a balcony – great for sipping a glass of wine and watching the world go by, temperature permitting, of course.
The guests were an amiable mixture of ages and nationalities and all of them were interested in my assignment – it seems good food and good skiing go hand-in-hand these days.
More information and special offers for this season at
www.zwei-jahreszeiten.at

Other accommodation options:
Budget: Haus Sepp Gruber - www.ski-arlberg.com/sepp-gruber/
High-end: Hotel Schwarzer Adler - www.schwarzeradler.com

Where to Dine

What’s a girl to do after a hard day’s riding on the death-defying slopes of the region? Unquestionably the best way to restore depleted energy levels is by visiting one of the 82 restaurants dotted around resort.

Ski resorts are notoriously expensive and the cuisine can err on the side of stodgy, carbohydrate-loaded dishes. So I went in search of experiences to suit different tastes and budgets, but – in these times of financial hardship – nothing that was going to break the bank.

First up was Scotty’s, a village centre pizzeria attached to the Hotel Rosanna. The restaurant opens from 5pm until 11pm, but the bar remains open, so this venue really works as a one-stop-shop for a fun-packed night out.

The menu features 14 pizzas (from standard margherita to spicy Mexican, replete with tortilla chips), ranging from €8.50 to €12. A selection of salads, pasta dishes, side orders and puddings is available and a bottle of house wine comes in at €12. The vibe is relaxed and informal, with dining parties ranging from young couples to large groups of high-spirited holiday-makers and seasonnaires.

I opted for the formaggio caprino (goat’s cheese, sweet red onions, rocket, fresh parmesan and sun-blushed tomatoes), while my partner selected the Mexican (the tortilla chips novelty working a treat). The spicy Mexican is not for the faint-hearted. Fully loaded with jalepenos and chilli beef, it does what it says on the tin. I made my choice in the interests of taking back the power for vegetarians. Austrians are big on meat and so it can be a struggle in some places, although Scotty’s had all bases covered. 

Next stop was the fabulously quirky Underground On The Piste. Attracting a slightly older, young professional crowd, this single-storey, cosy, wood-panelled restaurant is a short walk from the village centre or – as the name suggests – reachable from the ski run into the village.

As such, it has a vibrant après-ski scene, with a selection of ‘grazing dishes’ (calamari, chicken wings, camembert in almond crust) popular with the late-afternoon crowd. But, for me, it really comes into its own in the evening. Famous for its fondue, it also boasts an impressive selection of meat, fish and Asian platters. A selection of rooms and cubby holes feature candle-lit tables to suit any party.

The eclectic range of starters include delicious sharing style plates of home-made pate, stuffed vine leaves and a selection of sausages and cheeses. By the time our mains of seafood kebabs and duck with balsamic & honey glaze arrived, Underground’s unique charm was in full effect.  At around €18 for mains, it’s not bank breaking stuff for great quality food.

The food was beautifully prepared and presented, but the wandering minstrels (two guitarists, a cellist, sax player and pianist) who had magically appeared to supply the evening’s entertainment took the experience to yet another level.   Meanwhile, a Charlie Chaplin movie was being beamed on to a big screen on the terrace for the delectation of diners in the glass-panelled summer house.

Our final stop – Hazienda (www.hazienda.at) on the village’s main street – required some preparation. In ski resorts, smart casual is generally de rigueur. But Hazienda, a subterranean haven of soft lighting and clean lines, is something special. We upped our dress code and, after a warm welcome, settled into a cute, two-seater slot on the bar, commanding views across the restaurant – perfect for a couple or those who enjoy the sport of people-watching.

Sophisticated but unpretentious, its walls are bedecked with Pop Art.  Groups of diners can ensconce themselves in an alcove or take a table in the main area, while – perhaps unusually for a high-end option – solo dining at the bar does not provoke curious stares.

We commenced with tuna al carpaccio. Light, delicate and accompanied by lime-mint vinaigrette with a wasabi kick, it was melt-in-the-mouth delicious. The main event consisted of jumbo shrimp on Indian curry madras with basmati rice for myself and classic grilled sirloin steak with herb butter and mixed greens salad for my partner. Oh. My. Word. I genuinely cannot remember the last time I was so blown away by a culinary experience. Subtle flavours, crunchy mange tout, tangy papaya, succulent cherry tomatoes, tiny taste bombs of sticky coconut and the meatiest shrimps this side of Australia made for a memorable meal.   Just when we thought things couldn’t get any better, we were persuaded to try Hazienda’s signature pudding – the gino. The recipe remains top secret, but it involves fresh fruit and white chocolate served warm with pistachio ice cream. Needless to say, it was to die for.

You can expect to pay around €45/head, excluding drinks, but Hazienda is a place to create an event out of a meal. 

Nearest airports:
Innsbruck: 100km
Zürich: 200km
Munich: 250km

The skiing:
Altitude: 1304-2811m
280km of ski slopes
85 cableways and lifts

St Anton tourist information: www.stantonamarlberg.com

By Leigh Mytton

An appealing cheese board is the perfect finale to a great meal; a tempting spread of various cheeses with tangy chutney and some fresh grapes tops off an evening’s eating. But where to begin? Supermarket aisles teem with tempting dairy delights and specialist cheesemongers can be overwhelming.

Cheese guru Simon Day from Unearthed (http://discoverunearthed.wordpress.com) has some suggestions on how to create your ideal board:

“Textures and flavours are our primary concern. As a basic rule of thumb go for a soft cheese such as brie or camembert, a hard option, cheddar or gruyere, a blue option like stilton, and a goats cheese. In terms of flavour, aim for variety again; for example if you have a strongly smoked cheese, don’t pick another smoked one. Try and mix it up.”

Paxton & Whitfield’s www.paxtonandwhitfield.co.uk best selling cheese is a Montgomery’s cheddar. They ship out over a tonne of the stuff over the Christmas season alone, so definitely a good starting point. Stilton too is among the more popular choices and would be a perfect blue option.

Remember any serious cheese outlet will be more than happy to let you try before you buy so don’t be scared to have a nibble and see what you like. For a goaty option, ex-Blur bassist Alex James produces the delicious Farleigh Wallop, and across the channel the French produce a wider range of more complex goat’s milk varieties. Head towards a Brie de Meaux for a fruity yet mild and tangy flavour that won’t fail to impress your guests.

Make your cheese board look more appealing by adding some green curly lettuce to freshen it up. Fruit is also a superb accompaniment. Figs go well with goats cheese, as do apples with hard cheese. Possibly serve oatcakes as a classy alternative to crackers and biscuits.

Finally, why not include a cheese that no one will have heard of? This will create a great talking point and make for a more memorable experience.

Learn more & buy on line at www.paxtonandwhitfield.co.uk

By Charlie Nelson (http://eatmynels.blogspot.com)

Tucked away along a quiet oasis between the Strand and Covent Garden, Terroirs has quietly been getting on with developing a reputation as one of London’s top restaurants. 

Terroirs originally launched a number of years ago as a wine bar serving highly quality tapas style plates of rustic French food.  However, no doubt as custom has continued to burgeon, they decided in late 2009 to add a restaurant area in their basement serving proper meals.  A stroke of genius it certainly was, as now both the restaurant and upstairs bar area are almost permanently packed at all hours of the day. 

There are no bells, whistles, airs or graces with this place; just a straightforward menu of delicious food and great wine at sensible prices.  It’s clear that you can visit Terroirs and have an entirely different experience each time.  Whether it’s a quick bite and a glass of wine, an evening of sharing plates and lots of wine or a proper sit-down dinner, there are enough options on the menu to ensure you keep coming back.

Starters of Duck Rillets and Jamon de Teruel were both excellent.  The Duck Rillets were rich in flavor, creamy and perfectly presented whilst the thin Jamon lightly melted in the mouth with a slight sweetness.  We also had Griddled squid with esplette pepper and Grilled scallops & gremolata.  With standards already very high I must say that the scallops weren’t as flavorsome as we had hoped but the squid was exquisitely cooked.  Accompanied by a stunning glass of Cuvee Lais, this was an outstanding start to the meal. 

Despite feeling the strain on our stomachs, as food loving gentlemen we couldn’t turn down an opportunity to try a couple of the larger offerings so we opted for Bavette with dauphinoise potatoes & and the Cassoulet Terroirs.  The Bavette was well cooked and full of flavour, although (perhaps expectedly) a little chewy.  The Cassoulet, on the other hand was a wonderful interpretation of this wholesome dish, cooked with big fat sausages and tender duck meat on the bone.  This was paired with another excellent wine match of a glass of Cahors.

To finish we shared the bitter chocolate pot which I cannot easily describe in words, but as far as unadulterated chocolate experiences go, there are few better in London.  Regrettably, we couldn’t find room for their extensive and appealing cheeses, but it has certainly given us a great reason to return!

Food: 4.5/5

Venue: 3/5

Value: 4/5

Cuisine type: Rustic French

Meal for two (excluding drinks): £55

Wine: £5

Terroirs Wine Bar & Restaurant

5 William IV Street

London WC2

Tel: 020 7036 0660

www.terroirswinebar.com

With the economy in a bit of a pickle, the opening of a venue championing the poignant side of music was probably the best timed of 2009!  I jest of course, for Charlotte Street Blues provided one of the most entertaining nights I’ve had in ages.  Set in a characterful three storey converted Georgian house, Charlotte Street Blues lays claim to being the largest Blues Bar in London. 

The atmospheric venue features live blues 7 nights a week, and boasts three bars, as well as over 100 varieties of bourbon.  The cocktails are good and provide decent value too, at around £6 a pop. Its nightly rotating programme of events carries the intention of helping new British and Irish Blues bands make their mark in the industry, whilst also promoting more established home-grown and international groups.

Due to its immense popularity, the venue recently decided to double the fun with the launch of The Juke Joint - a brand new venue in their basement with more live bands, DJs, films and open-mic nights.  Highlights include Highway 74 on Mondays, showcasing the hottest bands playing anything from blues to hip hop; and Sunday Movie Nights where visitors can enjoy an eclectic variety of classic films!

We went down on a Wednesday evening – their open mic night – and was pleasantly surprised by the eclectic and friendly crowd.  Groups of suits sat comfortably alongside young hipsters, a few old-time rockers and shrieking media girls. 

Obviously, the food is a sideshow to the overall experience, but it was more than fit for purpose. A massive plate of Chicken nachos and some Cajun blackened chicken for around £5 a pop were great to nibble on over a few beers.  Burgers were also a case of quantity over quality, although they were plenty good enough, featuring juicy meat smothered with cheesy cheese and crisp bacon.

For a cheap and fun night out in London, Charlotte Street Blues is definitely up there with the best!

Food: 3/5

Venue: 3/5

Value: 4/5

(Fun): 5/5

Cuisine type: American

Meal for two (excluding drinks): £30

Beers: £3.50

Cocktails: £6

Charlotte Street Blues

74 Charlotte Street,

London, W1T 4QH

Tel: 0207 580 0113

www.charlottestblues.com

Whilst dining in The City isn’t to everyone’s taste, one can’t deny that restaurants in London’s financial district are some of the most visually interesting around.  With so many historical buildings to choose from, restaurants can be found in the most inconspicuous yet spectacular of settings.  Restaurants like Greens, situated on the mezzanine level of the old Lloyds bank and Sauterelle in the Royal Exchange are great examples. 

Most recently, we visited 1 Lombard Street, a stunning restaurant set in a Grade II listed neo-classical building outside Bank. It’s impossible not to be impressed by the incredible domed ceiling shadowing the circular bar, whilst the high ceilings and intricate architecture create an air of occasion that simply can’t be imitated.  So when choosing the location for a Valentine’s meal, 1 Lombard Street was one of the obvious choices. 

Having opened in 1998, the venue has become a firm favourite for The City crowd.  With a bar, brasserie and fine-dining restaurant to choose from 1 Lombard Street is ideal for everything from long lunches and business breakfasts to some very good cocktails at the bar. 

The brasserie menu keeps things simple, with dishes like Coq au Vin, Cumberland sausages and Paella for reasonable prices (around £12 for mains).  However, the real magic happens in the fine-dining area, where Chef Herbert Berger is really let off the leash. 

In contrast to the striking and expansive brasserie and bar area, the fine-dining restaurant is an altogether cosier affair.  Comfortable chairs, thick carpet and warm autumnal colours make the room feel like you’re in the drawing room of a traditional country manor. 

The menu provides an array of unashamedly exquisite ingredients, all beautifully prepared with a few interesting twists along the way.  Langoustine cappuccino with white truffle oil set a luxurious tone for things to come.  Caramelised scallops with Thai aubergine caviar, ginger, wasabi, lime & coriander demonstrated a delicate touch, whilst the Seared foie gras with dark chocolate & balsamic vinaigrette was sheer decadence on a plate.  Equally impressive was the perfectly cooked Fillet of Angus beef with black truffle, bathed in a full-flavoured, yet light Madeira & Cognac sauce. Our shared dessert of Nougatine with rich chocolate cream & sharp raspberry puree was so good that we wouldn’t be surprised if couples split up over it! 

Food: 4/5

Venue: 4/5

Value: 3/5

Cuisine type: European

Meal for two (excluding drinks): £100

Wine: £6

Cocktails: £7.50

1 Lombard Street Restaurant & Bar

1 Lombard Street,

London, EC3V 9AA

Tel: 020 7929 6611

www.1lombardstreet.com

This spring, the UK is getting a taste of La Dolce Vita as the best of Italy’s food, drink, property, travel and design comes to London.  From March 11-14 La Dolce Vita takes over the Business Design Centre in Islington for a four-day-long celebration of everything we love about Italy. Whether you’re looking to indulge your passion for pasta, hoping to track down a sprawling Tuscan villa to renovate or searching for that illusive undiscovered corner of Italy for your next summer holiday, the search begins at La Dolce Vita. Celebrity chefs, winemakers, travel experts and property agents will all be on hand to introduce the best the country has to offer. Highlights will include live cookery sessions at the Teatro del Gusto, wine tastings at the Italian Wine Academy and master classes in how to make your own pasta.

La Dolce Vita, March 11-14, Business Design Centre, Islington, London, N1. For more information please visit www.ladolcevitaevent.co.uk

We’ve got ten pairs of free tickets up for grabs – just enter your details below to be in with a chance of winning:

Terms and conditions

- All entries to be in by midnight on 7 March 2010

- Competition valid for UK residents only

When you sister restaurant is known to be one of Mumbai’s finest Indian restaurants, the expectations on your London outpost are understandably going to be high.  Probably appreciating how difficult it is to emulate such a revered restaurant, the team behind Trishna merely bought a few influences of their Indian outpost to London. 

As is often the case with the best Indian restaurants in England and India, the original is a humble back street joint which has become widely recognised as the best seafood restaurant in Mumbai.  The younger British sibling takes a similar, albeit slightly more upmarket approach that its posh Marylebone location demands.  The venue bucks the trend for maximum bling and colour overload that most modern Indian restaurants favour, instead keeping things refreshingly simple with exposed brickwork walls and chunky wooden furniture – not dissimilar to many smart gastropubs.

The menu also reflects the Mumbai original.  Head chef Ravi Deulkar, previously of Michelin starred Rasoi Vineet Bhatia, has put together a menu inspired by the fishing villages of India, albeit with a contemporary twist.  Traditional curries are conspicuous by their absence, with Indian grills and lighter ‘tawa’ style curries making up the majority of the menu.  Drinks options are also worth noting.  Cocktails are well made, whilst beer and wine matching choices are provided with every dish. 

So onto the food and it’s the tasting menu that really stands out.  At £35 for 7 courses plus a host of sides, it contains their most appealing dishes and represents great value.  The evening gets off to a spicy start with some simple carom seed coated Koliwada Shrimp.  Lamb chops with ginger & Kashmiri chilli and Chargrilled Wild Tiger Prawns with mustard & dill demonstrate outstanding grilling skills as well as an intricate understanding of spices.  Similarly delicious is the Hariyali Bream delicately marinated in mint & coriander, whilst the outstanding dish is Mussels in Coconut & turmeric milk – quite possibly the best mussels dish in London and thoughtfully served with some garlic naans to mop up all of the beautiful sauce.  Dorset Brown Crab is perfectly seasoned with pepper & garlic and provides another dish to admire. 

So mostly good, but I do need to mention some of the bad, including a couple of disappointingly dull dishes of Lamb Curry and creamed Spinach with dill; it’s almost unbelievable that these dishes came out of the same kitchen that created the earlier masterpieces.  As with most Indian restaurants, desserts aren’t worth mentioning so I’ll happily overlook them. 

Food: 4/5

Venue: 3/5

Value: 4/5 (for the tasting menu, otherwise 3/5)

Cuisine type: Indian

Dinner for two (excluding drinks): £70

Wine: £6.50

Beers: £4.20

Trishna

15 -17 Blandford Street

Marylebone Village

London, W1U 3DG

Tel: 0207 935 5624    

www.trishnalondon.com

Being in the restaurant game, I have the pleasure of meeting some right characters on my travels. And so it was that my trip to The Warrington produced a real gem.  Asked on his opinion of the macaroni cheese, our waiter gave the dish the ultimate recommendation by boldly stating something along the lines of:

“It’s delicious. In fact, I tried the macaroni cheese from Tesco last week and this is much nicer.”

High praise indeed.  In fact considering the knocks that the Warrington’s owner, Gordon Ramsay, has been taking of late, it’s great to see that his team haven’t lost their sense of humour!  

So onto the venue and before you think this is going to turn into yet another critique of old Gordon, it’s not, as The Warrington was actually quite good.  The immense property is an archetypal British pub with Art Nouveau friezes, marble pillars and a few other elaborate touches to give it an upper-middle class feel.  Make no mistake though, for the downstairs bar retains a traditional pub feel with a hearty pie & mash menu as well as a good range of British ales, beers and cider.

Our evening was to be spent in the plusher first floor restaurant where the serious eating happens and it was a real meal of contrasts.  A classic combination of Seared scallops with cauliflower puree & Madeira sauce was stunningly executed, leading to some serious food envy by Ms Pancake as she sulked over her disappointingly thin & bland Potato & leek soup.  Mains of Venison saddle Wellington was another outstanding dish, with perfectly pink meat cosseted by a rich pastry and accompanied by a well judged spiced berry sauce.  Conversely, Ms Pancake ordered another dud, with her Rump steak with braised oxtail & buttered root vegetables not really delivering the hearty flavours that the dish promised.  Oh, and that side order of Egg & bacon macaroni cheese I mentioned earlier was rather good too, although having not tried the Tesco version, I can’t confirm if it actually does taste better!

Our shared dessert of Banana, rum & toffee Tarte Tatin (which I chose as Ms Pancake couldn’t bear to risk choosing another disappointing dish!) was another highlight.  Thin slices of caramelised banana sat on top of feather light yet super rich pastry, accompanied by a subtle ginger ice cream, to create a truly historic pudding. 

With starters at around £7 and mains around £16.50, prices are pretty reasonable.  However, they also have an attractive set price menu of 2 courses for £18 or 3 for £22 which is worth a look.

Food: 3.5/5

Venue: 4/5

Value: 3/5

Cuisine type: British

Dinner for two (excluding drinks): £60

Wine: £4.25

Beer: £4.30

The Warrington

93 Warrington Crescent

London W9 1EH

Tel: 020 7592 7960

www.gordonramsay.com/thewarrington