2010 has been a thoroughly foodie year for Chérie City and over the past year, I’ve unearthed some incredible discoveries – in fact, I’ve never eaten so well!
A mixture of new openings and long-time institutions, here are the top new finds of the year. If you’re feeling tempted, click to read Chérie City’s review…
10 favourite restaurants in London:
Cafe Luc – Marylebone’s neighbourhood Belgian bistro that outshines the rest!
Empress of India – Victoria Park gastro pub with seriously good seasonal dishes.
The Fish Place – Michelin-standard seasonal dishes…and not just fish!
Fox & Anchor – Mighty, hearty pub food with gourmet touches served up in the snug.
Camino Puerto Del Canario – Authentic Spanish produce and the best tapas I’ve ever tasted!
Belle Vue – Scrumptious Sunday Roast with well-seasoned meat and huge portions.
Mestizo – Traditional Mexican mole dishes with a huge selection of tequila.
Old Queen’s Head – Perfect Sunday Lunch with homemade Yorkshires and duck fat roast potatoes.
Dishoom – A Bombay Cafe in London with atmosphere and delectable dishes.
Moti Mahal – Grand Trunk road cuisine at its best with exceptional service.
Delectable cakes and afternoon tea:
Winter Tea at The Goring – The quintessential afternoon tea at London’s oldest family-run hotel.
Cox Cookies and Cakes – Cheeky fashion cupcakes from Soho’s suitably camp cupcake store.
De-Light Afternoon Tea at The Met Bar – Low-fat concept, haute cakes!
Ruinart Afternoon Tea at Miller Harris – The most refined and understated afternoon tea in Mayfair.
The Bridge, Shoreditch – The cakes aren’t the best in London, but it’s worth it for the weird and wonderful decor.
Albion at The Boundary – Forget the queue, grab a latte and slice of Victoria Sponge and take-out, cheaper too!
New Paris hangouts…
Hotel du Nord – Intimate, bobo and full of character with great food and nutty waiters.
Pink Flamingo – Punk rock pizza joints in Paris’ hip neighbourhoods – try the chicken tagine pizza!
Chez L’Ami Jean – Baskets of charcuterie, taster menus and chef Stéphane Jégo yelling from the kitchen.
Le Comptoir – 6 months wait for a table, but they Yves Camdeborde also does a cracking breakfast!
Le Chateaubriand – The place to see and be seen and the heart of the neo-bistro revolution – food with feeling!
Hotel Amour – André’s hotel lives up to the reputation with a buzzing atmosphere and pretty decent food.
La Tete Dans Les Olives – Tiny olive shop and dining table run by former slack rope walker, Cédric Casanova.
Rino – Quietly pushing the boundaries with a Nordic influence – a new favourite of Le Fooding.
New openings for 2011:
Dinner by Heston Blumenthal – modern British dishes with a bit of ‘Heston’ alchemy at the Mandarin Oriental Hotel, opening January.
Pollen Street Social – Ex-Maze chef Jason Atherton’s first informal restaurant with a separate all-day tapas bar and dessert bar.
The Gilbert Scott – Marcus Wareing opens a British bistro at the spectacular St Pancras Renaissance Hotel in February.
Spice Market – NYC chef Jean-Georges Vongerichten opens Asian street food restaurant at the W Hotel on Valentine’s Day.
Chérie Wish List for 2011: Les Deux Salons / Tierra Brindisa / Koffmann’s / Bistro Bruno Loubert / Hotel Thoumieux / Chez Jeanette / La Cantine du Troquet.
Have you visited any of these restaurants? Which places are you dying to try out in the New Year?