Ideal for terrific tacos and a fiesta Mexicana…

First things first. Some things are bigger than food. El Pastor, the vibrant, fulfilling taqueria from the Hart Brothers (of Barrafina and Quo Vadis fame) was part of the tragic night of senseless violence in June of this year when terrorists rampaged through Borough Market. Re-opening less than two weeks after the attack, and full to the brim with diners on our visit, seemed testament to the resilience and strength of Londoners and the warm, generous welcome on offer at London’s finest new Mexican restaurant.

IDEA

The Hart Brothers, who have pretty much perfected no reservations, counter-seating tapas bars with Barrafina, have recently opened El Pastor, a taqueria on the edge of Borough Market. The approach here is similar, and the result equally as fine. Fresh, vivacious food with all the hustle, bustle, chatter and cheer of their previous joints, make for one hell of a winning formula.

LOCATION

Housed on Stoney Street, just off central Borough Market, you’d have to be of poor eyesight to miss El Pastor. Bare brick walls painted with the colours of the Mexican flag as well as its most ubiquitous ingredients – tomatoes and fresh herbs – are indication you’re going to be transported across the Atlantic and south into taco country.

ATMOSPHERE

The rumble of people having a good time is tantamount to the feeling as you approach a football stadium. Get closer and the din gets louder, anticipation building in equal measure. Once at the threshold, the roar of the crowd, of people really enjoying themselves, could physically move you. Maybe it’s the mezcal, provided in all shapes, sizes and tastes, or the food, just as spirited and vital as the punters. Whatever it is, there is certainly brio and buzz here. There is a two-floored open kitchen (a first for us) overlooking the room and bringing that sense of theatre to proceedings.

FOOD

The menu is primarily taco-led, although quesadillas and and a few sides also make an appearance. As a rule, one should order guacamole to size up the ambition and skill of a place like this. El Pastor’s rendition is excellent – super fresh, not too smooth and damn generous with the housemade chips.

The ‘al pastor’, translated as ‘shepherd style’ and from which the restaurant takes it name, is a useful focal point. Pork which has been marinated for a day sits alongside its close companion pineapple, as well as guacamole and herbs. Tacos are made fresh here everyday, rarer than you might think of Mexican places in Britain, and it shows. They are sturdy enough to hold a sauce but also light and not too doughy, which would be in danger of overshadowing some of the more thoughtfully paired fillings.

All in all, the food was knockout. Although some combinations rear up more than once, they serve different purposes in each dish, and by no means feel like the kitchen has run out of ideas. Dishes were uniformly flavourful and bright.

MUST TRY

One dish stood out in a busy field of crowd-pleasers. The sharing short-rib, cooked until falling apart, served with some seriously nice seasoning mix of sugar, salt and spices, was one of our knockout dishes of the year. It’s a do-it-yourself affair, with 6 tacos appearing alongside it and a host of pokey, fitting sauces, dips and herbs for you to choose between. You’d be crazy not to add bone marrow for an extra three quid – it made a near perfect dish even better. It was one of those dishes that we were looking forward to eulogising over on the tube ride home while eating it.

DRINK

Mezcal, tequila’s feistier, more esoteric cousin, is celebrated with vigour here. There are a host of different versions, to be drunk straight or in cocktail form, with useful tasting notes and advice from the bar to guide the more innocent drinker. If you’re loath to getting down and dirty with the spirits, there are also Mexican beers – light and crisp – as well as wine and considerately flavoured waters.

WHY GO

El Pastor is the full ticket. For a city of such great culinary diversity and choice, Mexico seems to be less than enthusiastically represented. The enthusiasm from staff and punter alike is boundless here. If you want food, drink and atmosphere which transports you to a happy place, one of energy and great verve, go here. Your ringing ears and sore head may not forgive you in the morning, but for a place this good, who cares?

Website: www.tacoselpastor.co.uk

Address: 6-7A Stoney St, London SE1 9AA

If you’ve ever found yourself in a pub in London – everyone, then – it’s pretty likely you’ve been in a Young’s. The brewery’s original site in Wandsworth claims to be the oldest in Britain – prior to its 2006 closure that is – and now Young’s boasts nearly 220 outposts in its portfolio.

Owing to the current rate of independent pub closures, the vitriol directed at larger operations deemed to be causing it, and 2017’s love of anything artisan and ‘craft’, most people scoff at big pub and food corporations which tend to have identikit interiors and completely lack atmosphere.

However, Young’s is different from your average group of big shiny chains whose sole purpose is to make money. Unlike many, they have their roots firmly in the industry, and in the words of Girls Aloud – have got a whole lotta history – nearly 200 years of it in fact. To put that into perspective,  since the company was founded in 1831 there have been seven different monarchs, 48 different Prime Ministers and  two world wars . Now known as Young’s Original Bitter, they started the home-brewed PA trend all the way back in 1864 (a major innovation within the sector).

In Putney, not far from where it all began, is The Spotted Horse. We’re told it’s often shortened to SpoHo, but that sounds like a derogatory rap term so we’ll give it a swerve. It’s one of the group’s oldest pubs, and with a freshening up of the decor and streamlining of the menu just complete, it’s well worth checking out.

IDEA

The recent refurb aims toward the ‘botanical’, an intriguing goal when considering the pub’s cavernous qualities and historically old-school feel. The botanics, it transpires, are very much in keeping with the Spotted Horse’s dedicated G&T bar, the Juniper Terrace. The menu has been modernised too – stripped back – and given a few flourishes designed to distance itself from cloying, heavy ‘pub grub’. Largely, it’s worked.

LOCATION

A 5 minute walk from Putney Station, and bang in the middle of Putney high street, The Spotted Horse is impossible to miss. Whilst some may perceive the area to be out of the way, it’s only ten minutes from Clapham Junction and trains function with regularity.

ATMOSPHERE

The Spotted Horse has kept its old facade, but rejigged nearly everything else. Ubiquitous exposed brickwork and filament lightbulbs are all present and correct, but they’re offset by much flora and floating shrubbery baskets – an interesting juxtaposition and a more unique touch. This synergetic theme is echoed in the soft furnishings of opulent velvet and a verdant palette of moss green, pine and sage. There is still a fireplace, and booths are comfy and spacious; it’s pleasing to see the refurb wasn’t all style over substance and that a pub’s traditional warmth and welcome is still on the agenda. On some nights they also have live music, just like a good pub should. 

What is very new indeed is The Juniper Terrace, a welcome outdoor space that is often lacking in the capital; designed to evoke summer all year round with tropical prints and light cocktails. More on those later.

FOOD

For now, the food. The ‘all-day’ (there is also brunch, 7 days a week) menu is relatively concise and focused – a good thing when you consider the sprawling, globe trotting menus of some ‘chain’ pubs. There’s 7 light and 8 bigger bites – that’s starters and mains to you and I – and 6 desserts. A selection of sides is included on the menu too, though the necessity isn’t really there; most mains come with a pairing of suitable veg.

We start with a generous portion of smoked mackerel pate and rabbit croquettes with burnt corn jam. The pate is smooth and lush, not overly smokey but a tad on the salty side – and we love salt. Rabbit croquettes are crisp and moreish, though whether it’s discernibly rabbit I’m not so sure. Regardless the burnt corn jam pairs well.

For mains, it’s the menu-omnipresent of spiced (curry powder) cauliflower steak, sitting comfortably among familiar companions pomegranate and yoghurt. It has bite, a couple more minutes under the grill would’ve softened the edges and given more of that charred effect which so benefits this brassica, but the flavours all marry harmoniously. We also try the Angus steak, chips and bearnaise; a pub classic which always delivers. It’s almost gone past the requested medium rare, but it’s still good.

DRINK

Young’s award-winning casks rub shoulders with hipster favourites Fourpure Flatiron American Red, Founders IP and Camden Pale on draught – it’s London and the drinking crowd young; of course there’s Camden Pale. The wine list is of decent length but most interesting is the attention to – scrap that, obsession with – gin here. The Little Bird with Fever Tree Mediterranean tonic garnished with a slice of grapefruit, which the affable bar manager steered us towards, was bloody marvellous, and impossible to only have one of. The prospect of enjoying some of these on The Juniper Terrace in the summer is reason enough to return.

MUST TRY

Whilst a few teething problems on the new menu – always the way after a refurb – are getting ironed out, we can’t recommend the gin selection highly enough, particularly the grapefruit with Mediterranean tonic. It’s as good a gin as we’ve had anywhere recently, and that’s some compliment – IDEAL is in constant pursuit of a good gin.

WHY GO

If you frequent Putney regularly, you’ve probably walked past this pub a million times and dismissed it. Don’t.  The Spotted Horse’s new identity is an attempt to move away from the stuffy, stale high street boozers all too familiar to any Brit who likes a drink and lives in a city.

The botanical theme has lent the interior an airy quality, light on its feet and touch but still warm and welcoming, all of which sets the scene for some indulgence in the excellent booze and conversation in a relaxed environment. The food needs a little time to become more self assured and steady on its feet, but that moment doesn’t feel far away. For now, we can’t wait to revisit, to get amongst it on the rooftop bar, with that delicious gin.

Website: www.spottedhorse.co.uk

Address: 122 Putney High St, London SW15 1RG

Disclosure: IDEAL Magazine dined as a guest of the restaurant.

The quintessentially British Sunday Roast is one of the most popular dishes in London. The capital is home to some of the fluffiest potatoes, the finest veg and the tastiest gravy in Britain, but it’s not an easy job narrowing down the best.

We’ve already listed our favourite places for a roast in South West London. With this in mind we’ve rounded up some there other Sunday Roasts that you simply can’t miss out on in London. It’s time to eat your way across the city, one Yorkshire pudding at a time.

Central London: Hunter 486

Hunter 486, the glamorous restaurant located within five-star boutique hotel The Arch London in Marylebone, offers guests a taste of classic British cuisine with a modern twist. The crowning glory of the menu is the use of the stone oven. As it operates at a very high heat, meat is produced with astonishingly succulent results. Priced at £22.95 the two-course Sunday Roast menu features traditional roast meat dishes with all the trimmings with Baked spiced pineapple or White chocolate cranberry bread and butter pudding for dessert.

Website: www.thearchlondon.com

North London: The Duke of Cambridge

The Duke of Cambridge is Britain’s first and only certified Organic pub and is located in the heart of Islington. The Organic pub’s menu changes by season to ensure that their quintessentially British Roast features only the freshest and highest quality ingredients. Guests can choose from a variety of organic wines as well as soft drinks, all made with natural ingredients.

Website: dukeorganic.co.uk

South London: The Jam Tree Clapham

Head South to The Jam Tree’s Clapham venue for a plentiful roast with copious amounts of roast potatoes, swede & carrot mash, parsnips and cauliflower cheese. The Jam Tree’s menus combine fresh and locally sourced ingredients. As well as serving a mean Roast, The Jam Tree is known for its beer garden and as the place to go for a night of music and dancing.

Website: www.thejamtree.com/clapham

West London: Smokehouse Chiswick

Smokehouse Chiswick is a neighbourhood gem which serves a comforting Sunday Roast with all the trimmings. As the restaurant’s name suggests all of the meat is smoked in-house. Sunday Roast dishes include Mutton croquettes; Venison carpaccio; Lincoln red topside of beef and smoked beef shin and Slow-smoked Yorkshire dry-aged mutton shoulder.  All dishes are served with Yorkshire puddings.

Website: smokehousechiswick.co.uk

East London: The Princess of Shoreditch

This chic bar and restaurant serves a traditional British Roast with a contemporary twist. Exquisite dishes include Treacle and beer cured roasted pork rib eye with apple ketchup and Roasted crown of Yorkshire chicken with brown bread sauce. Room must be saved to try one of their signature desserts such as Princess toasted s’more & dark chocolate sorbet or Sticky toffee pudding with beer caramel and nut brown butter ice cream.

Website: www.theprincessofshoreditch.com

South West London: Harwood Arms

The Fulham based gastropub has been dubbed as ‘not your average gastropub’ with its 200-bin wine list (with a dozen available by the glass) and lavish dishes. Feast on large sharing boards of roast meat, Yorkshire puddings and cauliflower cheese croquettes with bowls of veg and smoked bone marrow gravy. But you’ll need to book in advance as there’s a high demand for a Sunday Roast at this Michelin-starred venue.  

Website: www.harwoodarms.com 

North West London: Parlour Kensal

This shabby chic hidden gem in Kensal Rise is the perfect place to sit back on a Sunday to read the papers and tuck into a Roast. The comfy leather chairs and homely decor will have you wanting to stay for the rest of the afternoon, and take advantage of the free-rein bread station. Finish your Roast with one of Head Chef Jesse Dunford Wood’s intricate desserts including the ‘Painter’s Palette’ of ice creams and sorbets or Thai Green Curry or Hubba Bubba flavoured Arctic rolls.

Website www.parlourkensal.com

A Clapham restaurant serving up some of the best dim sum and macarons in London

On Café is the kind of place you stumble upon and think, how the hell have I never heard about this restaurant before. The food, the atmosphere and everything about On Café is just great. If you took someone here on a date, they’re guaranteed to be really impressed. Not because the restaurant is fancy or does revolutionary things with food. They’ll be impressed because you know that this lovely little restaurant exists.

At On Café they do two things: Chinese dim sum and French patisserie. To have both in the same setting may seem a little odd, but it totally works. Think about it, both dim sum and patisserie chefs are highly trained and masters of their art. The two are hard to perfect and both take dexterity to make. The sensibility behind Chinese dim sum and French patisserie is ultimately the same and both are a joy to eat.

Idea

An Asian style cafe in the heart of Clapham Common serving Chinese dim sum and French patisserie. International award winning chef, Loretta Liu is chef proprietor of On Café. She has been schooled in classical French cooking by the likes of Pierre Gagnaire, Frederic Bau and Alain Ducasse. Pretty impressive!

Ambience

This is a charming little restaurant. It’s warm and has a lovely homey family run feeling about it. The cafe may be is small, but it’s perfectly shaped.

The Food

‘On’ means balance, and the restaurant offers a balanced menu of light dim sum alongside incredible patisserie. Asian flavours are used in both the dim sum and patisserie, obviously linking the two sections of the menu together, resulting in exciting flavour fusions. However we have to stress that this is not a fusion restaurant.  They don’t mindlessly mix ingredients in the name of novelty here, it’s all about the marriage of different flavours and skills to create food that screams good taste.

Here are some of our favourite dishes:

Fried salt and pepper squid

This fried, spicy dish is a staple favourite at most Chinese restaurant and we’ve had it so many times, but we’ve never had ones like these before. They not only have that crunchy element that makes salt and pepper squid an absolute pleasure to eat, they are seasoned to perfection. The chef uses Shaoxing wine, sesame oil, curry leave, Szechuan pepper, lemon grass, red and green fresh chilli and smoked sea salt, giving these little morsels of joy a depth of flavour which is phenomenal.

Prawn toast with Chinese parsley

How many times have you been to a Chinese restaurant, ordered some prawn toast and been presented with a greasy disappointment of fried bread covered with sesame seeds that may or may not have prawns in it? Not here. On Café’s prawn toast is exceptionally good and deliciously moreish.  They’ve sexed their shrimp up mixing it with squid and seasoning with Chinese parsley and mustard.

Fried Beijing dumplings

These are just the tip. Golden brown and crisp on the bottom, with a skin that’s springy and chewy.  These aromatic delights are filled with a mix of British pork, Chinese cabbage, spring onion and sesame. It works so well.

Salmon Thai green curry

We were really excited to eat these, but unfortunately a little dissapointed. They sound amazing and promise to be full of flavor, but in reality these are just lightly seasoned salmon dumplings, we could barely taste the Thai green curry. However On Café is about light balanced dim sum, we get it. But having something that is really punchy on the menu is a good thing in our eyes.

Prawn and leek Har Gow

These lovely little pockets absolutely explode with flavour. We ordered them twice, you should too.

Chicken Bao

The Patisserie

Why Go?

For dim sum that will get you hooked and for some of the best macarons in town. Oh and because this place is BYOB, you’ll be pushed to spend more hat £20 a head.

oncafe.london