The Best of British

I am a self-confessed Italophile and will admit that I have not believed that any good food could ever come out of England. Put to the test by my other half who is of English descent, he was determined that he would show me that London restaurants could rival any of the best food I have ever eaten.  The bet was on – to try the best of British. First challenge – breakfast in London.

Touted as the best breakfast in London we booked a table at  Kopapa, a little Kiwi-owned casual bistro in the super funky Seven Dials district of London. Off the beaten track, the restaurant was very quaint and nestled amongst leafy trees in a chic avenue in the area.  I ordered their famous Turkish eggs, poached  free-range eggs served with whipped yoghurt and chilli butter with a slice of rye on the side. We also tried the spiced banana French toast with grilled bacon, orange blossom labne, tamarind raisin relish & orange vanilla syrup. The restaurant lived up to its fine reputation. The combination of the poached eggs with the whipped yoghurt was an extraordinary combination. Light, fluffy and savoury it felt like I had clouds floating around in my mouth.

The addition of the chilli butter provided a touch of richness and heat to the dish. The spiced banana French toast was equally decadent with the unusual melange of bacon and orange blossom labne that melted in our mouths. What let the restaurant down was the surly staff that grunted our orders at us and banged our plates on the table. This is a real let down for a great eatery. Their lunch menu looks fantastic too but the bad service meant that we are unlikely to return.

A fun breakfast spot we discovered was Muriel’s Kitchen in South Kensington. They served very simple fare but the homemade vanilla and whole chunks of strawberry jam was more-ish. This place is also known for its gorgeous cakes and muffins – whimsical looking fluffy, pastel coloured creations beckon and looked damn irresistible.

Next on the hunt was to find London’s best Sunday roast spot. Hawksmoor Spitalfields in Hackney was the place that had consistently been rated as number one. For 19 pounds you could order a traditional English roast beef dinner complete with Yorkshire pudding, braised leeks, potatoes, baby carrots and all the trimmings. We met up with my cousin there who has been living in London for a few years and is a local in the area. The roast servings were very generous with a huge Yorkshire pudding serving as a basin for the golden, fried potatoes.  

Whilst it looked impressive, this meal lacked flavour. I would have marinated the roast to give it some extra flavour. I don’t understand the English tradition of serving unseasoned meat and vegetables. Meat is so much better when it has been sitting in a gorgeous marinade for a few days. 

For our last night is London we went to a funky new eatery called Lardo. Housed in a renovated warehouse, Lardo draws its inspiration from Italian cooking and serves up tapas sized dishes of Italian favourites such as fresh peaches with parma ham, porcini risotto arancini, melanze al forno (baked aubergine) and a variety of tasty wood-fired pizzas. This was a simple, delicious meal and by far the best I had in London. 

Overall, London served up some creative, tasty fare that was surprisingly good. The reach of chefs like Jamie Oliver, Heston Blumenthal and Gordon Ramsay has gone a long way to begin to inspire a more adventurous cooking nation that has been previously synonymous with just plain boring. Your royal highness, for god’s sake give these guys a knighthood.