London Update: Where to Go, Stay, Eat

One of my first nights in London, I wandered into Trishna, a Michelin-starred restaurant in Marleybone. It immediately felt like a neighborhood restaurant, homey and welcoming, even though every detail was carefully considered. I started with the Amra Negroni, a riff on the classic cocktail that celebrates an intoxicating season of wild mangoes, and escalated to an intriguing sour with fresh ginger juice, wild Keralan honey and smoky scotch. Tandoor Prawns Balchao were next, spiked with palm vinegar and chutney, and served with ‘string hoppers,’ crisp discs of rice noodles. Wild Mushroom & Morel Kaima Biryani, a mushroom-bedecked rice dish, was perfectly paired with pink peppercorn raita and sliced truffle. Go if you want an elevated neighborhood experience with fantastic Indian food.

The Barbary is my favorite kind of place, bustling with hip and friendly waiters, glasses clinking, people laughing, and the food, the food. Sister to Palomar, another favorite, The Barbary is a potent exploration of place, namely the Barbary Coast, ‘identified by 16^th century Europeans as the area settled by Berbers in the Atlas Mountains.’ With many of the dishes cooked on open fire, it’s the kind of restaurant that makes you feel like you happened on something happening, authentic, now, and delicious too. The naan, labneh and hummus rule, of course; the bread is pillowy and warm, the labneh a swish of cool creaminess, and the hummus thick and addictive. We also had a tender Bavette Steak with Chermoula and a Black Salmon with Dukka, the fish breaking apart into supple pink flakes.

It’s a bit of a trick to find Sessions Arts Club. From the almost-hidden red door, to the mysterious coat lady in the vestibule, to the rickety elevator transporting you to the dining room on the cavernous second floor. Here plaster swirls on the walls, chandeliers teeter above a hum of diners, and the white cloth formality makes it all look like a rakish gentleman’s club. The food, eccentric and intentional, is glorious. Tuna, Cara Cara & Badger Flame was thick tuna with the brightness of orange and the earthy sweetness of beet. The complexity of Black Truffle anchored a comforting Milk Risotto. I especially loved the Muscavado Crème Caramel for dessert.

Rochelle Canteen is in Shoreditch, so we exited the tube on a busy thoroughfare lit up with ads and high-rise offices. Walking north, we quickly came to a residential neighborhood, the quiet streets lined with brick buildings, private parks, and turnabouts. Through a nondescript door in a high wall, we found ourselves on a dark path to a glowing greenhouse. This restaurant, like River Café, is the kind of place chefs talk about (our own Rose Wilde told me to go). The food is simple, pure, British, leaning into seasonal produce, butter, cream, herbs - everything that seems better in the UK. It also feels like the work of exceptional female chefs. We had the Beetroot Soup with Horseradish, a Borscht-pink-fantasia with the sharp surprise of horseradish. The Sea Bass, Coco Beans & Green Sauce was a perfect fish enlivened by a punchy herb-y sauce. The Rice Pudding & Raspberry Jam had me at hello.

The last night I got to experience the very beautiful Somerset Suite in One Aldwych. A round, turret-like room awash in cream pale rose and blue, it felt private and perfect. I had all kinds of things planned, but I didn’t want to leave, not least because of the bento box of dried fruit and nuts and a plate of the most perfectly fat figs I’d ever seen. The bedroom could have been on a chic ocean liner, with cleverly built-in shelves, and Frette sheets. Out the door was nearby Covent Garden with its warren of streets and hawkers channeling Olde England, and back at the hotel was an unusually delicious brunch, all gluten-free.

Dominic Teague, Head Chef of the hotel’s Indigo restaurant, is an evangelist for British local food. Sourcing delicate asparagus from the Wye Valley and sweet tomatoes from the Ile of Wight, he also makes a point to know his farmers and producers.

“I visit most of the farms where we source our ingredients,” Teague says. “If it’s Blythburgh free-range pork, for instance, [it's] the farmer, Jimmy Butler, and I can almost give you the name of the pig.” 

Teague also takes his staff, both front and back of house, on yearly foraging trips. “We explore the seashore and maybe cook up some seaweed on the beach. Then head into the forest to check out what’s there.”

The brunch was hearty with Truffle-d Scrambled Eggs with Sourdough, Almond Pancakes with Streaky Bacon, Rooftop Honey (yes, they have bees on the roof!) and Berry Compote. I loved the Grilled Courgette Salad with Oregano and Rapeseed Oil, the moist Polenta & Pistachio Cake, the Coconut Pannacotta, and my personal fave, a splendid and very-gluten-free Eton Mess. Stay at One Aldwych if you want a theater-centric location and splurge on that suite - it's truly glorious.

OTHER PLACES WE LOVE:

Spring at Somerset House, for the late and radiantly talented Chef Skye Gyngell's bright, clean and gorgeously executed food

Gymkhana - an Indian food rite of passage

Amaya -- another beautiful Indian in fancy Belgravia

Moro -- Moorish food in Exmouth Market

Honey & Co - Ottolenghi alums, Itamar Srulovich and Sarit Packer, have four restaurant and deli locations - get the Feta and Honey deconstructed Cheesecake

Ottolenghi anything - especially love the one in Islington after a play at Almeida Theatre, and the standing-room-only one in Notting Hill

Daylesford Organic - for that LA/ Aussie/ London farm-to-table breakfast vibe

Borough Market - for the scene -- top notch food purveyors ringed by seriously good restaurants

Hampstead Market on a Saturday -- for the bustle, the crowds, the flowers and the outstanding pastries, best eaten by the side of the road.