Paris Bonheur
We visited on a wet Thursday evening, and even though we ran from the metro station around the square, we were still fairly damp by the time we arrived. Inside, we were warmly welcome and seated in the window.
We started our meal with a glass of cremant, because why not. After selecting our starters and mains, we asked the waiter for wine recommendations. We each had different starters and mains, which called for something that suited each dish.
While we were waiting for our starters, we were presented with a stack of home-made pretzels, and a cucumber gazpacho. I'm usually not a fan of the original tomato version, but this variation with cucumber and tzatziki was outstanding. The fresh cucumber with the yoghurt worked well, and little cubes of perfectly even cucumber added a bit of crunch. One of the best dishes we enjoyed this year.
For our starters, my wife had the fried squid and mussel salad, served with some sweet grilled vine tomatoes. I enjoyed the pan-fried girolle mushrooms and snails, finished with a vin jaune sauce. The sauce was rich and bound the dish together. Some crunchy croutons added some texture.
For her main, my wife ordered the steak, and this is where Paris Bonheur let us down a little. Although it was a good cut, it was sadly a little tough. The fries were really good, and came freshly cooked and in a generous portion — if only they had arrived with the steak as intended, rather than being served to an adjacent table. This error was very quickly noticed and rectified. I chose the smoked duckling with red fruits and beetroot as my main dish. The duck was well cooked, although in my opinion the skin should have been crispy. The red fruits added acidity, and the beetroot some welcome earthiness.
We did not have a dessert, as we were too full! Overall we'd thoroughly recommend this spot.
The Holland
It's a pub, not far from the Design Museum in Kensington, just off the main road which forms High Street Kensington. The Holland is on a busy-ish road, but inside it is a calm and relaxing spot. There are some tables outside too. When we visited, it wasn't especially busy, with a couple of groups inside and standing outside having some drinks in the warm weather. The staff were very friendly and attentive, and before we knew it, we had our menus to pick our dishes.
For her starter, my wife had the potted crab on toast. The portion size was excellent, the crab tasty, and also nicely presented. I enjoyed the steak tartare, which was mixed with tomato and a little horseradish. It was served heaped with Parmesan cheese, and a potato cake (thin layers of potato, fried).
For my main, I had the "Fish of the Day" with a Vierge sauce and some spinach. Today's fish was Pollock. It had a lovely crispy skin, and the sauce was punchy with tomato, basil, and a large squeeze of lemon — maybe a little too much though, which made it a touch too sour to my liking. My wife chose the sweetcorn risotto. It was slightly sweet from the corn, with a touch of spice and well cooked rice. The usual sprinkling of cheese added a bit of balance.
With our meal, we enjoyed a crisp Grüner Veltliner, by the bottle.
We did book this through "The Fork", which gave us £20 off as we had enough "yums", which was nice! The Fork is one of the booking platforms we use to find restaurants.
Kin
Almost next to BBC Broadcasting House, Kin is a plant based restaurant. During the day it's a café with vegan snacks. In the evening it transforms into a modern restaurant with plant based dishes.
On a warm evening, we decided to sit inside in a fairly cool and quiet space. There were a few other diners enjoying the fine weather, eating outside. We usually avoid sitting outside as smoking and vaping tends to spoil the experience.
To start our meal, we shared the Sticky Cashew Tofu, and the Mushroom Skewers (on toast). The tofu was flavourful, and crispy, and the carrot dip added a bit more creaminess — this was my wife's favourite starter. The Mushroom Skewers were made up of oyster mushrooms, which were a little chewy to create some texture, and were served with an artichoke dip spread. Heaps of spring onion and chilli were tossed on top.
For her main, my wife chose the Cauliflower and Butter Bean Curry — Thai flavours and with roasted cashew nuts for texture, which she very much enjoyed. I had the Miso-Glazed Aubergine, which was served with cauliflower purée. The flavours were great, and the aubergine worked well with the cauliflower, but I found it mono-textural, lacking something crunchy as a contrasting texture. I also thought it was too much portion wise, but that was perhaps because we also already had starters too, or maybe we have smaller appetites. We were really full, so pudding didn't appeal, and we left to walk the fairly short distance to the tube.
When we left, it was a lot busier inside, and also a lot louder — perhaps a little too loud for our general liking.
All-in-all, we enjoyed a flavourful meal, and although most of the dishes had some texture, I found the aubergine dish lacking. But it's a good place for plant-based cuisine.
Poon's at Somerset House
Poon's is a stone throw away from the bustling Lancaster Place, in the New Wing of Somerset House. The room is bright, and has normal tables, a few high tables, and a communal style arrangement. We were seated at one of the high tables in the corner near the entrance, facing out with a good view over the interior.
At first glance the menu looks deceptively simple, but on closer examination there were many delicious options to choose from
We started with some pan-fried wind-dried sausage, which was slightly sticky, salty and delicious. We also shared a portion of The Hill That Amy Didn't Die On, a long-winded name for a prawn toast. But well done, and more like croquettes than the traditional flat shape — we're not sure that it actually involved bread.
For our mains I ordered the Char Siu, beautifully roasted pork belly with a sticky glaze. Some steamed rice was great for soaking up the juices. My wife chose the Steamed Catch of the Day. Today's was a Brill, which was presented whole, but taken off the bone for us. It was served with mushrooms — some of which were cut into strips and tied into little knots — and some greens. We shared more of these dishes than we would normally do.
We did not have space for desert as well, and instead enjoyed a digestive.
The meal was great, but it did end up being a little pricier than originally expected. But our digestive had something to do with that.
Poon's had a wonderful atmosphere, delicious food and welcoming staff, we'd definitely return and would recommend.
Zylia
The former TGI Fridays site in Covent Garden has been replaced by a food and cocktail court arrangement. There is a coffee shop and pancake place, but also a few restaurants around the perimeter with their own entrance. One of these is Zylia, a Greek/Cypriot restaurant.
Most of the dishes on the menu are meant for the table, so going with the sharing approach we opted for a selection of cold and warm Mezedakia to start. Their Taramosalata was probably one of the best variants that we've had. It wasn't oily, or overly salty, but thick and flavourful. Some of the bread that we ordered with it had the resemblance of a supermarket burger bun sliced vertically, oiled and seeded. It was also a bit salty, and the pittas served alongside were better.
We also shared the Spanakopita stack, consisting of crispy layers of filo pastry, with generous dollops of soft feta and spinach. The fried cheese croquettes were ball-shaped, and super hot fresh out of the fryer. They came with a sticky honey sauce.
From the Grill, we shared the Sheftalia (caul fat-wrapped pork parcels, think koftas), and the Chicken Souvlakia — marinated chicken thighs with lemon oil and oregano. Both meats were nicely cooked, and also full of flavour.
It is a bustling place, with a young audience. But it was also just a bit too noisy, to the point where it was difficult to have a conversation. The food however is delightful, and our five selected dishes were spot on quantity wise.
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