Restaurant Reviews – Dine Online

Coco di Mama offers the experience of high quality Italian cucina at very economical prices. Altogether a very satisfying meal served promptly without sacrificing quality.

Coco di Mama
90 Fleet Street
London EC4Y 1DH
Tel: 020 7583 9277

When it comes to a lunchtime bite, sometimes a sandwich just doesn’t cut the mustard. Around the City’s square mile the office worker is somewhat spoilt for choice with a plethora of up-market take-outs to choose between. Coco di Mama (Mummy’s Boy in Italian), is a newcomer to the area offering a fresh approach to fast food for those short on time but who won’t comprise on taste.

The interior is bright and clean, with welcoming staff who will serve you quickly and efficiently so you can be on your way. There are places to eat inside but it is a functional setting and not somewhere to linger and the prices reflect this. The main focus here is good quality pasta dishes served in smart containers which can be easily eaten back at the office without spillage. In fact, as I commented at the time, this is wonderful hangover food, hot and tasty, with some substance and energy for the afternoon ahead. There is no license here but there are some very tasty homemade smoothies, fruit juices and Italian branded fizzy drinks to enjoy.

The specific pasta used here is Al Bronzo which is a name new to me but for those connoisseurs of Italian cuisine I believe this is something of a blue chip variety. Pretty much everything they can make on site they do, including all their homemade sauces. These ranged from classic pomodoro, slow cooked bolognaise, garden pesto, puttanesca, and pollo bianco. There is also a daily changing lasagne – on the day we visited it was Portobello mushroom and spinach. Every day fresh soups are prepared and we tried some authentic and flavoursome minestrone. If all that doesn’t grab you there are plenty of other options. Very fresh looking salads included an Italian charcuterie, a tricolore and a goat’s cheese and butternut squash. As well as artisan baguettes and stone baked pastries. All the food tasted very fresh whilst the pasta and sauces were very well cooked and appetising to eat. For dessert there is a whole range of gooey looking treats, including a terrific tiramisu, and a wonderfully creamy lemon Sicilian cheesecake which was rich and authentic and no doubt highly calorific. If coffee’s your thing then you are in for a treat! The coffee is Climpson and Sons which is known for its authentic and rich taste serving up a coffee that would please even a homesick Italian.

To conclude, Coco di Mama offers the experience of high quality Italian cucina at very economical prices. Altogether a very satisfying meal served promptly without sacrificing quality. A firm recommendation to try if in the area.

http://www.cocodimama.co.uk

Louise Elgin. July 2011.
Pasta range from £3.70 – £4.90.

INTRODUCING WATATSUMI

Take a culinary journey that goes beyond sushi and sashimi at the recently opened Watatsumi restaurant on Northumberland Avenue.
With a fantastic ‘raw bar’, elegant restaurant and stylish cocktail bar plus a range of menus, from the full ‘omakase’ tasting experience and Watatsumi’s a la carte to the highly affordable bento boxes, there’s something for all tastes and budgets.

Highly skilled chefs and husband and wife team, Peter and Hili Makohus (who met in the kitchens of Nobu Park Lane), offer exquisitely presented dishes that marry bold new recipes with contemporary flavours.

As elegant as the menus, the opulent, high-ceilinged, marble-pillared dining room is a stunning backdrop to drink, dine or entertain in. A sleek and simple interior of comfortable white leather seating and dark wood tables complement the space with a beautiful light sculpture made up of hundreds of hanging white fish taking centre stage and casting shadows.

THE RAW BAR

Purists should pull up a stool at the raw bar and watch the highly skilled shokunin (sushi technicians) in action. As well as the classic sashimi, nigiri, maki and temaki rolls one would expect, Watatsumi offers a range of tantalising ‘tartars’ and ‘tataki’ dishes that include tuna with spicy miso and salmon with yuzu, all prepared in full view of the diner.

For an affordable casual lunch, Watatsumi offers a range of delicious bento boxes featuring miso soup, sushi, sesame stir-fried vegetables and Japanese steamed rice with a choice of chicken, beef, salmon or tofu tepanyaki for just £14.50 with a glass of wine.

THE RESTAURANT

For a more formal dining experience, book a table in the stunning restaurant. Start with a platter of expertly executed California rolls with a selection of hot appetisers including tempura, yakitori, gyoza and their signature Watatsumi crispy calamari.

Must-try mains from the hot kitchen include pan fried seabass in shisho butter; Gressingham duck breast marinated in mikan miso with a spicy kumquat compote; roasted red tilapia grilled in cedar wood and, for committed carnivores, US grain fed beef with sansyo teriyaki.
Puddings include classics like a chocolate fondant and speculoos white chocolate cheesecake as well as more characteristically Japanese desserts such as mochi ice cream served with a lychee liqueur and a cranberry and yuzu tartlet.

For the full Watatsumi experience, discerning diners can indulge in the ‘omakase’ chef’s tasting menu and explore the restaurant’s stunning signature dishes for £65 for seven courses.

The drinks list at Watatsumi features a carefully chosen selection of over 15 sakes and sakamais from all over Japan and beyond. Wines have been chosen with consideration to complement the cuisine with the house selection starting at just £19 and, for real bon vivants, there’s a range of fine wines with choices such as Puligny-Montrachet Premier Cru and Meursault as well as a budget-blowing Chateaux Margaux 1998 Premier Grand Cru Classe?.

THE BAR

Cocktail connoisseurs will not be disappointed. The Bar at Watatsumi offers an interesting and innovative list of bespoke concoctions as well as the usual classics. Sip on an Asian-inspired Shiso Martini made with fresh shiso leaves, yuzu and wasabi, shaken with Disaronno and Honjozo sake; or the Chic Nashi, a champagne cocktail muddled with fresh nashi pear and Xante pear cognac – the perfect aperitif with a bowl of spicy chilli-salt edamame.

Watatsumi 7 Northumberland Avenue, London, WC2N 5BY T: 020 7036 8520 www.watatsumi.co.uk

Fresh food, Italian style, in just a minute

The Square Mile is having a gingham tablecloth thrown over it with the opening of Coco di Mama. Flashes of red and white are in evidence up and down Fleet Street as workers carry the brand’s trademark bags to their offices for breakfast, lunch and all the bits in between. Buon Appetito!

Coco di Mama (a play on the Italian for ‘Mama’s boy’) combines the finest ingredients from Italy and closer to home with a little but of fun, offering a fresh alternative to humdrum high street sandwiches, soups and wraps.

Join us for lunch and enjoy a freshly prepared pasta dish with homemade sauce. We use the finest Al Bronzo pasta from the heart of Sicily – it has been slowly drawn through bronze dies to create the tiny ridges that our sauces cling to – and our recipes have been painstakingly compiled and feature only the very best ingredients.

Choose from a variety of pasta shapes with classic sauces such as slow-cooked Bolognese with juicy pancetta, rich Portobello Mushroom or fiery Arrabiatta. Set to cause a real stir though are Coco di Mama’s less familiar choices including a decadent Blue Cheese Carbonara, a smoky pepper and Kalamata olive and a playful Bloody Mary with a splash of vodka. Daily-changing sauce-free ‘naked’ dishes, where the flavour of the pasta speaks for itself, are complemented with fresh herbs, spices, extra virgin olive oil and a choice of seafood, meat or vegetables.

All our pasta dishes cost between £3.70 and £4.90 and are freshly prepared in less than a minute; perfect for lunch- on-the-run, picnics in the City’s green eating spaces or just some time out from the office in the unique, contemporary 20-seat venue.

Coco di Mama may be kick-starting a pasta revolution in the Square Mile, but diners have been equally delighted by its range of freshly prepared lasagnes, artisan baguettes, inspired salads and decadent dessert pots.

Lasagnes are painstakingly layered by hand every morning and individually baked at lunchtime with flavours ranging from a classic beef and tomato to the more original courgette and Parmesan or mushroom and pesto. Baguettes are stone-baked daily and filled with delicious ingredients including Taleggio cheese, salami Napoli, Prosciutto and perfectly chargrilled vegetables. Salads fulfil more than just a supporting role with choices that includes Italian charcuterie, crumbled goat’s cheese and butternut squash and the ever-popular tricolore. Soups are either rich and hearty or simple and flavoursome, with choices such as farmhouse chicken and Tuscan vegetable or Portobello wild mushroom amongst others.

For a touch of Italian indulgence, a selection of dessert pots and cakes are the perfect sweet treat to accompany an espresso. Enjoy a Sicilian lemon cheese cake with zesty lemon curd on a crumbly base of ginger nuts, hazelnuts and flaked almonds; apricot zabaglione pot with fruity apricot compote topped with a deliciously light zabaglione cream; a very cherry brandy trifle with a cherry on top (of course!); or an unbelievably intense Valhrona chocolate pot.

Italy would not be Italy without its love of great coffee and at Coco Di Mama we are fanatical about the bean. We serve our own unique espresso blend – full-bodied and intense – created for us by the award-winning independent East London roasters, Climpson & Sons. Whether you like it straight or milky, our coffee perfectly complements our delicious breakfast dishes featuring delights such as oven-crisped pancetta rolls with spicy ketchup, stone-baked pastries and fabulously fresh fruit pots and yoghurts.

Leading interior designer Afroditi Krassa (Itsu, Dishoom) has created a distinct and striking look for the brand. Combing the classic with the modern by playing with stereotypical trattoria elements such as the trademark gingham, wooden fencing and mosaic flooring. The result is a re-imagined version of the Italian classic, without a Chianti bottle in sight!

Coco di Mama – a fresh approach to Italian food – mama would be proud!

Coco di Mama, 90 Fleet Street, London, EC4Y 1DH

www.cocodimama.co.uk

The Blues Kitchen
111 – 113 Camden High Street
London NW1 7JN
Tel: 020 7387 5277

Situated on Camden High Street a stone’s throw from Mornington Crescent tube is ‘The Blues Kitchen’. A spacious and airy venue, it has a vibe that is laid-back and welcoming, attracting a crowd mostly in their twenties and thirties. The overall interior is one of shabby chic; with comfy mustard coloured booths, funky light fittings and distressed art on the walls. In the early evening the ambience is more of a restaurant than a night spot and music is played at an audible level. After dark, from around 9.30pm onwards, the live blues band begins and the volume rises appropriately.

The menu is fitting for the setting, with plenty of cocktails, milkshakes, burgers and Mexican/Soul Food on offer. There is also something to suit all wallets and appetites, including sharing platters, if you just fancy a snack instead of a full blown meal. To begin we tried a couple of the starters; some fabulously well-flavoured chilli, served with corn chips, guacamole and soured cream, and some moreish chilli nachos, with grilled barbeque chicken and melted cheese. To follow, there was plenty of choice from southern U.S. state favourites. These included New Orleans gumbo, seafood jambalaya, and various burgers and steaks and salads. We ordered the jerk chicken burger which was well spiced and came attractively presented on a wooden block, with creamy cold slaw and piping hot fries. With this, from the small but concise wine list we tried a glass of organic merlot which slipped down a treat. I also indulged in a really thick and rich, chocolate milkshake, made with dairy ice-cream it was fabulous: rich, creamy and really chocolaty. For pudding, we shared a slice of top-notch homemade vanilla cheesecake with berries that melted in the mouth. Throughout the evening service was efficient, friendly and polite throughout.
At around 9.30pm the lights are dimmed and the atmosphere evolves into one of a late-night club, the sort you see in old American films. This is when the volume is cranked up a few notches in the lead up to the live entertainment.

Blues music is played nightly until the small hours and apparently the joint is packed to the gills at the weekends. The Blues Kitchen is somewhere to come for a different night out, one where it’s possible to enjoy a few drinks, tasty food and live music without having to change location or break the bank.

Reviewed by Louise Elgin: May 2011

A meal for two with drinks is around £35.00 a head.
The Blues Kitchen is open until 2am on Thursdays and 3am on Friday and Saturday nights.

For a truly soulful experience, head to The Blues Kitchen in Camden for their hugely popular week long Blue’s Festival taking place on Sunday 29th May until Sunday 5th June.

The Blues Kitchen will kick-off each evening with a stellar line-up of rhythm and blues talent, served alongside a menu of soul food and a fantastic collection of American whiskies, bourbons and ryes. There’s even the chance to learn how to play the harmonica and to swing dance.

Drop in to the festival to hear a whole host of emerging and established music talent including Mud Morganfield (the son of the legendary Muddy Waters), Mark Flanegan (widely known as Jools Holland’s guitarist and has played with Paul Weller, Amy Winehouse and Eric Clapton), Ian Siegal (award-winning blues artists) and Jack Rabbit Slim (the UK’s top Rockabilly outfit) amongst many others. On the final day (Sunday 5th June), a selection of the festival’s top performers will return for The Sunday Blues Jam and Festival Closing Party.

Hit the Blues Kitchen any evening during the Festival and experience a real taste of the Deep South with their taster paddle. As well as featuring a paddle of six rye whiskies including the full-bodied Pikesville Supreme Rye Whiskey and the aptly named Jacquin’s Rock and Rye infused with rock candy and oranges, there’s a finger-licking sharing plate for two, piled high with sweet potato wedges, buffalo wings, BBQ ribs, padron peppers, delicious homemade chilli, dips and tortilla chips (£12 per person).

Bespoke cocktails inspired by the evening’s line-up will be on offer throughout the festival. Try the ‘Mudslide’ (Mud Morganfield), the distinctive ‘Split Hog’ (The Groundhogs) or the refreshing ‘Hillbilly Rock’ (Jack Rabbit Slim).

For those looking for a great deal, head to The Blues Kitchen early doors and enjoy a starter, main and any cocktail for just £10 per person between 6 – 8pm. Typical dishes include Cajun blackened shrimp, seafood jambalaya and their famous New Orleans gumbo – a generous dish of chicken, smoked sausage, sweet potato, tomato, beans and pepper, topped with a grilled king prawn and served with Cajun rice.
And for those looking to pick up a new skill, there’s a free harmonica lesson at 4.30pm on the May Bank Holiday with professional teacher Captain Bliss. Or why not get your 50’s swing on by treating yourself to a Blues & Swing Dance session by Swing Patrol on Saturday 4th June at 4.30pm.

Forget portaloos and those muddy wellies this year, and come and sample the very best in live blues and soul food in the heart of Camden.

The Blues Kitchen, 111-113 Camden High Street, London, NW1 7JN. T: 020 7387 5277 info@blueskitchen.com

www.theblueskitchen.com
twitter.com/TheBluesKitchen
www.facebook.com/The-Blues-Kitchen

A Stellar Line-up of Restaurant Stars Announced for Taste of London 2011

Taste of London is celebrating what is arguably its best restaurant line-up to date, totaling an impressive eleven Michelin stars. Scott’s, Le Caprice, Petrus, Skylon, Gauthier Soho and Bocca di Lupo / Gelupo are just a handful of new restaurants involved for 2011, promising to delight over 50,000 visitors across the four days at London’s Regent’s Park between 16th and 19th June.

Sitting alongside Taste of London favourites such as Le Gavroche, Rhodes 24, Maze and Benares, a total of 40 restaurants will serve up dishes from around the world with classic British, modern European and infused Asian offerings from world class chefs. International talent including Helena Puolakka (Skylon), Tamas Khan (ORA) and Alexis Gauthier (Gauthier Soho) will be joining homegrown household names such as Gary Rhodes and Michel Roux Jr.

Small plate menus have been specially designed, allowing visitors to taste more than a handful of dishes in one sitting. Classic icon dishes will return, from Rhodes’ famous Jaffa Cake Pudding to Roux’s Lobster and Truffle Cocktail and will be put to the test with fresh competition from ORA’s Sticky Rice with Thai Honey Mango and Skylon’s Butter Poached Lobster.

Gauthier Soho’s, Alexis Gauthier is looking forward to joining the strong line-up at this year’s Taste of London: “The last year, since opening Gauthier Soho, has been an incredible journey, so it seems like a fun idea to decamp to Regents Park for a few days this summer for Taste – why not? We’re looking forward to the event, to being in such good company and to sharing our food with a host of like-minded food fanatics.”

Read up on more dishes that will be served at the show and start planning your day at what promises to be the best Taste of London yet. Go to www.tastefestivals.com/london to book tickets.

Restaurants at Taste London 2011

Asia de Cuba • Awana • Barrafina • Benares • Bentley’s • Bocca di Lupo / Gelupo • Chef Collin Brown • Club Gascon • Corrigan’s Mayfair • Fino • Fouronine • Gaucho • Gauthier Soho • Kai Mayfair • Launceston Place • Le Caprice • Le Gavroche • L’Anima • L’Etranger • Maze • Melati • Opera Tavern • ORA • Paramount • Petrus • Quo Vadis • Refettorio • Rhodes 24 • Roux at The Landau • Satay House • Scott’s • Skylon • Suka • Tamarind • The Cinnamon Club • The Modern Pantry • The Ritz • Yauatcha • York & Albany •

The Henry Root
9 Park Walk
London SW10
Tel: 020 7352 3336

Henry Root, (who this restaurant cum wine bar is named after), seems something of an odd ball. For a start his real name was William Donaldson. A well-known local hell raiser and raconteur, he devoted much of his spare time writing letters to public figures with unusual questions or requests. Appropriately there a selection of memorabilia dedicated to his eccentricities including the front of a traditional post box hanging on the wall.

The interior is designed to have an inviting and cosy feel, with wood being used both as panelling and flooring; I’d go as far to say it has a homely atmosphere which is quite rare to find in a London dining room. On a freezing Tuesday evening in March the room was abuzz with atmosphere, the overall impression being one of mostly well-heeled locals dining out with friends. There is a mixture of seating, some banquette, some round tables and some square, well-spaced with comfortable armchair seating. At the rear part of the kitchen is on full-display which integrates the diner fully in the culinary experience and another bonus was that for once the background music did not interfere with our conversation at all. The menu is designed in a grazing style, so it is possible to go in and have a small snack or a full blown meal. The Head Chef, Sang Nguyen has honed his craft over many years, notably cooking at the Michelin starred Le Manoir aux Quat Saison, and more recently at Le Gavroche and Maze. There is also a large and reasonably priced wine list, sold by the glass, bottle and carafe. Here the focus is on using small producers and growers, featuring organic, biodynamic and natural wines.

To begin, there is a wonderful selection of charcuterie and other such delicacies to whet the appetite. We tried an array of delicately smoked flavoured meats with a glass of 2009 Verdigo Martin Sancho Spanish white which, with its flinty and crisp overtones complimented beautifully the delicate flavours on the palate.

Alongside the menu there is a ‘The Daily Paper’ – a billboard style list of changing specials which comprised of five starters, two main courses and three puddings. These included a parsley soup and a roasted bream with baby gem lettuce and salsa verde dressing. The menu is separated into sections, including small cold dishes and small hot dishes. I began with an inviting plate of butternut squash with girdle and pecorino salad. It was beautifully presented with a tasty dressing, and succulent cubes of squash; a healthy and inventive starter. My guest began with the garlic butter escargot on toast from the daily specials menu. He is something of an escargot enthusiast and he remarked they were tender and deliciously flavoured. With this he had an accompanying glass of Beaujolais Chateau Cambon, pronouncing it a good medium wine in weight and colour and highly drinkable.

To follow, he chose a hanger steak, with accompanying béarnaise sauce. This is unusual in shape and size – long, and shaped rather like a boomerang! He commented it was well flavoured and cooked medium rare as he had requested but could have been a little hotter; this was accompanied by proper chips and lovely buttery spinach. My plate of pork with carrot and endive salad came with plenty of crispy crackling and tender meat and it was accompanied by a gorgeous glass of full bodied and fruity Cahors Maurin, Domaine de la Berangeraie 2005.
For pudding my guest was in raptures over his sherry trifle, commenting it was the best ever, not too sweet and not too thick. A ‘piece de resistance’ – he remarked looking extremely impressed. My slice of pecan and raisin cake was feather-light and well-flavoured – all it lacked was a good dollop of crème fraiche and it would have been faultless!

The Henry Root is somewhere very enjoyable to visit with its relaxed atmosphere and welcoming staff. We concluded with the firm verdict that we had a very enjoyable evening and would certainly be back in the near future.

Reviewed by Louise Elgin – March 2011

Wines from £15.50 a bottle. £5.10 a glass.
A three course meal with wine and water is around £40.00 per head.

Oliver Amis Reviews….

LA LUNA RESTAURANT
10 – 14 Wharf Street
Godalming
Surrey
GU7 1NN
United Kingdom
Tel: +44 (0) 1483 414155

http://www.lalunarestaurant.co.uk

Visit Date : 16th March 2011

Wow, what incredibly delicious food, this is not your stereo-typical Italian Restaurant, This fine-dining experience was exactly that, the
portions are perfect in size and the flavours exquisite, Head Chef Valentino and his team are doing it all right. Although not usually a vegetarian pick person, I opted for the arancini (risotto balls), panelle (chick pea pancakes) & marinated olives to start
which was beautifully presented and mouth-wateringly good, although left me wanting more!

For main course I opted for roast rump of Scottish lamb, served with fried polenta, something I havent had for a while but reminded
me how delicately delicious it is, and the lamb was cooked exactly as it said it would be, pink, not red, pink!

I veered toward a more English dessert, Chocolate, fudge & pecan pie with espresso ice cream, although I was tempted by the Panna Cotta! Truly delicious, the coffee complimented the pie to perfection. I am not a wine drinker however my partner was suitably impressed with the suggested choices from the attentive waiter.

I thoroughly enjoyed my visit to La Luna and the interesting and inspiring menu leaves me hankering to go back!

10 out of 10 from me! YUM!

The Hayward Restaurant, The Lion Hotel

Sally Matthes Reviews

It was three years ago that we last dined at The Sam Hayward Room Restaurant, and the meal we ate then was adequate but not an experience we that longed to repeat, so when we learnt that the restaurant had been refurbished and a new chef with an impressive CV had been engaged we booked.

Claire Bosi of Hibiscus Mayfair has been brought in to advise on re-launching & designing the restaurant and the decor once quite dark has been lightened making the room more spacious & airy. She contacted Aiden Byrne, who received his first Michelin Star while working at The Dorchester, London, and he has been brought in as consultant chef.

Ian Matfin who has worked at Gordon Ramsay’s Aubergine restaurant, Raymond Blanc’s Le Manoir aux Quats Saisons and spent the last 11years with Michael Caines at Gidleigh Park has taken over as Head Chef at The Hayward. He has appeared On The Great British Menu programme and has received many awards for his food.

The menu is simply set out and offers five choices of each course, however if a vegetarian or other dietary meal is required then please inform when booking and you will be catered for by the chef.

We were seated by Jeremy the French restaurant manager, supplied drinks then perused the menu. We chose our starters and main courses.
Amuse bouches arrived mine scallops and my husbands carpaccio of beef. These are small appetisers to stimulate your taste buds which they did. A selection of warm freshly made bread was the next delight to arrive on our table.

I had chosen veloute of white haricots, chanterelles & winter truffle, this was a thin soup wonderfully flavoured and with the different textures of the ingredients it was an excellent starter. Paul opted for hand dived Scottish scallops, parsnip & vanilla puree, ginger jus. I had already tasted this dish as the amuse bouche so I know how succulently the scallops had been cooked and how the delicious puree & jus complimented them.

The starters were excellent and we eagerly awaited the rest of our meal.

I had chosen fillet of wild sea bass, fennel puree, fennel cream And red wine and fish reduction. The skin of the bass was crispy but the fish was soft and perfectly cooked. The fennel puree and cream complimented the fish to make a delicious main course. Paul had roast sirloin of Oswestry beef, potato & smoked bacon rosti, mushroom puree and Madeira sauce and from the appreciative sounds that emanated from his side of the table I realised how much he was enjoying his meal. He said that the beef was tender and juicy and the accompaniments added wonderful flavours and textures.

The service was just right and our attentive Romanian waiter cleared & swept our crumbs away, then brought the dessert menu.

Desserts are favourite part of a meal so I studied the five choices and after some deliberation chose warm rhubarb soufflé with fromage frais & black pepper sorbet, while Paul being a bit of a chocoholic had hot chocolate fondant with pistachio nut parfait. The soufflé was exquisite and came with a small jug of rhubarb sauce as well as the sorbet which provided me with possibly the best dessert that I have ever eaten. Paul’s chocolate fondant and parfait were perfect and delicious.

To end this superb meal with had strong black espressos and truffles.

The Hayward unlike its predecessor is definitely a restaurant that I will visit again because this was not merely cooked food eaten out but a sensual experience & probably the best meal that I have ever eaten in very pleasant surroundings. The restaurant was not full but as Ian has only been cooking for a week this not surprising but if you too want to partake in an epicurean delight then book now because soon you will have to wait weeks if not months for a table as The Hayward becomes The place to eat in Shrewsbury.

http://www.thelionhotelshrewsbury.com/the-hayward

The Lion Hotel
Wyle Cop
Shrewsbury
Shropshire
SY1 1UY

Tel: 01743 353107
Fax: 01743 352744

For one day only, master patissier, Eric Lanlard, also known as Cake Boy, will be bringing his delicious and exquisite pastries, cakes and miniature puddings to the deli and flower shop at The Folly. From 1pm on Wednesday 16 March, you can drop into the City’s secret garden to indulge in a decadent afternoon of tarte au citrons, millefuille, cupcakes and éclairs.

Filming his Channel 4 programme, ‘Baking Mad with Eric Lanlard’, who has created his works of art to the likes of Madonna, Gwyneth Paltrow and Fortnum and Mason, will be on hand to reveal his top tips and answer any baking questions. There will also be the chance to purchase his book, ‘Home Bake’ and have it signed by Eric.

The Folly is an all-day drinking and dining destination, open for coffee and breakfast from early morning, with its signature sharing boards for lunch and dinner based on artisanal products from nearby Borough market, and innovative cocktails and an accessible wine list to take you through the evening.

The Folly
41 Gracechurch Street
London EC3V 0BT
T: 0845 468 0102
www.thefollybar.co.uk