Michelin star dining, London style!

Hello this is Daniel with my second post from London.

I was on my placement in Scott’s, a fine dining fish/shellfish restaurant based in the heart of Mayfair. In this post I am going to talk about the London dining scene and the restaurants where I managed to get tables while I was there. I had the opportunity to eat in some Michelin starred restaurants and also in some great restaurants which do not have a Michelin star.

It started last July when I ate in 'Kitchen Table by Bubbledogs' on Charlotte Street. It is a 2 star with a really interesting concept. The owner, James Knappett has a champagne and hot dog bar at the front hence the name bubble dogs, pretty clever eh?! So behind 'Bubbledogs' is a little curtain when pulled across is a bar like setting over looking a kitchen almost like an arena, the best show in town, 18 seats watching the service! So they open 4 nights a week, dinner only and strictly cater for 18 covers with a 12 course tasting menu only. The food was amazing and it is really special to watch it all being produced right in front of you. Below is a picture of their lamb rump cooked over coals with wild garlic puree, yoghurt and barbecued carrot.



One of the best meals I’ve ever had was at 'Midsummer House' in Cambridge. It was a gift from my girlfriend for Christmas, a tasting menu there for Christmas. So we scheduled our days off together mid-week and headed up on the train, its only an 60 miles outside London, so just under an hour on the train. We booked a lovely pub with rooms above it called the 'Waterman'. 'Midsummer House' itself is about a 6 minute walk from where we were staying, its right on the common and is what I would describe as a big welcoming cottage. We arrived and were greeted with the most lovely welcome by the manager who took our coats. My girlfriend, Chantelle, had been in touch previously to inform them where we worked and who we worked with etc. and they were more than happy to look after us! We indulged in a nine course tasting followed by a full tour of the kitchen and the head chef and sous chatted with us for about 20 minutes telling us what they were all about and we recommended places for them to try in London, when we sat down again the lads in the kitchen had decided to send us out an extra dessert from the lunch menu, the rhubarb one…. Phenomenal! The service and people running that restaurant are true gems of the industry!


Two other special meals I had whilst in London were 'Daffodil Mulligans' on Old Street (Richard Corrigan) and 'Allegra' in Stratford (Patrick Powell). Both Irish chefs doing the country proud with what they are cooking up!



So 'Allegra' is in Stratford which was totally rejuvenated after the Olympics. The restaurant is based in the 'Stratford International Hotel', such a beautiful space. The menu features Irish oysters, brown soda bread and cultured butter for the table. We went as a little wind down after the hectic Christmas period so it was a really amazing experience!

The other special meal I would like to mention was at 'Daffodil Mulligans' on Old Street, run by well renowned Irish chef Richard Corrigan. So let me paint the picture it has an Irish bar feel with a menu that would blow your mind. Very Irish focused, ingredients straight 'off the boat' as the saying goes. There main focus is on snacks with includes a huge array of Irish oysters and shellfish, steaks from Tipperary and pork from Ulster. Its also a great space to go for pints as they have a downstairs bar which has loads of snugs for large groups; Guinness on tap being the most important part of it all!

Hope you enjoyed reading about the great places in which I ate while in London!