Winner Winner Chicken Dinner

I suffered a great deal of sadness when we traded NW5 for N19 because let's face it, if you had to choose between having Hampstead or Holloway Road on your doorstep I know which of the two most people would pick. 

Three months in and we're starting to feel a little more at home having discovered the likes of Petek and La Fabrica on Stroud Green Road, and I'm sure Candy & Candy's new development will massively transform the area, no doubt making it somewhere between better and unaffordable.

More to the point, last night we discovered a right little gem going by the name of 'Chicks on Fire' which is so clucking amazing it's made us re-evaluate our new neighbourhood. Seriously, it's that good.

'Chicks' is no doubt a give-away that this place competes with the likes of Nandos, Chicken Shop & Chick n Sours, to name a few, and by that it's evident chicken is fast becoming competition for the burger market. I can say with pride this place is heads and tail-feathers above everything else and am going to explain why:

a) Everything, from their babaghanoush to their dessert is homemade, and tastes like the real deal. Yalla Yalla's babaghanoush is poor in comparison (sorry Yalla Yalla)

b) The chicken goes through a four-part cooking process, one of which is a water-bath which makes the chicken ever so succulent

c) This place is AMAZING value, we left very well fed & watered for a mere £35 (between 2)

d) The guy that owns/runs this place is super nice and goes the extra mile to ensure diners are impressed

e) Food is beautifully presented (see pictures below)

f) You can eat in or dial a take-away

g) Even the dessert was unexpectedly to-die-for

Where

Nestled among some of the nicer streets of Holloway, on Hercules Street and incidentally a few doors down from a nice looking pub called 'the Swimmer at the Grafton Arms'. We were so full we didn't make it there so I reserve full judgement.

Do

Everything was so on par it's hard to say what you should have, and I'm sure nothing on the menu disappoints. I'd say make sure you eat in the first time you go as that way you get the full experience. Get the triple-cooked chips for sure, as well as the jasmine rice, and if you have a sweet tooth try to save room for dessert. Dessert is a single choice option made fresh on site every day and I have to say ours was masterchef-finalist-standard.

Don't

Go to Nandos ever again, there's no need for it in your life when chicken can be this good.

More than a wee dram at Dram & Smoke

What? Dram & Smoke, a Scottish themed dining experience. Whilst I have no idea whether this is the brainchild of Scots the food and experience was authentically Scottish (I have Scottish ancestors and did live in the Highlands for some time so do feel authorised to make this claim!)

Warm whiskey & ginger cocktails on arrival, tartan blankets to place over cold legs and a menu of haggis, smoked coley, savoury porridge, venison Wellington & an incredible dark chocolate mousse with home made shortbread and salted butterscotch sauce to finish. And not forgetting endless amounts of Monkey Shoulder whiskey.

I would definitely recommend Dram & Smoke to anyone looking for a dining experience, the food was lovingly home made and high quality and you weren't ripped off when you got in (whiskey cocktails were a mere £5). The only thing it lacked was the theatre that often comes with dining experiences (think Ginger Line & Mile High) but if you're more about the food & drink this is definitely worth a go.

Rumour has it there will be four projects in 2015, possibly starting with a burns night supper, so plenty of time to check it out.

Where? The one we went to was close to London Bridge station but the venues change with different events.

Do? Go in a group, the bigger the better. The room is set up like a wedding (not decor wise) so you'll be on a table with several people you don't know. With that the food is served on big sharing plates so if you're keen to carve the version make sure you sit by the bricks as this is where they rest the food!

The other thing to mention is it's a cash only bar, so take money.

And finally, if you're going to a Dram & Smoke event at a cooler time of year be sure to wear something warm enough, it was pretty nippy so the tartan blankets definitely acted as more than just decoration.

Don't? Go if you're a veggie, this is definitely not for you.

5 course menu with arrival cocktail £40.

Blue cheese & bacon porridge

Venison Wellington

Dark chocolate & raspberry mousse with salter butterscotch sauce and shortbread

Hoxton meets Holborn

What? The Hoxton, an anti-hotel catering for the young and trendy in an otherwise untrendy part of town.

The first thing you'll notice about The Hoxton is that it's very image orientated, from it's decor through to its clientele. Not in an achingly cool or intimidating way though.

The second thing of noteriety is that its creators are clearly very smart. They've created a destination that super-serves weekend breakers, after work drinkers and morning commuters; with rooms, a drinking lobby, two dinner options and a collaboration with the 'Grind' coffee chain.

H&B's broad but one-sided menu features a range of 'build your own dinner' options with meat, fish, salad, veg and pasta. I opted for the (beef) burger and a good burger it was, but it didn't quite have the competitive edge I was expecting for a £10 burger. Juicy and rare (just as a burger should be) served in a brioche (standard) but loaded with pickle. Whilst pickles may be a personal food-hell generally speaking they're quite polarising, so please stick to serving them on a plate so they don't pollute the whole damn burger. 

Our burger was accompanied by truffle fries (£7) which like the burger were nice but not incredible. Our wildcard order was sprouts with sour cherry & bacon which were a bit burnt and not something I'd recommend. I'll reserve them for 25th December in future.

Beyond the food our experience was both good and bad. Good because my dinner date was 30 minutes late (see 'where') and the guy on reception bent over backwards to relocate us when our 90 minutes was up. Bad because a) our food came at lightening speed and b) it was literally dropped on our table with no offer of condiments etc from the waitress.

All is not lost though, I've read The grill at Hoxton, Shoreditch is a bit better so I'll be checking it out for myself in the near future.

Where? High Holborn, not to be confused with the original Hoxton Hotel in Shoreditch, as my dinner partner did. 'Nuf said. 

Do? Go if you're a group of 20/30-somethings looking for a vibrant and showy place to hang in Central London.

Don't? Go if you're looking for a cheap night out, we racked up a £100 bill in the blink of an eye, largely down to the cocktails.

The menu

The burger (sprouts just out of focus) 

'Cherryade' cocktail (winner)

'Cucumber & elderflower' cocktail

A 'Soho mule' 

An après shopping treat

What? Le-chalet: a winter pop-up adorning Selfridges roof, serving alpine delights and winter-warmers. The people behind le-Chalet brought us Q-Grill in the summer and following it's success have transformed it into le-Chalet, which is due to grace the rooftops until February, at least.

You enter le-Chalet via a 'secret lift' which for reference isn't secret as such but does take some time to find (opposite Chanel) You're shuttled to the roof and on arrival find the first photo opportunity, a tastefully festive corridor. 

I found the staff, who were dressed in fetching white polo-necks and le Chalet gillets, very attentive. In fact our waiter (who I likened to the delightful Jose Mourinho) pretty much ordered for us and a great job he did. Flatbread with pumpkin hummus, which I'm not actually sure was hummus but it was equally as quaffable. Chicken schnitzel and blue cheese fondue, with a side of roasted vegetables to ensure we got one of our five a day. I'd of eaten more but had my sights set firmly on the drinks.

Where? Oxford street. If I need to explain where Selfridges is shame on you.

Do? Ask to be seated further up the restaurant, nearer the bar area. We felt slightly harassed by shoppers passing through narrow spaces with their big yellow bags.

Don't? Leave without having a choctail, le-Chalet's boozy take on hot chocolate. Do make sure you save it for afters though, the sweet-tooth in me dived straight in and quickly realised it wasn't very complimentary to my schnitzel. 

Pumpkin homous.

Chicken schnitzel with blue cheese fondue

Hazelnut hot chocolate

Breakfast in a bank

What? The Wolseley, an institution for some and a venue that has attracted the odd celeb or three in the past (FYI they are mostly at Chitern Fire House these days). Expect lots of chino wearing and newspaper reading types, eating uncomplex 'Victoriana' food.

Where? Set in Royal Green Park The Wolseley shares a neighbourhood with The Ritz and Fortnum & Mason. A stones throw away from the pearls of Bond Street I'm sure it marks the beginning of an expensive day for some.

Do? Book at least two weeks in advance and take someone who doesn't live in the city, they have probably read about it in Time Out/an online restaurant guide and will therefore probably like it, even if you don't.

Don't? Come here if you're after high quality, which you may expect from a) its location and b) prices. Set in what was a bank way back when, The Wolseley is very fine in it's appearance but it's food doesn't match up, nor compete with London today. It's by no means terrible and I respect their traditional values but think they could serve food that is a bit less canteen and more befitting of it's surroundings (& price). Like all brands they can't survive on their name forever.

Good things come to those who wait

What? Dabbous, the restaurant that opened two years ago and took six months to get a table at and still does. I'll cut to the chase and rate it one of the best dining experiences I've had within the M4 for a few years, making the long anticipated wait absolutely worth it. 

Food decisions are kept simple with two set menus, tasting and a 4-course dinner. Dishes are creative but the right side of experimental. We chose dinner as four courses felt more doable, and out it came. Raw scallop with (a hint of) eucalyptus; who knew you could eat scallop raw? Poached cod with shrimps and the creamiest polenta you'll ever eat, followed by the most tender veal with winter vegetables. I even ate the mushrooms and I hate mushrooms! 

Dessert was a warm, delicate honey & fig cake served with a frothy almond milk drink, automatically transporting me to Wonderland. Just when you thought it was all over out came the petit four, a cigar leaf caramel chocolate which did funny things to your mouth. 

What makes Dabbous so fabulous, apart from the food, environment and attentive but not annoying waiting staff, is that Ollie Dabbous is in the kitchen, not like 'celebrity chefs' who can be found hidden somewhere among their empire. It's worth noting at this point that Ollie has one further restaurant 'Barnyard' just a few hundred meters away. To sum it up it feels like Ollie has written a list of things that create a bad dining experience and made sure his restaurant is anything but.

Where? London's advertising district Goodge Street. It's discreet and minimalist so easily passable.

Do? Stay up late or get up super early to book a table, bookings open at midnight. It's a small restaurant so the opportunity will pass, quickly.

Don't? Leave without having a night cap or two in the downstairs cocktail bar, not only is it super convenient but the cocktails are as immaculate as the food.

Dinner menu £52 per person. Excludes wine or service.

Copita, putting tapas back on the map

What? Copita, a gaustro tapas bar with a menu that celebrates it's Spanish heritage (of course) but with added flare. For instance a plate of partially dried manchego became a more elequant looking cheese board and potato bravas with aioli, sweet potato with bravas sauce and peanuts. Then there were lots of dishes that are less expected of a tapas bar; roasted vegetables, red wine & lentils (meaty without a trace of meat) and deliciously sweet parsnip with roasted hazelnuts. It was the truffled goats cheese with honey and almonds that stole the show though, so much so we ordered two. We were less convinced by the ajo blanco and beetroot but one in five unsavory dishes wasn't bad.

Where? Tucked behind Oxford Street on D'Arblay Street, or across from Bodeans if that means more to you.

Do? Go as a small group so you can sample as much of their 25 strong menu as possible and be sure to wash it down with a goblet of generously poured 'gin tonic' (as the Spanish like to call it).

Don't? Go to Copita if you're hard of hearing or have a headache, the collective sound of 50+ diners in a 4x4 room meant I was glad to have perfected the art of lip reading. For that reason also not ideal for first dates, unless you don't mind getting close of course.

6 dishes, bread + 2 gin tonics, c.£25 each, between 3.