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.

The food in Goring is one in a Mill-ion

What? The Miller of Mansfield, a 15 room inn / pub / dining experience recently taken over by Heston Boumenthal protègès. They serve fine ales (approved by the boyf) a large selection of wines (approved by me) and celebrate the mills heritage in their menu; expect home made bread & butter and dishes with the likes of Pearl Barley. 

Where? Nestled in the beautifully sleepy Thames-side village of Goring, just 50 minutes from London Paddington and a 3 minute walk from Goring & Streatley station. It's an idealic location for an overnight stay so how convenient that The Miller has accommodation! Hotels (if we can catergorise the Miller as such) have gained a mixed reputation where food is concerned but don't be fooled, food is definitely the main event here.

Do? Stay over, that way your get to experience breakfast as well as dinner. Dinner is, if you like, three courses with an amuse-bouche. Main was the most wonderfully cooked duck with layered potato, sausage & beetroot and dessert, chocolate custard with home-made fudge & sesame crisps. Breakfast is a buffet and/or a cooked menu, which includes the best sausages you'll ever taste. 

Don't? Leave without trying a sausage roll (yes there's a sausage theme here). I did and I'm regretting it. I'm not especially a fan of sausage rolls but the scent of them as we walked through the bar was overpowering.

Three courses with amuse bouche plus 2 large glasses of wine c. £45.

Pictured. Salmon, duck and chocolate custard.

Bovey Castle: A fairy tail castle lacking the royal servants

What? Bovey Castle, a quintessentially British country house estate. Home to 60 or so rooms, a spa, 18 hole golf course and all the country pursuits you could possibly imagine.

Where? Set in the 326 miles of Dartmoor, South Devon. It really is in the middle of nowhere so take a sat nav, or a helicopter.

Do? Order a large afternoon tea each if you're hungry. We had one to share and ended up with one of everything. It wasn't disastrous but I like my sweet things and I'd have liked one to myself, especially the one bite wonders.

Don't? Expect amazing service. I initially tried to book online (via email) and after a week had no response. When I called to book there was no acknowledgement of this, nor apology. I asked if we could sit on the terrace if it was nice, and called the day prior to make sure this request could be honoured. On the day we were guided to a table indoors, and of course there were no available tables outdoors. There was no offer of extra tea, nor any level of attentiveness by the waiting staff. All quite surprising for an establishment that boasts such an upmarket clientele.