The best things we ate and drank in October 2024

Wildflowers (Belgravia) - Gnoccho fritto

The bar snacks at chef Aaron Potter’s new restaurant really set the tone of what’s to come. Fried dough, stuffed with gorgonzola, topped with coppa and drizzled with truffle honey - frankly, it was a miracle they managed to pry us away from the bar at all.

St Pancras Bar & Brasserie (King's Cross) - Oeufs mayonnaise

The station brasserie’s menu has had a total revamp from new executive chef Thomas Piat (ex-Bar Boulud) along with a starring role in the new series of Slow Horses so we popped downto reacquaint ourselves. There’s a very nice, boozy rum baba on the menu, but this gorgeous eggs mayonnaise with a watercress sauce was our favourite dish of the night.

Bun & Sum (Dalston) - Regular burger with dripping fries

A day spent writing about London’s smash burgers left us wilting with a hunger that could only be assuaged by getting an Uber Eats delivery from Bun & Sum in Hackney. We’d been hearing so much about these burger slingers and theirs did not disappoint. Insanely delicious, thank God we heeded their suggestion to order two.

Ballynahinch Castle (Connemara, Ireland) - Rabbit vol au vent

Hidden away in the wilds of Connemara the gorgeous Ballynahinch, a member of Relais & Chateaux, has a super-talented chef in Danni Berry, who's the second female Irish chef to ever hold a Michelin star. There were many highlights from our dinner in the castle's Owenmore restaurant (review to come) with this rabbit vol au vent a standout, using carrots from the estate's walled gardens.

Lavazza cafe (Carnaby) - Custard cream crioche

At Lavazza coffee's flagship store just off Regent Street chef Marco Pedron has just launched a range of crioches. As the name would suggest it's a combo of croissant and brioche, filled with creme patissiere. There's a range of flavours, but the custard cream one got our vote.

Topa (Islington) - ALL the pintxos

It’s been way too long since we’ve been in San Sebastian, or Bilbao for that matter, so the arrival of the new Basque-inspired residency Topa at Provisions on Holloway Road was the perfect substitute. There’s nothing we love more than perusing a whole array of pintxos - the ones pictured here are the black pudding with crab apple and nectarine and the veal tartare with bonito and capers.

The Peacock (Angel) - Chicken schnitzel

Looking for somewhere lively for a friend’s birthday party on a Friday night we found ourselves in Islington’s newest pub. The front bar might be a little too hectic, but if you head towards the back you’ll find the lovely dining area where treats like this very nicely done schnitzel came with a fennel & rocket salad and was topped with a fried Burford brown egg.

Café Francois (Borough Yards) - Prime Rib with bone marrow and snails

Jostling for top position from our two visits so far to Cafe Francois were also the (whisper it) foie gras, bacon and egg muffin, along with the lamb merguez flatbread. But it was the Gallic gorgeousness of this beautifully cooked steak, with roasted bone marrow and garlicky snails that won top billing.

Nest Farmhouse (Norfolk) - Farmhouse brekky

There's an awful lot to love about Nest Farmhouse, the restaurant with rooms from the team behind Nest and Restaurant St Barts. But we particularly love a good cooked breakfast and this exemplifies much of the restaurant's ethos. Everything's either made in-house or sourced from local providers, but most importantly it's just a fantastic breakfast. 

Unruly Pig (Suffolk) - Venison raw haunch Battuta and braised shin crostini

Last year, this Suffolk pub won the accolade of best gastropub in the UK and it's easy to see why with its cooking taking things a considerable notch up from regular pub grub (and in a beautiful building to boot). This was a particularly great dish, combining two venison dishes into one - tartare and braised. 

Greyhound Inn (Suffolk) - Cod’s roe gougères

Not actually that far from The Unruly Pig is another great Suffolk pub with an excellent menu. Hoggett and sweetbreads nearly came top but these gougeres were some of the very best we've ever tried. Using cod's roe in gougères isn't something we've actually come across before, but now we'd like them all served like this, please. 

Jugad (Camden) - Dairy-free Delhi-style butter chicken

This Indian restaurant in Camden aims for a slightly healthier approach to the menu but without sacrificing flavour and this dairy-free approach to "butter" chicken exemplifies that. 

Fonda (Mayfair) - Lobster al pastor gringa

Santiago Lastra's follow-up to Kol has proven to be an instant hit. There are clear Kol influences, albeit within a more relaxed (and more affordable) approach. The menu is full of truly great dishes, but this one stood out the best - crispy tacos filled with lobster and Spenwood cheese. It's one of the pricier options on the menu - but well worth it. 

The Grill at the Hero (Maida Vale) - Soda bread and whiskey ice cream

There was a lot to like in the newly opened Grill dining room at The Hero in Maida Vale, but we’re still thinking very fondly of both the gorgeous homemade ice creams we ordered at the end of our dinner here.

Hawksmoor Guildhall (City of London) - Sticky toffee pudding

Our first-ever dinner in the very fancy private dining room at Hawksmoor Guildhall was a wine dinner organised by Condor Wines, trying all manner of (excellent) Falsaco wines from Argentina. And while the steak was fantastic as ever, what better way to finish than with one of the best sticky toffee puddings in town. This is actually the first time we've seen one of the large sharing puddings at Hawksmoor and we were almost tempted to take the whole thing...

Sael (St James) - Marmite custard tarts

Jason Atherton may be going through a crazily busy phase right now, but so far his new restaurants have produced some truly excellent dishes. This month it was the turn of our new favourite snack, the marmite custard tart (with added caviar). We never knew that something could make us love custard tarts even more than we already do. The must-try snack in London right now.  

Xian Street Food (Galway, Ireland) - Spice bag

The legendary takeaway treat of Ireland is available across the country (as well as here in London) but the one on offer at Xian Street Food in Galway City is widely held to be among the best. Fragrant with chilli the mound of chips and chicken tenders with onions literally can’t be beaten as a post-hangover snack.

Blackrock Cottage (Galway, Ireland) - TBC

The restaurant getting all the accolades in Galway right now is this one that's right by the sea in Salthill. Dining here on night just before a big storm hit, it's a lovely cosy spot and a must-visit for anyone heading over to Galway. It also features one of our favourite dishes, grilled oysters (from the wonderful Dooncastle), these served with a gratinated & glazed béarnaise.