Dinner for two at
Boisdale in Belgravia.
I traipse past Boisdale every single day, and every single day I think how inviting it looks. Two weeks ago I peered through the tartan curtains at dark wooden tables and candelabras, noting wistfully that it had all the makings of 'my kind of restaurant'. The pull of daily live jazz swayed me further. So I had to go. And go I did.
On the day in question (it was a Thursday) I felt I would need to book - somewhere as fab-looking as this would surely need a reservation? Yes, it turns out it does. When my companion and I turned up people were being turned away because, not only was it fully booked, but also it's members only for non-bookers. Book.
The entrance is filled with old books and a stuffed bird, with smartly dressed waiting staff hovering to take you to your table. Once our coats had been taken we were led through two dark, candle-lit rooms into our dining room. We had a corner table, with the two seats next to each other rather than opposite, this added to the intimacy of the occasion and the flickering candle and chatter from our fellow diners gave a friendly and informal yet sophisticated air.
The extensive
cocktail list quickly arrived, I ordered a whiskey collins (£10.50) and my companion ordered a Caipirinha (£8.50). Although they took ages to arrive, they were worth the wait. Both beautifully blended and fresh, a real treat at the beginning of the meal.
The
a la carte menu is a sight to behold. Never have I knowingly eaten Scottish fair, so I decided I should go as Scottish as possible in my meal this evening. With Loch Dart gravadlax, haggis and mountain hare on offer, choosing food was tough. Really tough. But we just about managed it...
To start with we shared half a dozen Isle of Cumbrae rock oysters (£16.50) which were, without a shadow of doubt,
the best oysters I have ever eaten. Plump, juicy with the salty tang of the sea still ever present. It came with lemon in a muslin cloth to stop the stones and pith getting into the shellfish, and a bowl of shallot vinaigrette: sharp, tangy, and the perfect accompaniment to the flesh.
For main, we both decided to go for specials (apparently a sure-fire way to find out a chef's true worth is to try the specials, as they tend to consist of seasonal, market-fresh ingredients). I had a whole guinea-fowl with game chips and watercress, and my companion had steak with chunky chips and peppercorn sauce. The guinea-fowl was extremely gamey - so gamey in fact it tasted a little like fish, and the game chips were more like crisps (the round shape put me off a little - I am used to game chips being in a more potato-peeling shape, but this is personal, snobby, preference), the peppery watercress finished off the dish well. My companion said the steak, served rare, was the best he had ever tasted: You could cut through it with a butter knife it was so tender. The steak did not automatically come with chips, and the waiter did not say this at the point of ordering, which was a disappointment, but in a finger-click he had brought some over (£3.50). The peppercorn was creamy and extremely peppery - not to my taste, but absolutely to my companion's.
For
dessert we shared three balls of sorbet - elderflower, blackberry and green apple. The elderflower was delicious and floral, whilst the apple was a wash out in comparison. The blackberry was a deep purple and beautifully tangy - my favourite of the three.
To
wash our food down, we shared a bottle of Welmoed Chenin Blanc from South Africa (£19.90) which complimented all three courses beautifully (yes, including both meaty mains, as much of a faux pas as that might be).
The whole evening was an absolute success, with just the right mix of formal dining experience to friendly, bubbling conversation from the other diners. The waiting staff were attentive and friendly, although, to my slight dismay, none, bar one, were from Scotland: A pity. They were, despite their various nationalities, gamely wearing tartan kilts and trousers, so I can't complain too much!
Cost: £156 for two for three courses (shared starter and dessert) including a cocktail each, wine and service charge. There is a two-course prix fix menu available for £19.50, which makes the whole occasion more affordable if eating on a budget (we decided to go all out this night - I normally need to be a lot more thrifty!).
Food: 10/10
Drink: 10/10
Ambiance: 10/10
Price: 8/10 (for £17, chips should be included with the steak)
Service: 8/10 (it got better once we had a true Scot serving us!)
Boisdale
15 Ecclestone Street
Belgravia
SW1W 9LX
Images: Martyn Balham
So, in my mad run of winning things from raffles last year, I acquired a Reiki session. Being entirely new to Reiki, I was entirely sceptical. But, a freebie is a freebie, and I was feeling a bit bruised from hurting my arm, so thought it would be a case of 'anything can help... surely?'. I went along to a lady called Lucinda's house in Earlsfield (I did this in an entirely trusting manner; if I read the scare-mongering daily tabloids more often, I would have been convinced she was in fact a 68 male nutter from Utah, just waiting to chop my face off, which, as you can imagine, might have put me off somewhat). Once I got to her lovely mews house, I was greeted by Lucinda, a motherly, yet no-nonsense lady, who scolded me for being a little early. Damn. She explained to me the art of Reiki - where someone uses their hands to 'unblock' negative energy and 'feed' positive energy (as far as I gathered). I then signed a load of consent forms and lay down on her massage table. She turned on some plinky-plonky music and lit some aromatherapy candles and she was away. She went round my (fully-clothed) body, hovering her hands just above me. In some places, e.g. my head and lower tummy, it hurt a little - a weird burning; but in the rest of my body I got this amazing warm, relaxing feeling. It was great. After an hour I, very almost, floated out of her home, quite honestly never feeling more relaxed. It was exquisite. A superb experience which, like massages, relaxes you, but, unlike massages, doesn't leave you feeling sick (this can't just be me!). Bonus. Lucinda doesn't seem to have a website, so I cannot endorse her, but, by all means, comment below if you'd like me to pass on her contact details.
Offering a royally good read for Peppa Pig fans (which is, as far as I can see, ALL children), The Story of Prince George is a brand new book published by Ladybird. Released in honour of Prince George, who will be christened today (23 October 2013), it will launch this Wednesday coming. 
When we arrived I was first struck by how friendly the stewards who let us through were - something you don't often get at festivals: it boded well for a great day out (there's nothing worse than being spoken to rudely and, sometimes, manhandled, when you get to an event, especially if you have spent your hard-earned cash to buy the ticket). Once we got in, we were given bags of colours (pink, yellow, green, purple) and then got cracking with chucking it over each other and everyone else. Everyone was wearing white tops (some were in full-one white ensembles), so it was great fun making the different colour effects on human canvases. 
Last night my friend Nikki and I went to the London Eye for the launch of Oasis Mango. Nikki invited me to this a few weeks ago, and I didn't have to think twice before I said yes. It was only 'til 20 minutes before the event that I started to get nervous: as I'm scared of heights and enclosed spaces I suddenly came to the realisation that perhaps not the best event for me... 
We headed outside to the balcony. With about 100 people there, all competition winners from a Spin The Bottle app on Facebook, it felt wonderfully exclusive and, well, a little VIP. It was an absolutely beautiful evening, clear, warm yet breezy without a sight of the humidity we have been enduring over the past few days. Once outside, we met the cast of Made In Chelsea (Lucy, Proudlock and Stevie); the cast of The Only Way Is Essex (Jasmin, Abbie, Dan and James) and of course the lovely Rick. Nikki has 'history' (no, not like that) with Rick - they met in Centre Parks during respective stag and hen dos, so we had a good natter with him. We also had a chat to Proudlock as he lives near both Nikki and I - find something in common and run with it. Proudlock even gave me a sip of his drink... that means we've basically kissed, right?
At about half past nine we were ushered to the Eye for the big Spin The Bottle. Each pod was decked out with a giant light (including a lighting man complete with orange hard hat). I'd never been on the Eye before, so the idea of jumping onto a moving contraption was pretty terrifying, but, clutching Nikki's hand, I jumped on unscathed! We ended up being on a pod with just one other couple, the lighting man and one of the crew, which was absolutely wonderful as other pods were more crowded. The feeling of moving round is odd, but once you get over it, looking at the views, which really are breath-taking, takes over. London at night is stunning, and last night reminded me how lucky I am to live here. There were two Spin The Bottle games - on a giant screen a bottle was spun, and as the bottle spun past our pods lit up. Wherever the bottle landed the pod remained lit up. We had some near misses, but unfortunately that is what they were - our pod didn't win (the prize was a night out at Mahiki, VIP-style and a hotel stay). 
On Saturday 3 August a multicoloured phenomenon will be hitting the streets of London. Battersea Power Station, to be precise. What is this occasion that has the potential to take over from the esteemed heights of Joseph's technicolour dream coat? The Holi One Colour Festival of course. If you are a Londoner, you will have been hearing the buzz about this festival for quite some time. It promises to be a festival so epic, and so messy, I can hardly contain my excitement!
To start with we shared half a dozen Isle of Cumbrae rock oysters (£16.50) which were, without a shadow of doubt, the best oysters I have ever eaten. Plump, juicy with the salty tang of the sea still ever present. It came with lemon in a muslin cloth to stop the stones and pith getting into the shellfish, and a bowl of shallot vinaigrette: sharp, tangy, and the perfect accompaniment to the flesh.
For main, we both decided to go for specials (apparently a sure-fire way to find out a chef's true worth is to try the specials, as they tend to consist of seasonal, market-fresh ingredients). I had a whole guinea-fowl with game chips and watercress, and my companion had steak with chunky chips and peppercorn sauce. The guinea-fowl was extremely gamey - so gamey in fact it tasted a little like fish, and the game chips were more like crisps (the round shape put me off a little - I am used to game chips being in a more potato-peeling shape, but this is personal, snobby, preference), the peppery watercress finished off the dish well. My companion said the steak, served rare, was the best he had ever tasted: You could cut through it with a butter knife it was so tender. The steak did not automatically come with chips, and the waiter did not say this at the point of ordering, which was a disappointment, but in a finger-click he had brought some over (£3.50). The peppercorn was creamy and extremely peppery - not to my taste, but absolutely to my companion's.
For dessert we shared three balls of sorbet - elderflower, blackberry and green apple. The elderflower was delicious and floral, whilst the apple was a wash out in comparison. The blackberry was a deep purple and beautifully tangy - my favourite of the three.
Today's lunch was at The Chapel. A dark wood-adorned, breezy gastro-pub near Edgware Road. The last time I came here the food was unfortunately rather disappointing - great big, greasy, medium steaks (when I'd asked for rare) slathered in some questionable blue cheese. Why did I decide to come back for more? Well, the decor and atmosphere is friendly and informal, and the varied menu of fresh, seasonal food changes daily, although the staple of rib eye steak with blue cheese and fries is clearly not going anywhere soon. 
And now onto the really important matter of the food: Starters included baked egg cocotte with smoked salmon, spinach and Gruyere cream, £5 (although not something I ordered this time, I have tried the cocotte before - perfectly cooked eggs enveloped in a silken creamy, cheese sauce), Marsala and sage pork belly with radiccio and apple salad, £6.50, and king prawns, calamari and soft shelled crab tempura, £8. The light lunch was a goat cheese and tapenade puff pastry tart, £9, and the main courses included The Chapel beef burger with french fries and onion jam, £10.50, and seared pork chop with root vegetable gratin, creamed leeks and caramelised apples, £12.50. 
Food critics often say you can tell the calibre of a place by the 'house' burger, and, encouragingly, mine was delicious. Perfectly medium rare and juicy, it came in a toasted seeded bun with salad, mayonnaise, and tomato. The onion jam was a complete treat, wonderfully sweet and sticky, with just the right amount to compliment the beef and salad. The burger, although large (I don't want any measly offerings), was not so ginormous that I needed to unhinge my jaw to eat it, although, because the bottom of the bun was slightly under-toasted it did start to fall apart when I was eating (although I am not entirely against getting a bit mucky whilst eating, finger-lickin' and all). The accompaniment to my burger was one of those metal pots of fries - hot and salty but not quite crispy enough, and miniature jam jars of ketchup and mayo. I love a condiment, and was thrilled I didn't need to ask for any.
