Come Dine With Me - ' The Athenaeum Restaurant' London

I am always on the lookout for a new restaurant, all in the course of research - the type that involves finding a plush venue to woo the ladies with......and in doing so trying to avoid such a place that will inevitably lead to the 'de rigueur' phone call on a Monday morning from my bank manager, regarding my incalculable overdraft created in the last 48 hours, usually due to a lavish shin-dig of a weekend.

So when I heard the five-star Athenaeum in Piccadilly had just had a revamp I sort vengeance last Friday, as a result of another rather dire week at the 'orifice' - a seemingly all to familiar feeling of late!
My mobile, little black book and my plastic were now at the ready and fully charged!

I met my date outside Green Park tube station, a few minutes walk from The Athenaeum.
On arrival we were greeted by the suited and booted door stewards and the attentive waiting staff who took our coats.



We both indulged in a pre-dinner cocktail in the stylish bar (left) - all tasteful low slung red velvet seating with plenty of cushions and touches of vintage-style decor all around.
Delightful attention to detail.
I opted for a dry vodka martini, while my date had a 'Garden Of Eden' comprising apple vodka, fig, cranberry, peach liqueur and elderflower.
Both were made with panache and tasted superb.



We made our way through to the opulent restaurant(below right), designed so most tables nestle in a booth. My date's starter of Brixham Crab Salad served with a Golden Beetroot, Heritage Tomatoes and Tarragon Dressing (£11.75) was delightfully presented and my Diver Scallops served with Jerusalem Artichoke, Sweetcorn and Grapes (£10.50) was almost a work of art. It seemed a shame to disfigure it!


For our main courses my date ordered Pan Fried South Coast Lemon Sole served on the bone with Ceps, Caper and Parsley Butter (£28.00), whilst I opted for Smokey Hay Baked Venison served with Cheltenham Beetroot and Roasted Figs with Vanilla Sauce (£24.00).

We also shared three sumptuous side orders of: Sweet Stewed Pumpkin, Roasted Field Mushrooms, grilled with rock salt and Hand Cut Chips.

We washed it down with a lovely 2007 Chablis vino (£37.50).

Following coffee we then returned to The Bar for an aperitif. The bar's extensive list including a choice of 270 different whiskies proved a real talking point - one of them was £150 for a double! (In my head I could hear the cutting voice of my bank manager). We instead opted for a couple of Vanilla Mojito's.

As Oscar Wilde once said, "Work is the curse of the drinking classes."


'The Athenaeum Restaurant' is located on: 224 Piccadilly, London, W1J 7BJ
Nearest tube: Green Park.
Breakfast Menu: 7.00-11.00 Mon to Sun.
Restaurant Menu: 12.30-14.30 & 17.30-22.30 Mon to Sun.
Tel no: 020 7499 3464
Web address: http://staging.ralphtrustees.com/Athenaeum/food__whisky.aspx

London BAR King - 'Apartment 195'

The King's Road is not an area I venture to very often, so when a pal of mine who had recently moved to the swish SW3 area of town asked me if I'd like to go there for 'house-warming drinks,' I was understandably more than happy to oblige.

But as the new pad was in the midst of some serious re-decoration, and was for want of a better word (and not mine) - a tip, I immediately had visions of an evening sitting on bare floors, supping from tins of Stella sporadically washed down with cashew nuts and black olives, whilst circumnavigating an assortment of building rigging.

I was therefore refreshingly pleased and relieved when asked to join for refreshments at 'Apartment 195.'

I was reliably told that it was the best bar in the area, and by all accounts is the place to be seen, until someone comes up with something even more daringly extravagant.

So I left work in The City on a 'school night' and headed for the heart of Chelsea.

Set on the first floor of a listed building overlooking King's Road, on arrival at 'Apartment 195' you need to press a buzzer to gain admittance, access is through a discreet entrance thus giving the impression that you are entering an elite members-only bar, but without the doorlist and the attitude.
In fact the welcome could be best described as extremely pleasant and accommodating.

The staff were friendly, not snooty and the other customers had come to relax and chat, not eye up what everyone else is wearing.
The lounge music was audible but not in a way as to interfere with your conversation.

Inside 'Apartment 195' is an upmarket cocktail and wine bar.
The main room features an open fireplace, huge Victorian bay windows and high ceilings, offset by the centrepiece - a six metre polished copper bar.

The walls are dark purple and adorned with contemporary art, and the chocolate brown leather settees and slate tables makes the setting more akin to a classy drawing room than a bar.

It is designed to look like a smoking salon in a gentleman's club, not that there was a smoking jacket or Cuban Havana in sight, not nowadays anyhow!


There are three rooms that are connected via different corridors and stairways making it feel all quite exciting and mysterious.

/The Lounge - the main room is big, comfortable and stylish with subdued lighting, which can accommodate in the region of 100 people.

/The Salon - overlooking Chelsea's most famous beer garden, is smaller and more intimate than the lounge. Elegant leather sofas are coupled with antique furniture and accommodates up to 25 people.

/The TV Room - is the ultimate chill out room. The great thing about the tv room is that it is off the main lounge, so it's there if you want it, but not in your face like so many big screen places.
Two retro style sofas arranged around a big screen, make this the ideal room for a 'night in'. A cosy area for up to 8 people.


There is a fantastic cocktail list, classic to contemporary or even alcohol free - all shaken up by attractive bar staff, great champagne, a large selection of fine wines, premium spirits and bottled beers.

The drinking is all about the cocktails. There are some 40 or so to choose from.
There is also a London-themed cocktail list which pays tribute to London's history and it's popular landmark's with such gems as Big Ben, The Changing Of The Guard, The London Eye and Speaker's Corner.
I kicked off the evening with a Lapin Kulta bottled beer and followed it up with a couple of cocktails including a classic Mojito and an 'Apartment 195' favourite, a Chinese Mule, a lime infused sake mixed with vodka, coriander, ginger and topped with ginger beer. Sublime!

Eating does not play a lead role but they do offer a delightful selection of canapes, such as Oriental Duck Pancakes, Serrano Ham Wrapped Figs, Smoked Salmon and Cream Cheese Bagels and Chilli Crab Cakes, if your booking a private function.

Available to hire, 'Apartment 195' makes for a cracking venue in which to host any day event, meeting or private party.



My Thoughts:

Cocktails to-die-for.
Relaxed almost seductive atmosphere, stylish milieu.
Great for an after work tipple or an informal party.
Frequented by a predominantly classy professional crowd.
Acceptably priced for the area.
Excellent service, with an attractive all-female staff behind the bar - need I go on!

Once you have experienced 'Apartment 195' for the first time you WILL be back!


Cocktails: from £7 each.
Wine: from £15 per bottle (£5 a glass).
Champagne: from £37 per bottle (£7.50 a glass).


'Apartment 195' is located on: 195-197 Kings Road, Chelsea,
London SW3 5ED.
Nearest tube: Sloane Square or South Kensington.
Opening Times: Mon to Sat: 4pm-11pm, Sun: 4pm-10.30pm
Dress: Smart casual, (leave the trainers at home)
Tel no: 020 7351 5195
Email: info@apartment195.co.uk
Available to hire for private parties.
Credit cards: Amex, Mastercard, Visa.

London BAR King - 'Paradise By Way Of Kensal Green'

After an unutterable quantity of sport and alcohol this weekend I decided on Sunday to try and ease my gargantuan hangover at the curiously named 'Paradise by Way of Kensal Green' public house on Kilburn Lane, West London.

For the record I established the name is in fact from the final line of a poem called 'The Rolling English Road' by G. K. Chesterton.

Anyway the purpose of my Sunday jaunt, particularly in my rather fragile disposition was to join the pub regulars at the recently introduced 'Bloody Mary Sunday Club' in the delusional hope of installing life into my......lifeless body!

It sounds fine until like a piece of DIY furniture you examine it in more detail and then decide that this is going to be a little trickier than one initially anticipated.

The reason being that when you go in and ask for a Bloody Mary they ask you which of eight recipes you want.....and then if you would like to make your own!!!
For heavens sake when did a bartender last ask you to pour your own pint?

It's just far too much to try to cope with!

So instead I opted for a chilled glass of Chablis from the impressively extensive drinks list, took a look at the food menu, then scrutinized the surroundings and atmosphere for good measure.

The food menu could be best described as modern, Mediterranean stroke Asian, but refreshingly resonant with its traditional British cuisine on Sunday lunchtimes.
The food coming out from the kitchen looked impressive without being pretentious.

The atmosphere was relaxed and the crowd could be best described as mixed!

As for the interior, well the décor is gloriously chaotic.
It could be described as flamboyantly tasteless and alarmingly garish to the extent of oozing vulgarity.
Wandering across the sanded floor boards into the calming lime-green interior you’ll notice capriciously placed plaster angels and solid urns dotted about as if placed there on a whim.
The walls are covered in an assortment of numerous modern canvases with funky chandeliers hanging from the ceiling, casting shadowy halos over the bohemian interior. In the midst of all this obvious manifestation of expression, Paradise still hangs on to a welcome trace of British pub.

For fans of the great outdoors they have a garden with heaps of character and a terrace area, thus creating the perfect all year round hang out.

A quirky, wacky kind of venue. The type of place you might go once a month if you wanted something a tad different, or your local had gone a bit stale!
It's an experience......full of atmosphere, with a wide-ranging selection of beers, wines and cocktails. The food looked good, and then of course there is always the 'Bloody Mary Sunday Club.'


'Paradise By Way Of Kensal Green' is located on: 19 Kilburn Lane, London W10 4AE
Nearest tubes: Kensal Green or Queen's Park.
Opening Times: Mon to Thurs: 12.30pm-Midnight,
Fri and Sat: 12.30pm-02:00, Sun: Noon-23.30

Food served: Mon to Sat: 12.30-16.00 and 19.30-23.00, Sun: Noon-21.00
Children allowed.

Got A Date? - Need A Chic Place To Eat?

Now being a South East London guy the social butterfly in moi rarely sees me venture to South West London, mainly as I have no relatives or close friends from that part of the world.
However this week I was in the locality sampling the delights of 'Napket' - on a blind date!

To describe Napket as a cafe is to restore the true meaning to the word, and if fashion could be captured in an edible format, it would probably look like Napket.

This setting is without doubt the recreation of café society in London's King's Road. But refreshingly that doesn't mean the cafe itself is as pretentious as the people walking past it's exterior.

Unlike so many eateries which place such a heavyweight emphasis on 'the look and feel' Napket concentrates on serving up fine cuisine. The food is delicious, imaginative and superbly presented.

As a date place, it fits in nicely either as a place for a spot of brunch or alternatively for a quick post-work appetizer.

For a start if your date looks like the something out of a horror movie, at least
there are pictures of pretty people on the walls to divert your attention.
For the more vulgar, ill-bred person there is a facility to plug your headphones into the iPod sockets situated on each table, for those who would rather hum along to say Janet Jackson's 'Nasty' or Rihanna's 'S.O.S (Rescue Me)' and pretend they are elsewhere!

The date itself was er.....forgettable. Not bad enough to require the iPod service, but not good enough to require a second bite of the cherry.....enough said!

The venue although diminutive (only 25 covers) seeks to dazzle with subtly rather than in your face extravagance. It is well designed with glossy dark surfaces and glass chandeliers.

To enjoy such sophisticated surroundings and fine food one would think that it could leave your wallet feeling severely distressed, but not a bit of it, Napket is indeed excellent value.


'Napket' is located on 342 King's Road, London SW3.
Nearest tube: Sloane Square.
Opening Times: Mon - Thurs: 08:00 - 21:00, Fri - Sun: 08:00 - 22:00.
A meal for two is about £25.

London BAR King - 'Dirty Martini'

Last time I sat down to write a piece on drinking in London it was 'Flaming April.' Perhaps that was the kiss of death as the venue I suggested was al fresco on a moored boat.
Now nearly three months on, after enough rain to have sunk the vessel in question, and in typical pessimistic fashion I have decided to write off this so called 'Summer' (all due of course to global warming and my larger than life carbon footprint!!!!!!!!!!)
A more apposite experience all things considered might be to therefore venture below 'sea' level in order to find liquid sustenance.

May I suggest then getting down to 'Dirty Martini' in Covent Garden, as I did last Thursday.
This idyllic intimate milieu is ideal if you want to avoid being seen (maybe its our caveman instincts), but sometimes you want to go out and circumvent the goldfish bowl experience aka that of a large, uncomfortably busy, ear-splitting, boisterous bar or pub.

'Dirty Martini' is in Russell Street, and although it is right in the centre of the tourist zone and literally only yards from the market itself, it is unexpectedly chic.
The lighting is cool. Being an underground retreat it is dim and moody with the odd splash of blue uplighting here and there.
The booths are lined with burgundy leather sofas and low stools and there are areas of bare brickwork in amongst mirror clad columns.
All this gives it a dark almost eerie effect, but at the same time it also helps generate a tranquil, serene, almost calming atmosphere.

Not surprisingly at 'Dirty Martini' the tipple of choice is the 'martini' itself, and boy oh boy do they know how to mix one.
Having been a cocktail bartender in a former life, a martini has minimal ingredients but is a 'bastard' to make..... WELL!

They have a 'happy four hours' from 5pm to 9pm and a first-rate martini in The West End for £3.95 is plenty good reason to get down and dirty!

London BAR King - 'The Tattershall Castle'

As I sit here writing this post the sun is shinning, and in doing so it is also showing up my 'dirty looking' apartment windows.' On reflection I don't remember having seen my window cleaner for a good two months now, maybe more!
He is always banging on your door if you owe him a few quid, which doesn't bother me surprisingly, as he is quite a character and a betting man too.
He often gives me a horse to back which is a dead cert, although as everyone who enjoys a flutter knows - there is in fact no such thing.
However he bets big boys dosh and he wouldn't give you a donkey to back unless he had heard a whisper for it from someone on the inside.

The seasonal good weather means only two things to many. Firstly, the gyms are packed with once a year male members trying to lose their man-boobs, before they dare to unveil there shiny white torsos for the first time in six months, along with that group of fitness obsessed middle-aged women, who have been going to the gym 3 or 4 times a week forever, in the feint hope that once more this Summer they can get away with wearing a belt for a skirt and a crop top to expose their belly piercing!
Grow old gracefully I say, and that's coming from my goodself, a once upon a time gym fanatic and qualified fitness instructor.

What is it with women that when you ask them what social activities they enjoy the 'gym' is always in the top three, with the other two being swimming and pilates!

The 'gym' was once upon a time a home from home for men, where they could go to effectively preserve their masculinity and lift some weights in between chatting to other guys of the same ilk about 'man' things.

Secondly the tanning salons are empty as people try to achieve the 'real deal' even in April.

But in my world good weather means the opportunity to enjoy a bevy outdoors in the sunshine, be it in a beer garden or your own garden.
In my eyes take the opportunity now....who knows when we will see any good weather again....tomorrow, in a week, in a month!

Alternatively how about having a glass of something ON The Tattershall Castle.
Moored on the Thames, this refurbished old paddle steamer is a good place to go if your looking for a change of scenery and venue.
Drink up on the deck while the heat of the sun allows, whilst enjoying the panoramic backdrop of the London Eye, Big Ben and the Houses of Parliament, then toddle off down below as the sun sets and it starts to cool off.
For those looking for a 'big night in' there is also a night club on board which stays open into the early hours.
Ideally located, 2 minutes walk from Embankment tube station, 5 minutes or so from Charing Cross mainline station, and only a 10-15 minute walk from the boat itself into the West End or Soho.

'The Tattershall Castle' makes for a great meeting place. It's very informal and relaxed, and with the sun on your back, a beer in your hand and the great views of London, it is a must-go venue for an early evening or post-work libation.

London BAR King - 'Black Gardenia'

I realise looking at my blog 'Beer Footy and Birds!' that it is fundamentally flawed. The emphasis is most definitely on footy and birds and less so on beer.
As a result I am going to try to rectify this by emBARking on bringing you a short but regular guide to where's hot and where's not in the drinking capital of the world.

To kick things off I would like to bring to your attention a newly opened bar in Soho called the 'Black Gardenia,' formally the Push Bar.
It's situated on 93 Dean Street, London W1 and is now very much a cool yet distinctive, almost moody, cavern style milieu. It offers a diverse miscellany of forties, fifties and sixties tunes, and is open until 1am.
No jeans are allowed, the garb is bordering on vintage, almost Retro and the more vintage your attire the more you will fit in.

A cracking bar. Well worth a visit whatever your vogue.