"Innovative" food in London

[kai-m]

I'll be in london in august for a couple of days. Not much time for fancy dinner, but one night is reserved for a good night out - since we won't be able to make it to the FAT DUCK Iam looking for a place where the cooking goes in the same direction - sort of...

Also, I do not like all too "formal/stiff" places. And since we are rather young (33, looking way younger) a kind of "younger" place would be great...

So far I have singled out the following restaurants:

FOLIAGE

NOISETTE

PIED A TERRE

TOM AIKENS

MAZE

What do you guys think?

Thanks a lot!!

kai

[Dan Ryan]

Bacchus

No shortage of threads here. Or proprietors...

[ellenesk]

cANT SPEAK ABOUT ANYTHING BUT Maize. Perfectly good restaurant, but not really different from anything you can get in New York.

[Tim Hayward]

Yep. If FD is your kind of innovation, Bacchus is the place.

[SBonner]

Bacchus and Tom Aikens get my nod. Bacchus more in the Fat Duck vein.

Stephen Bonner

[sunbeam]

Bacchus is indeed going in the same direction as FD, but the driver still has his P plates on and is inclined to wander across the white lines.

Me I'd go Aitkens or Pied. Stuffy is not how I'd describe any of these places - service is professional, slick and assured (as it should be at these prices) but the staff are relaxed. knowledgeable and enthusiastic.

I dont think age is an issue!

S

[Catriona]

I say bacchus for the relaxed atmosphere and the delicious food. Make sure you have the rabbit mousse.

[chefAZ]

How about Sketch?......its super expensive, but then again it is pierre gagnaire...........

[sunbeam]

I say bacchus for the relaxed atmosphere and the delicious food.  Make sure you have the rabbit mousse.

←

Part of the problem at bacchus is the fluctuating menu. You may not find the mousse on. I would be wary of making the hike out there if it's going to be your 'big one' meal. By all means give it a go if you intend going to other places as well though. Otherwise putting all your eggs in their hoxton, sous vide, Mol/Gas basket may be a bit risky.

S

[Andy Lynes]

Me I'd go Aitkens or Pied. Stuffy is not how I'd describe any of these places -

←

Stuffy possibly not, but undeniably formal. Both are very expensive as well unless you go for lunch.

[sunbeam]

Me I'd go Aitkens or Pied. Stuffy is not how I'd describe any of these places -

←

Stuffy possibly not, but undeniably formal. Both are very expensive as well unless you go for lunch.

←

I agree about the price, but I am unsure how you define formal. A place can be smartly turned out, correct and professional but still cheerful and friendly. A place can have staff in jeans and trainers and still be snotty.

And dont you hate it when a waiter crouches down next to your table and introuduces himself/herself? Or even sits at a spare seat? I can do without that kind of lack of formality for sure.

S

[Andy Lynes]

And dont you hate it when a waiter crouches down next to your table and introuduces himself/herself?

←

Oh god yes, puppy dogging is definately a pet hate if you'll excuse the bad pun.

[Scott]

Bacchus is indeed going in the same direction as FD, but the driver still has his P plates on and is inclined to wander across the white lines.

Me I'd go Aitkens or Pied. Stuffy is not how I'd describe any of these places - service is professional, slick  and assured  (as it should be at these prices) but the staff are relaxed. knowledgeable and enthusiastic.

I dont think age is an issue!

S

←

I'd agree with this. forget bacchus, nice place, lot of aspirations - might get there in the end.

try Foliage/Pied a terre/aikens.

all very modern, very accomplished kitchens. you might even want to try Atelier Joel Robuchon which is turning out food as good as any kitchen in the capital. again, a very modern french cuisine.

if can go the distance to the FD, you might want to try the vineyard at stockcross - which is quite innovative.

[Scott]

Me I'd go Aitkens or Pied. Stuffy is not how I'd describe any of these places -

←

Stuffy possibly not, but undeniably formal. Both are very expensive as well unless you go for lunch.

←

they are formal sure, but they are less expensive than the fat duck. and if you like your booze, Pied a terre allows you to BYO.

[Andy Lynes]

they are less expensive than the fat duck.

←

I think you could say that about 99% of restaurants in this country.

[sunbeam]

  and if you like your booze, Pied a terre allows you to BYO.

←

Do they really? You're kidding surely?

S

[ravelda]

£25 per bottle corkatge I believe though - and I believe they ask you to buy at least 1 bottle from their list, otherwise corkage goes up to £50.

Incidentally - Pied a Terre now do a homewine service run by the excellent sommelier Matthieu. Looks quite reasonable actually!

[sunbeam]

£25 per bottle corkatge I believe though - and I believe they ask you to buy at least 1 bottle from their list, otherwise corkage goes up to £50.

←

Oh. I'm not quite sure whether that's a good or bad thing then

I bet the sommelier sneers when you hand him your bottle of plonk, unless it's a £100+ job!

S

Edited July 4, 2007 by sunbeam (log)

[ravelda]

With those corkage prices, I would say there would be no point in taking your own unless it was a £100+ bottle!

[kai-m]

Hmm, yes, after checking out all the websites a bit I have to say: london 1*-restaurants are pretty damn expensive...(compared to italy or germany and even many in france...).

Therefore BACCHUS seemed like a good choice (60,- for the large tasting menu...!).

But what do you mean by "I would be wary of making the hike out there"??

On the map it doesn't look like it's out of town or something...?!?

By the way: we are staying with friends who live between the "Bethnal Green" and "Miles End" underground stations - maybe that is of help in deciding where to go...

Thanks

Best

kai

PS: I already went to ROBUCHON in Vegas - real nice...

[sunbeam]

But what do you mean by "I would be wary of making the hike out there"??

On the map it doesn't look like it's out of town or something...?!?

By the way: we are staying with friends who live between the "Bethnal Green" and "Miles End" underground stations - maybe that is of help in deciding where to go...

P

Well a map of London doesnt quite show the reality here. Your cool friends are living in a newly fashionable area which until relatively recently was pretty damn grim and not even considered part of London proper. Pockets of that grimness remain. Bacchus is on the fringe of trendy Hoxton and the surrounding area is rough - shops resembling fortresses, low rent, hi rise housing and dodgy people shuffling about with their hoods up. Bacchus itself is heavily fortified when not in use. I would not walk to get there, certainly not in the dark, get a cab there and back and don't hang about in the open with your best jewellery on display!

Of course for some people this is all part of the fun - eating on the edge etc. A frisson for the middle-classes.

S

[Charlie O]

Bacchus is on the fringe of trendy Hoxton and the surrounding area is rough - shops resembling fortresses, low rent, hi rise housing and dodgy people shuffling about with their hoods up. Bacchus itself is heavily fortified when not in use. I would not walk to get there, certainly not in the dark, get a cab there and back and don't hang about in the open with your best jewellery on display!

←

I feel compelled to defend my neighbourhood - it's nothing like that. Bacchus is a short walk up Hoxton Street (past the library and the college) from the square. This is the sort of place where kids play out unsupervised and there's a thriving market. sunbeam - I'd stick to talking about food rather than property

Anyway... kai-m - if you're staying near Bethnal Green than Bacchus is very close. It is in a different league to some of the other places mentioned in this thread and that is represented in its prices. The food is not faultless but there is ambition...

[Catriona]

I think I may be Charlie's neighbour. I live less than 10 minutes walk from Bacchus (most of it along the battleground that is Hoxton Street ). If you're a shrinking violet you're not going to be comfortable in Bethnal Green/Mile End either... Or most of Manhattan or plenty of other places. In fact, sunbeam's comment that "the surrounding area is rough - shops resembling fortresses, low rent hi rise housing and dodgy people shuffling about with their hoods up" could probably describe about 80% of London.

Depending on how you feel about walking, you cold walk comfortably from Mile End to Bacchus... we walked home after our supper there, and I was in Wapping at the time. And I had new stilettoes on.

Edited July 4, 2007 by Catriona (log)

[Scott]

they are less expensive than the fat duck.

←

I think you could say that about 99% of restaurants in this country.

←

which was my point. IF the FD is in budget, ergo: so are the others.

[sunbeam]

I think I may be Charlie's neighbour.  I live less than 10 minutes walk from Bacchus (most of it along the battleground that is Hoxton Street ).  If you're a shrinking violet you're not going to be comfortable in Bethnal Green/Mile End either... Or most of Manhattan or plenty of other places. In fact, sunbeam's comment that "the surrounding area is rough - shops resembling fortresses, low rent hi rise housing and dodgy people shuffling about with their hoods up" could probably describe about 80% of London.

Depending on how you feel about walking, you cold walk comfortably from Mile End to Bacchus... we walked home after our supper there, and I was in Wapping at the time.  And I had new stilettoes on.

←

Actually I've lived in Sarf London most of my life, difference is we don't have trustafarian fine diners offering themselves up for our sport by mincing down our streets. Apart from that silly short-tempered bird on Metro who tried to eat in a housing estate last week and got, quite rightly, scared away within minutes. We don't need her sort around. Innit.

Seriously, that part of Hoxton where Bacchus is located made me well nervous and I live in Brixton . We look positively home counties down here by comparison. Mind you we aren't so posh that we've started mistakenly calling our evening meal our 'supper' yet.

I'd wear trainers not stilettos meself, far easier to leg it.

S