Welcome back to The Slice!
We love to queue in the UK – it’s essentially a British custom. But we also like to moan about queuing – so if you have to get in line, you want to know that it’s worth your while.
That’s why we’re letting you in on the restaurants which actually deserve the wait time, as well as our top tips to jumping the queue every time.
And yes, that includes the iconic Parisian restaurant that’s been keeping Londoners lining up around the block for the last 15 years…
We’re also telling you where to find the ‘cheapest’ steak in London, so you can tuck into some oh-so-tender Ribeye without having to break the bank. And we review it-girl Italian spot Nina, the newest restaurant from the group behind Bottarga and zēphyr.
Read on for a whole range of recommendations for April 12 and 13, handpicked as always by The Slice.
Welcome to the Slice
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This week in London
If you’re looking for something to do this weekend, here are 10 of the best activities, dining, and drinking spots in the capital.
1. Try the new glamorous Italian restaurant, Nina
I’m always a little disappointed by ‘must-visit’ restaurants… they never live up to my expectations. Nina is an exception however. It’s the perfect location for a candlelit date night or an atmospheric girl dinner, with rustic decor, plenty of leopard print, and some truly fantastic Italian dishes.
The dining experience starts with a Tini – a tiny twist on a cocktail – with several options to choose from. If you have a sweet tooth, go for the Vogue which is akin to drinking an amaretti biscuit. Pair with their house focaccia, served warm with lashings of parmesan butter and olive oil. The bread is soft, springy, and speckled with tomatoes – every mouthful is a real joy to eat.
For mains, you can’t go wrong with pasta and the cacio e pepe is one of the best I’ve ever had in London – quite possibly even better than Padella (more on that below). The viral tomato spaghetti is also a solid choice, but the sauce isn’t light and zingy as you might expect, instead deeper in flavour like a ragu (we recommend a side of stracciatella). And don’t skip dessert. The luscious lemon meringue semi-freddo (served inside an actual lemon) tastes as good as it looks and the first spoonful of the stracciatella burnt cheesecake will have your eyes rolling back into your head in pure bliss.
Small plates from £12. Mains from £28. 18 Thayer St, Marylebone, W1U 3JY. Book here.
2. The London restaurants worth queuing for
We miss the spontaneous pre-Covid days when you’d happily rock up and wait an hour for a table. Some London restaurants are still sticking to the old ways with strict no reservations policies and lines out the door.
Here are some of our favourites – and tips on how to get in.
Le Relais de Venise – L’entrecôte
The Slice’s tip: Turn up on a Monday around midday
Want to know the trick to trying the famous steak restaurant it feels like the whole world has been to? Turn up at around midday (a Monday would be even better). We know it’s pretty early to eat such dish, but trust us: it’s worth it. Le Relais de Venise – L’entrecôte is known for having queues of people waiting to try steak and frites, the only dish they serve.
It follows in the footsteps of the original which opened in Paris in 1959, and their old-school formula is simple: two servings of thinly-sliced steak and frites, plus a fresh walnut salad.
For dessert, you get more of a choice. We can vouch for the ultra chocolate-y profiteroles and rich, piping-hot sticky toffee pudding.
Set menu, £31. 120 Marylebone Lane, Marylebone. No bookings, arrive early!
Padella
The Slice’s tip: Line up virtually or book the Shoreditch branch
Padella opened their first branch in Borough Market and since then has become one of my go-to spots for pasta. The standard has been next-level every time I’ve visited, and they serve some of the best burrata you’ll probably ever taste. But with great food comes great queues, and Padella is known for them.
But what many people don’t know is that the Shoreditch branch does take bookings. If you happen to be in Borough Market though, don’t let the queues put you off. You can downloading the Dojo app to join the virtual queue and have a drink nearby while Dojo queues for you.
Antipasti from £4. Pasta from £8.50. Borough Market and Shoreditch. Book a table at the Shoreditch branch here.
Flour & Grape
The Slice’s tip: enjoy yourself in the virtual queue
Since it opened back in 2017, I’ve had my share of waiting in various weathers for a table at Flour & Grape (and been turned away hungry). That’s why I can confidently say a little planning and downloading the Dojo app to join the virtual queue is worth it (you can always watch them roll out fresh pasta at the window or have a drink in their little speakeasy bar downstairs while you wait).
Once you’re in, order a few tasty small plates (the artichoke flower with umami-rich miso mayonnaise is rather special) and well-priced, rustic pasta dishes for an excellent, speedy dinner.
Pasta from £9.50. 214 Bermondsey St, Bermondsey. Book here.
3. Eat Aussie plates at Milk Beach
Having grandly declared Queen’s Park to be the new Hackney – see my review of Don’t Tell Dad last week– it’s tallyho to Soho to try the sister branch of another of QP’s most celebrated restaurants, Milk Beach.
Tucking Australian food and a light filled relaxed Antipodean atmosphere behind the chaos of Greek Street, Milk Beach oozes calm. The food, service and wine are terrific and the portions generous – the flame-grilled garlic prawns with fermented chilli butter arrived piled high and were swiftly demolished. Yellowfish tuna tartare with kaffir lime vinaigrette and puffed nori is molten in the mouth. Monkfish tail, white miso beurre blanc and monk’s beard (don’t worry, no monks forcibly shaved, it’s similar to samphire) is meaty yet tender and I have been reconverted back to aubergine karaage – the sticky mirin glaze, which can be as sweet as toffee, is on the side of the savoury gods.
Also, grab your diaries – Milk Beach will be hosting Toast Australia, monthly wine paired dinners, for the rest of the year. with some of the country’s most celebrated wineries such as Shaw + Smith (30th April, £135) and Penfolds in May, for tastes and sips of awesome Oz.
Plates from £11. Ilona Rose House, Manette Street, W1D 4AL. Book here.
4. Try one of London’s cheapest steaks at Burger and Beyond
Chocolate and chicken feels like a no-no combination. But at Burger and Beyond it feels oh-so-right. Caramel cocoa chicken wings arrive drenched in a thick caramel cocoa sauce you can’t help but scoop up even after there’s no more chicken to be seen. It’s actual heaven on a plate.
But what also caught my attention was the 250g rib eye steak. At £15.50, Burger and Beyond’s steak is one of the cheapest in London, and the bargain price point hasn’t hurt its quality. I paired it with a gorgeously light smoked salt and lime butter and tucked into the tender slab of goodness.
If you don’t mind getting your hands dirty, the bougie burger is another star in her own right, with a rich steak sauce and moreish meaty marrow-naise. Next, go home and have the best nap you’ve ever had. You’ll have a food coma for sure.
Burgers from £12. Steak from £15.50. Shoreditch, Soho and Borough Yards. Book here
5. Honest Burger launches their breakfast menu
Honest Burger has served up their first ever breakfast at Honest Smash + Grab.
Think hash brown tater tots smothered in grated pecorino cheese and breakfast muffins like the Honest, made with a sausage patty, crispy bacon, a fried egg, cheese and shoestring fries. Yum!
6. Try out Boxpark’s older sister, Boxhall City
Boxhall City opens in Liverpool Street on 10 April. Vendors include Little Bao Boy, which is serving up Asian food with a contemporary twist, and cult fave Eggslut. Book your table here!
7. Eat crazy burgers and shakes as Black Tap comes to London
NYC spot Black Tap is bringing their signature Burger to London. And their new London-exclusive menu includes The Big Apple CrazyShake®, which features a whole slice of New York cheesecake, and a whole toffee apple.
They also serve up traditional cheeseburgers as well as others with crazy combinations, like a Pizza Burger with marinara sauce, fried mozzarella and parmesan. Find out more here.
8. Take your doggy try some dog-tastic stout
The UK’s first ‘stout’ for dogs will launch on 11 April for National Pet Day. And it’s bound to be a woofin’ brilliant day.
The FREE stout is made with premium dog bone broth topped with tasty whipped cream… so grab your furry friend, get down to Market Place Vauxhall and make their day.
9. Get your hands on some brilliant second hand goods at The Horniman museum
In need of a good old spring clean? Second-hand Sundays at The Horniman Museum are back, with a focus on repurposing, reusing and recycling.
The first takes place on 13 April. Simply turn up for second-hand goodies and vintage finds, or find out how to apply for a stall here.
10. Be in with a chance to win a prize for this masterclass at Chiave Shoreditch
A cocktail workshop where you can learn to make two cocktails, and be in with the chance to win a prize? Yes please.
At Chiave Shoreditch’s masterclass you can try to beat the competition with the help of mixologists Bilal and Laura, who were recently nominated for the World Class Top 100 bartenders. May the best cocktail win!
Tickets, £45pp. Find out more here.
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