Bennett Oyster Bar & Brasserie

I had a great evening last night at the "friends and family" pre-opening evening at Bennett Oyster Bar & Brasserie (which opens fully on 8th March). Ray, who owns the restaurant was charmingly welcoming and so too were his 1950s-clad waiters. The music was upbeat and jolly, and there was a great atmosphere.

The bread, which they made there, and served in cute little flower pots which reminded me of René Redzepi's flowerpot dish, was delicious - really fluffy and light.

I was very impressed with my starter, the red mullet soup with Gruyère, rouille and croutons. It was a really rich, deep red colour, and the fishy taste matched that intensity - exactly what you want with a fish soup. The rouille, which is made from garlic and olive oil, gave a good kick to the soup, and the saffron flavour was nice and piquant. Together with the crunchy croutons, and one of my favourites cheeses to sprinkle on top and watch melt, I was wary of sharing it!

For mains, I had pollock, which is a great alternative for cod and is much more sustainable, and probably tastier as well, especially how this was done. It had a crusty top, and was cooked perfectly through, so it flaked away easily. The potatoes could have been more crispy, but they tasted fine. I loved the mustard velouté - the velvety and creamy sauce went well with both the fish and the potatoes.

Finally, after two delicious courses came dessert. I was hardly ready for the generous portion of sticky toffee pudding! Unfortunately, it wasn't served quite warm enough and I found it a bit dense, but I liked the toffee sauce, rich and sugary, of course, and the vanilla ice cream was fine.

So, all in all, a very impressive meal, especially for only their second evening running. And I'm sure I'll be going back, if just to try their other fish soups, and maybe even to taste some of their other produce which they sell, like fresh fruit & veg, and home-baked bread and cakes.

Fox and Grapes

Tonight, I had a pleasant evening at the Fox and Grapes pub in Wimbledon. (It was a bit of a schlep from the station, so we hopped in a cab on the way there, but some very friendly local foodies escorted us safely back!)

The pub is the work of Claude Bosi, owner of the 2 Michelin-starred restaurant Hibiscus known for its sophisticated avant-garde cuisine, but in this new adventure, the chef has chosen to go for a touched-up take on British pub food.

I thought that the food was reasonably good, and certainly worth the visit. I started off with a wintry salad which included beetroot, goats cheese, chicory and blood orange. It was elegantly presented in a spiral-type shape, with a wonderful array of colours. I loved the creamy cheese, which seamlessly contrasted with the crunchy caramelised walnuts. The beetroot, as well as leaking a rich red sauce, tasted good with the salad leaves. The citrus lift from the blood orange also added well to the delicious salad. This was my favourite part of the meal.

For mains, expecting the lack of vegetarian-friendly options, I opted for the winter vegetable hot pot, following my wintry trend. I like the rustic serving in the heavy metal pot, and the crispy potatoes crusted on the roof were fantastic, although what came inside was slightly disappointing. Although it was very wholesome, and hearty, I didn't think the dish was very special, and would much rather delve into a Ducasse Le Cookpot instead!

In comparison, I thought that the desert was great. I indulged myself with a rich, intense, and scrumptious treacle and pecan tart. The nutty flavour was quite subtle, but still very much eminent, the pastry just the right thickness and crunchiness, and the treacle of course was devilishly sugary!

My only real criticism would have to be the service, which although fast, was very un-engaging, with our waitress whisking away our food, with an over-enthusiastic 'awesome!', regardless of our answer to her inquiry as to whether we were enjoying our meal. Perhaps they could learn something from Michel's recent television program, 'Michel Roux's Service'!

Aside from this, it was all in all a good evening, and worth a visit.