 As the first few weeks of the New Year draw to a close, the foodie fraternity is beginning to rebel. Those self-imposed healthy eating regimes that so recently, seemed like a good idea have somehow lost their flavour. The notion, embraced with such optimism, of bulking up on a continuous menu of mountains of greenery and low-fat options is indeed beginning to pall.
Now, far be it from me to volunteer that healthy eating is anything but highly commendable. Most of us have experienced the empowering sense of wellbeing and that healthy glow and smug sense of satisfaction (albeit often temporary) that accompanies a strict, no-nonsense diet. But equally, a continuous and unremitting regime of sensible eating can also have its downside. The human palate, you see, has a basic urge to step out of line, once in a while – to indulge in comfort food, and preferably in satisfyingly large portions!
Arguably, the occasional gluttonous aberration can do no harm. Breaking the rules, just ever so slightly, might even help us lesser mortals stick to a generally balanced diet. It can certainly offer a more enduring perspective on the constant healthy dining dilemma.
Now, those of us in search of quality, comfort cuisine, in London are spoilt for choice. From fine-dining restaurants to traditional pub-grub type establishments, winter menus proliferate that are guaranteed to tempt the taste buds and to indulge our cravings for rib-covering, hearty, full-flavoured comfort fodder.
Try, for example, the following eateries:
Buchan’s, 62-63 Battersea Bridge Road, London, SW11 3AG: This bistro serves up comfort food, with Scottish flair. Generous helpings and friendly service are an added bonus. Sample the Haggis, neeps and tatties, washed down with a wee dram of malt whisky.
Gordon Ramsay, The Savoy, Strand, London, WC2R 0EU: The former Upstairs Restaurant, at the Savoy, has been transformed into a 1950s style traditional diner that offers comfort classics such as shepherd’s pie, fish pie and generously-portioned steak and kidney pie with oodles of gravy. Even the puddings have huge home-cooking appeal. You’d be hard-pressed to resist the toffee and date pudding or rice pudding!
Guinea Grill, 30 Bruton Place, London, W1 6NL: No chance of leaving Guinea Grill with your stomach rumbling, for this traditional pub-diner, with friendly pub at the front of the building and charming back-room restaurant is noted for its tasty, generous British-style cooking.
Maggie Jones’s, 6 Old Court Place, London, W8 4PL: The friendly service and farmhouse-style décor, with scrubbed oak tables, set the tone and whet the appetite for the wholesome British food to follow. The extensive menu features an array of savoury tarts, fish pies, traditional liver with bacon and onions, as well daily changing seasonal dishes including game. Portions are huge.
Nikita’s, 65 Ifield Road, London, SW10 9AU: Warming, quality stodge is not the preserve of the British. This Russian establishment really knows how to satisfy the appetite and please the senses. For huge fluffy Blinis served with flasks of smooth, ice-cold vodka, Nikita’s is unrivalled.
Quality Chop House, 92-94 Farringdon Road, London, EC1 3EA: This former Victorian workingmen’s caff now dishes up British nosh that is truly indulgent. Potted shrimps and their signature salmon fishcakes served in a delicious dill sauce, as well as good old bangers and mash, are firm favourites.
The nub of the issue, of course, is that the cold, dark winter months are synonymous with a basic desire for comfort eating and square meals that will satisfy the soul and give us a warm, indulgent glow. So, the odd foray in search of comfort cuisine can, in the great scheme of things, do no harm; nay it can be positively uplifting!
|
