London, England - Amaranto Italian Restaurant at the Four Seasons Hotel

I recently spent an entire afternoon having a lovely lunch in celebration of my Texan friend Divya's birthday (featured below on the left) at the Amaranto Italian Restaurant at the Four Seasons Hotel on Park Lane in London. The food was absolutely delicious, and when the weather is nice, they also have a private garden in the back for dining. 

Here's what we devoured:
Antipasti: Burrata

French Beans, Pachino Tomatoes, Almond and Basil Salad with Extra Aged Balsamic Vinegar:

Tuna Carpaccio Siciliana, Extra Aged Balsamic Vinegar:

Mains:
Ricotta and Spinach Ravioli with Datterini and Parmesan:

Risotto with prawns, zucchini blossoms and saffron:

Carbonara: Homemade rigatoni in egg and sheep's milk cheese with crispy cured pork cheeks:

Fried zucchini and spinach sides:

The birthday girl's husband surprised her with a raspberry macaroon cake in the shape of a heart from the famous Parisian macaroon bakery, Laduree. 

It was a wonderful and delicious birthday lunch, and if you are in the mood for very well done high-end Italian food near Park Lane, then this is your spot.

Pin It

London, England - Sunday Fun Day: Automat and Shoreditch House

Summer has finally arrived in London! The sun is shining, the temperatures are in the high 70s and there is no rain in sight for the next few weeks. Last Sunday I grabbed a few friends for a day of fun and we started the morning at my favorite American breakfast spot (they serve lunch and dinner as well), Automat, in Mayfair. Vanilla milkshakes and blueberry pancakes taste just like home ... 

After breakfast we went all the way east to Shoreditch, to the roof top pool at Shoreditch House, part of the Soho House members only club. Seems everyone had the same idea of catching some rays, and eating and drinking outside around the pool.

 Beautiful views of the Gherkin building and the City of London ..

Pin It

London, England - Borough Market

No trip to London is complete without visiting the food frenzy that is Borough Market. Not only can you eat yourself silly trying almost every kind of cuisine, but you can also do some serious grocery shopping at so many interesting cheese, fresh meat, fish and produce stands. This one stand, for instance, specializes only in various kinds of mushrooms:

Couldn't resist a portion of fresh gnocchi:

... and how cute are these mozzarella ball ice cream cones?!

The one stand at Borough Market you absolutely cannot miss is the grilled cheese stand called Kappacasein... trust me on this one! 



Their grilled cheese is a mix of Montgomery cheddar, Ogleshield, and Comte cheeses, five types of onions and Poilane sourdough bread:

Its all pressed on a warm grill:

Raclette with melted Ogleshield and new potatoes:

There are also several oyster bars to try out around the periphery of the market, including the famous Wright Brothers:

And the line for amazing single cone filter coffee at Monmouth never subsides:

Black truffles, yum:

Pin It