What the experts recommend
Kuch 133 Whiteladies Road, Bristol (0117-253 0300) For those seeking “freshness, value and a bit of a culinary adventure”, look no further than this unassuming restaurant serving “southern Persian soul food”, says Marina O’loughlin in The Guardian. Kuch offers treat upon treat: bowls full of fresh, colourful salads and glossy olives; hot, oily flatbreads and spiced meats; dishes that are sweet with pomegranate and date molasses, tangy from tamarind, and pungent with dried lime; and shelves stacked with jars of kashk (“liquid curd”), pickled vegetables, sour orange juice and quince jam. The flurry of small dishes we tried included kash_k bazanjon (“all descriptions very much sic”), which turned out to be a lentil and smoked aubergine dip boosted with whey, with garlands of crisp garlic and onion; and naan-o-paneer, which was fluffy bread “with an exuberance of dill and mint, feta and walnuts in a sekanjabin dressing (an ancient drink made with honey and vinegar)”. Don’t go hoping for a quick meal: everything is cooked to order and “it’s not speedy”. But do go. About £25 a head, plus drinks and service.
Neo Bistro 11 Woodstock Street, Mayfair, London W1 (020-7499 9427) If you need “reasons to be cheerful” in these tricky times, here’s a belter, says Fay Maschler in the London Evening Standard. Alex Harper, ex-head chef of the Michelin-starred Harwood Arms in Fulham, and Mark Jarvis, chef-patron of the raved-about Anglo, off Hatton Garden, have got together to present their spin on “bistronomy” – first-rate classical cooking in a relaxed bistro-style setting. And they have done so in a corner of the West End that’s crying out for some class amid all the chain restaurants. There is fabulous charcuterie made in-house; a serious wine list (“low intervention, naturellement”); and “the best lamb I have eaten in years” – crisp skin and a lushly flavourful interior – served with smoked eel. Buttery brill with white anchovies and sea kale is “irresistible”. And “masterful” Anjou pigeon served three ways (rare breast, confit leg and croquette), goes sublimely well with green strawberries. “Who knew?” Tasting menu, £42 for six courses; à la carte meal for two, with wine, about £130.
Five great trattorias in Rome
There’s a southern Italian proverb that I swear by, says Rachel Roddy in the FT: “whatever can be fried is good to eat”. With that in mind, my first Roman recommendation is that you order all the fritti at the trattoria Cesare al Casaletto: anchovies, small coral-coloured octopus and artichokes. It’s an easy tram ride from the Piazza Venezia and is more than worth the effort. A few minutes from the Testaccio street market is my local, La Torricella: it serves traditional, homely food with “brusque charm and generosity”, and specialises in fish. Or, if you want the best of the offal cookery for which this slaughterhouse district is famous, try trattoria Agustarello, and go for the “rich and silky” oxtail. Right by the Pantheon, I’d recommend the “smart but not fussy” Armando al Pantheon for classic Roman pastas and traditional dishes. And over on the other side of Rome, a new trattoria, Santopalato, recently served me “two of the most delicious things I’ve eaten lately”; a dish of peas, soft-boiled egg and Parmesan, and a marigold-yellow carbonara.