What the experts recommend
United Chip 5 Clerkenwell Road, London EC1 (020-7490 0069) Everyone’s an expert when it comes to fish and chips, says Jay Rayner in The Observer. Open up something niche, like a ceviche joint or an izakaya, and a few people will have an opinion. Open a new chippy and everyone will pile in. But happily for United Chip, it was clear, on the roaring lunchtime that I visited, that Clerkenwell has made up its mind: this place is a belter, “attending to practically every modern bell and whistle it can find, while still caring about the essentials”. In the “modern” category are: line-caught fish only; fully recyclable packaging; a fantastic spiced prawn burger; and a needlessly brilliant homemade curry sauce. In the “essentials” camp: cod, pollock or haddock “steamed to thick, pearly, shiny flakes” inside an unimprovable golden, glassy batter; excellent “proper” chips; and very good pickled onions on the counter. “They also have a short wine list, if you really wanted to, you outrageous bourgeois fop.” From £6.50 for a small pollock & chips to £13.50 for a truly vast cod & chips.
Romy’s Kitchen 2 Castle Street, Thornbury, Bristol (01454-416728) I’m loath to use the word “quaint” to describe Thornbury, the market town north of Bristol that’s home to the splendid Romy’s Kitchen, says Grace Dent in The Guardian. But on a Friday night pre-dinner, after I’d bought a round of drinks in The Swan on the main street for £4.85, massaged the ears of the resident German shepherd and watched a Gary Numan covers band tune up, this town “felt oddly perfect”. In any event, Thornbury is blessed to have in its midst Romy Gill, whose bold blend of modern Punjabi and Bengali cooking has wowed London foodies at various pop-up residencies in recent years. The highlights on my pilgrimage to her home turf included ginger-marinated paneer with fragrant caramelised melted onion and coriander chutney, and a sabzi of cauliflower, peas and carrots fried in mustard seed, cumin and plentiful onion. “Silky butternut squash sabzi is possibly even better.” About £25 a head for a large meal.
Where to eat in Porto
As well as giving its name to port wine, Portugal’s second city – a buzzing web of cobbled streets, baroque churches and azulejo- tiled buildings – is famed for its sandwiches and seafood, says Max Graham in the FT. Walking through Praça dos Poveiros, I often head for Casa Guedes, a tasca known for its sandes de pernil (roast pork sandwiches) served with a creamy Serra cheese. For a francesinha – a traditional Porto sandwich with layers of meats topped with a fried egg, smothered in melted cheese and covered with a spicy beer sauce – I recommend Capa Negra II. A favourite lunch spot is Salta o Muro, a no-frills seafood restaurant right by the Matosinhos docks across the road. Or there’s the Esplanada Marisqueira Antiga, an upmarket place that serves some of the best seafood in the city. It’s a great place to try percebes (goose barnacle). For dinner, try Cafeína, which offers modern European cooking with a Portuguese focus and great wines. Or for a more experimental approach, two relative newcomers – Euskalduna Studio and Mito – are also outstanding options.
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