Cocktails & Culture
When I step off the platform at London Euston, I’m greeted with a familiar high, I don’t come to London for the mundane 9 till 5, I come to London to create memories, for exciting meetings and events. I also come to London to eat, the food scene is better than ever and I for one, am a fan.
With time to spare, we took a leisurely stroll towards the hustle and bustle of Oxford Street, stopping for sweet ginger lattes at Joe and The Juice. I was feeling content with our relaxed conversation, whilst pottering at a steady pace, so we could stare into the ornate window displays on our journey towards Dover Street Mayfair.
The main reason for my visit to London was to return to MNKY HSE to try out the new lunch menu, I know I’m an enthusiastic person on the topic of food, but honestly, this was sensational.
We started, as we meant to go on, which roughly translated means ‘cocktails’ and dipping crispy tortilla crips into a flavoursome sweetcorn dip. ‘This is so good‘ might have been repeated an obnoxious number of times, I need to work on some slightly more descriptive vocabulary to share my love of good food.
Before we knew it, the second dish was on our table, much to the delight of our taste buds the ‘Guacamole Tomatillo’ lived up to the glowing review from our friendly waiter. Followed by ‘Carnitas De Pato’ which was duck meat in the softest tacos with a flavoursome but not overpowering sauce.
The ‘Short Rib‘ with avocado hummus, is swoon-worthy, the meat was so tender and the sauce they were marinated in was incredible, rich, sticky and irresistible. To put it simply, you must order the ‘Short Rib’ you won’t be disappointed. To ensure our halo’s reminded intact, we ordered a side of ‘roasted vegetables’ and this was ideal, as it allowed the main course to take centre stage.
Now, it wouldn’t be a review without my sweet tooth coming to play would it? Oh my, if you visit then please dear reader, accept another recommendation? In the form of ‘Smoked Chocolate Fondant‘. Freshly made to order, rich molten chocolate with a slightly woody tang, served with raspberry ice cream. Heaven in a mouthful! We also tried the ‘Pumpkin Creme Brulee’ with cinnamon ice cream and a rich biscuit crumble, it’s gotta be said, it’s tough competition for the Chocolate Fondant.
When it comes to cocktails, I enjoyed: ‘Skin Vision’ which was a bit like drinking sherbert, in the best possible way. ‘Rose Petal Lychee’ which was light, tart and ideal with the main meal and we finished with a ‘Strawberry Waffle‘ which was like another dessert, creamy, sweet and very pleasing.
In relation to price, I would say that this sits more in the ‘special occasion‘ price range, however, if you wanted to enjoy MNKY HSE on a more regular basis, I firmly recommend the brunch. You can read my review here.
From cocktails onto something slightly more cultured, we took a walk to ease our tummies bursting with delicious food and cocktails, and found ourselves at ‘The National Portrait Gallery‘. We strolled around the vast building, stopping to take in the portraits of those who lived before us, modern faces and people who shaped history.
Admission is free, but donations are welcome and I firmly recommend spending an hour looking around and admiring the talent of many incredible artists from over the years.
Before we knew it, home time was closing in, we enjoyed the stunning Christmas Lights on our walk to the train station and returned to the comfort of Northampton.
Where’s your favourite place to eat in London? Which galleries do you recommend?
Katie
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