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For Michaels recent 2007 globe trotting in London click here.
On Tour London
Hold it in mate!
There was a sign not quite stars in the east but...
The Boat, now a record breaker
Vinoteca: post lunch
E & O Notting Hill
It can't be that late the lights are still on...
A shaky one of the flower pool at Benares
Bentleys of Berkley Square
9,000,000 people means TRAFFIC
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Welcome diary readers, and thanks for the many emails of support!
As most of you would know London was recovering from record temperatures for July when I touched down at Heathrow to a balmy 25 degrees C. Hence the shorts and sandals as I tried in vain to acclimatise and readjust my body clock for the busy week ahead. Sorry about those photos I guess they should come with some kind of warning like the movies do: PG or NFTS (Not For Thirty Somethings) or as a government warning as to what a lifetime of excess can do to your various previously non bulbous parts- as the pruning crew like to say “one ab” mate “one ab”.
Shortly after that stroll down to Canary Wharf my hosts Brad and Catherine and I headed off to the Captain Kidd on the Thames in Wapping for a couple of pints with a few interesting ex-pats and professional drinking bods, including Chris from Berries Wine Bar who recognised the t-shirt first and asked if I was anything to do with EC2- a great way to start the trip!
Providores -the week begins with a blur… sorry no photo
I don’t usually drink much kiwi wine when on tour other than our own of course, but a visit to Peter Gordon’s Providores in Marylebone provided an opportunity to show off not only Hatton Estate’s wares to the assembled throng, but also delve into some interesting kiwi wine and to vinuously (is that a word?) explain other regions of the country to fans and sceptics alike. I was rescued from the ensuing madness (but not the humongous bill) by Angela who was to be my guide to all that was new and good in London for that week.
Upon reflection the food was very good, as good if not better than the hype. I especially liked the tasting selection of various Tapas dishes (an often over used term- but perfect in this case) which danced across the palate setting the scene perfectly for the wines.
Peter was in New Zealand working on the new menu at Dine with Peter Gordon at Sky City’s Grand Hotel. Those looking for a special meal in Auckland are well advised to take the time to eat here.
Banging about London selling wine has its good days and its not so good ones. The tough ones are usually preceded by an unprecedented amount of good cheer the night before!
Interestingly I find the good ones are pretty seamless as long as one gets the chance to enjoy a decent and interesting lunch to break up the pavement pounding and tube riding.
Angela- my able guide for the week I was in London soon got this essential part of my routine and took me to a relatively new place Vinoteca run by a couple of knowledgeable wine professionals turned restaurateurs Charlie Young and Brett Woonton.
These two together with their alert staff have fashioned a brilliant concept into a buzzy and effective reality. A wine shop –wine bar- restaurant all rolled into one. A great place to wait for a table as there are at least 20 wines by the glass or you can buy a bottle of interesting wine to take back to your apartment or for a little more have the same opened and served out of decent Riedels at your table.
Due to the fact that I am not allergic (so far) to any food I tend not to order in this sort of place, let the crew decide what will show their chef off the best and this lunchtime was no exception.
Chef Carol Craddock provided hearty servings of great lunchtime fare very well matched by Charlie with wine by the glass from the blackboard. The range of Spanish and Italian wines is exceptional, and all the prices are very reasonable, affordable even for a kiwi wine guy!
Charlie and Brett and co were enthusiastic about EC2, Charlie even remembering it from a tasting we did about 3 or 4 years previously- so we will see EC2 there soon. In keeping with what was to be the theme of the trip our Syrah was the one which had everyone gathered around talking excitedly and pouring more for themselves- needless to say lunch took a little longer than usual- c’est la vie…no photos again ARGH!
I didn’t get down to the boat as planned (Cowes Week) but that enabled me to get around to plenty of places tasting wines and drumming up new fans for EC2 BSR and Syrah, including E & O in Notting Hill which i recommend for lunch especially.
A visit to London is not complete without a least one night on the beers followed by a curry. What a pleasure. An old friend from the City, retired at an unfeasibly young age popped over from Kilkenny to swap old stories and new photos of our children, as you do, and partake of the fuel of winemakers everywhere- beer. I should have known that meeting Ash and in Mayfair was a pointer to the fact this was not to be any old curry night and I was in for a real surprise.
Benare’s is a stylishly designed impeccably presented restaurant by the Bentley car showroom in Berkley Square. A great bar with uber cool music antiques and large water filled pools with flowers floating in them told me immediately this was no cheapo curry house. Impeccable wait staff and a diverse and extremely interesting menu set up a challenge of note for the wine list- an occasion to which the list rose to impressively. This is a place I heartily recommend if you like Indian food and Chef Atul Kochhar’s delicately spiced dishes complement wine chosen carefully or with the assistance of the sommelier.
The evening didn’t end there (maybe unfortunately for the odd slow brain cell); a few chilled Sakes at the bar in Zuma in Knightsbridge followed by a selection of single malts and some late night live jazz beats in unquestionably London’s number one hotel bar The Mandarin Oriental- thanks to David, Frits, Jasmine and Natalia for that excursion!
I list below main places I went while in London, and am sure I shall add to it as they come to light…
The Captain Kidd
The cobbly street in Wapping
E1
Berries Wine Bar
Next to Blackfriars tube & train station
The City
The Providores
109 Marylebone High Street
London W1U 4RX
Dine with Peter Gordon
Level 3 of SKYCITY Grand Hotel
90 Federal Street
Auckland City NZ
Vinoteca
7 St John Street,
opposite Smithfield Market
London EC1M 4AA
E & O
14 Blenheim Cresent,
Notting Hill,
W11 1NN
Benares
12 Berkeley Square House,
Mayfair,
W1J 6BS
Zuma Restaurant and Sake bar
5 Raphael Street
Knightsbridge
SW7 1DL
The Mandarin Bar
Mandarin Oriental Hyde Park Hotel
66 Knightsbridge,
London SW1X 7LA
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