Cafés

Mina Zaher / May 11, 2016

Great lunch and brow bar at A Wanted Man on King’s Road

When the first signs of A Wanted Man started to appear on the King’s Road I was intrigued. An espresso canteen was promising. After all, it’s not an easy task finding good coffee along King’s Road.

So when I was invited in to try this relatively new establishment I leapt at the chance. And what I discovered inside impressed me very much.

Firstly, A Wanted Man is more than a coffee bar. It’s a place to go for a great all day breakfast or lunch menu. And they serve cold-pressed juices too. Their Green Velvet with pear, apple, spinach and kale was a real hit.

I was really spoilt for choice when I was reading through their menu and after much consideration I chose the Annie Get Your Chickpea Aubergine Salad with yoghurt dressing and chunks of sourdough waffle.

This was absolutely delicious and also very satisfying. It’s exactly the type of food I love making at home but with the added twist of the cumin and fresh mint which I enjoyed along with the waffle.

And the rest of the menu is something I definitely want to explore more: A Fistful Of Oatmeal Pork Risotto and The Avocado With No Name are at the top of my savoury list whilst the Rich Man, Poor Man’s Pudding which is their take on the French-Canadian classic with maple syrup, toffee, almond and brown sugar served with an espresso shot is a very tempting indulgence.

This time round however I chose this gluten-free and dairy free cookie which I savoured along with my …

… soya flat white. What a delightful end to my lunch.

Thing is, you’d think the experience would end here.

Maybe somewhere else but A Wanted Man also has a Browhaus brow bar and Ministry of Waxing salon upstairs.

So after my gorgeous lunch, I headed upstairs to look around.

This (below) is where the waxing takes place and Ministry of Waxing are pioneers in the practice of safe waxing, a message they’re keen to spread.

And here (below) is where I had my eyebrows threaded and tinted. I really enjoyed the natural lighting and also the details that make you feel as if you’ve just stepped onto the set of a Western. This is a place where you can enjoy the surroundings whilst being pampered. I don’t think I have ever had such a relaxing threading experience as I’d had here – if threading and relaxing can be placed alongside each other.

A Wanted Man is a breath of fresh air to the King’s Road. True, they serve great coffee, have a gorgeous menu and provide wonderful service with the brow bar. But its appeal is more than that, there’s a quirkiness that I love and it’s matched by the quality of what it offers.

A Wanted Man, 330 King’s Road, London SW3.

Mina Zaher / May 14, 2014

Lunch at the Marchesi Café in Harrods

On Sunday I went to Harrods for lunch with Sunny in London. Our precise destination was the Marchesi Café, which is a pop-up restaurant that is part of Pradasphere: the Prada exhibition on the fourth floor. The Marchesi Café in Milan is part-owned by Prada, so it makes sense that the whole Prada experience is completed by either a lunch or an afternoon tea when going to visit the exquisite exhibition.

Located along which would normally be the Georgian Restaurant, the Marchesi Café evokes a sense of being on the continent. With shelves of sweets lined up along the wall, there is a timeless beauty to the space.

To start off lunch, I enjoyed a Champagne cocktail …

… whilst Sunny enjoyed a Kir Royale.

And of course, because it was a Sunday afternoon water was also being sipped at the table.

For starter, I had a fennel with anchovies and orange salad. There were some capers in there too. And I really enjoyed this salad, which was light as well as delicately tasty.

Sunny tried the mozzarella and tomato salad, which looked really good. It’s been a while since I’ve had mozzarella and I bet it was a delicious choice. To find out, you’ll have to see what Sunny says about her experience.

For our main … and I’m just throwing in this photo because I loved how the mains arrived …

I had one of the veal dishes which came with mashed potatoes and peas.

This dish was light and seemed simple but as with all good Italian cuisine, the simplicity allows for the quality of the ingredients to shine through.

One of my favourite dishes ever is a drizzle of truffle oil, shavings of pecorino cheese and pasta. Simple and very tasty.

So yes indeed, simplicity is key with good Italian dishes.
For my side, I had an artichoke with parmesan cheese …

… whilst Sunny had a risotto with saffron for her main and …

… a mixed salad on the side.

For our second cocktails, we both had a Spritz: Prosecco and aperol, which I absolutely loved. I could have easily had a second.

But to go with dessert … a selection of pastries (filled with jam, rice pudding and apple) …… as well as truly delectable creme caramel …

… we had a glass of Champagne each. But of course!

With great company, wonderful surroundings and a carefully thought out menu, the afternoon was pure delight.

It was the perfect preamble to a fashionable treat: Pradasphere, which will be the subject of my next post.

Marchesi Café, 4th floor, Harrods.

Mina Zaher / November 26, 2013

Lunch on the King’s Road: L’Eto

You may have originally noticed L’Eto whilst walking along Brompton Road, because of its eye-catching selection of cakes by the window. Well now the same visual treat can be found on the King’s Road (around the vicinity of the Curzon Chelsea cinema – on the other side of the road).

And the great thing is when you step inside, it doesn’t stop there. There are also salads and chocolate truffles to consider. So much so that you could easily find yourself gawping at the selection on offer that it’s difficult to know where to start.

The way it works is that you decide on what you’d like to order, which you relay on to the helpful staff who then serve you. Or another way to do it is to head downstairs and to order á la carte.

Last weekend, I opted for the latter. It was my second time here: the first time I was with London Unattached blogger, Fiona MacLean, who kindly invited me to go along as her guest. And I was so impressed with the downstairs menu, I wanted to try it again.

So for my starter, I had the duck salad …

Whilst the OH had the beef starter …

I’m not sure who won that one. They were both so good: rich in flavour and ingredients. And don’t you love it when something tastes so good, yet feels so healthy?

For our mains, I chose the lamb dish whilst the OH opted for the seared tuna.

Whilst I liked the tuna for tasting so clean and light, I particularly loved the lamb which was accompanied with quinoa, couscous and bulgar wheat. The salsa and feta cheese also complimented the dish very well.

For dessert, we popped upstairs and decided on the two bestsellers: the honey cake (which apparently is L’Eto’s signature dessert) and the profiteroles. And whilst I enjoyed the honey cake with a dessert wine, the OH opted for a Baileys latte with his pudding. The Baileys latte is gorgeous by the way – and not too sweet.

The thing about L’Eto is that you can’t just visit once. There are too many reasons to go back and to try something else, which I can’t wait to do.

Disclaimer: I was L’Eto’s guest during my recent visit but this in no way affects my opinion. The food is truly scrumptious and the service is very friendly.

Mina Zaher / March 20, 2013

Easter Afternoon Tea at Gallery Mess

Last week had been quite a long week and on Sunday, following lunch and as the in-laws made their way into the BADA Art and Antique Fair on Duke of York Square, the bf and I headed to Gallery Mess to wind down.

The restaurant was already buzzing with folks finishing off their lunch and having afternoon tea. And the great atmosphere was emphasised by the venue’s wonderfully airy space.

When we arrived, we were served the Easter Afternoon Tea menu which included mini sandwiches (smoked salmon, cucumber and egg & cress) …

Scones with clotted cream and jam …

And an assortment of Easter themed cakes, cookies and Easter eggs.

The bf was also served a glass of Prosecco Pinot Rosé whilst I asked for a Virgin Mojito Cocktail, which complimented my fresh mint tea. The other teas available on the menu include Assam, afternoon blend, chamomile, Darjeeling, Earl Grey, jasmine, Sencha green and wild berries.

By the time we left, the two-tiers on which our afternoon tea arrived on were completely empty. We enjoyed every morsel, so much so you wouldn’t have guessed that he had had a Sunday pub lunch earlier.

The sandwiches were light and tasty whilst I really enjoyed the passion fruit macarons and the gooey surprise inside the easter egg. The cookie was delicate in a deliciously buttery way – and I enjoyed the cupcake too.

On Sunday afternoon, there was a mixed crowd at Gallery Mess: couples enjoying quality time together; girlfriends catching up; and groups of friends engrossed in each other’s company.

The Easter menu is available until 7th April 2013 and if afternoon tea is something you enjoy, I recommend you try this menu. It’s a great way to spend an afternoon for sure.

Gallery Mess, Duke of York’s HQ, King’s Rd, London SW3 4RY. 020 7730 8135.

*The food and drink were complimentary for the purpose of the review.*

Mina Zaher / February 20, 2013

Megan’s Deli and Restaurant

So Megan’s has opened up a new deli/restaurant further along the King’s Road, towards the Chelsea Town Hall. And at first I wasn’t so sure if this was a wise decision because there are some addresses on the King’s Road that seem to be perpetually having new businesses move in and months later move out: Megan’s had sprung up at one of these units.

But when I popped in to try out Megan’s new venue, I realised that my superstitions were obviously invalid. Megan’s new location was busy, busier than the fromagerie which had been here beforehand. Locals and passers-by knew exactly where to find Megan’s new address.

Here, the food which you can order to take-away from the deli counter or to eat at a table include salads and quiches.

Or you can order from the brunch and lunch menu …

The cakes are also very yummy…

And I love the attention to detail with the décor …

Along this strip of the King’s Road, you are quite spoilt for choice with Le Pain Quotidien and Gail’s Bakery only doors away. But if you are looking for somewhere that has a more personal/less chainy feel whilst producing food that is freshly made each day, with good ingredients, I wholeheartedly recommend that you check out Megan’s. It’s a bonafide local gem. x

Great lunch and brow bar at A Wanted Man on King’s Road

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Lunch at the Marchesi Café in Harrods

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Lunch on the King’s Road: L’Eto

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Easter Afternoon Tea at Gallery Mess

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Megan’s Deli and Restaurant

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