Joe's Reviews

The London branch of the UK hotel chain Malmaison sits in a quiet courtyard called Charterhouse Square and if taken there blindfolded you might never have known you were in the city centre.

It is a peaceful, cobbled, old part of London, just a stones throw away from the Barbican and Smithfield Market.

After reading the in-house newspaper and viewing the gym, it was time for a stroll down to the basement restaurant.

There was a fantastic, buzzy mood about the place and you could tell that people who were not even staying at the hotel liked to come and eat here.

With a bar to sit at before being called to your table, it is not too difficult to relax and let the evening take care of itself.

I started with the Crispy Pork Belly which sat with minestrone vegetables and a poached egg hat, £6.95.

Each of these ingredients was just a mouthful. Perfect for tasting all the flavours but not so much that you would be bloated before the main course.

The menu states that the chef is keen on “daring to keep it local”, using ingredients and meats from this country only.

My main course was a guilty pleasure of my own, the epic Mal Burger.

This was 250grams of naturally reared beef with gruyere cheese and bacon. It was served on a giant chopping board with a token basket of homemade fries, £13.95.

It was sumptuous. Possibly the best burger I have ever had, but it wasn’t in proportion with the starter and I unfortunately had to leave some.

To finish off I went for a slither of Baked White Chocolate Cheese Cake, £5.95.

The food was excellent, the service was excellent. And for what could easily compete as a top central London restaurant, the prices were not extortionate.

The hotel describes itself as a hotel that dares to be different. And it is exactly that.

A modern feel is accompanied by the obvious experience and expertise of creating little differences that you would find nowhere else.

The style would fit perfectly to the romantic modern couple, but it is also excellently… More

Set in the trendy town of West Malling, The Swan restaurant certainly keeps to the tone of the area instantly oozing high class and sophistication.

Among a wealth of public houses and cafes, former Gordon Ramsey protégé Mark Sargeant and head chef Scott Goss have created a corner of culinary quality in the county.

Despite losing their Michelin Bib Gourmand, which represents value for money, the 15th Century Inn certainly has a good reputation as I headed there for the evening.

I was armed with a good friend of mine who is himself a chef at a Michelin Star rated establishment in Kent.

The décor was as you would expect, extremely well done. A modern restoration which left the original wooden beams tipped off with contemporary shining steel fixtures and fittings.

We were instantly able to relax with a drink at the bar and a browse of the wine list before taking our seats in the small dining quarter that completed the front area of the old style building.

We were immediately greeted with a small amuse-bouche of warm pumpkin soup that tasted like liquid gold.

We both agreed that it left us wanting more. You could tell that by the fingers that went into the pot afterwards to scrape out the final drops.

Despite not being a couple, or on a romantic date, the pair of us opted for a Maldon rock oyster each with shallot vinegar, £2.00 each.

My friend, a fish restaurant connoisseur, loved the added touch of the oysters being served on ice with a half lemon bound in muslin to allow juice but not pips to fall on to the shellfish.

They tasted clean and fresh as all good oysters should.

I opted for Smoked Haddock kedegree with poached quail’s eggs to start, £7.00.
The rice was cooked perfectly and the milky sauce made sure the dish remained moist. It was excellent, although there was a little too much on the plate for what had quickly become a third course.

My friend went for Sussex pork shoulder and leek terrine, £8.00. Again the plates were cleaned without hesitation. The… More