Today I Ate...: You Can Take The Girl Out of South East London...

It turns out you can't take me anywhere. As it was my birthday yesterday I was treated to a surprise lunch at The Gilbert Scott, Marcus Wareing's new restaurant at The Paddington Hotel. I wasn't sure what to expect as somehow this place was completely off my radar but I was very pleasantly surprised. The bar as you enter is welcoming and the buttery, peppery popcorn moreish. I could have taken a bucket of it home.

As we were led into the dining room after our cocktails we bumped into the man himself which I liked; it made me feel confident that the food was going to be amazing. I wasn't wrong either. There was plenty of choice and it all sounded delicious. We started with an English sparkling wine which really was lovely although I thought it smelled like Heinz Vegetable Soup (see blog title). My starter was:

Artichoke Tart

I wouldn't often choose a tart for a starter but this was recommended by a colleague of C's who'd been in the past couple of weeks. It was absolutely gorgeous; light fluffy pastry with a creamy artichoke filling. I've not eaten much artichoke in my lifetime but I really need to eat more-gorgeous! A nice sized portion too-none of that itsy bitsy foamy nothingness.

Soles in Coffins

Another recommendation. I've since seen other reviews of this that suggested it was bland but I couldn't disagree more. Beautifully cooked sole with a vermouth and shrimp sauce. This, however, was the source of my massive faux pas (refer to title again). You see the coffin lid (giant crouton on top of the fish)? Well I managed to make it fly onto the floor as I tried to cut it. That was embarrassing enough but as I tasted the little bit that hadn't soared onto the floorboards below I realised that I wanted the rest of it (it tasted so good you see). So as I had already picked it up and put it on the table next to me I decided to eat it. Off the floor. I ate something off the floor of a potentially Michelin starred restaurant. The shame. I really hope no one saw me but I can never be sure...

Eccles Cake with Cheddar Ice Cream

I liked all of the dishes but this one really was special. A nice savoury edge to the ice cream but not properly cheesey (thankfully) that went perfectly with the eccles. They even birthday-ed it up for me. I loved it. If you get a chance to go here then do it!

On Sunday I had this again:

Antipasti

Not too heavy in readiness for another birthday meal, this time at Babur in Forest Hill. Not your regular Indian restaurant, we started with:

Poppadoms with a Range of Dips

Complimentary Potato Thing

Soft Shell Crab

Light and crispy with a chutney thing on the side, some of which was too sweet for my taste but otherwise a nice dish from their East Coast special menu.

Chicken Chettinad

This came with a wrap thing rather than rice and it was really tasty. There was a slight spiciness to the curry but it wasn't overpowering. A large portion of tender chicken meant that I had to share some around the table but I was very happy with my choice.

Mango Creme Brulee

Overall an enjoyable meal with good service but there was one gripe. We had forewarned the staff that we were celebrating three birthdays and when we first arrived there was a massive fanfare and the music changed to Happy Birthday for another group along with some kind of free dessert. A nice, if a little embarrassing touch. This left us thinking that we would receive the same treatment but when they offered us the bill we realised this wasn't the case. After a little prompting we were given a free cocktail but we couldn't help but feel a little neglected. Where was my fanfare?!