METRO Maresco →

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London’s heating up, and not just because of the sun (though we’ll take that too).

We’ve found the best place for Organised Adult Fun, reviewed the pizza that’s setting a new gold standard for toppings, and uncovered a seafood spot that fuses Scottish soul with Spanish flair.

Plus we’re livening up dull work lunches with funky salads that have zero boring ingredients.

3. Sample Scottish seafood with a Spanish twist at Maresco

By Beatrice Aidin

A Scotsman, a Shetland mussel, and a Padrón pepper walk into a restaurant… and out comes Maresco, the brainchild of Glaswegian Stephan Leroni. Back when he was a music producer in LA (think Hanson and Bon Jovi), Leroni was inspired by an article revealing that the cream of Scotland’s seafood was being shipped off to Spain. Back in London, Leroni became an unlikely restauranteur, marrying the best of Caledonian and Catalonian ingredients and cuisine.

We kick things off with the famed bomba Maresco, similar to a Scotch Egg but filled with an explosion of mussels. Sea bass ceviche vanishes quickly (I win the last bite), and the fideuà (pictured) – a noodle-based cousin of paella – arrives crowned with dreamlike Hebridean langoustines.

We finish with a vast yet light Basque cheesecake and one conclusion: Stephan Leroni is the rock(fish) and roll king of Soho restaurateurs.

Small plates from £8. Tapas for Two menu £23pp. 45 Berwick St, Soho, W1F 8SF. Book here.

METRO MiMi Mei Fair →

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It’s that time again. Time for London to be decorated in all sorts of floral delights for the Chelsea Flower Show. And if you didn’t get tickets to the official events, we’ve got lots up our sleeve. From a gorgeous Baskets In Bloom menu at MiMi Mei Fair, to a Bridgerton-esque afternoon tea at Sketch (with a string trio as the perfect backdrop). 

We’re also letting you in on the fun at Flukes, the brand-new games hall from Big Penny Social in Walthamstow.

And we indulge at neighbourhood spot Tozi, trying their signature dish – buffalo ricotta ravioli in a buttery black truffle sauce. Spoiler: it’s as luxurious as it sounds.

Read on for a whole range of recommendations for 24-26 May, handpicked as always by The Slice.

1. Try floral delights at MiMi Mei Fair

By Beatrice Aidin

Rarely do I gasp at the sight of dim sum, but the vibrant beauty of the green garlic, chive and chicken and ruby-red crystal morel trio has us snapping away on our phones. They taste as good as they look – and are not only great value but utterly delicious.

We’re seated in the chic Chinoiserie-style dining room, and we indulge in Sichuan Suffolk corn-fed chicken with cashew nuts – its kick of dried chilli is just right. Their vegetarian options are equally special, like the clay pot black bean aubergine.

Each dish is served with olive fried rice and crunchy seasonal vegetables (set menus often get you on the sides). For pudding, the refreshing coco mango vegan sundae felt just like heading into the Mayfair sunshine.

Baskets in Bloom menu, from £34pp. 55 Curzon St, Mayfair, W1J 8PG.

METRO Zapote →

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A Bank Holiday Monday and Cinco de Mayo feel like a match made in heaven. The historic holiday celebrates the best of Mexican music, culture and cuisine. This week, we’re doing just that at The Slice, and telling you how you can join in the fiesta.

We’ve tried three bars where agave and Mexican spirits take centre stage. Read below about Zapote’s signature Casamigos Tequila cocktail, subterranean Dalston bar CINCO, and Los Mochis’ one-day-only celebrations.

We’re also throwing it back to 1999 (the good old times), and telling you where you can get cheap as chips £2.50 cinema tickets. 

3. Continue the celebrations at Zapote

By Beatrice Aidin

At Zapote, authentic Mexican tortillas are a serious business. The kitchen opens at 4.30am and makes over 500 tortillas a day using corn from chef patron Yahir Gonzalez’s 240-year-old family ranch in Mexico. This makes a difference – and might just be what makes Zapote one of the most exciting restaurants in London.

We can taste the freshness and quality while eating ox tongue tacos with cashew mole sharpened by pickled red onion, along with a divine plate of asparagus with pine nut mole, sorrel and Manchego. There are plenty of vegetarian options, but now I know why suckling pig tortilla is one of the most popular orders. Must-try £10 cocktails include the Zapote 70, their signature cocktail – made with Casamigos Tequila, Ojo de Rios Mezcal, Orgeat and Lemon. 

With Cinco de Mayo next week, the Zapote Regional Roots May series will explore Coyoacán in Mexico City with dishes like duck quesadillas with salsa roja and endive salad. In June, you can find scallop ceviche with grilled corn and persimmon on the menu, inspired by the chef’s scallop harvesting trips to Sonora on the Gulf of California. 

Dishes from £9. 70 Leonard St, Shoreditch, EC2A 4QX. Book here.

METRO Milk Beach →

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We love to queue in the UK – it’s essentially a British custom. But we also like to moan about queuing – so if you have to get in line, you want to know that it’s worth your while.

That’s why we’re letting you in on the restaurants which actually deserve the wait time, as well as our top tips to jumping the queue every time.

And yes, that includes the iconic Parisian restaurant that’s been keeping Londoners lining up around the block for the last 15 years…

By Beatrice Aidin

Having grandly declared Queen’s Park to be the new Hackney – see my review of Don’t Tell Dad last week– it’s tallyho to Soho to try the sister branch of another of QP’s most celebrated restaurants, Milk Beach. 

Tucking Australian food and a light filled relaxed Antipodean atmosphere behind the chaos of Greek Street, Milk Beach oozes calm. The food, service and wine are terrific and the portions generous – the flame-grilled garlic prawns with fermented chilli butter arrived piled high and were swiftly demolished. Yellowfish tuna tartare with kaffir lime vinaigrette and puffed nori is molten in the mouth. Monkfish tail, white miso beurre blanc and monk’s beard (don’t worry, no monks forcibly shaved, it’s similar to samphire) is meaty yet tender and I have been reconverted back to aubergine karaage – the sticky mirin glaze, which can be as sweet as toffee, is on the side of the savoury gods. 

Also, grab your diaries – Milk Beach will be hosting Toast Australia, monthly wine paired dinners, for the rest of the year. with some of the country’s most celebrated wineries such as Shaw + Smith (30th April, £135) and Penfolds in May, for tastes and sips of awesome Oz.

Plates from £11. Ilona Rose House, Manette Street, W1D 4AL.

METRO Terra →

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It’s the holy month of Ramadan. And although Ramadan is about spiritual growth, food does take the spotlight. It’s the absence of food that non-Muslim know it for, and it’s the social gatherings over food many Muslims look forward to when it’s time to break the fast — also known as Iftar.

So this week, we’ve scouted out the very best places to eat at for Iftar during Ramadan, including Meet Bros for halal steak and Cinnamon Kitchen for a proper sharing feast. 

And how could we forget? It’s St Patrick’s Day next Monday, but we know that if you’re celebrating, you’ll probably want to have all your fun at the weekend.

By Beatrice Aidin

Forget all the WFH scaremongering, the Square Mile is still buzzing on a Monday evening – good news for the area’s restaurants. That includes one of its newer additions, Terra by Carlo Cracco, the Milanese Michelin star celeb chef.

Situated on the first floor of Eataly (geddit?), the homage to Italian produce and dining, the two-meter grill dominates. We dine on impeccably fried artichokes, lemon pesto, mint and mullet roe, while chef Cracco converts me to smoked pumpkin. I never liked it before, yet now I’m hoovering it up, savouring the smokiness from plant-based milk flavoured with sage, almond and mushrooms. Charcoal grilled octopus with a textured ‘Nduja sauce is crispy yet tender. Beef cheek braised in pomegranate juice is the perfect side of savoury.

It gets better. On Butcher Monday’s Terra serves premium cuts at butcher’s prices – so get there early to score a juicy steak for around a tenner. Mangiamo! 

Pasta from £18, mains from £26. Eataly 1st Floor, 135 Bishopsgate, EC2M 3YD.

METRO Pasta Evangelists

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It’s almost that time again: Valentine’s Day. Love it or hate it, it’s everywhere. Whether you’re fabulously single or properly loved up, ready to splurge or strapped for cash, we’ve got ideas to celebrate love day for everyone. 

We’re going real fancy at The Rivoli Bar, so fancy in fact that it’s perfect for the person who wants to propose but hasn’t found the perfect location… yet.

We’ve also got a five-course Indian fine-dining menu filled with passion and spice – plus fried chicken, champagne and caviar for a night out with the gals. 

5. Valentine’s dinner for two (or one) at Pasta Evangelists

By Beatrice Aidin

Entering the Chiswick branch of the three Pasta Evangelists restaurants that opened last year I find silky rose petals arranged in a heart on my table that is set up for one. This isn’t a mistake – I’m sampling Pasta Evangelists Very Venetian Valentine’s Menu three-course dinner with unlimited Prosecco – because after all, as self-help books like to say, ‘love starts from within.’ So why not be your own Valentine?

I start with excellently sourced burrata, rocket and tomatoes. Then, as truffle equals romance to me, it’s reginette with truffle cacio e pepe – generous and perfectly cooked. Service is delightful, and for pudding I demolish lemon tart with a stunning crisp almond pastry base. I have a wonderful solo time – so go on your own, with a lover or other. I reckon St Lawrence, patron saint of pasta makers, and St Valentine would be delighted however you choose to celebrate amore, so long as you do so.

Valentine’s Day menu, £50pp. Farringdon, Greenwich, Richmond and Chiswick.

METRO I live in chaos – can decluttering experts really help me? →

My late father used to say, ‘a place for everything and everything in its place,’ delivered with great irony because A) he was the messiest person I’ve known and B) totally comfortable with it. 

READ ARTICLE HERE

METRO Your gran’s favourite hair trend is back →

METRO The Butcher's Tap And Grill →

With exactly 21 sleeps to go until the big day, we’ve got something for the Christmas roast naysayers. So if you’ve got the dreaded dry roast dinner scaries, fear not.

We’ve put together a list of alternative Christmas meals from different cultures and for different budgets, from ham hock bao buns to warming paneer curries.

But if you’re more traditional, we’ve got some treats for you too: a Great Christmas Feast with all the trimmings and a special theatrical twist; or a decadent afternoon tea in a pink winter wonderland.

Plus, our verdict on new Brixton-based hamburger bar, Buster’s, which is serving up wagyu beef, pet-nat and more.

6. The Butcher’s Tap and Grill

By Beatrice Aidin

Tucked behind the King’s Road, Tom Kerridge’s The Butcher’s Tap and Grill is a pub with the atmosphere of a warm hug. As the name indicates, it’s a carnival for carnivores. We dive into bone marrow with horseradish crumb, share 500g of halcyon sirloin steak on the bone along with coronation coleslaw – genius combo – and it’s all darned delicious.

During December, check out the three-bird turkey, chicken and duck burger with honey parsnips and cranberry sauce (£19.50) with £1 donated to Chelsea Pensioners.  On leaving we spot Tom recording his podcast while keeping a keen eye on the kitchen. Next time, chef, I’m going in for that hug.

Cocktails from £17. 27 Tryon St, Chelsea.

The Butcher's Tap And Grill
25 – 27 Tryon Street Chelsea SW3 3LG

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