Noble Rot, London restaurant and wine bar review

Forgive me for being a fanboy. But, there’s so much for me to fawn over about Noble Rot.

Firstly, the Sportsman’s Stephen Harris is consultant chef at this wine bar-cum-restaurant in Bloomsbury. As I’m not going to visit Whitstable anytime soon, it’s the closest I’ll get to sampling his food.

Secondly, the place is tied to the phenomenally cool Noble Rot wine magazine. As such, it’s got a corking selection of wines by the glass. I worked my way through Albert Mann Riesling 2015 (£5), Julien Sunier Morgon (£7), Gran Cerdo Rioja 2015 (£2) and Oremus Tokaji (£8) whilst Mrs G did damage elsewhere.

The menu is made up of seasonal British and international dishes cooked with the highest skill.

Jamon Iberico de Bellota (£14) was in top condition – the fat mouth-meltingly soft with a great depth of flavour. 

Slip sole (£10), the signature dish of the Sportsman, was cooked to perfection and coated in spicy, smoky paprika butter. 

A whole roast quail (£19) was as tender as all examples should be with a nutty skin from basting in lots of butter. Spiced red cabbage and creamy celeriac puree were great sides. 

Gnocchi (£18) were super soft and light instead of being claggy warheads. They were served with intense kale pesto, savoury chanterelles and mascarpone to make a dish that dialled the flavour up to 11.  

A simple looking plate of cheese (£11) more than delivered on taste. Umami-rich comte, creamy and savoury colston bassett stilton and funky cider-washed camembert were served with water biscuits. 

Sticky toffee pudding (£7.50) was the only bum note of the meal. The toffee had been taken to its extreme so that it tasted burnt rather than sweet – it was sent back uneaten and taken off the bill without prompting. Credit restored. 

Noble Rot tart (£8) in contrast was epic. Light, honey drizzled sponge in the most delicate of pastry cases was joined by sweet roast pears and a dollop of mascarpone.

Dinner at Noble Rot was ace. From the food, to the wine, to the service, there’s a lot to love about it.

The Details:

Address - Noble Rot Restaurant & Wine Bar, 51 Lamb’s Conduit Street, London WC1N 3NB

Web - http://noblerot.co.uk/wine-bar

Telephone - 0207 242 8963 

Society Standard, Cardiff restaurant review

Burger Theory, Small Bar & Wriggle – over the last 12 months Cardiff has seen a number of quality independent imports from Bristol.

Society Standard on Whitchurch Road was the first Bristolian business to set up shop last summer. A bar-cum-restaurant, they’ve good beers from Welsh brewers like Pipes and Mad Dog and a menu that spans from burgers (they're very good) and ribs to more nuanced plates like charred sprouting broccoli and smoky black bean chilli.

The house brew, Double Standard, from Bristol’s Arbor is an absolute banger – packed with fruity hops and a good chew, we sank a few pints throughout the evening. 

Golden salt cod croquettes (£4.95) were packed with tender flakes of fish and a smooth potato base. Earthy beetroot crisps and a potent aioli were well judged accompaniments. 

My blackened chicken wings (£4.95) were coated in an enjoyably sticky creole hot sauce. But, they would have benefited from a good jointing and skin crisping. Also, the accompanying dirty rice was a bit claggy and one dimensional. 

For main, Mrs G ordered another couple of small plates.

Smoked duck breast slices (£5.95) were joined by a peculiarly delicious funky blue cheese and celeriac remoulade. 

A super light and fresh yoghurt-based beetroot dip (£4.50) was topped with walnut pieces and salty feta. Warm flatbreads were ideal for dipping. 

The Mactorious P.I.G (£8.95) might well be one of the most memorable sounding dishes in Cardiff. It tasted just as extravagant and filthy as it sounds.

A first rate bronzed brioche bun was loaded with a crisp-crumbed fritter filled with oozy macaroni cheese, unctuous shreds of smoky pulled pork dotted with crispy bits, and a runny fried egg. It was served with a side of good skinny fries. This was proper Friday night comfort food. 

Having struggled to finish my epic main, I moved on to dessert.

A sticky toffee sundae (£4.95) was a proper looker. Light sticky toffee pudding pieces, creamy vanilla ice cream, whipped cream, pecan brittle crumb and warm salted caramel sauce combined in a melange of deliciousness. 

I really like Society Standard – it’s a quality independent that makes Whitchurch Road an altogether nicer place to spend a night.

The Details:

Address - Society Standard, 79-81 Whitchurch Road, Cardiff CF14 3JP

Web - http://www.societystandard.co.uk/

Telephone - No reservations