LONDON: Top 5 Personal Favourite Restaurants

I graduate on the 22nd of July. With the onslaught of parents drawing ever nearer, I've been asked by friends for recommendations on where to take them. So, I decided to compile, in no particular order, a list of my personal favourites. As you can see, I have a predilection for japanese food, but for a Chinese fine dining experience, you can't go wrong with Hakkasan. I'm sure there are plenty more restaurants that belong on this list, but these are the ones that I've actually tried (though not all were reviewed on Cafe Creatures) and come away inexplicably happy from. 

1. Dinner by Heston Blumenthal 

Mandarin Oriental Hyde Park

66 Knightsbridge

London SW1X 7LA 

You can see my review here! 

2. Yashin Sushi

1A Argyll Road

High Street Kensington

W8 7DB

See my blog review here!

3. Roka 

37 Charlotte Street

London W1T 1RR

See my blog review here! 

4. Tetsu 

Fatty tuna handroll [taken from my instagram]

It took 3 months of waiting to get a reservation here, but it was entirely worth it. With only about 10 seats in the whole restaurant, each person is personally served by the chef. I don't usually like tuna sashimi, but the one prepared for me at Tetsu slid down my throat like a luxurious clotted cream. 

12 Jerusalem Passage 

London

EC1V 4JP

5. La Petite Maison

I haven't reviewed this restaurant even though I've been brought here thrice, but La Petite Maison has never failed to deliver an immensely satisfying meal. It's unpretentious, yet the food is exquisitely prepared; passion flows through the food and onto your tastebuds as smooth as a hot knife slicing through butter. 

I even bought an autographed copy of Gwyneth Paltrow's cookbook (Notes from my Kitchen Table) after one lunch here. 

54 Brook's Mews

London W1K 4EG

LONDON: Roka

A truly good meal is one not one that leaves you bloated and unable to move, but one that bestows upon you complete satisfaction after the last bite. Roka melds together Japanese cuisine and the French tradition of sharing with exquisite perfection. The sashimi is presented with blocks of carved ice, lending the dish a kind of ethereal elegance that precedes its distinctly fresh flavour as it settles on the tongue. 

What I particularly enjoyed was the contemporary, innovative twist on traditional sushi. I'm not exactly sure what ingredients were combined, but every bite revealed new textures and flavours that I couldn't quite place my finger on yet adored nonetheless. 

This black miso cod made any residue of exam stress I was feeling disappear. As my favourite dish, this cod is a must order.  

I love mushrooms, and these were complemented perfectly with a tangy yet sweet sauce. 

Green tea filled molten chocolate cake - I would've taken more photos but this disappeared within 10 seconds of landing on the table. 

Roka
37 Charlotte Street
London W1T 1RR