Brasserie l'Ouest, Lyon

Quite honestly, this could be one of the best lunches I've ever had. As we were leaving Les Pasquiers in Beaujolais, our hosts Guillaume and Marylène Peyraverney recommended a few restaurants for lunch in Lyon as we were continuing our journey south. The Peyraverneys lived in Lyon until they took over Les Pasquiers earlier last year and given how much we'd enjoyed lunch at Domaine de la Madone which they'd suggested, we were keen to ask for more advice.

Nathan was driving and I had no idea where we were going – neither did he really as all he'd done was keyed the address into the satnav following Guillaume's instructions. I'd been chatting with Marylène in the kitchen at the time, so didn't know what had been discussed.

Anyway, it was one of those days when everything just fell into place. The weather was bright and sunny, our drive took us through the southerly Beaujolais crus before we picked up the A6 to Lyon and the satnav did its thing, directing us to a cool industrial site on the leafy banks of the Saône river on the outskirts of Lyon. Given the predictable image of dining in Lyon is based on traditional bouchons in the city centre, this airy, modern brasserie was quite unexpected. L'Ouest is part of the Nordsud chain of brasseries established by the hero of Lyonnaise cuisine, Paul Bocuse.

We parked beside the river and, without a booking, settled down inside at one end of a large shared table with views across the terrace to the Saône and around the buzzy restaurant and the open kitchen. It was a busy Friday lunchtime with a fascinating mixed urban crowd. The rotisserie caught our eye, so we instantly ear-marked the roast Montrevel chicken from the set menu for our main course. For starter Nathan had tartare of fresh salmon with dill and I had melon with Serrano ham – almost too generous a portion to finish. I managed though. Daughter Alice did splendidly with the menu enfant – salmon fillets with buttered noodles.

Having already been bowled over by the starters, our chicken arrived which was exceptionally good. Juicy, richly flavoured corn fed chicken with a buttery sauce and a medley of seasonal vegetables. Beautifully simple. Keen to have some Rhône wine as that's where we were heading, glasses of St Joseph blanc partnered the dish brilliantly.

On to dessert and Nathan was very happy with his raspberry tarte sablée and I was delighted with my rum baba, served deconstructed with the bottle of rum left on the table (I wasn't driving). Alice had ice cream. With two coffees, this lunchtime feast came to less than 100 Euros (the set lunch cost 32.50 Euros, 35.50 if you included cheese; menu enfant 11.50). Fantastic.

Greenberry Café

As a north Londoner, I felt a bit sad when I heard that Trojka in Primrose Hill was closing. It had real personality and an earthiness that's become rare in a part of London that has become self-consciously cute. Anyway, I hadn't thought about it much until I recently heard about Greenbury Café which has opened on the site. The name comes from the fact that Primrose Hill was once known as Greenberry Hill after the notorious hangings of Green, Berry and Hill who had plotted against Charles II.

What made my ears prick up was the realisation that Morfudd Richards is the force behind the Greenbury Café. Over the past couple of decades or so, Richards has been closely involved in the London restaurant scene, working at Marco Pierre White's Harvey's and for Chris Corbin and Jeremy King at The Ivy and Le Caprice (Fay Maschler's piece about her here reads like a potted modern history of the London restaurant scene). She went on to open Lola's in Islington in the 1990s where chefs included Juliet Peston (sister of Robert) and Hywel Jones. I lived nearby and just loved Lola's for the way it combined excellent food and drink with a warm, relaxed and welcoming atmosphere. Unlike many restaurants at the time, it was never up itself.

So, I was delighted to hear about Greenbury Café. It's open all day and the eclectic menu takes in British delicacies (even from London), interesting global dishes (Imam Bayildi, kitchari), charcuterie and comforting classics like eggs benedict, salt beef sandwiches and steak and chips. The drinks list is equally varied, offering an array of sherries, craft beers, imaginatively chosen wines and proper grown-up soft drinks. The coffee sounds great too, using a specific blend called 'Baron' from Climpson and Sons.

For my starter I really got into the local vibe and had Stoke Newington smoked salmon with soda bread and Camden Wheat Beer (see pic above). You'd never expect it, but this turned out to be a terrific combination. My friend Neil had sea bream ceviche, passion fruit and avocado – zingy and appetising and fabulous with Tim Adam's Fairfield Block Single Vineyard Semillon. I stuck with fish for my main course – roast cod, herb and olive quinoa, tamarind purée, and the Semillon hit the spot again. Neil chose a lamb dish from the daily specials and a glass of gutsy Jumilla. We couldn't resist pudding, so Neil had some of Morfudd's home-made vanilla ice cream with Pedro Ximenez poured over and I had roast and raw pineapple, pain d'épice, coconut and limeleaf sorbet (with a glass of Arneis Passito). All excellent.

Our bill came to about £90, eating à la carte, but they offer a prix fixe during the week for lunch and dinner: £9.50/£11.50 for two/three courses. As it is open all day, I presume you could pop in for whatever you fancy or perhaps stay put and work your way right through the menu. Now that's a thought...

Brasserie Zédel: Paris comes to London

If you love Paris and classic French brasserie food, then you will love Brasserie Zédel. You'd need to really, as it's practically a Parisian theme park. It's certainly right up my street (or boulevard) and, given how busy it was when we visited recently one Friday evening, it's clearly a crowd pleaser.

I'm sure the location helps Zédel's popularity, being seconds away from Piccadilly Circus and Leicester Square in the basement of the Regent Palace Hotel, the same premises of the old The Atlantic Bar and Grill. The main restaurant is big and buzzy in a grand fin de siècle style and there is a more chic and intimate art deco Bar Américain for cocktails. Brasserie Zédel opened in 2012 courtesy of Chris Corbin and Jeremy King, the slick team behind The Wolseley, The Delaunay and now also Colbert on the old Oriel site in Sloane Square.

As we hadn't booked, we had to wait a while for a table, but, once seated, we were immediately impressed by the quality of the food and service. Given the enormous scale of the place, this is quite an achievement. We really enjoyed our starters – spinach tart (£4.25) and egg mayonnaise (£3.25). The tart had a beautifully thin, crisp crust and the eggs ticked all the right retro boxes. My husband enjoyed his seafood with saffron sauce main course (Friday's dish of the day, £12.75) and my hanger steak with shallots and red wine sauce was particularly good (£10.95 including fries). We finished by sharing some nougat glacé which had an interesting, seasonal garnish of poached cranberries (£3.95). This was all great value for money – especially the steak. Presumably prices need to be reasonable to keep pulling in the punters. It's a huge space to fill. Wine isn't such an obvious bargain, but, helpfully, all but two of the 28 bottles on the nicely edited French list are also available by the glass and carafe. What's more, there are some keenly priced quirky French apéritifs including one my favourites, Pineau des Charentes.

Une très bonne adresse!

Brasserie Zédel
20 Sherwood Street
London
W1F 7ED
020 7734 4888

Caravan Kings Cross

Christmas is now days away and if I could head out for a big festive night out I'd head straight to Caravan in Kings Cross. (This might not be on the cards with a small child and a hefty to-list before hosting the big day for my family, but who knows...)

The original Caravan in Exmouth Market was impressive enough and I mentioned it on this blog a couple of years ago. But – and big but – Caravan Kings Cross is very good indeed. It helps that it is located by the Regent's Canal in the stylishly renovated Granary Building that also houses Central Saint Martin's College of Art and Design. This big, buzzy industrial space feels awesome – and, to be honest, feels like the kind place that London has been waiting for for decades. (I'm a bit biased as I live nearby in Tufnell Park, so feel very excited about the redevelopment of this part of London and the proximity of Eurostar.)

Like the original branch, it is open all day for breakfast, brunch and dinner, offering notably good food and especially coffee (which they roast themselves). However, what I liked most was the drinks list. Creative cocktails include Martinis (pictured above) made with Sacred Gin (produced at home in Highgate by Ian Hart): 'Dirty' with basil and 'Clean' with cucumber (both £8). The seasonal Spiced Apple and Pear Daquiri sounded good (£6.50). Champagnes included Gimonnet Blanc de Blancs (£9.50 a glass, £50 a bottle) – a particular favourite and what we served at our wedding – and magnificent Jacquesson 734 (£50 a bottle). Prosecco is offered on tap for £4.50 a glass and there are a couple of beers from local Camden Brewery: Hells Lager and a Pale Ale brewed exclusively for Caravan. The list is fleshed out by many other tempting options, so tempting, in fact, that I paid the price the next morning.

Caravan will be closed between 24th December and Wednesday 2nd January, so try and get there this weekend if you want to treat yourself to a well-deserved festive drink (and some tasty food). Merry Christmas!

Brunswick House Café: a gem in Vauxhall

There is something unlikely about the Brunswick House Café in Vauxhall. Even on a cheerful, sunny day Vauxhall can seem a bit dreary (until you snatch a glimpse of the river). It's certainly not at its best in pouring rain, so on a cool, wet, grey late April day I came upon the unexpectedly cheerful delights of the Brunswick House Café. I was there for lunch with a rather special friend who worked nearby and who is moving to France with her family. She works for a notable wine company and she told me that, as well as being a customer, the Brunswick House Café had practically become a work canteen. (My only grouch with the place – and I'll flag this up now – is having some very decent wine served in a tumbler. It always strikes me as an affectation, so I wonder if her colleagues take their own glasses. Call me a purist, but I do prefer a stem on my glass!)

Brunswick House is home to LASSCO, the architectural salvage company, so, basically, the café is located within an extraordinary warehouse and the display starts before you walk in. You pass through a bar which looks ideal for early evening drinks or just a morning coffee and end up in a room full of interesting period furnishings.

Simply prepared seasonal food is order of the day prepared by chef, Jackson Boxer (grandson of food writer Arabella Boxer), so there were some early spring treats on the menu. My friend ordered a main course, porcini, artichoke and nettle risotto and I ordered two starters. My fennel and celeriac soup with wild garlic and buttered almonds was decadently creamy, garlicky, but not overwhelming so, and with a nice little crunch from the almonds. It was garnished with some garlic flowers and looked like spring in a bowl. Served with plenty of tasty sourdough bread and butter, it would have been ideal for lunch on its own. However, I was keen to try more from this tempting menu.

My second dish was smoked cod's roe, radishes, soft boiled egg and toast. I have a bit of a weakness for egg yolk, so could not resist the sound of this. And it was gorgeous. Again, another perfectly judged lunch dish – rich, unctuous, yet offset by the firm, tangy radishes. It was served with more of their delicious sourdough, this time toasted. My friend wasn't drinking, but I sipped some Semillon from Provence which worked well with both dishes - freshly and gently aromatic, with enough weight to tackle that egg yolk.

If I'd had longer, I'd also have gone for the white sprouting broccoli with romesco and anchovies. I've recently made romesco sauce, so was tempted to try their more expert version. These starter-size dishes cost about £5 and mains are from about £7. Great value for money. My glass of wine was £2.70 (£16 per bottle) from an excellent short list, with plenty of options under £30. Europe dominates and, if you are celebrating you could treat yourself to a bottle of Jacquesson Cuvée 734 for £55 (Champagne really doesn't get much better than this). Alternatively, they offer a Prosecco for just £21.20 which would be a versatile choice for spring. I do hope they have proper flutes for these. There are also some interesting beers and a Breton cider.

I'd love to go back for dinner. I imagine it's probably quite romantic in the evening, that's if you like vintage bits and pieces and the mellow tones of old wood. If not, there are always meatballs and lingenberry sauce at Ikea.

Brunswick House Café
30 Wandsworth Road
London SW8 2LG
Tel 020 7720 2926
http://www.brunswickhousecafe.com/

Koffmann's: a great value lunch in Knightsbridge

At few weeks ago a group of us had lunch at Koffman's in the Berkeley Hotel for my brother's birthday. We'd tried to book at table at Le Gavroche, a particular family favourite, but that hadn't been possible, so we considered some other places. Various Michelin-starred options were discussed and we settled on this latest venture from Pierre Koffmann. Over the years I have had the pleasure of experiencing his inspired cooking – at Tante Claire on Royal Hospital Road (Gordon Ramsey took over this sight for his eponymous restaurant) and at the Berkeley Hotel, when his restaurant relocated there (and experienced his delicious pied de cochon). Koffmann's contemporary interpretation of classic French bistro fare has always been right up my street and, back at the Berkeley, he's paired things down a bit, but still delivers the goods. On the website, they proclaim "This is informal dining for serious foodies." They're right, although it's pretty luxurious, too.

We were there for my brother's birthday and our party of eight all settled for the set lunch, a Gascon white from the sensibly priced Biarritz à Perpignan section of the wine list and a Loire red. A generous, tempting bowl of bread was brought to the table (see picture) which included a rather naughty sort of savoury croissant - buttery and herby. We sat down for a late lunch at 2pm, so the bread was very welcome (and dominated the table, tempting us). A small amuse of creamy, velvety celeriac soup set the tone and our starters soon followed. My poached egg with purple sprouting broccoli and hollandaise was just the sort of decadent starter I've got a weakness for: a perfectly cooked egg yolk oozing into the hollandaise with a few little croutons for some crunchy texture. The terrine and onion soup also looked good (but I think mine had the edge!)

My main course was chicken stuffed with spinach and mushroom, served with some seasonal vegetables and a slick of creamy potato purée. The other mains of duck, cod and pork all went down well (the duck breast: sliced and fanned out and served with a red wine sauce was another hit).

There were some big appetites around the table, so we had side dishes of cauliflower and rather tasty frites, although the food was already quite satisfying. The desserts were a little less interesting - roasted pineapple, baked cheesecake and ice creams - but rounded off our lunch nicely, and my brother's chocolate brownie came on a charmingly decorated plate with a candle. There's a lot of top-end choice in Knightsbridge (Heston's Dinner, Marcus Wareing, Bar Boulud) and Pierre Koffmann, although no longer looking for Michelin stars, is still a very smooth operator. What's more, the three-course set lunch for £25.50 is a bargain. Highly recommended.

Riad al Massarah: an exquisite taste of Morocco

Late in 2011 my mother and I treated ourselves to a short trip to Marrakech. While planning this trip, I researched widely online – as you do – to select the right accommodation. As we were only going to be there four nights, we wanted somewhere conveniently located. We also wanted a soothing and relaxing refuge from the hustle and bustle of the souks. My online meanderings led me to Riad al Massarah on the outer fringe of the Medina, in the Bab Doukkala neighbourhood. It looked beautiful, offered hammam treatments and delicious sounding meals and had received legions of excellent reviews. What's more, owners Michael and Michel could not have been more helpful with my inquiries.

On a Monday in mid November we touched down in Marrakech. It was warm and our taxi (organised by the riad) took us into the Medina, passing the exotic terracotta ramparts of the 'Rose City'. We had to make the last few hundred yards on foot, guided by a representative of the riad, with a porter transporting our luggage on a cart, expertly negotiating the tiny cobbled alleyways.

After passing through an anonymous wooden door, we entered the riad. The contrast could not be more dramatic, glancing around at the elegant surrounds, lit by flickering lanterns and inhaling the sweetly spiced aromas of the food. They were even playing some jazz music that could have been lifted straight from my iPod at home; the dulcet tones of Stacey Kent provided a memorable welcome.

After quickly freshening up, we headed to the small dining room for the first of two excellent meals we enjoyed at the riad. We ate elsewhere during our stay in Marrakech, but even the highly rated Al Fassia disappointingly fell short of what we were treated to by chef Abdelwahed at Riad al Massarah.

On the first evening we enjoyed a gently spicy soup (like a cross between minestrone and lentil soup), followed by aubergine caviar and courgettes chermoula. The main course was a tangy tagine of chicken and preserved lemon which included peas, tomatoes and artichoke hearts. A fruity Cabernet-based red from near Essaouira, Cuvée du President, coped well with the array of flavours.

The next morning, after our breakfast of fruit salad, garnished with pomegranate seeds and rosewater, home-made yoghurt, freshly squeezed orange juice, eggs cooked to order and coffee (which you can have on the roof terrace or on the balcony, overlooking the internal courtyard) we joined Abdelwahed food shopping in the local souk.

On our third night we were able to experience more of Abdel's cooking when, after a gin and tonic on the roof terrace, we settled back into the intimate dining room for the second time.

Again we started with soup, this time velvety textured and made from carrots, courgettes, turnips and gently spiced with cinnamon, served with a slick of oil and more cinnamon. I love root vegetable soup and have made several versions of this since being back in London – perfect for this time of year (especially when you have some delicious Moroccan spices handy). This was followed by two salads: pumpkin and cinnamon and grated carrot dressed with orange flower water. They weren't much to look at, but the exotic flavours were in complete harmony. Simple, but so effective and another inspiring seasonal dish.

Our main course was slow-cooked lamb with figs and walnuts, seasoned with a touch of cinnamon. The sweetly spiced meat just fell apart and was so well complimented by the rich figs and crunchy nuts. The lamb was nicely accompanied by Terres Rouges, another juicy, easy-drinking modern Moroccan red.

We finished the meal with a palate cleansing dessert called mahalabia made from milk, orange juice and orange flower water. It was a little like blancmanche with fruity orange layer across the top. An appropriately refreshing end to the meal. We were the only guests eating that night and it was like having a private chef – we felt quite pampered.

If the length of your stay allows (sadly ours didn't), the riad offers cookery workshops and organises day trips. Another time. The owners also help you maximise your stay in Marrakech by giving you a wonderfully frank low-down on where to go (and what not to bother with). However, on my next visit, I'd be tempted to spend more time within the blissful confines of Riad al Massarah. This really was an exquisite taste of Morocco. (Here are a few more pictures of this gorgeous place!)

Galvin at Windows

A few weeks ago I had a call from a friend who was between jobs, suggesting a girls' lunch as a special treat. I've always been a huge fan of the set lunch at Le Gavroche, but it was too late to secure a booking there, however, scanning through places with a sense of occasion and luxury, Galvin at Windows (on the 28th floor of the Hilton on Park Lane) looked just the ticket for some midweek glamour.

Given that we both had school runs later that afternoon, we met for an early lunch and, thankfully, the skies were clear, so the views were spectacular. We settled on the menu du jour (two courses for £25, three courses for £29) and the accompanying flight of two glasses of wine for £9. They also offer a fuller set lunch deal of three courses with half a bottle of wine, water and coffee for £45 per person (on par with the set lunch at Le Gavroche). There were three choices for each course: for starter I was really tempted by the deliciously seasonal sounding poached breast of wood pigeon, pine nut purée, beetroot and elderberry jus. My friend had grilled mackerel, mackerel brandade, pickled cucumber and tomato dressing.

The keenly priced set menu wine selection included several impressive names, spanning the world and offering a broad range of styles. We enjoyed discussing the wines with enthusiastic and knowledgeable sommelier, Ashraf Saleh who had just visited Bordeaux. The impressive full main wine list includes a tempting selection of Champagne and sparkling wine (given that it's an ideal venue for celebrations), many wines by the glass and even some natural wines.

I was drawn to the rosé, Terra Alta Más Amor Rosado (Cataluña) by Christophe Brunet and Franck Massard (who met while working at Torres in Spain – and who I liaised with closely while I was the company's PR consultant). This was great with my pigeon, its spicy red fruit complimenting the sweetly gamey meat, beetroot and berries. It was also good with the flavoursome mackerel and salty brandade.

My friend was skipping wine with her main course, but I fancied some red with my slow cooked pork belly with puy lentils, swiss chard and clams. The Little Yering Pinot Noir struck me as the best choice – supple and fresh, but the sommelier also poured a small glass of Guigal Côtes du Rhône which worked well, too, with a little more earthiness and spice. The pork was meltingly tender and the clams provided a tasty contrast – a fulfilling, complete dish. My friend's steamed fillet of plaice, caper and raisin purée, romanesco and jus Véronique was delicate and subtly flavoured, the foam adding an appropriate touch of glamour. A perfect light lunch dish.

These were all excellent dishes with a lovely seasonal feel, but my only criticism is that the portions were limited. I felt as though I could have devoured everything in the bat of a heavily mascara'd eyelid. Consequently, we had plenty of room for dessert – again, beautifully judged, delicious dishes. We shared spiced honey glazed black fig, goat cheese Bavarian cream with pain d'épices ice cream and carrot cake, caramelised walnut purée, lime and coriander sherbet. The sommelier also kindly treated us to glasses of sparkling dessert wine to round off our lunch.

The goat cheese cream was a welcome tangy contrast to the decadently sweet fig and the lime and coriander sherbet was fresh and palate cleansing alongside the light-as-a-feather carrot cake. There was another glamorous touch with the delicately flavoured carrot foam. The Ice Cuvée was a light and perfumed and made a very pretty accompaniment.

We concluded our lunch with fresh mint tea, chocolates and home-made marshmallows while chatting to general manager, Fred Sirieix, before a quick tour behind the scenes through the kitchen and onto the staff balcony (see opening picture). We felt thoroughly spoilt and it was a great end to an already memorable lunch. We headed off on our respective school runs, me clutching a goodie bag of marshmallows which my daughter and friends were treated to in the park. Lucky girls!

Galvin at Windows
The Hilton Hotel
22 Park Lane
London W1K 1BE
Tel 020 7208 4021
www.galvinatwindows.com