Review: Neo Bistro

2018 and I’m back with a bang!

2018 is the year of food and boy am I excited to go to loads of restaurants this year and eats tons of good food. Add A Little: the rebirth here I coooome!

Obviously I can’t help but start 2018 in any other way than a review of a delicious restaurant situated in Bond Street called Neo Bistro. I hadn’t previously heard of this place but was recommended by my friend. The restaurant describes themselves as modern British and rightly so, the food is delicate and full of flavour. No heavy steak and ale pies coming your way, but rather, sea bream ceviche or home cured charcuterie. You can see a European influence amongst the dishes and every one was 10/10.

I went for the tasting menu and every dish was new and innovative.

The first course upon arriving was homemade sourdough, house churned salted butter, fennel cured charcuterie, chorizo and truffle mousse with hazelnuts. Honestly nearly cried because it was so delicious and it always surprises me how a restaurant can make something so simple so incredible.

Next up was sea bream ceviche with creme fraiche, pine nuts, fennel and grapefruit slaw and lovage oil. A beautiful palate cleanser.

The Parmesan gnocchi’s were clouds of cheesiness and the raw oyster mushroom and pickled walnuts added a lovely contrasting texture whilst the pumpkin purée provided a lovely sweetness.

On the menu, I didn’t know what to expect from quail kebab but this was probably my favourite course. Confit leg of quail and grilled breast were cooked to perfection, accompanied by the fresh, lightly dressed leaves and the creamy, decadent chestnut purée.

This dish focused on duck with a few accompaniments. There was a homemade cranberry jam, roasted onion and a bacon wrapped date that was roasted until gooey and sweet.

A palate cleanser of whipped goats yoghurt with orange blossom honey and candied linseeds came next. A lovely light dish.

The dessert was a rich chocolate mousse with malt ice cream. The chocolate was dark and slightly bitter, a perfect way to end the meal.

But of course, they manage to bring out one last dish of a freshly baked pistachio financier. Couldn’t have ended the meal any other way!

I would highly recommend Neo Bistro to anyone. £50 for an incredible tasting menu is a great offer and they cater to allergies and have a vegetarian tasting menu if needed too.

Neo Bistro
11 Woodstock Road, London, W1C 2AE
020 7499 9427

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L’as Du Fallafel

First day in Paris is done and dusted and ofcourse I’ve already managed to tick off basically the main reason why I came in the first place.

I came hesitatingly five years ago after my mum highly recommended I checked this place out. To say I had my doubts was an understatement. I didn’t even like falafel that much and I just didn’t understand how there could be so much hype over, essentially, a sandwich. So we decided to share one and what a mistake that was. Those preconceptions shot out the window after my first bite and I wished I had got one to myself!

The bread is soft and pillowy and almost mochi-esque which provides a great contrast to the falafel which is herby and crunchy. The salad provides an element of freshness and is comprised of thinly sliced cabbage, cucumber and tomato. The aubergine is silly and smooth and in bite sized pieces to make it easier to eat. And last, but certainly not least, the lashings of tahini dressing which is cool and slightly bitter.

So, onto the technical stuff. It costs €6,50 and is definitely big enough for a meal for one. It’s filled with falafel and salad and will keep you full for a matter of hours (until the compulsory afternoon pastry break)!

Wow, I can’t believe I’ve actually spent all morning raving about falafel when I could have been at a Parisian bakery but this is the best of the best. If you find yourself in Paris, you must stroll around the alleys of Marais and get yourself a falafel. You’ll never look back!

A City Break: Prague

What a beautiful city – truly, unexpectedly stunning. I don’t know why but in my head it was a city that seemed a bit grey, but I went and was blown away by the gorgeous weather and the beautiful architecture on every corner of the street.

The city is reminiscent of a toy town, the pastel colours of the curvilinear forms on the facades of the buildings and the gothic churches with the spires interrupting the skyline is truly an amazing sight, especially at the top of the hill around the castle district. The many bridges across the city are beautiful in themselves, with Charles Bridge being a particularly popular one as it is filled with sculptures of saints watching down on you and contrasting against the bright blue sky. Another must see building is St Vitus cathedral – a monumental Gothic church with an intricately decorated facade and the inside is filled with the most wonderful stained glass that leaves you in awe and the rainbow of colour reflects on the cold stone walls.

The Opera house is decorated with a beautiful gold detailing on the roof and theatre is another prominent aspect of the culture. The museums were filled with Czech art as well as an all star cast, featuring Picasso, Klimt and Schiele, which I must admit almost brought me to tears. The standout museum for me was the Prague National Gallery (also called Trade Fair Palace), which showed 19th and 20th century art and currently shows some works by Ai Wei Wei, which runs until 17th January 2018.

There was a plethora of food options in the city and I wasn’t disappointed once. The stand outs were Bistro 19 which have a daily changing menu of a soup, main and dessert, a special shout out goes to the apple strudel which was wonderful and cinnamon filled (and a bargain for only £1); Sushi Maru which has an amazing eel, avocado and yellowtail roll. My favourite place had to be Cafe Lounge. There was a slight Secession/ Art Nouveau feel in the restaurant with the beautiful font and warm decoration within of brown leather chairs and slightly dimmed yellow lighting. The food was outstanding and really can’t find one fault, I highly recommend the quinoa salad with pomegranates, peppers and lambs lettuce which was fresh and light; marinated aubergine with pecorino, rocket and capers which was a salty delight and the aubergine which melted in your mouth; and the fried cod with chunky fries and homemade tartare sauce, the fish was so tender and the batter was light and fluffy. I’ve also heard great things about Cafe Louvre and of course the famous warm, fluffy, sweet, carby trdelnik.

Prague is definitely a place where I’ll be back and somewhere I would recommend to anyone for a short city break. Yes, there is a lot of walking on cobbled streets which definitely does make your thighs slightly stiff the next day but it’s 100% worth it for the beautiful views across the river and watching the sun set in the parks dotted around the city.