LONDON

El Pirata (p. 77) is one of London’s
top tapas bars and restaurants,
with a sophisticated yet informal
ambience that is quintessentially
Spanish. Choose from a selection
of authentic dishes, including
crispy croquettes and chorizo
in red wine sauce. The service
is outstanding, so book ahead.
Mark the start of Christmas
at Taste of London: The
Festive Edition (19-22 Nov;
below), a festival of food, drink
plus a great market. Chefs taking
part include Monica Galetti,
Tom Aikens, Mark Hix, Tom
Kerridge and Marcus Wareing.
Tobacco Dock, Tobacco Quay,
Wapping Lane, E1W 2SF
Head to Urban Food Fest,
a busy street food market in
trendy east London that takes
place every Saturday (to 19 Dec;
noon-midnight). Enjoy global food
and drink served from one of 15
trucks, which change each week.
Euro Car Parks, 162-175
Shoreditch High St, E1 6HU
November is the start of the
pheasant season in the UK and
where better to celebrate than
at The Jugged Hare, one of the
capital’s best game restaurants?
Visitors to this Barbican gastropub
can enjoy a limited-edition
Pheasant Bucket from 16-22 Nov.
49 Chiswell St, EC1Y 4SA
ingle-dish restaurants
are nothing new in
London. From oyster
bars and steakhouses
to burger joints and
pizzerias, the capital has
long been full of places that
specialise in one type of food.
Lately, however, the concept
has become a trend,
with restaurants
looking to serve
increasingly
unusual dishes,
from arancini
at Arancini
Brothers (115a
Kentish Town
Rd, NW1 8PB)
to cereal in Cereal
Killer Café (139 Brick
Lane, E1 6SB). Now, finally,
London has a restaurant
dedicated to meatballs, too.
Tucked away down Greek
Street, near beautiful Soho
Square, Balls & Company
has not only perfected the
classic meatball (made with
tender wagyu beef and served
medium rare), but a variety
of other balls, not all of them
made with meat. Served in
the pan with a choice of
sauces, each of the balls we
tried was delicately seasoned,
elegantly presented and perfect
for sharing in the restaurant’s
stylishly minimalist,
Scandinavianstyle
space.
Half the fun
is in choosing
which varieties
go best with
which sauces.
The salmon balls
with dill and seeds
were brought to life
by a béchamel sauce, for
example, while the pork balls
(made with pork, milk bread,
ricotta, Parmesan, pine nuts and
sage) are best with a generous
drizzle of garlicky Romesco.
– Sam Rogg
58 Greek St, W1D 3DY.
ballsandcompany.london
TASTE OF LONDON COURTESY OF TASTE OF LONDON; BALLS & COMPANY IMAGES © HELEN CATHCART
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