Medlar's Marvellous Menus And delightful distictive decor

 Unfortunately I can't guarantee you will be able to eat anything we liked at Medlar restaurant because their menu changes daily.

I can say that the decor and food are lovely and I would go back any time.

Let's start with the decor. Even the front door handle is a work of art.

 Our circular table was by the front window and this was not allocated but our choice. Why? The first one of our group of four to arrive for lunch likes to sit in daylight, sunlight and enjoy an open vista. He feels claustrophobic at the back of a restaurant.

I am the reverse. I like the cosy intimacy of banquettes against a wall, secluded from distraction.This restaurant offers both. Banqettes against one wall in the mid section.

I like the protection of a wall between myself and people in the street. On my way to wash my hands, I passed the medlar tree, which gives the restaurant its name, and fairy light suspended over the tables at the very back.

But the others were happy to feel part of bustling London. I watched a few buses, taxis, an ambulance and the stressful sight (for a car driver) of a parking warden. 

We were sheltered from passing pedestrians by the out front tables behind a barrier.

The toilets were downstairs. A tiny table where the stairs turn has a box containing their business card which is green on the back.

The stairs. Photo by Angela Lansbury. Copyright. 

Downstairs are more delights and amusements. In the ladies toilet the white tiles have green grouting.

A small seat is in the alcove. A perfect place for a momentary rest, to wait for the single cubicle to become vacant or to take a selfie.

Ladies in waiting, seat.

The toilet paper is sealed with a sticker bearing the restaurant name. The basin has small white towels for each customer to dry their hands.

Back to the table and the menu. We were offered two types of bread, brown or white with herbs, plus butter.

Red Wine

The red wine from the USA was drinkable, although I don't normally like red wine, no heavy tannin, very good.

Osmote, Seneca Lake, Cabernet franc.

Starters

I chose the asparagus with beef croquettes. As I had expected, the asparagus was not exceptional, but the beef croquettes, round, thick discs the size of thick pennies with a soft centre and crispy outside were unusual. Delightful. Perfect. Memorable. Moreish. Must make them. Must try them again.

Aparagus, fried onion rings, beef croquettes. Photo by Angela Lansbury.

Main courses

The highlight of my chicken main course was the sweet onion, almost a puree. 

The visual winner was the dish with a slice of orange standing vertically, like the London Eye.

Desserts

One memorable part of the meal was the pistachio cake. 

I also liked the strawberry ice cream. The small strawberries were red right through, tasty and soft,unlike the strawberries we had bought from a local supermarket which were white and hard in the centre.

The capuccino came up with  heart design in milk or froth on top.

For the finale, we received complimentary chocolate balls and white marshmallows.

What about the price? Pricey. The set meal was more than fifty pounds, plus wine, plus an aperifif, plus coffees, so the total was double that per person. Thirteen and a half per cent service charge.

This is a lovely area of London. We passed a shop with enormous chandeliers. Even the poor people limping or smoking by the bus stop are elegantly dressed. I admired the brooch and cravat worn by one white haired lady and asked which shops she recommened in the area. She protested, "I never buy anything. It's all second hand. My friends give me their old clothes."

Getting there

A bus comes to the Medlar restaurant area from Earls Court underground station.

Would we go back? Definitely. So long as it's somebody else's turn to pay the bill.

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Dehesa Tapas Bar-restaurant: my bad reaction to bar stools, good but expensive food, but not enough

Dehesa
Evening started badly. Bar stools.

What I think of Bar Stools
Horrid. Nowhere to put your handbag except on the dirty floor out of reach. Trying to fit into a tiny stool wearing a winter coat. Nowhere to put your coat. These stools do have a back.

Unfortunately we were coming from another event and had to go to the extra expense of a taxi to arrive on time. We were dropped in Regent Street and ran through following satnav on a phone. On time!

Even so, our relatives had arrived first. They were already settled into the straight wall banquette seats, whilst we had the awkward bar high stools opposite. I beamed enthusiasm. I did not want to disrupt our event by making them move.

Food Size and Dividing
Small portions. We were dividing between four. We ordered two portions of the starter. Asparagus with a smidgen of goat's cheese on the end, in a shallow sea of honey. Up comes a plate containing two. Everything was like that. I thought you got tapas for sharing. Everything had to be cut diagonally.

Sharing Plates
Plates not easily divided are an absolute disaster in groups, especially if you have any kind of hierarchy. I mean a work situation such as boss and employee so that one has to constantly defer to the other. In a family, older brother and his wife and younger brother and his wife. Or any situation where one is trying to please another.

Fish and meat
Most of the dishes for starters contained shellfish, to which I am allergic.
I had a lovely fish with tiny morsels of something delicious. We had two meat dishes. They also had lovely sauces and morsels of mushroom or fruit. With four of us sharing every plate it was quite hard to get your share. The meat was dark and shiny and looked raw. I thought it looked undercooked and was stringy and got in your teeth. Everybody else loved it.

Potato
We ordered (potato) chips. Very Spanish style, brushed with red pepper powdered or chili powder, which added visual appeal and flavour. Served with two small pots of dips.

Desserts
We told them we were sharing but the deserts were not shaped for sharing and not served for sharing. We had to play yo-yo with the plates. Could they have served us half portion each, or two plates as well as two spoons. I can tell you that I have been to five star restaurants which do so. Do they think it's bad form to share a dessert?

Shared Desserts
If you are running a tapas bar, which is designed for 'sharing' I think a table for four should be served all dishes for sharing. Otherwise the diners end up not sharing.

Whoever gets to eat the bigger portion or keep the whole dish feels guilty and the others feel resentful. However much you try to smile and be obliging, you are constantly on the alert to grab the first half, the last half, not be the first to dip in, and so on.

I don't want to go back. I must remember to tell them I'm a blind one legged cripple (not true, just joking) and will walk out with my group if I am given a bar stool. The more I think about it, the more cross I get. I did not enjoy the meal at all.

Completely put me in a bad mood. The family asked if I wanted to go onto a film with them but I said no and we went home. Two of us felt that despite having starters, two meat courses, two fish courses, two shared desserts, one coffee and three drinks, glasses of tap water all round, we were still hungry. A hungry diner is not a happy diner.

The service charge is twelve and a half per cent. To cap it all the bill includes a supposedly optional donation to charity, already printed on the bill so you would have to make an embarrassing fuss to delete it.

I would have been a lot happier on a chair nearer the ground with my feet on the ground. The semi-circular seating near the door. That's what I want next time.

You can sit outdoors on the corner of the block looking up the pedestrian alleys leading in two directions. The main pedestrian alley leading to it is lit by seasonal lights and flanked by other amusing restaurants, shops and pubs. You are a short walk from Regent Street and Oxford Circus station. London right now is thronged with crowds of jolly people.

I managed to scoot down the steep staircase to the toilets. I thought, no good for wheelchairs or people with knocking knees and awkward ankles. Nor drunks misplacing their footing.

Dehesa, 25 Ganton Street, London WIF 9BP
+44 (0)20 7494 4170
info@dehesa.co.uk
saltyardgroup.co.uk

Angela Lansbury, travel writer and photographer, author and speaker.

Dehesa Tapas Bar-restaurant: my bad reaction to bar stools, good but expensive food, but not enough

Dehesa
Evening started badly. Bar stools.

What I think of Bar Stools
Horrid. Nowhere to put your handbag except on the dirty floor out of reach. Trying to fit into a tiny stool wearing a winter coat. Nowhere to put your coat. These stools do have a back.

Unfortunately we were coming from another event and had to go to the extra expense of a taxi to arrive on time. We were dropped in Regent Street and ran through following satnav on a phone. On time!

Even so, our relatives had arrived first. They were already settled into the straight wall banquette seats, whilst we had the awkward bar high stools opposite. I beamed enthusiasm. I did not want to disrupt our event by making them move.

Ranting Against Bar Stools
I did my pole-vaulting impression, perched with the uncertain air of a parrot shifting about on bar, about to speak words everybody waited for. I tried to look agile and nonchalant.

Being on a bar stool put me in a bad mood for the whole meal. Are you sitting comfortably? No. I feel like I am in an airport lounge, or eating a snack of pot noodles on a trapeze. Bar stools must be designed for drinkers at bars, so they move on quickly to make way for others, and fall off as soon as they have had the second drink; approved by people who want the most uncomfortable chairs in order to get a quick turnover of diners who don't linger.

Did I say any of this? No. (It's our secret!)

Bar stools have only one use. Sitting up high to play electric organs on x shape supports.

Food Size and Dividing
Small portions. We were dividing between four. We ordered two portions of the starter. Asparagus with a smidgen of goat's cheese on the end, in a shallow sea of honey. Up comes a plate containing two. Everything was like that. I thought you got tapas for sharing. Everything had to be cut diagonally.

Sharing Plates
Plates not easily divided are an absolute disaster in groups, especially if you have any kind of hierarchy. I mean a work situation such as boss and employee so that one has to constantly defer to the other. In a family, older brother and his wife and younger brother and his wife. Or any situation where one is trying to please another.

Fish and meat
Most of the dishes for starters contained shellfish, to which I am allergic.
I had a lovely fish with tiny morsels of something delicious. We had two meat dishes. They also had lovely sauces and morsels of mushroom or fruit. With four of us sharing every plate it was quite hard to get your share. The meat was dark and shiny and looked raw. I thought it looked undercooked and was stringy and got in your teeth. Everybody else loved it.

Potato
We ordered (potato) chips. Very Spanish style, brushed with red pepper powdered or chili powder, which added visual appeal and flavour. Served with two small pots of dips.

Desserts
We told them we were sharing but the deserts were not shaped for sharing and not served for sharing. We had to play yo-yo with the plates. Could they have served us half portion each, or two plates as well as two spoons. I can tell you that I have been to five star restaurants which do so. Do they think it's bad form to share a dessert?

Shared Desserts
If you are running a tapas bar, which is designed for 'sharing' I think a table for four should be served all dishes for sharing. Otherwise the diners end up not sharing.

Whoever gets to eat the bigger portion or keep the whole dish feels guilty and the others feel resentful. However much you try to smile and be obliging, you are constantly on the alert to grab the first half, the last half, not be the first to dip in, and so on.

I don't want to go back. I must remember to tell them I'm a blind one legged cripple (not true, just joking) and will walk out with my group if I am given a bar stool. The more I think about it, the more cross I get. I did not enjoy the meal at all.

Completely put me in a bad mood. The family asked if I wanted to go onto a film with them but I said no and we went home. Two of us felt that despite having starters, two meat courses, two fish courses, two shared desserts, one coffee and three drinks, glasses of tap water all round, we were still hungry. A hungry diner is not a happy diner.

To cap it all the bill includes a supposedly optional donation to charity, already printed on the bill so you would have to make an embarrassing fuss to delete it.

I would have been a lot happier on a chair nearer the ground with my feet on the ground. The semi-circular seating near the door. That's what I want next time.

You can sit outdoors on the corner of the block looking up the pedestrian alleys leading in two directions. The main pedestrian alley leading to it is lit by seasonal lights and flanked by other amusing restaurants, shops and pubs. You are a short walk from Regent Street and Oxford Circus station. London right now is thronged with crowds of jolly people.

I managed to scoot down the steep staircase to the toilets. I thought, no good for wheelchairs or people with knocking knees and awkward ankles. Nor drunks misplacing their footing.

Dehesa, 25 Ganton Street, London WIF 9BP
+44 (0)20 7494 4170
info@dehesa.co.uk
saltyardgroup.co.uk

Angela Lansbury, travel writer and photographer, author and speaker.

Dehesa Tapas Bar-restaurant: my bad reaction to bar stools, good but expensive food, but not enough

Dehesa
Evening started badly. Bar stools.

What I think of Bar Stools
Horrid. Nowhere to put your handbag except on the dirty floor out of reach. Trying to fit into a tiny stool wearing a winter coat. Nowhere to put your coat. These stools do have a back.

Unfortunately we were coming from another event and had to go to the extra expense of a taxi to arrive on time. Even so, our relatives had arrived first. They were already settled into the wall banquette seats and I did not want to disrupt our event by making them move.

Being on a bar stool put me in a bad mood for the whole meal. Are you sitting comfortably? No.

Food Size and Dividing
Small portions. We were dividing between four. We ordered two portions of the starter. Asparagus with a smidgen of goat's cheese on the end, in a shallow sea of honey. Up comes a plate containing two. Everything was like that. I thought you got tapas for sharing. Everything had to be cut diagonally.

Sharing Plates
Plates not easily divided are an absolute disaster in groups, especially if you have any kind of hierarchy. I mean a work situation such as boss and employee so that one has to constantly defer to the other. In a family, older brother and his wife and younger brother and his wife. Or any situation where one is trying to please another.

Fish and meat
Most of the dishes for starters contained shellfish, to which I am allergic.
I had a lovely fish with tiny morsels of something delicious. We had two meat dishes. They also had lovely sauces and morsels of mushroom or fruit. With four of us sharing every plate it was quite hard to get your share.

Potato
We ordered (potato) chips. Very Spanish style, brushed with red pepper powdered or chili powder, which added visual appeal and flavour. Served with two small pots of dips.

Desserts
We told them we were sharing but the deserts were not shaped for sharing and not served for sharing. We had to play yo-yo with the plates. Could they have served us half portion each, or two plates as well as two spoons. I can tell you that I have been to five star restaurants which do so. Do they think it's bad form to share a dessert?

Shared Desserts
If you are running a tapas bar, which is designed for 'sharing' I think a table for four should be served all dishes for sharing. Otherwise the diners end up not sharing.

Whoever gets to eat the bigger portion or keep the whole dish feels guilty and the others feel resentful. However much you try to smile and be obliging, you are constantly on the alert to grab the first half, the last half, not be the first to dip in, and so on.

I don't want to go back. I must remember to tell them I'm a blind one legged cripple (not true, just joking) and will walk out with my group if I am given a bar stool. The more I think about it, the more cross I get. I did not enjoy the meal at all.

Completely put me in a bad mood. The family asked if I wanted to go onto a film with them but I said no and we went home. Two of us felt that despite having starters, two meat courses, two fish courses, two shared desserts, one coffee and three drinks, glasses of tap water all round, we were still hungry. A hungry diner is not a happy diner.

To cap it all the bill includes a supposedly optional donation to charity, already printed on the bill so you would have to make an embarrassing fuss to delete it.

I would have been a lot happier on a chair nearer the ground with my feet on the ground. The semi-circular seating near the door. That's what I want next time.

You can sit outdoors on the corner of the block looking up the pedestrian alleys leading in two directions. The main pedestrian alley leading to it is lit by seasonal lights and flanked by other amusing restaurants, shops and pubs. You are a short walk from Regent Street and Oxford Circus station. London right now is thronged with crowds of jolly people.

Dehesa, 25 Ganton Street, London WIF 9BP
+44 (0)20 7494 4170
info@dehesa.co.uk
saltyardgroup.co.uk

Angela Lansbury, travel writer and photographer, author and speaker.

Honey of a restaurant, Incanto, at Harrow-on-the-Hill

With some trepidation I went to Incanto Restaurant, Harrow-on-the-Hill because it had changed hands and had mixed reviews. I am glad to report that we had a delightful meal. Beyond the deli which overlooks the street is in the upstairs restart, secluded, but brightly lit by overhead windows. The mirror along one wall adds to the spaciousness.

We were immediately shown to our booked table. The dishes started with bread and oil served on a wooden platter. Then came the amuse gueule of white cheese creamed in a teeny shot glass. I assumed it was sweet but it was cheese. Tasty, like blue cheese.

My starter of pea soup had a line of fresh peas in the middle which was pleasing to the eye and mouth. Green asparagus contrasting with yellowy cream sauce was wonderful on the eye and tongue.

My main course of veal with creamed potatoes was pleasant. With three main dishes I was able to sample some of the thick steak and thick chips, as well as the third exotic looking main course of duck.

Honeycomb

Chocolate and fruit

Desserts
The highest point was the desserts.Chocolate with a melting middle and raspberries on the side. We'd seen it carried past and two of the three of us chose that. I oped to have something different on principle. By process of elimination I decided not to go for the cheeses, nor the mixed ice creams, although the flavours sounded lovely, and the dessert with meringue sounded just too sugary. That left me with a dessert which featured honeycomb. Wonderful.

For drinks I started with Prosecco. Can't go wrong. The other two shared a bottle of red wine. Too much for two, as one was driving. But the staff provided a cork so we could take the leftovers home. i had looked at the wine list earlier and noted a glass of muscat which did not appear on the dessert menu. So you have more options to go with your coffees, or instead, before or after.

The only disappointment was that although I had phoned earlier to point out that one of us had a birthday and to ask if we could have a candle, the person answering the phone had not noted this. I thought I'd also mentioned that 'The birthday boy is parking the car'.

However when the desserts had appeared without a candle, and nothing immediately after that, and the others were asking for the bill. I rushed back to the desk to ask where was the candle.

After a quick confab, that the desserts had already been served, somebody said, 'with the petits fours'. We had not ordered coffee which I presumed came with petits fours, but they brought another dessert with the honeycomb with a candle which was very welcome. We liked the petits fours of chocolate, soft nougat and ice cream.

Service from Irish Liz from Belfast was all smiles. We were all very pleased with our evening.

Angela Lansbury, travel writer and photographer, author and speaker.

Salsify on the restaurant menu - what is it?

I just looked up salsify which is on the website menu of Incanto restaurant, Harrow on the Hill, UK.
The name from either French or another language such as Spanish or Italian means either black bark or serpent (shape) root. It looks like asparagus. The black skin is peeled off before or after cooking leaving you with a white vegetable which looks like asparagus.

I think I have been served it several times and wondered why my asparagus was not mentioned on the menu, and why it was so white and didn't have asparagus flavour. (I assumed they had yesterday's asparagus and were using up the last of it and didn't list it because they were embarrassed to be running out or because it was poor quality. Not wanting to upset the host or staff I kept quiet. Hysterically funny.) Mystery solved.


A fuller explanation of the word origin and where it is and was grown is in Wikipedia.