A weekend eating in London (part 1)

After searching the virtual estate agents Blogger seemed a likely candidate for a new home, a place to reside with my passion for food.

Not wanting to flood my timeline on Facebook fit to bursting with foodie pictures, musings on restaurants visited and my adventurous expeditions from Tesco to Thailand, You can now find it all here in my new home. I've picked up the keys and I'm moving in!.

I'm looking forward to meeting my new foodie neighbours and likewise please feel free to knock on my door. Some of my old neighbours from Facebook lane and Twitter Avenue will be invited to visit my new home. Please sit down and make yourselves comfortable I'll put the kettle on? Or would you like something stronger?


Oh and while your here I may as well tell you about the weekend I had this summer in London that reignited a desire to write it all down for my own recall and now to share with the blogosphere. If you like your visit, click on the RSS feed or subscribe using the Email link.

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http://eatslurpburp.blogspot.co.uk/

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P.S there is a Tesco in Thailand I've seen one !

A weekend eating in London (Part 1)

Gary Rhodes at Rhodes 24

Let me begin by taking you back with me to a weekend in July. It was my partners 30th birthday. Hotel and transport fee's aside I had managed to save a fist full of Dollars to wine and dine her hearts desire. For you see she loves food just as much as me! 

Some of our friends would think it a crime spending this kind of money in restaurants. 
That sharp intake of breath never fails to amuse me, But why not? It's no different to paying hundreds of pounds for a ticket to see Madonna or Mick Jagger! You're paying for an experience or to have great time it's no different. 
None of that matters to us one jot when you've saved for a purpose and on this occasion the intention was to spend the lot in one weekend on food and drink! To just go for it and create a real memory maker.

That's exactly what we did! Without limitation and three days to spend it. I can't tell you how good it felt booking our chosen restaurants.
 

First up was Heston Blumenthal's Fat Duck .......Not a fat chance ! How does one get a table at this restaurant??? Disappointment aside on we moved to Gary Rhodes at Rhodes 24 BINGO!! Table for two 8.30pm. Then on we went snapping up tables till our weekend looked like this.

After dumping our bags at the hotel we made our way to our first port of call The SkyLounge where we met up briefly with a friend to have a couple of cocktails. I have to point out we are great fans of roof terrace bars and always try to seek them out when ever we visit a city, mostly because they are a great vantage point to view your surroundings. The SkyLounge is arguably one of the best in London offering spectacular views of Tower Bridge, The Tower of London, The Shard, The Gherkin, St Paul's and the river Thames.



Sky Lounge , Doubletree, Hilton



Cocktails at the Sky Lounge

View of the Gherkin from the Sky Lounge

View of the Shard drom the Sky Lounge

This was our very first visit to a Michelin starred restaurant and I'm not ashamed to admit the excitement was incredible we felt like teenagers with a butterflies in our stomachs about to meet a movie star and of course the expectation of a fantastic meal.
After the official meet and greet we were given the wine menu to peruse whilst we waited for our table. Rhodes 24 is located in Tower 42 the city of London's tallest building so views over London come as standard. Luckily for us we were seated at a table next to floor to ceiling windows which undoubtedly offered the best views of the city and directly overlooked one of London's most recognised landmarks the Gherkin.

I was also canny enough to book at such a time it would be light enough to absorb the view and watch the skyline change as it slowly transcended into darkness with all the twinkly lights the city had to offer.

All this made a fantastic backdrop to our evening.  



Rhodes 24 at Tower 42

Entrance to Rhodes 24

The Birthday Girl

Fantastic meal with a fantastic view

Amuse Bouche - Chilled Gazpacho soup with cucumber oil

Crispy duck egg, wild mushrooms, Barkham blue cheese toast





Glazed lobster omelette thermidor

This was a dish Rach said she will never forget! So much so she told the Waiter it had imprinted on her.



Free range pork loin with poached apple, slow roasted pork belly and lobster ravioli



This belly pork was amazing it melted in the mouth and the taste was like no pork I had ever eaten in fact I amused our waiter by announcing "I don't know what I've been eating all these years"? The crackling which I can only imagine had been blitzed in a blender was a real revelation. So different, something I said I must try at home. 

Poached rhubarb, toasted marshmallow meringue, rhubarb sorbet and warm vanilla custard

                        Iced peanut parfait, lime jelly, dark chocolate mousse

I loved everything about the sound of this desert when I ordered it but the lime jelly was so strong it tasted like the smell of dissinfectant. I love lime but for me it did not really belong on the plate. The parfait and chocolate mousse however where devine.

                                                           Petit fours
The whole evening from start to finish was fantastic, everything about Rhodes 24 delivered on every level. Fantastic food, flawless service, great atmosphere and views to die for. Neither did it put a noticeable dent in the budget !























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