Chislehurst Caves - Chislehurst, Kent

The cafe is truly bad, the inside waiting area leaves a little to be desired. The caves are scary, dark and cold. The tour guide is slightly cheesy in his delivery. The entire experience is wonderful.

I’ve lived in London since I first opened my eyes. I know of all the main tourist attractions. Chislehurst Caves slipped by me. It’s not that well advertised and I’m sure that not a huge amount of people know about it, or indeed think it worthy of the trip, but it really is.

The tour lasts over an an hour and is effectively a mile walk around the caves (lantern in hand) with  regular stops to allow our delightfully witty guide to tell us about what happened where. Hendrix played in the Saxon’s part of the cave. The hospital was in the Romans’ part etc…

It’s a very powerful snippet of what life must have been like for those during WWII. The caves were very much a home for many and as such became an underground village/community. This isn’t a history lesson so I won’t go on but suffice to say that spending £6 on a lazy Sunday morning to grab some cave air and a little culture was a truly good start to the coming week.

I wouldn’t eat in the cafe unless I was highly hungover and in need of a greasy helping hand (chilli con carne and the full English were top choices) but its vibe added to the low rent (in the best possible way) vibe of the place. I did however pick up a book on war-time cookery, which I will consult when I need to ration my food intake and drop a few pounds, so basically a daily read!

Chislehurst Caves
10/10
Caveside Close
Old Hill
BR7 5NL

www.chislehurst-caves.co.uk

Manicomio - Duke of York Square, London

It's expensive and a little pretentious, but there again you are in the middle of Sloany Square. The restaurant is just off the main road in a paved little street that sits behind the main King's Road drag.

There is an outside setting area for those that wish to crank up the heating lamp and brave the cold, but my friend and I headed in. The restaurant is narrow with lines of tables to your left and a deli on your right (there's a bigger dinning room in the back but it wasn't open when we went). The deli comprises of cakes, biscuits and a myriad of different vegetable and meat dishes such as roasted butternut squash, marinated grilled aubergines etc... They also have different sorts of pasta dishes on offer. 

If you choose not to order from the deli counter then you can try the 'a la carte' menu or the less formal cafe menu, both of which consist of your typical Italian fare (Antipasti, Pasta, Meat, Fish etc...). It's worthy of note that you can only order from the 'a la carte' when seated in the main dinning area, and the deli/cafe menu in the deli area. A bit silly in my opinion.

I was tempted to have the Longhorn Beef Short Rib with Potato Puree but I wasn't hungry enough to fork out £24.50 and I wasn't seated in the dinning area anyway. I was also tempted with the Antipasti platter after noticing a couple having a right old time tucking into the board (£13.95 for one). However I opted for the Soup of the Day, which turned out to be Chicken (£8.75) and my friend had a Cookie (£2.50) from the deli.

We waited a little longer than we should have but they were busy so we forgave it. My soup arrived pipping hot and with three varieties of bread (I had to ask for butter though). The soup in itself was lovely. It had huge bits of chicken running through it, and was chunky and hearty. The selection of breads (olive, raisin and white) were also very good and I appreciated the variety.

The food is very well done. The ingredients are clearly well sourced and of superior quality, hence the price. The cheapest thing on their breakfast menu is a Croissant with Cotto Ham and Asiago at £4.95. A bit steep in my opinion but I'm sure the quality of the produce is brilliant. 

I only hope that the price is reflective of the high quality and not the affluent area they live in. My cynical side thinks it is, but with that said I would go back if it was a special occasion. I did like their menu and now trust their food.

Manicomio

8/10

85 Duke of York Square

London, SW3 4LY

0207 730 3366

www.manicomio.co.uk

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Tony's - Battersea, London

If you look up the word understated then right next to it you'd probably find a picture of Tony's. Tony's is a brilliant old school greasy spoon that is nestled amid the more fancy restaurants and shops on the Northcote Road. 

There is absolutely nothing fancy about this place though. The booths have peeling leather seats, the tables are very well lived and the walls are adorned with boards and pictures of their specials of the day.

When I went I had a Poached Egg on Toast with a side of Bacon. My partner had a Bacon Sandwich. Both arrived exactly as expected: basic and simple. We didn't go here for Cordon Bleu cooking after all.

I first heard about this place when reading a book written by an adman named Russell Davies. In his spare time Russell would go to greasy spoons, picture them and then write about them. I really appreciated his blog turned book when I first stumbled upon it. The book not only tells you where to go for a good old English fry up, but it also chronicles the fast dying British Cafe.

Aside from breakfast you can also get things like Chilli Con Carne with Rice, Fish and Chips, Gammon Steak etc... When I was there an old lady with a trolley walked in for some breakfast and a cup of tea. You could tell that she'd been going for decades. It was nice to see a local cafe with a loyal customer base.

Our breakfast cost around £3 (cheap I'm sure you'll agree). I would go back again for something a bit more substantial. I just hope it's still there. The Telegraph recently wrote that 'the death knell is sounding for the traditional "greasy spoon' and

'Britons are opting for a coffee and pastry at American-style coffee shops, leaving lorry drivers without the option of white toast, margarine, sausage, beans, chips and a bottomless mug of tea.' I just hope their wrong.

Tony's Cafe

6/10

74 Northcote Road

London, SW11 6QL

0207 228 0929


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Asqew Grill - Haight Ashbury, San Francisco

I loved it here. After a day of walking around Haight Ashbury, doing a little shopping and taking in the very similar vibe of Camden in London we stopped at Asqew Grill. 

It had a very bohemian feeling, very laid back. However Haight Ashbury is the epitome of laid back, so it stands to reason.

It was unpretentious, welcoming and most importantly the food was good. I had the Cilantro (Coriander to us Brits) Chicken Skewers with Coconut Cilantro Jasmine Rice ($7.89 for one skewer, $10.79 for 2). It was sour from the lime, hot from the chilli and the rice was good and creamy.

They had a variety of things on the menu such as Tuna Skewers, side salads with Grilled Pear and a Gorganzola dressing ($3.99), BBQ, Burgers etc... 

What I liked the most about Asqew was that you could choose your own sides. So with each main you chose you had the option to add either Roasted Garlic Mash, Coconut Rice, Citrus Cous Cous, or Grilled Mascapone Polenta.

I'd certainly go again if I find myself in San Francisco. I hope it's still there.

8/10

Asqew Grill

1607 Haight Ashbury

San Francisco CA

415 701 9301

Raoul's - Clifton Road, London

So here we are sitting outside a lovely cafe in W9. Clifton Road to be exact. We're flanked by a beautiful canal, lovely green grocers, butchers etc... I decided to get an orange juice. It was sheer bliss, if not a bit steep.

Next came our meal. I had the handmade Ravioli with cream and butter (£8). Eddy had the breast of marinated Chicken Kebab. A fancy one I agree but no salad, onions etc... And to boot a meager portion for a whopping £12. We did appreciate the fact we got a good portion of Zucchini Fritti (deep fried courgettes £5).

Final word - Ok food but I think you ration too much Raoul.

Raoul's Restaurant
7/10
13 Clifton Road
London
W9 1SZ
+44 (0)20 7289 7313

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Berliner Kaffeerosterei - Berlin Coffee

This is by far the best coffee shop/breakfast place in Berlin. Their coffee is gourmet to say the least. I don't think I've ever had coffee with such flavour.

The front of the restaurant serves large cups of coffee, lattees and cappuccinos as well as brilliant food. We stopped in for a coffee and a 'classic' German breakfast. This consisted of a selection of cheeses, hams, fruit, jams and 4 or 5 different sorts of bread.

The price was possibly a little higher than normal but the quality was so good that we forgave the extra few euros and we appreciated the fact they care about sustainability and the environment.

There is also an adjoining shop which sells every kind of coffee bean you could think of, they grind it for you if you wish for no additional cost. Chocolates and spices are also sold here. Delicious. 

Kaffeerosterei
9/10

Uhlandstrabe 174

Berlin

030 886 77920

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