Short & Sweet: The Four Horsemen, Brooklyn

Style: Modern European

Budget: Mid-range, though it would be very easy to spend a lot on wine.

Venue and atmosphere: Stylish, minimalist interior, that still manages to retain a cosy, neighbourhood feel via warm lighting and a lived in feel that probably comes from the many empty wine bottles that line the shelves and windows. 

Service: A little curt and not overly friendly, but my server may have been having a bad day. I got the sense that it is the kind of place where they get to know their regulars.

Food:

When Kate Galassi, former Director of Purchasing and Farm Partnerships at Natoora NYC, told me this is “Hands down one of my favorite places to eat” I knew I had to try it.

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Short & Sweet: Saint Peter, Sydney

Style: ‘Nose-to-tail’ fish restaurant

Budget: Mid-range to expensive, depending how much you order.

Venue and atmosphere: Casual and relaxed. A minimal and understated terrace shop front on Paddington’s pinch of Oxford St.

Service: Also casual, but still extremely knowledgeable. We got some good, honest advice re. menu choices (“that’s plenty”) and wines (perfect choice).

Food:

This was the most interesting meal I had on this visit to Sydney, which if you follow my Instagram feed, you will recognise as very high praise indeed. Chef, Joshua Niland, takes the ‘nose-to-tail’ concept, usually focussed on land, and applies it to the oceans.

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Short & Sweet: CHISWICK restaurant, Woollahra, Sydney

Style: Modern Australian

Budget: Mid-range – expensive (depends what you order). 

Venue and atmosphere: Set in an old Victorian house with thatched windows all the way around, this tasteful, elegant dining room is filled with natural light. Walking through the dappled sunlight and calm of Chiswick Gardens, set back from busy Ocean St, one expects an oasis of calm, but the food is far too good for that. It is is very busy and full of chatter. If you prefer a quieter experience, sit in the few tables in the shady courtyard, which were inexplicably empty when I dined there.

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Short & Sweet: Westerns Laundry

Style: Modern European

Budget: Mid-range.

Venue and atmosphere: All the usual minimalist features (exposed brick, bulbs and concrete floor), softened by loads of natural light, beautiful flower arrangements and a stylish bar overlooking the open kitchen.

Service: Casual and friendly, but efficient. Good knowledge of the menu and wine list, which translates into great recommendations. (This is crucial with a menu like this, as you’ll want to order everything.)

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Test Kitchen Tuesday at Craft London

My friend Mark is a fussy eater. He favours crunchy, dry or well-cooked foods. He is repelled by rare meats and goo. There are three rules to follow when cooking for Mark: no blood, no egg and not too spicy. One look at the menu at Test Kitchen Tuesdays and I could see that this was going to be a test in more ways than one.

Test Kitchen Tuesdays is a fun concept by Craft London to get customer feedback on dishes that are in development, giving the chefs a chance to experiment with new techniques or ingredients and the customers a unique opportunity to be a part of the creative process.

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