As we are slowly being allowed out again maybe it’s time for a food thread, favourite restaurants, coffee shops, cafes, recipes, locals tips, top 10’s. All things grub related.
Me can’t wait to get back to Barca for a visit to Bar del Pla, some of the best ‘new’ Tapas you’ll ever eat.
Next trip will however be Donostia, surf and the best food apparently, never been. Any tips appreciated, can’t afford Arzak tho unfortunately.
Great choice. Also La Plata for fried fish. La Cova Fumada for Catalan breakfast. Bodega Fermin (virtually next door to the aforementioned) for local beers on tap. El Xampanyet for post breakfast old school cava and pinxos. El Cuiner de Damasc for kebab (yes kebab I know, but please reserve judgment until you have tried it - it’s good). Bar Brutal for late night wine.
In Donostia, Bar Néstor for chuletón and tortilla (they only make one a day). Booking pretty essential - it’s tiny. Ganbara and Gandarias for pinxos/tapas. Asador Etxebarri for wow.
A few of us were in Barca for New Year going into 2020 and went along to Cal Pep for tapas which is really close to Bar del Pla. Its was great, a recommendation for friends that turned out to be spot on. No booking so get along for opening time etc. So friendly too! Loads of great little bars in the area too.
Had some pies and Liquor sent up to Scotland from Manze during lockdown…hadn’t had it in so long. Was ace!
(made my own mash, I’m not that lazy)
My favourites here in Edinburgh that I will be heading to soon:
Nile Valley Cafe. Really small North African place with he most amazing food. Very cheap and it’s BYOB.
The Ship on the Shore. Cosy pub/restaurant down at the Leith docks that specialise in seafood. Sometimes they have live music in the bar.
Excellent gracias… been to quite a few of those, would move to Barca in a flash, think it’s my favourite City, not even sure how many times we have been. Took me ages to get my Mrs back there after her and some mates drove down in the 80’s went to get a coffee and had every last thing stolen from their car.
Another amazing thing is the Croissant with vanilla marscapone at Hoffman, best pastry ever.
if you’re headed to Brighton in the near future, I strongly recommend Tlaloc
Their backstory is cool, started off working in a run of the mill burrito/chimichanga joint…usual standard mexican fodder, as it were.
They took the leap, ran an evening pop-up in a daytime greasy spoon whilst they found their feet and crowd, moved on to the back room/kitchen of a pub for the summer/lockdown. Now they’re on the seafront overlooking the West Pier, and they’ve added a mezcaleria too! Great people, amazing food, tacos made fresh daily!
Just trying to persuade Mrs to let me spend £27 on pies and liquor! God I miss Manze, used to work in Butlers Wharf and go every Friday.
Be down for that for sure, Mrs just got back from seeing her Sister yesterday. Next trip.
I think about the fried fish at La Plata once a week at least. Crowded yet efficient. Cheap rustic house wine. Great spot!
They freeze well and so its just stockpiling for the next catastrophe 
I am hanging out for a decent pie and mash. Need to get myself over to Leytonstone Eel and Pie House at some point.
Cockney’s is the closest to me now Cooke’s in the Bush has closed, but it’s never open on a Monday ( the day I’m on Goldborne Rd as my son has band practice), so I have to settle for Falafal King, which isn’t too bad a trade-off, I suppose.
Quite blessed for pie and mash, given that Manzes is down the road in Walthamstow. An easy win. I used to go to school with Fred Cooke of Cooke’s pie and mash. Actually not that keen on jellied eels myself though.
Pasty central here, no pies at all.
Best imho:
Aunt Avices, Kew Highway Services. A390. Worth a detour.
Phips down Hayle way are supposed to be good, but only ever venture down there for a surf and pasties and surfing no bueno in my book, unless you want the worst indigestion known to man.
Do the different pie shops vary their liquor recipes or are they pretty much all the same? Just curious as I’ve only ever tasted Manzes…
Have you been to Temple in Bude yet Gavin?
https://www.templecornwall.com/
One of the best cafe/ restaurants in the area
I’m ashamed to say, I’ve never tried pie & liquor before
No, not really been out yet, had my first pint in 14 months last night, which was nice. Absolutely brassic also which is not conducive to my Champagne lifestyle leanings!
Just been to Watergate for a surf, and Emily Scott has opened properly there now, our Daughter used to work for her at her fine dining Pub, wife’s birthday coming soon so might try, Pub was always ace.
for anyone in south east london , I can recommend boxwalla in peckham levels, they’re on deliveroo. great biriyani.
went to model market last weekend and the guys selling tacos were good, nearly as good as ones I’ve had in mexico. https://www.dosmas.co.uk/
This weekend is first proper restaurant outing with the mrs and we’re hitting Mazi in Nottinghill and Noble Rot.