Every Restaurant I ate at in November

What to order at every restaurant I've recently dined at - this month's is quite honest!

This was a VERY foodie month and also quite hit and miss. We had some delicious dinners out but also a couple of super disappointing meals at restaurants in London I would NOT recommend. I wanted to include them here still to remain total honesty and transparency and to help you make the best possible decision when dining out. Just think of me as your gineau pig to find the best places and discard the worst so you save your time and money!

COST GUIDE:

* The average cost of a meal out in London was £30 per person in September 2023, so here’s my rough price guide for each restaurant.

£ - very inexpensive - £20 or under per head

££ - average - £20-45 per head

£££ - a treat - £45-100 per head

££££ - a special occasion - £100+ per head

£££££ - ultimate treat - Michelin star tasting menu prices, £150+ per head

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Cafe Mai, ££, Hackney

Cafe Mai was a great restaurant discovery for me this month - hidden down a graffiti ridden alleyway near Hackney Central station hides this very cute local wine bar and cafe that serve up simple but tasty food with a great natural wine selection. The star of the show for me was the pork focaccia; a huge sandwich stuffed with delicious pork with crackling, mayo and salad - it was a beast, so big enough to share. We also shared the cannelini beans and coppa ham to start which were both simple but so flavourful!

Padella, ££, Shoreditch

I’ve been desperate to try Padella for YEARS since their Borough market branch reached cult status but always got put off by the queue… and then I learnt that they have a Shoreditch branch that you can actually book a table at! Their pasta menu is just delicious, I’ve tried the nduja and marscapone fettuccine, the pumpkin agnolotti is delicious and G loved his Cacio di Pepe. We also shared the Bruschetta with tomato, oregano and anchovies and it was absolutely bursting with flavour. The tiramisu is great, not quite as good as Brutto but definitely up there!

Ibai, £££, St Pauls

I was invited to an event at Ibai to celebrate the launch of Little Giant wines in Sainsburys and I’ve been dreaming about it ever since. A relatively new opening, Ibai calls itself a Basque grill with a mouthwatering menu full of steak, grilled fish + ember cooked shellfish. Stand out dishes were the Croque Ibai - their take on a monsieur but filled with carabinero prawn + black pudding, the crisps topped with ham + peppers was a treat (but will set you back £15), obviously the steak was just beautiful and the chocolate cake for dessert was out of this world. I absolutely can’t wait to revisit, for a special occasion though as it is pricey!