April overview (2)

Continuing the catch-up on April's venues:

WHITE HART, Chipstead
The White Hart is a warm and welcoming pub with a nice line in good food, across the road from Chipstead rugby pitches. The link to the game is reflected in several photos around the place, though some go back a bit. The pub has a friendly bar, with wood fire and board games available, and also a more formal dining area, though the menu is the same for both.

Many of the dishes are pub standards, but there are some more interesting ones too. Some of their ingredients (eg sausages) come from nearby Shabden Farm. I had the black pudding with poached egg and mustard mash to start - not too much fat in the pudding, and enough mustard in the mash. Followed this with steak, ale and mushroom pie and chips - good chips, plenty of good meat in the pie. Bottles of Viognier are not cheap, and the total of £115 for 3 was perhaps more than you'd expect for this sort of food (the other two both had burgers for main). Still it's a reliable option, particularly on a nice day.


YORK AND ALBANY, Camden/Regent's Park
One of Gordon Ramsay's chain, this is a boutique hotel and restaurant. Five of us were there for breakfast after seeing our young friend into London Zoo as "Keeper for the Day". We started, natch, with Buck's Fizz, which came with some extra pink ingredient, making it look more like a Tequila Sunrise.

Other diners split into two groups - those staying at the hotel, and those meeting on business. If you were the latter with places to go, people to see, the slow service might well have teed you off. Fortunately, we weren't in a hurry, so lingered over coffee and tea until our food eventually arrived. Three of us had the Eggs Benedict, and two the smoked salmon and scrambled eggs. It was at least worth waiting for - good ham, properly cooked eggs, nice base. Don't know what it cost, as H paid, but it wasn't cheap.


MASALA ZONE, Camden
After the zoo, we went to Masala Zone, partly because we we'd enjoyed the one in Covent Garden which is decorated extravagantly with marionettes hanging from the ceiling. The theme at the Camden branch is Indian advertising posters - a fascinating range of weird and wonderful designs for teas and many other things. But is was rather quiet (once a large group of young people went downstairs)and rather lacking in atmosphere.

We each had a starter and main, but it wasn't the usual sharing arrangement for an Indian meal. I had "dhapa puri" (I think) - these vegetarian bites are intended tp be eatan whole, and are a nice combination of crunchiness, sweetness and tamarind bite. I followed this with mutton rogan josh and rice, and we shared a dhal and spinach. The mutton was a little on the tough side, though fairly tasty. Overall not a great meal - but fair enough at £180 between 6, with 3 bottles of Malbec (the lhassi looked good).


BRASSERIE VACHERIN, Sutton
Close to Sutton railway station, this is one of Malcolm John's growing chain of impressive restaurants. We visited late one lunchtime, and were the only ones in the large back room, with its array of mirrors and line-drawing of a French town. At least the mirrors made it seem as if there were other people in - even if they were wearing the same as us!

A dish of excellent French bread arrived quickly, with the wine. I had the Jambon Persille (ham terrine) with onion marmalade, served on very thin toast and with some gherkins. This was a good coarse terrine with plenty of flavour. B had prawns with garlic mayonnaise -virtually a whole pint of prawns, good and firm with plenty of flavour. Main course for me was roast guinea fowl with mash, asparagus though I treated myself to some nice chips (in modern classic tin) as well. Guinea fowl was a little dry, but OK. B had the fish pie which was good and hot and full of fish. With a bottle of Viognier (£23) and two glasses, this came to a very reasonable £84.