Zylia
The former TGI Fridays site in Covent Garden has been replaced by a food and cocktail court arrangement. There is a coffee shop and pancake place, but also a few restaurants around the perimeter with their own entrance. One of these is Zylia, a Greek/Cypriot restaurant.
Most of the dishes on the menu are meant for the table, so going with the sharing approach we opted for a selection of cold and warm Mezedakia to start. Their Taramosalata was probably one of the best variants that we've had. It wasn't oily, or overly salty, but thick and flavourful. Some of the bread that we ordered with it had the resemblance of a supermarket burger bun sliced vertically, oiled and seeded. It was also a bit salty, and the pittas served alongside were better.
We also shared the Spanakopita stack, consisting of crispy layers of filo pastry, with generous dollops of soft feta and spinach. The fried cheese croquettes were ball-shaped, and super hot fresh out of the fryer. They came with a sticky honey sauce.
From the Grill, we shared the Sheftalia (caul fat-wrapped pork parcels, think koftas), and the Chicken Souvlakia — marinated chicken thighs with lemon oil and oregano. Both meats were nicely cooked, and also full of flavour.
It is a bustling place, with a young audience. But it was also just a bit too noisy, to the point where it was difficult to have a conversation. The food however is delightful, and our five selected dishes were spot on quantity wise.
Co & Ko
Situated in SOHO, this small restaurant has a large selection of Korean dishes. We didn't fancy the warm soups and broths on such a warm day, but instead opted for the traditional grilled meats. We're sure that the broths would work very well in the autumn or winter.
As our starter we shared a bowl of K Pop Chicken, which turned out to be crispy cubes of chicken with a sweet sauce. For our mains, my wife enjoyed a classic Lamb Bulgogi — pan-fried thin-sliced marinated lamb. I opted for something new from their menu, the Bossam — a 12-hour slow cooked and grilled Pork belly.
One of the reasons why we chose Korean cuisine for this evening, was to try a Korean beer and a Makgeolli. The beer as part of our quest to try a beer from each of the 48 participating World Cup countries. The Makgeolli because it was a style of Korean drink that we had never previously tried. We had the plain variant at Co & Ko, and subsequently purchased a chestnut flavoured option from one of the South Korean supermarkets that seem to be springing up in London.
The food at Ko & Co was nice, and it had a good ambiance. On a hot summer evening we were grateful to be sat in front of the open window. Judging by the rest of the clientele, the restaurant seems to be popular with the Korean community. There was a steady stream of diners coming and going, enjoying the delicious looking food.
After our meal, we were still a little thirsty — it was a hot evening after all — and shared a Soju. An enjoyable and relaxing way to finish our meal. We would definitely return and recommend Co & Ko.
Buvette
Hidden away in Neal's Yard, there are a bunch of wine bars, a café, and a new restaurant: Buvette does sharing dishes at (very) small tables. There are also locations in New York, Tokyo, and Seoul, although we can't comment on the table sizes of those restaurants.
We went in the midst of summer, with all the doors opening wide out onto Neal's Yard. It was warm, and people were having a good time. The menu isn't very extensive, but has a good selection of sharing dishes, separated into four sections: Tartlets, Fish, Vegetables, and Meats.
We picked four of the dishes, which was plenty. My wife was most keen on the Brandade de Morue, whipped house salt cod with olive oil, cream, and garlic; and I fancied the Tartare de Thon, raw tuna cubes, cournichons, capers, and avocado. Both were served with toasted bread with some olive oil. Beyond our "main dishes", we also shared the Dauphinois Potatoes — nice and creamy, but not quite enough garlic to my liking — and the Carotte Rapées — julienned carrot, with pistachios, coriander, and lemon.
To finish our meal, we shared a Café Gourmand, a slightly warm crème brûlée, without a crispy top, but with a spoonful of chocolate mousse and cream.
With our meal, we enjoyed a Picpoul — which seemed to be a popular choice among the other diners. It was a crisp wine, complementing our dinner in the sunshine well.
We liked Buvette. The interior restaurant also looked cosy, so would potentially also be good in the winter. It's a place where you could also just have a few dishes on an afternoon after a long day shopping. They also serve breakfast, brunch, and dinner.
Pho
Not far from Baker Street station, on the named street itself, is a whole row of more down-to-earth eateries. Pho is one of them, specialising in Pho, a Vietnamese broth. It has more of a café lunch vibe, than an evening dinner vibe, but that doesn't mean they can't crack out tasty dishes for dinner.
We were sat in the back, with some 90s golden oldies playing as tunes.
We shared a starter of pork spring rolls, served with a nước chấm sauce. We thought it would be more authentic than a peanut sauce. The rolls came at the same time as our mains, and very quickly after ordering. For her main, my wife had a green papaya salad, with prawns. I enjoyed the phở xào — wok fried noodles with lemongrass, chilli, and Asian greens — served with chicken and prawns. They were both well flavoured dishes, although the chopsticks made it a bit of a challenge to eat leisurely.
Pho was a quick and tasty meal, but nothing particularly exciting. Maybe we can try their actual phở in winter time.
130 Primrose
We became aware of this places through an article that said that Monica Galetti, from Masterchef and Mere fame, took up the role of trustee and head chef of the charity that runs this restaurant. 130 Primrose isn't just a restaurant, but it's a charity built on a social-impact fine dinging model by using hospitality as a pathway into employment for people with experience of homelessness.
When we arrived, we had the choice of a few tables, and sat down at a table on the ground floor with loads of light and soft furnishings — too many pillows, really. It is a cosy space, and looks really inviting. But we were here for the food.
For our starter, we shared a baked Camembert with rosemary, honey, and picked mixed fruit. We used a serving of sourdough to scoop up all the lovely gooeyness.
Mains wise, my wife selected the pan fried bavette steak, service with a black and green peppercorn sauce. The peppercorn sauce really did pack a punch.
I had the pan fried sea bass, which came with very crispy kale, and a brown butter caper sauce, with some extra crispy shallots. A roasted bit of fennel on the side elevated the dish. We shared a side of green beans.
After our mains, we were not quite satisfied, and therefore shared a creamy pistachio cheesecake to finish our meal. This was rich with pistachio flavours, and had some good texture too due to the crushed nuts.
With our meal, we enjoyed a bottle of a Portuguese white wine, which complimented most of our dishes well.
We enjoyed our time at 130 Primrose. The food was great, the ambience nice, and the service excellent. Definitely something to recommend if you're in the neighbourhood.
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