According to her blog, Gwyneth Paltrow lists La Petite Maison as her favourite London restaurant.  Mmmm, I wonder how she manages with the cobbles?

Yellow walls, wooden floors, vintage French posters and masses of natural light greet you as soon as you draw back the heavy navy curtain and enter the busy dining room.  Its very French brasserie meets London chic.

The dining room is totally packed. Suited and booted businessmen and well dressed women are by far the majority.  We’re led to our seats which are in the ‘table for two’ area of the restaurant which runs along an entire wall.

This area is extremely cosy – in other wods, the seats are very very close together and at times its a bit difficult not to overhear what the diners on the next table are saying.

The atmosphere is relaxed and the service is efficient.  The restaurant places great emphasis on ‘sharing’ and diners are encouraged to sample a selection of dishes designed with this in mind.

To start we had the Marinated Beetroot Salad and the Foie Gras and French Bean Salad. Both Yummy.

Our Main Course was one of the days specials of Pan Fried Cod with cherry tomatoes. As a side dish we ordered the deep fried courgette flowers. I’ve never had these before and I must say they tasted fantastic – incredibly light and crispy.

The Wine List at LPM is mainly French with a stong emphasis on Bordeaux,  Burgundy and the Rhone.  We chose the Domaine Tempier Cabassou  Bandol 2003 which was fantastic!

It’s been said that service can be a bit hit and miss at LPM but I thouhgt it was excellent. Our waiter was attentive, efficient and very funny.

LPM is expensive and it can be difficult to get a table without a reservation! This said, its definitely worth a visit as the food is wonderful and the ambiance is great.

Polo Bar

Walking into The Polo Bar on Bond Street is like entering a sophisticated 1950′s inspired Martini Lounge.

Lashings of dark marble and deep brown wood, thousands of Swarovski crystals, Gucci furnishings and an eclectic mix of abstract art combine to create a really cool bar.

Watching the barman getting busy with his cocktail shaker makes me look at the extensive Cocktail Menu which has a great selection of Martinis including chilli raspberry, raisin, breakfast, rose petal and apricot versions.

The guys are ordering Classic Champagne Cocktails so naturally I join in…. WOW! This cocktail is pure decadence – a sugar cube at the bottom of a champagne glass, 1-2 drops Angostura bitters, a dash of cognac and topped with champagne – it’s now my new favourite cocktail (Champagne Mojitos are so last month – ha ha).

Impeccable service, great ambiance and cool music make this a must visit bar.

Polo Bar http://www.westburymayfair.co.uk is open from 11am to 1am every day. The prices aren’t extortionate but they’re not exactly cheap either. Enjoy.

LadiesWhoLunchUK:   http://www.ladieswholunchuk.com

The Enterprise, SW3

The Enterprise is definitely more gastro than pub!

From the perfectly painted off-white exterior to the pristine gold signage to the manicured bay trees flanking the door – this is not your everyday pub.

The fact that The Enterprise is situated on Chelsea’s chic  boutique-laden Walton Street is a very good indicator of what can be expected.

Inside, the decor resembles an old country house with high ceilings, sash windows, large gilded mirrors and elegant swagged curtains. Linen covered tables are surrounded by red velvet seats and striped banquettes.

When we arrived around 1pm there were only five other diners there. We had barely  sat down and ordered our drinks before a steady stream of extremely fashionable upmarket designer-label-wearing (Chanel, Hermes, Prada – yadda yadda!) lunch time diners arrived and the restaurant was suddenly full.  Judging by the friendly greetings, many of the diners are either regulars or locals.

The long mahogany bar is lined with a row of deep red stools where several trendy looking drinkers sipped their drinks.

On the menu there’s a great selection of tasty sounding dishes and no less than five ‘specials’ on offer.

For starters I have the Endive, candied beetroot and rhubarb salad – ok I know this sounds weird but it was a delightful culinary experience. This dish offers a complex set of flavours from the bitter endive to the sweetness of the beetroot to the slight sour of the rhubarb. Very very interesting.

My main course is one of the specials, Pan fried Sea Bream with buttered spinach and basil foam. This dish is mouthwateringly (is there such a word?) good. Absolutely loved it!

I’m not drinking champagne today – I’m continuing my red wine appreciation course and make no mistake, The Enterprise has an impressive selection of wines. Today’s choice is the Plaisir de Siaurac, Lalande de Pomerol, Bordeaux, France 2007. The wine is a full bodied variety with a pleasant lingering after taste.

The food at The Enterprise is surprisingly good – given that its described as a Gastro Pub – and the service is excellent.

Opening hours are 12-3pm and 6-10pm every day. Costs £25+ per person excluding wine.

http://www.ladieswholunchuk.com

 http://www.theenterprise.co.uk

Taman Gang

Taman Gang can be found at the Marble Arch end of Park Lane – just look for the red ‘celebesque’ carpet which leads to the huge entrance door.

Once inside, Taman Gang is an exotic hideaway from the bustle of the West End.

The super smiley blonde receptionist checks our reservation and takes our coats.

A sweeping staircase hugged by a candlelit stone-carved staircase leads to the restaurant below where I’m greeted by a very large glitzy-gold-disco-ball Buddah – ha ha!

The rest of the decor is pretty calm in comparison – stone-carved walls, carved wooden screens, Buddah statues, oriental art, orchids and candles are everywhere. Red banquettes, colourful cushions, burnished bronze tables and fabulous hanging lampshades complete the look. 

I’m meeting up with my fabulous French girlfriend so eating will be secondary to the talking, catching up and laughing – we haven’t seen each other for ages. Despite this, I tear myself away from the conversation and take a quick look at the Pan-Asian menu… there is so much to chose from – crispy duck rolls, chilli salt squid, prawn dumplings – decisions, decision.

I quickly opt for the Miso soup, Prawn toast with sesame seeds and the Chicken Thai red curry with roasted pumpkin and Jasmine Rice. The prawn toasts are round, succulent and very more-ish. The roasted pumpkin adds a clever culinary twist to the Curry and is very tasty!

The waiting staff are super efficient, helpful and polite – so much so, that I was given a beginners guide to using chopsticks (my very clever French girlfriend is using her chopsticks and suggests I’d feel empowered if I challenged myself and use mine!!?). Alas, I’m unable to follow the (very) simple instructions, abandon the idea and reach for the fork… aahhh that’s better.

I’m told that there’s new ownership/management and a new game plan hence the 3am late licence, DJ and popular club nights (Thur-Sat).

TG has lost a little of its shine but it still serves extremely good food with notable service in cool surroundings.

Taman Gang:   http://www.tamangang.com

LadiesWhoLunch : http://www.ladieswholunchuk.com