My top eating experiences in 2019

I adore eating out. I mean, who doesn’t? One of my favourite things about travelling is researching which restaurants to try. Here are my top eating experiences of 2019 – most are in London, where I live, but there are a few further afield.

Dinner by Heston Blumenthal

My husband treated me to dinner at Dinner by Heston Blumenthal for my birthday in February. Located in the Mandarin Oriental hotel in Hyde Park, it did strike me as a bit of a hotel restaurant, which is normally a bit of a turn off … however the food was phenomenal.

We had the famous Plum Meat Fruit, which dates back to around 1500, followed by the Hereford Ribeye (dating back to 1830). Honestly the food was so, so good.

Margot

Definitely a firm favourite of ours – so much so, we go for lunch every two months or so. Situated in Covent Garden, Margot is an Italian restaurant with beautiful decor and gorgeous food. They have counter seating too, which we always choose as we like watching the chefs preparing dishes in the kitchen.

For lunch, they always have a really good value set menu and of course there’s always a la carte. Honestly, everything we’ve eaten there has been delicious!

Radio

Radio was hands down the best restaurant we ate at in Copenhagen. I loved everything about it and this would be the first place I’d book next time we visit. They change their menu every month, and the dishes are based on what’s in season. It works on a set menu concept of 3 to 5 dishes- we opted for 5! Even the bread was insanely good… My favourite dish when we visited was the pork course – sublime!

The Petersham

Earlier this year I was invited by a hotel brand to explore Covent Garden and given a budget to spend in the area. Most of the budget was spent on lunch at Petersham Nurseries! I’ve been to the one in Richmond a few times and love it so I was curious if the one in Covent Garden would live up to it. It did. Of course it also helps if the weather is good and you can get a table in the courtyard!

The food was very fresh and seasonal. They also offer a set menu for lunch and a la carte too.

Norma

My friend Mitzie told me about Norma and soon after I took my husband for lunch for his birthday. Focusing on food from Sicily, Norma is a contemporary Italian restaurant situated in the heart of Fitzrovia.

I loved the Moorish influence in the decor and the food was really good. I adored the starters and enjoyed the pasta (although felt the pasta could’ve been better).

The food is moderately priced although I found the wine on the expensive side. Vegans will be pleased to know you have your own menu!

Frenchette

We were recommended Frenchette by a few people when asking for New York restaurant recommendations and I’m so glad we went! Not only was it in walking distance of our hotel in Tribeca (always a bonus), it had great food, good service and I loved the ambience – it was buzzing but not in a noisy way.

When the restaurant emptied a bit we were offered to move to a booth, which was a lovely touch. Made for a happy diner!

RNG RD Edmonton

My sister suggested RNG RD when I visited her in Edmonton, Canada last September. It’s a farm to table concept where the food is inspired by the ” country’s fields and forests, our mountains and oceans.”

They source their food locally from small farmers and producers, it’s all completely seasonal and they use every part of every ingredient. I loved it! The food was wonderful, service was excellent and I loved the decor of the restaurant. They even have an on-site butchery.

Murano

We first went to Murano, by Angela Hartnett, a few years ago for my birthday but recently went back last year for lunch. Situated close to The Ritz, the restaurant is on the posh side however the atmosphere is not stuffy at all. My husband went in jeans and a t-shirt!

We were really impressed with the food and had forgotten how good it was. They also brought us lots of little complementary dishes, such as little pea tartlets, salumi and bread.

They have a very reasonably priced set menu for a one Michelin starred restaurant.

So those are the restaurants I loved in 2019. Do you have any specials meals or restaurants you loved? Please share them with me!

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