It’s an impressive room, although the high windows mean little natural light, even during the day.
Leigh-on-Sea, part fishing village, nestles on the Thames Estuary. Romanticised by sententious chefs, such as Rick Stein - and pinned on the culinary food map thanks to its famous cockle sheds - it remains a popular place to eat in Essex.
It was my birthday, so Mrs La had offered to take me for an exquisite foodie experience 'up town'. She was toying with the idea of taking me to the Michelin starred 'Les Trois Garcon' over in Shoreditch (perhaps not most noted for it's gastro delights!).
If you know Crouch End, but haven’t been for a while, St James is where Florians used to be. It’s the hip meeting place for middle-aged locals, the kind of people who work from home, and wear a lot of black.
Pancake day deserves more respect. In the face of corporate temptation, pancake day has held firm, standing proud upon its foundation of earnest flour, simple butter and noble egg.
It’s a really pretty room: open fire, crisp white napery and faux greenery everywhere, which is not as naff as it sounds. They do a Prix Fixe, and we went for two courses with half a bottle of pre-selected wine at £19.50.
There’s a trick to running a successful restaurant, and it’s this - you have to really want your customers to feel welcome and to have a good time. All the rest: the food you serve, the prices you charge, the décor – everything else - flows from that.
An extremely important business lunch arose, and with my client being based just off The Strand, it was going to be a big ask to find somewhere nearby suitable to dine with little more than 5 days notice, especially just before Christmas.