David Shrigley unveils Restaurant at Sketch – Island Gem is Restaurant of the Year for Argyll and the Isles – Q ueen Adelaide Reigns Supreme
Queen Adelaide Reigns Supreme
Fresh from a stunning refit, Wandsworth’s Q ueen Adelaide has been reborn as a beautiful new local.
Oozing country kitchen charm, the new-look pub boasts a brand new seasonal menu championing the best of British dishes, as well as a stunning dining room and extensive outdoor terrace.
With soft tones and inspired touches throughout – including a wall created out of wine boxes, giant wicker lampshades, mismatched vintage crockery on pantry-style shelves and eclectic artwork – enjoy a relaxed pint by the fireplace in the bar or a leisurely meal in the bright and airy Dining Room. The weather may have turned wintry, but snuggle under a blanket and outdoor heater, mulled cider in hand, on the beautiful white pergola strewn with brightly coloured cushions.
The extensive menu ranges from starters including potted ox cheeks, horseradish and mini Yorkshire puddings; to mains such as dressed rose veal T-bone, roasted shallots, triple cooked chips and béarnaise; haunch of venison, red chard, baby beets with juniper jus; or posh chicken Kiev, celeriac and truffle mash, summer greens and smoked bacon. For something a little different, Q ueen Adelaide’s picnic is a fun appetiser to share – feast on crayfish Scotch egg, venison sausage roll, potted ox cheeks, pickles, aubergine salad and more.
And for afters there’s the The Royal Flush dessert of Salty Jack caramel ice cream, Q ueen of puddings, or King George’s plum pudding is hard to resist, along with blackberry panna cotta with pistachio ice cream.
For £ 6, those looking to escape work for a speedy but satisfying and healthy lunchtime bite can enjoy main dishes including lemon grass and red chilli marinated grilled chicken and a choice of salads such as roasted aubergine, rocket and pomegranate or quinoa, broccoli, goji berries and avocado.
With regular events, the Q ueen Adelaide also plays host to a multitude of exciting things to do – from its pub quiz, to crayfish suppers and wine tasting evenings.
Queen Adelaide, 35 Putney Bridge Road, W andsworth, London SW 18 1N P
0 20 8874 1695
David Shrigley unveils Restaurant at Sketch
Mayfair’s iconic sketch has announced a partnership with celebrated contemporary British artist David Shrigley on a complete re-imagination of the venue’s Gallery restaurant, launching in February 2014.
Following the huge success of Turner Prize winning artist Martin Creed’s conception, which opened
last year, Shrigley’s transformation will be second in the long-term programme of artist-conceived restaurants at sketch (pictured above). Throughout a series of new works both functional and decorative, Shrigley will create an environment that is at once an exhibition, an artwork and a restaurant.
A multidisciplinary artist, David Shrigley is most famous for his distinctive cartoon-like drawings (see below) often accompanied by handwritten texts, the majority imbued with mordant and witty humour. His international career has seen him work across a variety of media, including paintings, sculptures, music albums, photographs and animations.
Nominated for the Turner Prize 2013, his entry – ‘Life Model’ – invites the public to draw their own interpretation of a naked male robot and either display or take away their drawing, making it ‘part of the artwork’.
Shrigley will work closely with sketch co-founder and three Michelin-starred chef Pierre Gagnaire to design the new Gallery menu, creating dishes directly influenced by his artwork to form part of the ‘gastro-brasserie’ cuisine.
Since its inception, sketch has always had a strong affiliation with art and this new project serves to further strengthen this deep-rooted connection. Located in a Grade II listed building, sketch was formerly the headquarters of both RIBA and London Atelier Christian Dior and continues to contribute to the building’s rich heritage as a destination for experimentation in design, art and architecture.
The Gallery will close at the end of the year to allow for refurbishment in January. The project will be jointly curated by RSC Contemporary Ltd and Christopher Huynh. Opened in December 2002, sketch was masterminded by French chef Pierre Gagnaire and restaurateur Mourad Mazouz. The site consists of the Lecture Room & Library, the Parlour, the Glade, the East Bar, and the Gallery.
9 Conduit Street, London, W1S 2XG
Island Gem is Restaurant of the Year for Argyll and the Isles
Ninth Wave Restaurant, the tiny seafood restaurant on the Isle of Mull, has just triumphed by winning Restaurant of the Year 2013 in the Highlands and Islands Food and Drink Awards, hosted at the New Drumossie House Hotel and attended by a glittering array of 300 of Scotland’s finest from the food and drink sectors.
Very much the underdog, Ninth Wave beat out 4 other finalists, including a Michelin starred restaurant, in the most competitive category of the awards.
Chef Carla and fisherman John Lamont opened their small but perfectly formed seafood restaurant on a moorland croft just outside the village of Fionnphort in 2009, in the abyss of the recession. And they’ve gone from success to success. Ninth Wave’s ethos is “Hedonism on a Plate, where sustainability meets luxury”.
Proud to be different
Carla said, “What an honour and a surprise. We are proud to be different. Avoiding trends, we concentrate on the tastiest food from land and sea around Mull.” And John adds, “Our lovely diners really seem to appreciate our well-sourced and carefully presented produce: decadence with a difference.”
Fast becoming a destination restaurant for the Isles, Ninth Wave is also the Finalist for the Central & South West region for National Restaurant of the Year, in the upcoming Scottish Thistle Awards sponsored by VisitScotland.
Based on seasonality
Ninth Wave Restaurant showcases quality modern British cuisine with an eclectic mix of vibrant ethnicity: a celebration of quality produce gathered from the magnificent provender of Scotland.
Its approach is based on seasonality, using the croft’s own home-grown produce, fresh-caught seafood and organic meats from the Island of Mull. The ethos is one where luxury meets environmental awareness. Owners John & Carla Lamont invite diners to explore the daily changing menu that is sourced from fishermen’s sustainable catches and crofter’s bounty. Lobster, crab, hand-dived scallops and fish are often caught only hours before appearing on your dinner plate. John, a local fisherman himself, will not only catch your lobster and crab on his wee fishing boat the “Sonsie”, but will also be your waiter and wine steward for the evening.
The restaurant takes its name from Celtic sea mythology, where the “land of other-worldly delights” begins at the ninth wave.
The Croft
The Croft is a wild and largely edible landscape. Over 70 edible herbs, greens, and edible flowers abound here, and the kitchen forages for seasonal ingredients to grace dinner plates. During the last twenty years, most of the 7 acres has been allowed to revert to its natural state. Since the croft has been sheep-free, the indigenous plants and animals have not only come back, but have flourished on this sunny southern pennisula on the Island of Mull.
It is a wonderful adventure to incorporate the great variety of wildflowers and plants that grow on the land into dishes. Meadowsweet and whin blossoms from the lower fields are used to flavour ice creams and panna cotta. Puree and soups are made out of nettles, 3 kinds of wild sorrel, land cress, dandelion leaves and chickweed. Flowers such as thyme, borage, comfrey, wild pansies, are used in salads or as garnish. And chutneys, sorbets, syrups and cordials are made from black elderflower, rosehips, bog myrtle and brambles. These fresh herbs and flowers help make Ninth Wave one of the West coast’s up and coming quality restaurants.
www.ninthwaverestaurant.co.uk
Ninth Wave
Fionnphort, Mull 01681700757
Note: Closed for the season from October 23rd until Easter excepting pop up lunches & bakery days