Spring Fling

Well if it isn't our old friend, Orrery... the inspiration for this blog, the home of the truly expensive Bellini! (see my first post, A Bellini Moment, when I was still hesitant about outing restaurants). If you feel so inspired, you still have a few days left, as the offer ends May 31^st. But you should be forewarned, I just had the wonderfully priced, Menu Prix Fixe for lunch at Galvin Bistrot de Luxe (love these titles), an offer which does not end on May 31st.

At £15.50, this 3 course lunch fell nicely within my recession budget, and was truly delicious. I especially loved the pollock. I did not sample the Bellini- wrong time of day- but a lovely chat just now with Mody at the restaurant, informed me that their Bellini’s are £7.75, and made with Ca’ Morlin prosecco. Though I don't know it well, Decanter.com says about Ca’Morlin: ‘Very easy-drinking. Everything is in its place, with pear drops, minerals, green apples and citrus rind tantalising the nose. The mousse is delicate and floral, with rosy apples in the mouth.’

I’ll return to Baker St. one evening soon to sample my beloved Bellini, but I also look forward to giving the B. girl a twirl across town, at Galvin La Chapelle.


Spring Offer at Orrery
During the month May we are delighted to offer a special three-course spring menu for £30 including a Bellini cocktail. This is the perfect excuse to sample Igor Tymchyshyn's elegant cooking in Orrery's stylish setting.
Menu Du Jour
First course
Jerusalem artichoke velouté, cumin seeds, crouton
Pâté de campagne, toasted Poilâne, apricot chutney
Smoked salmon, dill dressing
Main course
Roast sea bass with peas, lardons, potato gnocchi
Spinach and ricotta ravioli, ceps
Poulet farci aux morilles, broad beans, baby leeks vin jaune velouté
Dessert
Berry preserve frangipane, blackberry sorbet
Selection of sorbets
Farmhouse cheese from the trolley
(5.50 supplement)


3 courses £25.00
3 courses £30.00 including a Bellini Cocktail*
*Subject to availability

Galvin Bistrot de Luxe
66 Baker St.
London W1U 7DJ
tel 020 7935 4007

Orrery
55 Marylebone High St.
London W1U 5RB
tel 020 7616 8000

New Arch, Marble Arch

How did we end up there? Oh, we dropped the kids off for a sleep-over at the Museum, and then all the Mums headed for a drink. The Arch Hotel, a new boutique hotel off of Bryanston Square, on Great Cumberland Place fills a niche in the neighborhood. Quietly placed, and surprisingly busy and buzzy inside, with an eclectic selection of modern art- a must-have for any trend-setting restaurant/hotel- and a restaurant and bar. The owners, we were told, were Israelis, who also owned two other hotels, in the English countryside. Ahhh, the countryside… more on that later.

Bellini Brunch

Have you ever thought about the word ‘brunch?’ I realize that it is a combination of ‘breakfast and lunch,’ but on its own, without context or association, it sounds more like some kind of ancient forest ritual, or better yet, an obsolete part of factory machinery- the brunch-cross, the brunching, the brunch-mat, and so on.

Mix’n with Mr. Hix’n

Okay, so I realize I haven’t written for a while…basically, there is no excuse. Work commitments, grim winter days, the proliferation of pot holes in London streets, yea, yea, yea, you’ve heard it all before. Let’s just shake now, and call it February/early March over and done with!

Snowy Day Drinks

 
Work, a round of stomach illness, and half-term break have all led to a massive slow down in my Bellini posting output. Not to worry though- I sense a change in the weather… spring is finally around the corner, and with it, fresh frolicking and enjoyment of our peachy fizz! Any places you think we ought to try? Please let me know.

Bellini Bowl

There is an American-themed bowling alley, complete with American music and food, tucked away beside Whiteley’s Shopping Center in Queensway. Most of you probably already knew about All Star Lanes…I didn’t.

It’s not that I don’t get out much, but boring, monetary matters do sometimes figure in budgeting for life in London We live in a town where the price of soap can be anywhere from 99p to lots, lots more, and where a cup of coffee is equally stratified. It all depends on the neighborhood you live in, the supermarket you use, or, as far as we are concerned, the restaurant/bar we visit, and the drink we drink.

Family Meal

(forgot the camera- photos taken with Stella's phone)

Last night was the usual family meal. Our 9 year old was complaining loudly that she did not want to eat the chicken stir-fry and broccoli that I’d made, as she’d had the same thing for lunch at school. Funny, she complained the same way the two previous nights. Either I have an uncanny ability to guess what the kitchen ladies are thinking, or there is a big white elephant in the room. I’ll consult the weekly school menu from now on.