Loving the Spring sunshine in London. A Starling catches some sun in a beautiful cherry blossom tree in front of Southwark Cathedral.
I first read about Viajante in an inflight magazine and soon after that I spotted it again among Time Out’s top ten London restaurants of 2010. I thought it was the perfect place to celebrate my wedding anniversary - so did my husband Peter. When he told me that he had booked dinner for us, I secretly hoped that we were going there.
We met in Shoreditch High Street and took a cab. A few minutes later we arrived at this beautiful building which was once Bethnal Green Town Hall and now holds a luxury hotel as well as Viajante.
I guess that one thing that we both felt curious about is the fact that the owner is Portuguese. Viajante means traveller; its creator Nuno Mendes has studied numerous different cuisines around the world and his dishes are a testimony of his passion for food.
We opted for the six course tasting menu with paired wine - the waiters explain how each dish is composed and how well they go with each drink. I never order/ eat bread and butter before any meal, but I had to try it there and I loved it! They served two scoops of butter, one with bacon and the other with chicken skin - it tasted really good.
You don’t need to worry about remembering anything you eat or drink, they hand you your customised menu at the end. I recommend a full glass of water between courses and enjoy the trip.
I learnt about Fiona Banner’s work during my first visit to Tate Britain last year. The English artist, who is kind of obssesed by war, placed two gigantic fighter planes named Harrier and Jaguar in vulnerable positions in the Duveen Hall. The first one was hanging from the ceiling (above) while the other was flippped on its back (below).
For six months, whenever I went to the gallery, I would stop to watch the visitors interacting with those animals/objects. The Jaguar’s shiny surface refleted everyone’s admiration and enthusiasm; many people made self-portraits in which predator and prey became one. Then someone would lie underneath Harrier’s beak/nose to remind you what they really are: killing machines.
While locals and tourists played with Harrie and Jaguar in Tate Britain, further south, in Camberwell, I happened to see another facet of Fiona Banner’s work. The artist took over a corner of the South London Gallery’s main room to display Black Hawk Down, which consisted of 5,000 words from the famous war film written in Indian ink on wall (above).
Unfortunately, neither the aircraft nor the “wordscape” can be seen now, but if you are interested in her work, look for Top Gun in Tate Britain.
Late last year the whole office went on a little trip to The Coronet, in Notting Hill, to watch the first episodes of the much anticipated series The Walking Dead and Great Migrations. The fact that the company chose one of the oldest cinemas in London to present these great shows added a lot to the experience; I find Victorian buildings fascinating.
Luckly, I live near The Ritzy, in Brixton, another gem in the capital, which will be 100 years old in March. The proscenium arch (photo), one of its most important features, is about to be altered for the first time to allow a 3D screen.
All sorts of people are attracted by not only the mixture of blockbuster and art films, but also their special events, nice bar and cafe with free wi-fi. The film reviews decorate the walls and it’s no wonder that the place reminds me Espaço Unibanco Augusta, my favourite cinema in São Paulo.
Eight years in London and I’ve just recently found out that two of the best galleries in the city are just around the corner from where I live: South London Gallery and Tate Britain. The first one, also known as SLG, has opened additional buildings in the summer this year, including an artist’s flat and a beautiful café, which has already become one of my favourite places in Camberwell. Tate Britain, needless to say, is the “home of the British art from 1500 to the present day” - don’t ask why it took me so long to pay a visit.
When I get up late on Sundays, I like to walk to the café at SLG and order a Spanglish (a Spanish version of the traditional English Breakfast) or something smaller in case I decide to have a cake too. Gorgeous brownies and tarts decorate the counter so it’s hard to resist sometimes. They only use high quality ingredients and everything is made to order.
Then I hop on the bus and, in 15 minutes, I’m at Vauxall Bridge where the view is amazing: London Eye on the right, the magnificent Battersea Power Station on the left and at the end, Tate Britain. Beautiful gardens surround the gallery where I’ve seen some great exhibitions this year: Henry Moore, Rude Brittania: British Comic Art, Eadweard Muybridge to name a few.
Right, this is just a short introduction to some of the forthcoming posts about the great artwork that I saw in both places. Watch this space.
Photo: that’s me at the South London Gallery. Thanks, Peter Gasston.
I had to queue for one hour and 45 minutes to order a burger at The Meatwagon. After I paid, I was asked to wait another 25 minutes during which I had the chance to watch how it is prepared and I understood why it is known as London’s best burger.
Yianni Papoutsis places four balls of meat on a flat top griddle and pats them gently with a spatula. Then he seasons the patties with lots of salt and pepper, adds two slices of cheese, the top half of the bun, sprays them with water and covers each one with a lid, letting them steam for a minute.
A couple of slices of gherkin, lettuce, red onions, ketchup and mustard on a slightly toasted bun awaits for the meat.
The burger was so juicy and full of flavour; firm outside, but pink in the middle. I’m not a big fan of gherkins, but those were really fresh, as were all the other vegetables. When I finished it, I wanted more.
I was lucky to have Yianni & Co parked in Warwick Gardens, which is just around the corner from where I live. Follow @themeatwagonuk on Twitter to find out where they are going to be next. It doesn’t matter how far you have to go or how long you have to wait. It’s so worth it.
