Chiltern Firehouse (Baker Street, London)

There's plenty of hype going around about the highly coveted Chiltern Firehouse. Word on the street is it's pretty darn hard to get in and you'll have to wait at least a month or two to get a table. There's some truth to that but what you really want to know is whether this place is really all that? The short answer is yes.

The chef, Nuno Mendes, really knows what he's doing. With experience at el Bulli and his previous restaurant, Viajante, he gets what balance is all about. The crab donuts borrows some flavour from the red Thai curry and has a mild kick that rounds off the dish. Also not to miss is their cornbread. It comes with this spread which I suspect is a hybrid between whipped cream and butter - light, airy, and full of umami.

The mains were simple but spot on. The chicken was cooked to perfection, moist and very well-seasoned. The blackened salmon was also done very well - medium and melt in the mouth.

The deconstructed carrot cake was a nice take on the old classic. Plenty of textures and it somehow managed to work. The better dessert (no picture) was the apple granita with panna cotta and jelly - great combination of textures and flavours.

There are various ways to get a table at this place with the obvious (and least effective) way being to call and reserve in advance. If you're a small group (2-4) it's worth popping by and just grab a table there and then. You might end up at the bar for a while (after all they need to get some margin off you from the booze as well) but you'll likely get something. Alternatively, time your visit strategically. There will of course be peak times where everyone goes, as you'd imagine, the Friday evenings and weekends. This place joins my list of one of my favourite London spots alongside Berner's Tavern. Can't wait to go back.

Website: here (only has address and phone number!)