City of London,Westminster
The Vincent Rooms

The Vincent Rooms

Westminster Kingsway College, SW1P 2PD, City of London,Westminster, United Kingdom

Wine • European • Desserts • Vegetarian


"Remember Westminster Kingsway College is a training establishment and so flaws need to be detected and corrected. So consider this in your expectations on booking. However in general the food was excellent so no problems there. We dined at the Escoffier at lunch with the £40 tasting menu. This had a Thai flavour but was not spicy. There is also a separate vegetarian menu. I am not sure whether it is possible to ascertain the menu before booking but the dishes change every week. All the food is beautifully presented up to Michelin Star standards. The courses are appropriate size and you do not feel overfilled at the end. Canapés were served and then 4 or 5 courses. The Bream was the best I had tasted and the duck dish perfectly cooked. The dessert was a work of art and I understand that there are fully separate main and pastry kitchens. Thai fish soup was a little bland but that is being a bit picky. To follow was coffee with an amazing selection sweets and pastries. The nougat was to die for as well as the Turkish delight. There is a good selection of wine and we finished 2 bottles at £33 each. The serving staff and chefs are all students and there is one slightly fearsome supervisor/lecturer. The students started off being a little nervous so make sure any special requests are correctly noted. The lecturer is much in evidence. Any mistakes were largely around serving protocol. It is a fun experience for diners. We were there for 3 hours so don't make any appointments in the afternoon. At the end of the dinner the young chefs will come and speak to you about the meal. The restaurant itself is comfortable and art deco in style. The tables are closed together than at a usual 5 star establishment. The total bill for 4 was £234 and this is probably half the price of a tasting meal with wine elsewhere. There is no service charge but it is possible to make a donation on the way out."

The Cask Pub Kitchen

The Cask Pub Kitchen

6 Charlwood Street, City of London,Westminster, United Kingdom

Beer • Cheese • Drinks • Burgers


"Pimlico £6.70 Yes IPA The Cask Pub Kitchen is located in a residential area in Pimlico SW1. The nearest Tube is Pimlico, it’s a five minute walk to get here. This pub opened in 2009 as London's first craft beer focussed pub. This site used to be the home of The Pimlico Tram pub named after the Tram that used to travel between Pimlico and Brixton. This pub is part of the Grade II listed Lillington Gardens Estate which was built in the 1960’s. This is a bright and airy one bar pub that is surprisingly spacious inside. The servery is situated on the back wall and has a high gloss wood grained counter. The decor is modern with a mixture of traditional and contemporary seating, the orange banquettes really stand out. There is a herringbone floor throughout, around the walls are unique framed beer prints. For the warmer months there are tables and chairs around the front of the pub. The beer selection is impressive with 10 cask options, 32 taps and a multitude of bottles plus a Vintage Beer Cellar to choose from. Prices range from £5.50 Pints up to a vintage Belgium bottled beer (deep breath) that costs £1850. I stayed within budget and decided on a pint of Yes IPA, my pint was excellent, price point was a little high. The food menu is a selection of burgers with vegan and veggie options, a Cheeseburger and fries costs £17.50. I arrived around 5pm on a Friday afternoon for an afterwork pint. The pub was fairly busy with a mixed crowd of beer connoisseurs, local workers and those in the know. The atmosphere was chilled and relaxed as punters enjoyed their variety of tipples. I had a catch up with one of the owners who is clearly passionate about all things beer. We spoke about trade and some of the challenges he faces with more people now working from home post covid. I must admit, i’m not the most adventurous drinker but visiting the @caskpubsw1 was a very enjoyable experience. So if you know your Porter’s from your Pilsner’s and your Stout’s from your IPA’s, this is definitely a must visit London pub. Info correct on visiting 08.03.24"