It’s meant to be open by now, but has been put back a few times. However, early in the new year will see the opening of a new Tom Aiken’s venture - Tom’s Place. Again in Chelsea along with others from his stable, this will be an eat-in or take-away sustainable fish restaurant. A great idea so fingers crossed we see it soon.
Tom’s Place, 1 Cale Street, London SW3 3QT. 020 7 351 1806
Not content with multiple Michelins, TV shows, books and an ever expanding ego, Gordom Ramsay has now taken on air travel - well the grounded part of air travel - with a new restaurant to take-off at Terminal 5 in March 2008. Announced some time ago, but with no name, it’s only recently been unveiled.
Plane Food will be a 180-cover eatery designed by architects Bentel & Bentel who have New York’s The Modern and Craft to their credit - lets hope it’s better than the name.
A small point I didn’t mention in my last post on Hook, Line & Sinker, is that I mentioned to Stefan that I’m a founding President of The Meat Club – a meat eating society based in London. I wasn’t expecting any major reaction, Hook, Line & Sinker being a Fish restaurant, but was surprised when Stefan stopped me in my tracks, nipped off to find Jacqi to see if he could squeeze us in for the following evening – unheard of! This apparently, being Tuesday evening, is the long established, once-a-week Steak Night.
Sadly, he returned with no reservation – Jacqi doesn’t do favours on any bookings, which obviously goes for her husband to. However, there was a glimmer of hope – our landlady’s block booking. If I spoke to her nicely, we may be able to pinch the spot earmarked for another guest. It was worth the try, but I felt terrible that someone may miss out on such an evening when we had already been – ah, sod it!
Monday night in Pringle Bay is an off night. All but one of the restaurants are shut – the exception being Gators, a South African Pizzeria sitting at the centre of the village and apparently an institution due to its unorthodox opening times.
I love the fact that pizza is a global staple, having long flown its Italian roots and emigrated to all corners of the world. Wherever you are you can be sure to find pizza – just with a local twist – I’ve seen banana toppings in the Caribbean, Reindeer in Sweden and even Sushi.
Gator was no exception, run by an Irish lady, the restaurant has eight tables, a huge wood fired pizza oven and the banana option available, straight after the Margarita. We went for a Vegetarian and Regina ham and mushroom. They arrived and looked terrible, but tasted fantastic – ultra thing, crisp base with topping upon topping upon topping thickly layered on.
On leaving Gators, its international appeal was cemented with a sign that read – “Great Pizzas – Don’t feed the Baboons”.
Another post about restaurants we’ve just visited on the Western Cape, South Africa, but of all of them, this was simply the best by far and I can easily say, one of the best, most enjoyable places to eat and drink anywhere in the world.
But first, a little background – this was the first real holiday for over a year and was grabbed at the very last minute, so little planning beyond the destination and booking a car with Hertz. So landing in Cape Town saw us collect the keys to the Vauxhall and heading off in the direction of the sea. 2 hours later, after following an incredible coastal road, we arrived at a tiny gem of a place named Pringle Bay.
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