Axis, One Aldwych, New Years Eve 2013

Axis, the flagship restaurant at One Aldwych in London, is run by Executive Chef Dominic Teague (previously of l'Escargot and Sandy Lane Hotel Barbados) so I was quite excited at the prospect of experiencing his special NYE menu. 

NYE 2013 menu at Axis, London

Lobster Bisque

Canapés of crispy cod fritters, hand made cheese straws and mini-quiches were presented on arrival at our table. A glass of fizz would have been a nice touch but all drinks were excluded for the £85 per head price. We opted for a nice bottle of Sancerre at £48 which carried us through the meal.

First course for me was the Crab Bisque which was beautifully crafted to combine the delicate flavour of fresh crab with Montgomery Cheddar, crunchy croutons and Saffron Aioli. 

Lobster Cocktail

Next choice was Scottish Lobster Cocktail - claw meat with finely shredded leaves in a light citrus dressing and a touch of coriander. Very fresh lobster from the cool waters of Scotland,  perfectly cooked as this was, is moist and flavoursome and makes for a perfect intermediate dish. 


The main course of Pan Fried Wild Turbot Fillet was a change from the original menu of Halibut and a positive one in my book. Don't get me wrong, I like Halibut and I am sure that a chef like Dominic would have done it proud, but Turbot is 'the king of fish' and my particular favourite. Apparently the change was made due to our extreme weather conditions over the festive period which decimated the Halibut catch.  What a substitute ! (This must be how Man City boss, Manuel Pellegrini feels when he has to take Dzecko off and replace him with Aguero).  Presented on a bed of spinach with salsify, onions and a red wine jus ( Turbot is meaty enough to take this ) it was superb. 

Rounded off with a selection of 8 small desserts this was a delightful experience. 

Service and food quality were all top-notch thank you, One Aldwych and Axis.

Portofino - A New Restaurant in Lagos, Portugal

Portofino is a stylish restaurant which opened in November 2013 at the upper level of the Marina de Lagos and is attracting a lot of positive attention. Established and operated by Paul and Gorrete it is easy to see why. They are experienced restaurateurs who have run several successful eateries in the UK and they have applied their skills here too. The decor and lighting is stylish and relaxing with a pleasant view of the marina from this elevated location. 

Portofino was recommended by my good friend Carlos Ramos who is the proprietor of O Cantinho Algarvio, a favourite restaurant of mine. Carlos really knows about food so I guessed we were in for a treat on his recommendation. I was right. We were warmly welcomed and shown to our table next to the window. Mood lighting and contemporary furniture gave the space an almost London feel which is quite rare in Lagos.

I opted for the Fennel Crusted Calamari on a bed of Rocket to start. Tender squid rings with a nice dry batter and a beautiful aniseed finish from the Fennel. Main course was pan-fried Monkfish with Onions, Bacon, White Wine and Lemon Cream Sauce on Mashed Potato. Beautifully  presented, this dish had great flavour and texture. 




I should say at this point that Portofino is not a seafood restaurant.  It is essentially Italian  cuisine expertly crafted from high quality ingredients. We tried the meatballs with spaghetti which was probably the best I have ever tasted outside Italy. There is also a good selection of Italian classic wines and some good Portuguese ones too. We opted for the 1/2 litre carafes each of house red and white both of which were outstanding and great value at €8:95 each.

Three of us ate starters and mains with two half litre carafes for a total of €70, which in my opinion was a bargain. Go there !