As one of The Sunday Times top 100 restaurants I was expecting great things from the Royal China and they did not disappoint.

From the very beginning of our evening we were treated like princesses with the staff tending to our every need. Their food is truly imaginative and doesn’t stick to the rules of authentic Chinese cooking. This menu is truly different, although featuring many of the firm favourites such as chow meins and rice dishes, the chefs have been very creative and the restaurant has a menu full of fusion, imagination and exquisite flavours.

There’s a real sense of opulence in both the dining room and the menu. All dishes are created using only the finest ingredients with luxury portions.

With restaurants in China, Singapore and Dubai you know that what you’re getting is top drawer service and food, with a real authenticity in the flavours. The original Royal China in Bayswater is a familiar haunt for many celebrities too.

The Royal China couldn’t be further away from your average Chinese take-away. The staff are friendly, efficient and really know the menu well. They make great recommendations if you’re unsure of what to order, you know that whatever they suggest will be amazing!

So if you want to treat yourself like Chinese Royalty then make a booking at the Royal China today. I can guarantee you an amazing evening.

F Unlike many other Spanish and Moroccan resturants  El Cantara has a light and refreshing feel, aided in no small part by the beautiful shisha terrace, yet it retains it’s traditional sumptuousness and rich feel. Spread over three floors it feels spacious, perfect for enjoying a meal of tapas or a cocktail.

The food was an extension of the decor, traditional Moroccan and Spanish tapas with a modern feel, the lighter dishes such as the Patatas Bravas and Brunuelo de Marisco perfect for that quick bite on the go or as an accompaniment to your drinks. The main dishes were also particularly accomplished, the Paella was perfection and the tagine I shared with my guest was exquisite. The service was excellent, the staff lovely and plentiful, you’re glass was never left empty or your needs unattended.

This is the perfect sort of environment to spend to a whole evening. You don’t need to go elsewhere for after dinner drinks, just stroll up the terrace and enjoy a cocktail with your friends. Exactly what you need for those upcoming summer evenings!

You may have heard the name and you may have heard of it’s reputation for housing hell raising celebs but you may not have heard of everything else The Groucho Club has to offer. MACS went for a sneak peak around this exclusive venue to bring it’s readers the inside scoop from one of the most notorious bars in London. The staff, as you may expect, are impeccably friendly and helpful, showing us to a free table, suggesting drinks to suit our palette and making sure our every whim was adhered to.

The drinks were, without exception, impeccable. They staff are supreme mixologisits, making a drinks so bespoke some don’t even have names (and they are incredibly yummy). We sample the bar food, a duck salad which was the best we have ever tasted, and several meal from the brasserie which were, without exception, gorgeous. The intimate, friendly and outright neighbourly atmosphere is so welcoming and warm you will without a doubt make this your local watering hole within moment of stepping through it’s famous doors.

45 Dean St
London W1D 4QB
020 7439 4685

Soho House is well known as one of the finest and most widespread private members clubs in the world. In recent years Houses have sprung up in Berlin, LA and Miami and in the UK alone they have a wide variety of clubs. MACS recently visited the original Soho, located inconspicuously on Greek Street to see what all the fuss is about. Up a winding flight of stairs the clubs opens out into a bright reception area where we are greeted by equally bright faces.

Good service never goes amiss with MACS and Soho house had this in abundance. A table on the sunny roof area was sourced for us by a wonderfully attendant waiter so that we could take advantage of the unseasonably exquisite sunshine and we were soon sipping on some of the freshest cocktails I have sampled in Soho. I can highly recommend the Mojito which was made exactly to my taste by the skilled barrister. We ordered several small plates of food which arrived in good timing, with generous portions and were, without exception, delicious. I can particularly recommend their excellent choice of salads, which change seasonally  along with the rest of the menu.

As the night went on we progressed to the comfort of the Circle Bar. The decor throughout reflects the ethos of the whole brand, relaxed luxury, and as such we felt comfortable yet spoilt throughout the whole evening. There is plenty of space to sit down in plush surroundings or just mingle across the various bars and floors. Although membership comes at a cost, we believe it is well worth it for access to this veritable haven away from the busy streets of packed Soho.

40 Greek Street, Soho, London, W1D 4ED

Cuisine: Eclectic
Tel: 0871-223-1834

Most cafés in London are dedicated to coffee, which means tea drinkers often have to settle with a boring ‘bag-in-a-cup-tea’. There is rarely a great selection for tea drinkers. I would like to recommend Yumchaa. Yumchaa is a small chain of shops and stalls specializing in loose tea. It is very clear, when you taste their home-blended teas, that they are passionate about what they are doing; their teas are amazing! They have a variety of black, green, red and white teas – which are all natural flavoured, for instance in the Chilli Chilli Bang Bang tea a true experience.
For the coffee addicts: it is possible to order Coffee at Yumchaa, but I would recommend that you at least try one of their teas. If you get a bit peckish after all the tea drinking they can offer a wide selection of healthy sandwiches and salads and scrumptious homemade cakes.

So if you fancy a full flavoured tea experience I suggest you should visit Yumchaa. They have three shops, one in Soho and two in Camden, and they have stalls at Camden Lock Market, Portobello Road Market and St. James Church Market amongst other places.

Tucked away along the less favorable end of Cleveland Street W1 is Jet Lag bar, but far from it’s location working against it, it provides a welcome relief from the over priced cocktail chains just a stones throw away.

Run by friendly Irishman Thomas they have an ethos of providing no-frills rustic  cocktails for those of us who are fed up with the pretentiousness of London cocktail bars. There are several innovations to traditional cocktails created by Thomas which are incredibly well realised (and delicious). The bar is a quirky presented mish-mash of styles purposefully reminiscent of a departure lounge. On our arrival I notice it is populated with a discernibly trendy crown, the media folk clever enough to look a little further a field then the narrow streets of Soho for their after work tipple.

Downstairs we are surprised to find one the biggest screens I’ve seen in a bar, the perfect place to watch sporting event over the summer and at £20.00 a head to guarantee you a seat, drinks and food it promises  to be a relaxing a comfortable viewing experience.

Recommended for those who like to venture outside of their comfort zone to find something a little different.

125 Cleveland Street
Fitrovia, London
W1T 6QB
UK

info@jetlagbar.com

Tel: 020 3370 5838

Having spent 9 weeks traveling around the United States and being a big fan of American soul food, I was delighted to hear that they had opened The Blue Kitchen here in Camden, in the very heart of London. I wasn’t expecting anything spectacular food wise as I had heard it was more of a music venue with a great bar.

When we arrived we were sat in very comfy tan leather booths, the atmosphere was quite chilled, there was good music and we were joined by the usual after-work crowd. Soon after 8 o’clock the usual Camden trendy crowd arrived and the place started to feel alive.

We ordered chocolate milkshakes as they were advertised as being the best in London and we were not disappointed – absolutely delicious in fact!
The menu, titled ‘soul food’, was comprised of comforting Deep South dishes like Seafood Gumbo and the Louisiana classic ‘Po’Boy’ subs.
For  starters were Blackened shrimps served with Creole tartar sauce and beef chili with homemade guacamole – an absolute must, and a large portion.
For mains we had the Cajun chicken burger and the bbq chicken – the sauce was the best I’ve ever had and the dish was accompanied by sides of creamy coleslaw and sweet potato.
I thought that given the quality of food and drinks the menu was very reasonably priced.  I would highly recommend the food, and the atmosphere was perfect! I personally will be back very soon and would recommend this place to all our readers.

111-113 Camden High Street
London NW1 7JN

0207 387 5277
info@theblueskitchen.com

Under 18’s are welcome at The Blues Kitchen until 7.00pm