I’d love to name my ten best restaurants of 2011, but that might raise your expectations which can easily be disappointed. In the end, not every dish at my favourite restaurants can be delicious all the time, it is down to what you order, preference and maybe some luck. Below are the ten dishes that made my 2011 sparkle. NOT IN ORDER.

Viajante - Viajante olives

I loved every dish at Viajante, it was a special experience to taste Nuno Mendes’s incredibly clever yet subtle and clean dishes. The Viajante olives stood out for its deceptive look that concealed its kumquat nature by the spinach jelly coating. Wonderfully refreshing and mildly sweet… Full post

Ledbury - Hampshire Buffalo milk curd with Saint-Nectaire truffle toast and a broth of grilled onions

The fragrant and crunchy truffle toast was mindblowingly good. What Ledbury does best is layering different textures and flavours together that cleverly merge into a unique flavour to challenge your taste bud in every angle, exactly what this dish had achieved. Full Post

Dinner - Meat fruit

This has been the most talked about dish of the year. Similar to the Viajante olives with its deceptive look. The mandarin portrayed a sweet dessert image, which was the opposite of this meat flavoured, non-sweet chicken liver parfait. I still remember how easy my knife went through the wobbly jelly peel. Full Post

St John - Roasted bone marrow & parsley salad

St John’s roasted bone marrow was simply the best bone marrow I’ve ever had. Deliciously greasy yet perfectly balanced if you eat everything together. This divine combination of sea salt, toast and parsley salad had brought every juicy bone marrow flavour to life. Delicious yet so simple. Full Post

Le Manoir Aux Quat’Saison - Pork Belly

Everything you can hope for and more, crunchy, succulent and packed with flavour. No one can achieve pork belly this good, I wowed after each bite and went back for more. Full Post

Trinity - Butter poached halibut, crab tortellini, crab and ginger broth

The crab tortellini was sweeter than usual but the crab flavour shined through as a refreshing aftertaste. The halibut was the best fish I’ve had this year, it retained all the moisture if not more, which the chef confirmed that it had been cooked in a water bath. Unbelievably tender and moist, out of this world good. Full Post

Well’s cafe - Chicken breast on mash

I didn’t expect Wells to have the best chicken dish of the year so no photos were taken. An ordinary cafe on a small high street that I went in to refuel after a long day of sightseeing turned out to be extraordinary. The tender chicken breast sitting on a bed of cheese infused mash soaked with all the juices and sauces was simple and brilliant. 

Dehesa - Jamon iberico de bellota, castro y Gonzalez, Castilla y leon

Many places have bellota ham but Dehesa was the one that kicked off my interest to explore other places and compare, like Pizarro and Opera Tavern with bellota ham aged 2 and 5 years. The vibrant pink colour, high moisture content and salted meat flavour were the features of the best ham in the world. A glass of Rioja with some bellota ham can be so simple yet satisfying. Full Post

Ledbury - Brown sugar tart with gooseberries and stem ginger ice cream

I expected this brown sugar tart to be extra sweet, which turned out milder than a cheesecake with a silken tofu texture. It’s perfect partner ginger ice cream was refreshing, especially with the gooseberries. Full Post

Lumiere - Pistachio & olive oil cake, raspberry curd, peach, lavender honey

Lumiere turned out to be the most precious hidden gem of the year. Every dish was at its peak, beautiful and flavoursome. Just count how many colours this dessert have, green cake, red raspberries, purple lavender, orange peach and more. Every element suited each other perfectly, especially the rich lavender cream. Full Post