What a fabulous find and fantastic recommendation by my lovely friend Chris – I was so looking forward to this dinner; Chris is an editor of a popular food-based magazine and knows a thing or two about great dining.

28-50 Wine Workshop and Kitchen in Marylebone is a great food and wine experience. It offers more than 30 wines available by the glass, carafe and bottle at reasonable prices. The wines were interesting and not the standard kind of wine list you see in every place.  Sadly, no Australian wines feature on the extensive list – there is strong competition from France, Italy, Spain, and Germany I suppose!

The food is French bistro style also featuring charcuterie, with a daily-changing menu from the executive chef, Paul Walsh.

The decor is modern urban with a French touch – the back wall is stacked with branded wooden wine boxes and there is a big central round bar complete with bar stools.  The service was exceptional. Really fabulous. The sommelier was very knowledgable on the wines and Chris suggested we allow him to select matching wines by the glass to accompany what dishes we had ordered.

To start, I had the rolled grilled aubergine with goats curd and pine nuts (GBP 6.75) followed by a main course size prawn cocktail with pickled cucumber (GBP 12.95).

Aubergine with goats curd

Both my dished were really amazing. The aubergine (eggplant for all my Aussie readers) was sensational. I was kind of secretly wishing I had ordered that for main and had a bigger portion. The chef was really generous with goats curd too which tasted silky, salty and wonderful.  I loved it.

A Spanish wine was chosen for me for this dish – a 2010 Sameiras Blanco ,Ribeiro, AC Guilin, Spain.  The slightly acidic white wine balanced the richness of the goats curd beautifully.

Prawn cocktail for mains might seem like a strange choice, but Chris and her beau Charlie both ordered it for starters and said that they had had it before and that it was reallygood. I trust Chris’ palate implicitly and ordered it as a main size.  She was right, the flavour was different – it was really fresh and clean. The pickled cucumber and minimal use of dill gave it a kind of Scandinavian flavour. It would be absolutely perfect to have on a hot summer’s day.  It was pretty perfect to have it on a mild London summer’s night also!

Prawn cocktail

The wine matched with the aubergine was a CDL “La Brise Marine” Chateau De La Negly. Beautiful white wine that was a little acid with a very clean finish.  I was in food and wine heaven!

Smoked Severn and Wye salmon

Zorba enjoyed his smoked Servern and Wye salmon with horseradish yoghurt for starters and a lovely rib eye steak for main.

Chris had the Icelandic fish stew for main and said it was excellent. In fact, that recipe is going to feature in an upcoming magazine edition.  Charlie had the burger from ginger pig.  No one was complaining about anything except that their tummies were full to the brim.

It was a lovely dinner – thanks Chris and Charlie!

Icelandic fish stew

Zorba and I bid our friends farewell and went to the oh-so posh Claridges Hotel in Mayfair for a night cap cocktail.  It was sooo lovely!  The ladies wash room had an attendant who turned on the taps when I wanted to wash my hands and then passed me a little hand towel (real towel, not paper), so I could dry them.  Posh-o!  Having said that, two cocktails with the inclusion of 12.5% service charge cost us just under 40 pounds!  Outrageously expensive, but sublimely grand.

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Ah London, I’m going to miss you.

FACT FILE

28-50 Wine Workshop and Kitchen
15-17 Marylebone
London, W1U 2NE
marylebone@2850.co.uk
Tel: 020 7486 7922

Open every day 11am til late