York’s hidden gems
After finally tracking down Grays Court in York for a spot of lunch, click here for my blog post, we decided to take a leisurely stroll through York, along The Shambles (Europe’s oldest street) which is now home to a variety of old-fashioned sweet shops and tea-rooms. I also came across a particularly random cat-themed shop, where I noticed a leaflet about York’s hidden cat trail. I’m definitely not a cat person but as we were wandering through the streets of York anyway I thought I’d see if I could find any of them on route, in case they might be an unexpected hidden gem of York.
As it turns out I forgot all about my cat finding mission, until I needed to look at a map to try and get our bearings. Inadvertently I pulled out the hidden cats trail map at the same time, pausing to check it in case we happened to be near any of them. Suddenly an enthusiastic woman and her daughter appeared out of nowhere and said, ‘You’re looking for cats too!’ So now, as a matter of personal pride, I was determined to see one – in the end Darren had to point one out to me that was stalking a pigeon on one of the roofs in the square. He also showed me a cat on the side of a building, which our new friends had also very kindly run over to tell me they’d found, although they were worried about spoiling my fun!
But what the cats did draw my attention to is one of the things that sets York apart, its architecture which is full of hidden gems. Blink, and you may well miss them, as like the cats many are located overhead in York’s ginnels and snickleways. The statue of Minerva, the Roman goddess of wisdom, sits on the corner of Minstergates, leaning on a pile of books, above a bookshop below, where authors and readers of books met as members of one of Britain’s earliest literary groups.
Likewise if you walk along The Shambles and look up, the higgledy piggedlyness of its buildings is far more apparent, with some incredibly close together and lopsided at the top. And if you cast your eyes up towards Monk Bar you can make out the six stone figures perched on the two towers of the bar that appear to be waiting to chuck boulders down on passers-by.
I may not be a fan of cats but I’m most definitely glad they alerted my attention to its architecture and the hidden gems above York’s streets.
I’m lucky enough to have been to some impressive restaurants but I was still blown away by the über cool Grillmarket restaurant in Reykjavik, Iceland. As soon as you arrive in Iceland you instantly feel sort of at one with nature, it’s hard not to when you drive through lava fields and lunar-esque landscapes or have the option to go on glacier walks and whale watching. And it’s this essence that’s reflected in the decor at Grillmarket, making it a real hidden gem.
Upstairs you can see first-hand the chefs hard at work, creating culinary masterpieces, in the open-plan kitchen area. Grillmarket’s head chef, Guðlaugur Frímannsson, has worked in Michelin star restaurants Texture (in Marylebone, London) and Kiin Kiin (Copenhagen), evident in the immaculately presented dishes we were served, giving Icelandic ingredients a contemporary twist.
Downstairs is an intimate dining area with subdued lighting and a bar in the middle. Old-style Icelandic furniture is mixed with basalt columns and cutting edge design to create a unique dining experience. I particularly loved that live moss imported from Denmark lined the walls by our booth. Light fittings, made from lava and the skin of spotted catfish, were equally as cool. Even the toilets, set in a cave, were worthy of a photo (luckily there was no-one else in there at the time or they may have thought I was a bit weird taking a picture of the sink) as were the driftwood trees behind us.
It’s not just the interior of Grillmarket that makes it one of Reykjavik’s hidden gems, the food was pretty good too as we tucked in to the eight-course taster menu, with wines paired to match. A word of warning, if you’re veggie, or don’t eat shellfish, then you may want to stick to the main menu or call and tell them in advance as I have to admit I didn’t fare as well as Sharps when it came to the starters. He really enjoyed trying shark for the first time (served with crispy oyster and chilli dip), which he said was quite salty and tasted like a cross between meat and fish in texture. He also tucked in to dried fish and squid tempura, using spinach to add colour to the dough so you can differentiate between the two types of fish. Next up were chicken wings with a homemade peanut butter sauce, followed by marinated pork chops with chilli.
But eventually, and after a good deal of food envy on my part, my mains came up trumps. A melt in the mouth miso salmon with potato salad combined beautiful flakes of salty fish that were complimented by the sweetness of the potatoes. And salted cod served on a bed of turnip (again a massive portion, perhaps trying top overcompensate for my lack lustre starters) also went down a treat. Meanwhile Sharps had lamb chops served with a date and yoghurt sauce and rib eye steak with mushrooms and a kind of aubergine pureé.
By now we were super full but a couple on our trip had already told us about the ‘to die for’ puddings at Grillmarket so we knew the best was yet to come. And they were right as our medley of desserts were divine. We were fighting over mouthfuls of the signature Grillmarket pudding, a chocolate covered mascarpone ice-cream bomb, accompanied by a hot caramel sauce that was poured over it to melt the ice-cream. A whey cheese pudding made from a skyr (Icelandic yogurt), florentine, cranberries and pistachio foam was like eating a mini pistachio cheesecake, with a layer of peanut brittle sandwiched between the base and the foam. Somehow we also managed to fit in a tangy cherry sorbet and a portion of creamy coffee ice-cream. We drew the line at the chocolate that came with our coffee though!
If you’re looking for a place to splash out on dinner in Reykjavik then the Grillmarket restaurant is undoubtedly a hidden gem. Even if you don’t fancy dinner the bar downstairs is great place for a romantic drink or two, and is worth checking out for the decor alone. With places like Grillmarket in Reykjavik, as its name suggests Iceland is pretty cool.
Hideaway restaurant Ramsbottom
Last time I was back in my home town of Manchester I have to say that I was pretty disappointed by its lack of decent restaurants. For a city of its size, and its reputation as one of the North’s more cosmopolitan cities (obviously I’d say that as I’m from there) I expected better. But not one to be defeated, this time around I was on a mission to uncover some of the Manchester restaurant scene’s hidden gems.
I’d heard about a fine dining restaurant in Ramsbottom (a name that used to make me laugh when I was a kid) in North Manchester called Ramsons. I don’t think I’ve ever been to Ramsbottom before, which itself has a lovely village feel to it with boutique shops and tea rooms. It is a bit of a mission to get there if you don’t live locally but fortunately for me my dad was willing to drive us there so I could check it out.
With my usual impeccable timing Ramson’s restaurant was closed for renovations on the dates I was going to be in Manchester. But as luck would have it, the Hideaway, its sister restaurant downstairs were still open for business. The aptly named Hideaway is a real hidden gem – tucked away in the basement – its concept is being that of a wine bar with a kitchen. As it has just 20 covers it operates a set menu of four courses, so choice is somewhat limited, although the menu does change daily based on the seasonal produce that is available. Meat (sadly for me) is very much at the heart of the menu at the Hideaway but I guess that’s to be expected at a Tuscan restaurant– and I had been warned of this in advance.
Hideaway Ramsbottom spicy lentil soup starter
I never, ever, thought I’d hear myself say this but the portions at the Hideaway were perhaps a bit too generous in size. Our antipasto were huge, Dad thought it was the main course. I was slightly envious of his courgette and crab frittata, served alongside chicken liver pâte, a selection of cured Italian meats and a soft and fluffy mozzarella and tomato salad (I had a non-meat version). Dad’s starter of a thick lentil soup also gave me food envy (I couldn’t eat it as it was made using meat stock) – he said it was quite spicy as the cayenne pepper gave it a real kick.
Hideaway Ramsbottom game stew
But the star dish of the evening was his equally gargantuan serving of rich, gamey stew, comprising of venison, rabbit and wild boar (none of which he’d ever eaten before) slow cooked in a Chianti sauce with game stock cannellini, black-eyed and borlotti beans. Dad said that the venison (we were able to identify it as he said it tasted like the best steak he’d ever had) was flaky and melted in his mouth. This was accompanied by wonderfully crispy rosemary roast potatoes and a serving of Calvono Nero, a type of Tuscan cabbage, that had a slight bitterness which perfectly complemented the richness of the stew. So I didn’t feel too guilty that I’d deprived him of the Bistecca fiorentina (Tuscan steak available for supplement) as it had to be shared between 2/4 people. And by the time it came to dessert I could literally just manage a mouthful of the moist coconut cake.
Hideaway Ramsbottom dessert
What’s clear when you come to the Hideaway is the owner Chris Johnson’s passion for food – this is reflected in the quality of the produce he uses and his desire to educate his staff who were incredibly knowledgeable. In fact the chef, Lou, told us she was off on a work trip to Tuscany to spend time in an Italian kitchen to learn even more about Tuscan cooking. The night we were there he was working front of house and was incredibly hands on. Nothing was too much trouble for him – when Dad asked about the size of a goose egg he actually went off to the kitchen to try and find one to show him. And if, like us, you find the wine list, with its vast selection of wines that are all imported from Italy, a little overwhelming (and a bit on the pricey side), the staff are more than happy to suggest an alternative.
With jazz music playing in the background, the relaxed atmosphere of the Hideaway makes for an intimate dining experience – we had whiled away four hours there before we even knew it. The Hideaway in Ramsbottom dishes up a hearty serving of uncomplicated rustic fare for an unbelievable £22 for four courses midweek (and only marginally more on Fridays and Saturdays). If this hidden gem is anything to go by I can only imagine how good the food at Ramsons must be too.
Grays Court, York’s hidden gem
As I was visiting my family in Manchester for a few days my brother, Darren, said he’d drive over from Leeds. Seizing the opportunity (and the fact that I can’t drive) I persuaded him to take us on an outing to York. It was on the pre-text that Mum would love it, but I’ve been wanting to go to York since I left University (I was at Leeds and never got round to it, despite York being practically down the road).
On the recommendation of the incredibly helpful Kay at York’s tourist board I’d arranged for us to go for lunch at a place called Grays Court. To describe it as one of York’s hidden gems is a bit of an understatement. I’m geographically challenged at the best of times but Google maps refused to reognise my location and the locals weren’t much better either as nobody had heard of it! After traipsing round for nearly an hour trying to find it I was becoming increasingly unpopular with my family. When, just at the point of having to admit defeat (I’d even tried to call the tourist office for help but there was no answer, I remembered it was next to the York Treasurer’s House. Then, as if by magic we saw a sign for it which, adding insult to injury, we’d already walked past half a dozen times. And hurrying down a side street we found Grays Court tucked away.
Apart from the obvious reason that it’s seemingly tricky to find, Grays Court is one of York’s hidden gems as it’s steeped in history. Even more surprising is that we were literally one minute away from York Minster and in the heart of York’s tourist centre, yet no-one knew where it was. Formerly owned by York Minster, then York University, this 10th century medieval building, where Edward Seymour unofficially ran England from, was bought six years ago as a private house. It has seven luxury bedrooms – the honeymoon suite has a view overlooking York walls, an antique French bed and an impressive flat-screen TV in the bathroom.
The dining area also has views overlooking York Walls, and there’s a really cool side room available to groups of about four or five. Initially we thought the menu sounded a little lack-lustre but we were proved wrong as our lunch was surprisingly good. Mum and Darren had Welsh Rarebit which was more exciting than it sounds. Layers of toasted bread, oozing with cheese that had a delightful mustardy flavour, were served in a bowl and accompanied with an apple, raisin and chilli chutney. I totally lucked out with my field mushrooms in balsamic vinegar and blue cheese on toast – not a dish I’d normally go for but I’d seen someone else’s order arrive and it looked amazing. I’m glad I went out of my comfort zone as the massive, meaty mushrooms had a hint of sweetness from the vinegar and were delicious – the perfect combination to the hunk of blue cheese they came on. It may have taken us a while to track down Grays Court but this hidden gem is a real find. If you can, that is.
In Parma Italian cafe
I love Italian food (click here for my blog post on Sorrento’s best restaurant) so when I was invited to check out In Parma, a new Italian cafe on Charlotte Square, London, I was keen to see if it offered an authentic flavour of Italy. The concept of In Parma (by Food Roots) is pretty simple – the cafe is dedicated to Italian PDO (Protected Designation of Origin) products. This means that only regional foods genuinely originating from that area are allowed to be called by that name (eg Cornish clotted cream and Jersey Royal potatoes).
Its owner, Christian Pero, (who comes from Parma) spent two years sourcing top quality Italian ingredients from local producers, and we weren’t disappointed with the results! During the day In Parma sells sandwiches, focaccia, salad and food to take away – you can also buy trays of ham and Food Roots products. We went in the evening when the main offering is the charcuterie, cheese and wine.
As I don’t eat meat my friend Stef was more than willing to sample the supreme meat platter – which consisted of Prosciutto di Parma, Pancetta Piacentina, Salame di Felino and Coppa Piacentina.We also tasted a selection of Italian cheeses including a light and fluffy mozzarella, Taleggio, Gorgonzola, Pecorino Toscano and our favourite, a rich, nutty Fontina. Any fears I had of going home hungry as a non-meat eater were completely unfounded as we tucked into a divine homemade polenta served with Gorgonzola and mushrooms (£8) – the sauce wasn’t too cheesy or overpowering and the polenta was creamy, without being overly wet or bland. There are also a range of salads, bruschetta, soup of the day and nibbles to choose from. We tried the warm, sweet and sour red, green and yellow peppers cooked in a sweet balsamic vinegar (£4) which for me was the star dish of the night (along with the slightly spicy peppers stuffed with capers that accompanied the meat platter).
It’s not just the food that is PDO at In Parma as we discovered when we tried the Lambrusco. When I think of Lambrusco for some reason a sickly, sweet wine springs to mind. And apparently I’m not the only one, as Christian confided that most English people that come to In Parma are under the same impression. But he’s happy to try and set the record straight, and we soon changed our opinion after drinking Lambrusco in the traditional way (out of a white bowl called a Fojeta).We were pleasantly surprised by how easily this sparkling red wine went down.
There’s also the opportunity to learn more about the products stocked and the producers of the gastronomic delights through a series of educational videos that are projected onto the back wall and Christian has his bible of PDO approved foods that he enthuses customers with. In Parma is a real hidden gem – it’s cosy and relaxed atmosphere makes it easy to spend hours over a glass of top quality wine and authentic, flavoursome Italian cuisine. And given the level of quality this place the food a real bargain, with huge meat platters that start from around £17. This hidden gem shows it’s definitely possible to have a taste of Italy without actually being in Parma.