#2 Fulham, Cartmel & Queenstown.
Where's for dinner, this week?
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I like to think of this less of a newsletter and more of a ‘food-letter’.
A little parcel of deliciousness, to savour on a Sunday. To give you some ideas for the week ahead, or maybe just daze longingly into the possibility of what your tastebuds may one day enjoy.
As always, a restaurant from London, one from elsewhere in the UK, and the third - somewhere beyond. All to feast your eyes on.
Three places I have’t been to, but are firmly on “the list”.
A metaphorical place that lives somewhere between my brain and my stomach.
So, let’s get to it.
1. Josephine Bouchon, Fulham, London
It’s normal to fall in love with a font, right? To understand exactly what a restaurant stands for, just by the curvature, kerning and colour of its lettering? They’ve even embossed it in their linen, which hangs as pretty little cafe curtains.
Josephine Bouchon is just over a month old, and it’s already on the list.
The brain child of Claude Bosi (who already has multiple Michelin stars under his belt) and wife Lucy Bosi, Josephine is named after Claude’s grandmother, and gives a more relaxed feel than his other restaurants.
The dishes are focused on classics from Lyon, and quite frankly, look utterly divine. (I get the impression the Bosi’s like their butter.) And the interiors give ‘cute neighbourhood French bistro’. Or should I say… ‘bouchon’.
Reviews are coming in thick and fast, and are very very positive.
If I could eat gluten I would be ALL over that Saucisson Brioché. I might just have to watch my boyfriend eat it, and try to channel vicarious enjoyment rather than envy.
But I am secretly praying the French onion soup is gluten free, as that looks equally incredible.
I’ll let you know if I manage to get a table, but if you beat me to it - please tell me all about that Brioché, so I can’t enjoy it through you.
Book a table here.
2. L'Enclume, Cartmel, Lake District.
Brace yourselves. Three Michelin stars. A 16 course tasting menu. £250 a pop (without wine).
Of course I want to go.
My partner’s family have been visiting Cartmel in the Lakes for years, and know all about Simon Rogan’s L’Enclume. So when booking a trip to the area in the coming weeks, he mentioned we look into getting a table.
I say “look into” because that’s what we did. A firm “we don’t cater for dietary requirements” is very clearly stamped on the site, so it was looking like a no. A slight sigh of relief from my boyfriend though, who initially thought it would be a nice birthday treat for me. His bank balance is thanking him.
But the point of this list isn’t necessarily places I can eat, but want to eat, so onward we go.
The restaurant is housed in a secluded stone-walled building, with a 12 acre farm behind, that provides almost all the ingredients on the staggering 16-course menu.
As of 2024, there are only nine restaurants in the UK with three Michelin stars, all located in London or the South, other than L’Enclume, which blows my mind.
You can even stay on site, as let’s face it, lots of people will be making a special journey for a special place like this.
If I was to be dining, I think I’d be most excited for the flavour explosion that is “Ibis celeriac roasted in yeast oil, buttermilk and smoked pike perch roe”, or the “potatoes cooked in chicken fat, with pickled walnut and Park House cheddar.” Sign me up.
I may not be able to eat there, but I will still walk past, and observe the restaurant like a piece of art or museum - because, it’s exactly that.
Book a table here.
3. Erik’s, Queenstown, New Zealand.
Taking it back notch, as things all got a bit fancy with those first two.
Just to clarify I am not a regular diner at Michelin Star restaurants.
So here I give you…the ultimate food truck with the ultimate view. And a menu that is impossible to choose between.
New Zealand is a very special place for me. The quality of food on offer is just as immense as the landscape.
So picture this, you’re sat overlooking Lake Wakatipu in Queenstown, tucking into a piping hot Hoki (caught from the South Island Seas), with a side homemade chips and a selection calamari, bluff oysters and scallops.
And if you can squeeze it in, cauliflower bites, spring rolls, deep fried kiwi fruit, donuts, and deep fried chocolate fish…
No words.
We’re heading back to NZ later this year and I WILL be there, sitting by the lake, having an absolute feast. But what exactly I’ll order is going to be impossible to know, as all items can be made (safely) gluten free, so I will no doubt come back a stone heavier. All worth it for a menu like that.
Find the van here.
Every week I’ll be tempting you with where your next meal out could be - one in London, one in the UK, and one beyond.
I would love for you to subscribe (button below), so we can enjoy these places together. And if you have got any tips of your own, I’d love to hear them.