Itchy London Eat Reviews and recommendations

MADD

Itchy got pretty damn excited at the concept of a dessert lounge. And when we heard it served cocktails too... well, we were sold. But then came the slightly odd bit: it was a MANGO themed dessert lounge. Right.

If you like mangoes, you'll love MADD - which stands for "Mango + Addiction", apparently. With an extensive menu mainly consisting of mango-based desserts and cocktails, it's a nightmare if you're a bit scared of the fruit. (Even the soap in the bathroom is mango flavoured.) That said, there are some "non-mango" options, if you get sick of it, including chocolate tart and "mousse of the day". Itchy was lucky enough to try the chocolate mousse cake and we're not ashamed to say that we might end up making a detour through Soho just to get another one.

There's also an array of mango cocktails on offer, from twists on the classics, including Mango mojitos and margaritas, to some specially created shots (we were slightly skeptical about a shot named "Mango orgasm"... ahem). Itchy sampled a Mango daiquiri, which essentially tasted like Apple and Mango J20 mixed with some rum... no complaints there though, as it was yummy.

Apparently the concept of a dessert lounge is big across the pond, and we do have a few here, but this is the UK's first ever MANGO themed dessert lounge. The people at MADD say that there are health benefits that can be derived from the modest mango. The fruit contains antioxidant vitamins A, C E, B6, K, potassium, copper and even 17 amino acids. Mangoes even lower cholesterol and act as a potent aphrodisiac... best to bear that in mind when drinking 6 mango cocktails along with mango pudding, mango mousse and mango upside down cake...

We must admit that the cramped underground seating area, mixed with a slight overdose of mango left us feeling a tad nauseous, but we imagine that on a quieter evening it would be a great place to meet with sweet toothed friends, or to nip to after a meal in China town if you fancy a change of location for dessert.

Cantina Laredo

Tue, 09 Apr 2013 12:13:36 GMT

Itchy loves a good Mexican. Who doesn't? Nachos, guacamole, quesadillas, tortillas... ariiiiiba! If you love it too, we recommend a visit to Cantina Laredo.

We arrived, starving hungry, ready for a feast and with eyes far bigger than our stomachs. We were shown to our booth, which was very comfortable and gave us a great view of the street, then greedily swept our eyes over the menu and requested Top Shelf Guacamole - freshly made at our table by Anna, the most enthusiastic waitress EVER. We were mesmerised by the way she took a load of ingredients, from avocado to jalapenos, chopped them up before our eyes and created the best guacamole we've ever had the pleasure of dipping our tortilla chips into. Yum. We recommend this if you are picky about how much onion/tomato/coriander/spice you like in your dip, or if you want to recreate this delicacy in your very own kitchen one day. We also greedily devoured some Machaca Quesadillas, which were a lovely texture and filled with melted oaxaca cheese and machaca beef - delish.

For mains, we decided to be adventurous. We've heard a lot about Mole - a Mexican speciality involving both chocolate and chilli with chicken - and thought this would be the ideal time to check it out. We were pleasantly surprised by the sweet, spicy, chocolatey sauce and the creamed spinach and mushrooms that accompanied the dish were the perfect partner. We also tried Carnitas Tacos - slow roasted pork with chipotle wine sauce and fresco cheese... mmmmm. We just wish we hadn't stuffed ourselves so much with starter, as we couldn't finish our mains. A cautionary tale indeed.

You may think we finished there. But no, we are firm believers in the savoury side being full, but the sweet side crying out for attention... so we bravely battled on and ordered dessert. We just couldn't walk away from the Tequila Lime Cheesecake with Avocado ice cream and the Mexican Brownie with Cinnamon ice cream... and goodness, are we glad we didn't. The cheesecake was the perfect mix of sweet and sour, with the ice cream providing a creamy and delicious accompaniment. Needless to say, we polished it all off with ease. The brownie was equally spectacular, served sizzling hot on a skillet. Our only issue was how hot this made the brownie, and how quickly it melted the ice cream - we were desperate to devour it within seconds, but it was just so damn hot that we had to wait. Itchy doesn't like to wait.

Now, we've neglected to mention one of Cantina Laredo's best bits - the bar. Throughout our meal we sipped on some gorgeous cocktails, including the beautifully named Hibiscus Royale, which is a blend of fresh mint, hibiscus syrup and prosecco - bliss. We also made El Cubano a favourite, Barcardi Superior hand-muddled with fresh strawberries, raspberries, passion fruit and apple juice, with a hint of vanilla. Seriously addictive, but we suppose it must be at least one of our five a day? We eyed up the uber massive and glam looking freshly squeezed lime margaritas, but we just didn't have any room to try them out - maybe next time? We'll meet you there. Just don't gorge on starters, stick with a sharer of Top Shelf Guacamole and hold out for the perfect main... and don't forget dessert. Bam. (We make the mistakes, so you don't have to. No need to thank us. It's what we're here for.)

EXCLUSIVE URBAN KITCHEN OFFER

Sun, 21 Apr 2013 13:20:41 GMT

It's the start of Summer (apparently), which means warmer weather, better fashions and lower temperature food - we're not the only ones sick of pie and chips, are we? Itchy has teamed up with Toral Shah at Urban Kitchen to offer you a Summer code until May 21st...

We fell for her food before we fell for Toral, but as a cook with an MSc in Nutritional Medicine and a breast cancer survivor, we can personally add our endorsements to her credentials - she knows what she's doing. Her food is not only super delicious, but super good for you, so you'll get through the day without feeling like collapsing of sugar deprivation (that's a real thing... probably).

Check out her Urban Lunch Boxes, starting from £4.75, including gluten-free, dairy-free and nut-free choices, and enjoy free delivery if you're inside Zone 1 (SE1, E1, EC1, EC2, EC3, EC4 - email for details to other areas). We highly recommend the turkey burgers with sweet potato and green salad, though we're regretting not trying the Moroccan meatballs… yum.

If you order before the 21st of May you can get 10% off exclusively with Itchy! Here’s the VERY SECRET code:

ITCHYLN13

So eat yourself healthy, starting... now.

Floridita, Soho

Sun, 21 Apr 2013 13:52:41 GMT

If you want big performers with huge personalities and a tendency to show off then the Floridita dinner and cabaret show is tailor made for your needs. It has everything from power ballads to power tools, and enough divas to squash an elephant.

While we enjoyed the Floridita Rum Shack and its live music, we would have to recommend booking a show for dinner, as the crazy-good food complements the wild entertainers, just feet away from your table. The great thing about the show is how seamlessly it fits into the big, bold personality that is Floridita and it's Cuban theme. Every night is a carnival and every one is enjoying themselves - the wine helps. The unique burlesque, talented voices and pushy compere made for a varied but pleasant night. A little bit of everything with some Rum punch is a pretty good way to spend a Wednesday.

And the food! As you've already gathered, this is not a place to bring your nan for Sunday roast (unless you have a hot-blooded grandma) so don't expect a menu of Cuban sausage and mash. We're not even sure they have mash in Cuba - it'd probably turn into something much more impressive. While Itchy is not really a 'rabbit food' kind of eater, the salad starters set an exceptionally high standard for the following meal, and despite half of the table insisting they weren't hungry, they refused to share. If we ever get a chance to return we'll be trying the scallops though, as the dish that we most wanted to steal from the table next to us.

The main courses were impossible. And if Itchy had one suggestion for Floridita it would be - tasting menu! We wanted a little bit of everything and if that had been an option we'd have ordered instantly. As it is, it took about half an hour to decide - not a problem as the music and dancing keeps waiting staff and other guests entertained, no hurry - and while tempted by the ravioli and the lobster, we decided to go full-Cuba and order the Red Snapper. At these point we'd like to remind you that the price of rare and exotic food is hardly cheap, but the benefit of eating at Floridita is that you do get quality. Great ingredients and an impressive chef.

Sadly, dessert was a Bourbon Vanilla and Wild Berry Cheesecake, which is pretty much all the food groups rolled into one (fruit, dairy, sugar, spices and alcohol, right?) so we were unable to resist. Frankly, if it had been terrible we wouldn't admit it. It wasn't and we spent a good deal of time trying to steal the Chocolate Brownie across the table, whilst protecting the cake from our opponent. Warning, these desserts will provoke cake wars, so get together a group of people you don't mind sharing with and book a table. Order as many cocktails and as much food as you can, then wake up at 2am somewhere unfamiliar with a big grin on your face. Life is good and celebrating it Floridita-style only goes to prove that.

You can follow the Floridita party on Twitter at @FloriditaLondon or like them on Facebook and until you get to their cabaret show, we've got a taster clip for you, enjoy...