The Top Floor Flat

I’m standing outside Regents Park next to a chef, a policeman and a journalist. While this might sound like the setup for a joke, it seems the joke’s on us – and the other hundreds of Londoners waiting to get into Taste of London, the annual gathering of foodies where London’s top restaurants offer up sample plates of their choice dishes – for a fee of course. There’s significantly less tasting, however, and quite a bit more tisking as the queue grows and the festival area, meant to have opened more than an hour earlier, remains disappointingly empty.

Finally there’s a cheer, a sudden rush of movement, and the gates open. An announcer comes over the loudspeaker to apologise for the excessive delay. “Er… it seems we’ve had a bit of a security threat this evening… a bomb threat for the fair.” The poor man sounds just as confused as the rest of us as to why someone might want to blow up a park full of delicious food. Maybe it was the vegans. “In any case, the police took it seriously,” he continues. “But they have given us the all clear.” Wow. As Emril would say, BAM. Not to be put off by trifles like terrorist threats, however, I push my way towards the front of the queue and aim for the food.

The biggest problem with the delay, which affected the chefs as well as the patrons, is that a number of the restaurants are severely delayed in their food prep. My group eyes a thick steak only to be told that the specialty needs at least 45 minutes of slow grilling before it will be ready. We wander off in search of a quicker fix for our food cravings.

The Taste of London is an amazing opportunity to sample food from London’s, and in fact the world’s, most famous and Michelin starred restaurants so as you might imagine it’s not an inexpensive outing. After the £25+ just for entry, Taste of London banks are waiting to provide you with “crowns,” the official spending money of the event. With 2 crowns per £1 and most dishes in the 6-10 crown range, you might find yourself shelling out £5 for a single scallop; a delicious scallop but a pricey one none the less.

That said, there are some dishes that are worth every crown and more. Roast Aberdeen Angus beef fillet with a tarragon mousse from Launceston Place, a choice piece of meat so well prepared that it cuts like butter and explodes with flavour. The classic duck burger from Croque Gascon, served with a spicey jalapeño chutney and French fries with crazy salt. The to-die-for chocolate cake from Theo Randall, a dense, dark chocolate pudding of soufflé consistency with a generous dollop of crema di marcarpone. I am nearly overwhelmed by the tastes and smells that surround me.

In addition to the restaurants on display, speciality food vendors are on hand to show off everything from homemade mustard to gourmet fudge. While desserts seemed to be especially popular, including Gü Brownies and Almondy, savoury treats including curries and sausages held their own with an aroma that permeated the whole park.

I end my evening with a wine tasting session hosted by wine expert and reviewer Will Lyons who takes us through four different summer wines, including the unique an syrupy sweet dessert wine made from grapes affected by noble rot. As we drain the last drops, the final closing call for Taste is announced over the speakers. Will looks around quickly and says, “I have something special for the last group of the night!” Out comes a bottle of champagne for the half dozen or so of us who have ended the night in his tent. “How much would you pay for this?” he asks as we toast the bubbly. Various numbers are tossed out. “£45,” he grins, clearly pleased with the present he has shared.

As am I. I’m wined, dined, and haven’t been blown up – three things that always contribute to a good evening. Taste of London has been an amazing opportunity to explore the flavours of the city and I look forward to the day when I can revisit these restaurants for a full meal.

For Londoners, the Taste of London event runs through the weekend and I highly encourage you stop by Regents Park to visit the event before it closes 21 June.