The Ambassador may not always seduce passers-by with its motley facade of fading paint, lino flooring and Formica tables, but if you ignore the cliché and judge the book by its cover, you’ll soon be singing its chabby yet chic praises.

Why? Because the restaurant’s title can also be attributed to its owner Clive Greenhalgh who here proves himself to be Ambassador for British Brasseries by instilling the same Mod Brit’-style directness of ventures such as Spitalfields Canteen or St John Bread & Wine, and indeed The Brackenbury of which he was formerly maître d’.

The cover of this book juxtaposed with the content – the charming and unprentiously-trendy staff together with the well-thought out and continually revived food and wine menu - hits the quintessentially British Brasserie nail on the head and certainly seduced me.

Fine Food & Fine Wine

Browsing through a menu which appeared to offer something for all palates and price points while basking in the sun at an alfresco street table, my palate was about to be seduced by layers upon layers of complexity from food and wine alike…

• Starter: Warm Quail Egg Salad

Alongside a refined and refreshing Picpoul de Pinet, the quail eggs were beautiful, their yoke gently oozing onto the salad leaves, while scattered radishes flashed shots of colour and gave texture to each bite. Simple. Lovely.

• Main: Roast Hake with Chorizo

Perfectly pan-fried and lightly seasoned, the hake was accompanied by the salty, strong tang of Chorizo and crisp, crunchy potatoes. A delicious red pepper and coriander sauce with its heady herby scent, sweet creamy taste and bold orange hue added yet more dimensions for the senses – yet, somehow, I still wasn’t a victim of palate fatigue. A lightly chilled Vigna Grande from Puglia stood up to the strong flavours, rounding off a dish which packed a bold punch, and blew me away.

• Dessert: Baked Custard, Raspberries and Shortbread

Rich and smooth without been sickly, the custard was served lightly chilled and scattered with plump raspberries. I also sneaked a bite of their ‘Strawberries in Beaujolais‘ which was a lovely, light alternative.

Who’s it an Ambassador for?

Everyone. Its eclectic fare (wine, food & price), friendly yet professional staff and relaxed atmosphere exclude nobody. It’s the ideal British Brasserie - the epitome of modesty and inclusivity.

On Saturday Carolyn Hart of the Daily Telegraph recommended serving Elderflower ice-cream with our 2006 Muscat de Beaumes de Venise, Domaine de Durban in her article Beauty in the Beast.

If our beloved British summer’s cast as Beast again this year, fear not, you can always coax back those beautiful lazy days of heady floral scents and falling blossom by indulging in this marvellous Muscat, with one of my favourite ice-creams below.

The wine…

Domaine de Durban is located in the hills to the east of Beaumes-de-Venise and is owned and run by Madame Leydier and her two sons. By using 100% Muscat de Frontignan à petit grains blanc as opposed to Muscat de Frontignan à grains noir which most others producers in the village cultivate, their delicately-coloured wines are beautifully aromatic and opulent, and with delicious notes of tilleul, jasmine and white peach, their 2006 is indeed a fine match for floral ice-creams such as elderflower.

My favourite ices…

On the go…

If you’re out and about in London, stroll down to Marine Ices in Chalk Farm for the finest Italian ices made from 100% natural ingredients.

I particularly like their ‘Caribbean Coconut’.

Eating Out…

Listen to up-and-coming Jazz stars at Shanghai Blues in the grade II listed building that formerly held the St Giles library in Holborn. Unwind in the understated luxury of the gently lit room and relax with exceptional service. I love to follow their divine melt-in-your-mouth barbequed chilean sea bass rolls with homemade Jasmine Tea, Sesame or Red Bean ice-cream!

At home…

Impress your guests with home-made Elderflower ice-cream!

Elderflower Ice-cream
(Recipe by Mark Hix from the Great British Menu)

Ingredients:

• 300ml/½ pint whole milk, preferably Channel Island
• 6 medium free-range egg yolks
• 100g/4oz caster sugar
• 300ml/½ pint Jersey or clotted cream, or a mixture of the two
• 200ml/7fl oz elderflower cordial

Here’s how…

For the elderflower ice cream, bring the milk to the boil in a heavy-based saucepan, then remove from the heat. Whisk the egg yolks and sugar together in a bowl, pour in the milk and whisk well. Return to the pan and cook over a low heat for about five minutes, stirring constantly with a whisk. Do not boil. Remove from the heat and whisk in the cream and elderflower cordial. Leave to cool, then churn in an ice cream machine (according to manufacturer’s instructions) until thickened. Decant into a clean container and place in the freezer.

For those of you with a savoury tooth… 

If you’re sweet (and brave) enough, Heston Blumenthal’s Infamous Bacon & Egg Ice-cream has to be done…but it needs no accompaniment!

Since moving to the big smoke in a little house near Borough Market, I’ve been taking full advantage of the fantastic local produce. Just a stone’s throw away the epicurean delights called yet again this weekend, forcing me to succumb to the sensational scents of the bustling market.

You just can’t beat good ingredients cooked by people who really understand food, and on Friday my flatmate (apparently a Master Chef in the making) knocked my socks off with a meal fit for the most particular of palates.

First up was a melt-in-your-mouth fresh pasta dish which oozed lashings of sumptuous St. Gall and parmesan cheeses from Neal’s Yard. This rich dish with broccoli beautifully paired with a bottle of 2006 Viré-Clessé, Sous les Plantes from the Burgundian Bret Brothers  (right). From 70 year old vines, the sumptuous array of tastes and textures stood up beautifully to the rich cheese.

But the real treat was yet to come; a perfectly pink rack of lamb from the Ginger Pig, each cutlet dusted with sprigs of roasted rosemary and perched alongside a refreshing pea and mint puree, a tower of the crispiest of spuds and a sumptuous sweet plumb sauce. Having just got back from a tasting trip in Burgundy, I knew what I wanted with my lamb…and the delicious bottle of 2004 Morey-St. Denis from Dujac Fils et Père was it!

The first sip instantly brought me back to the vineyards I visited a week earlier (Left: With the oldest vine in Burgundy at Arnaud Ente’s La Sève du Clos) and indeed the equally fantastic food found in every Burgundy kitchen, and kudos has to go to my friend Gareth for acheiving that of the Burgundians - the very fine art of food (and wine) appreciation.

Without wanting a rich dessert, but our sweet-teeth getting the better of us, we rounded off the evening with some of Berrys’ Sauternes. While placating the sweeties, its refreshing acidity made it a favourite all-round.

PS. While out there, I also recorded some podcasks of our Burgundy Buyer Jasper Morris MW out and about with wine growers in the vineyards and cellars. Don’t miss them on our podcask page - coming soon!

Above: Tasting wine & recording Jasper & Patrice at Patrice et Michele Rion