King Crimson were the first garage band I ever heard. That may sound a little odd, let me explain. It was the summer of 1970 and in a break from the never ending summer holiday football match we assembled in Eric’s dads garage. Eric had something he thought we should hear. He carefully thread the reel to reel tape through the heads of the tape machine and hit play. What happened next was to eventually lead 49 years later to the Royal Albert Hall in 2019. Erupting, and I can think of no better word for how I felt at the time, from the speakers was the opening riff of 21st Century Schizoid Man. Eric’s dad hated it so much that he wouldn’t have it played in the house so Eric in his wisdom had copied the album to tape so that he could listen to it in the relative safety of the garage. I was hooked, I’d never heard anything like it, King Crimson immediately became my new favourite band. Unlike many other favourite bands they persisted. There have been times when I haven’t played the the albums very much as others but they’ve always been there and I like to think my listening has evolved along with them.
I have been fortunate to see the current three drummer incarnation several times in recent years. Their three nights at the Royal Albert Hall as part of their 50th anniversary celebrations was too good an opportunity to miss. My dilemma was which of the three nights to choose, in retrospect it should perhaps have been all three, but after much deliberation I chose the middle one. They did not disappoint.
The Royal Albert Hall is such an iconic venue and was once described by someone a lot clever than me as “the nations village hall”. It is truly magnificent inside and it immediately becomes apparent why they chose such such a venue for their only appearances in the UK on this celebratory world tour. A lot of the audience are of a certain age, people that grew up with the band, much as I did, and are still with then fifty years on. That says something but it’s not just the ‘old timers’ that are here, they have attracted many ‘younger’ listeners to their unique brand of what I guess is still called progressive music.
The stage set up is not overly fussy with the there drummers front of stage and the rest of the band in the back line. There is no light show, the stage slighting remains unchanged all evening save for the final section of Starless when the stage becomes bathed in a rich red, dare I say crimson, light.
I don’t propose to review the music, I’ll leave that to others more qualified than I, save to say they were bloody good and played for over two and a half hours with one short intermission. I think I chose well, there were many pieces I love to hear and that seminal first album was almost played in its entirety. Oh and the encore was 21st Century Schizoid Man, the one that started it all off. We have come full circle. Heres to the time round.
Should anyone be interested you can discover what they played here.
Covent Garden ranks among the top tourist destinations in London. It actually covers quite a large area but many visitors don’t ever go far beyond the famous piazza. Once the home of a fruit, vegetable and flower market the square is now bustling with shops, bars, restaurants and street performers. It can get very busy, especially at weekends, so not surprisingly the best time to visit if you don’t like the crowds is early morning while most people are still tucking in to the hotel buffet breakfast. This gives the best opportunity to savour the area and its buildings which include the Royal Opera House and St Pauls Church which is also known locally as the Actors Church.
Beyond the piazza there is so much more to enjoy, especially in the narrow streets in and around Seven Dials. It is such a lovely area to wander around with its eclectic mix of independent retailers, restaurants, coffee shops and bars. Here are some of my personal favourites in and around the Covent Garden area.
Timberyard (7 Upper St Martins Lane). Proudly providing workspaces for remote workers and digital nomads this is so much more than a café. The window area is consequently always busy with customers working away on laptops but the central area, with its multi coloured seating, is designated as laptop free for those that want to indulge in the art of conversation. Not only is the coffee here excellent, with beans from East End Coffee, there is also a very good range of food and snacks. Oh and the service here is superb.
Monmouth Coffee (27 Monmouth Street). An institution in Seven Dials having opened as long ago as 1978 when they roasted beans in the basement and brewed coffee in the shop above. The roasting is now undertaken elsewhere but the coffee in the shop remains as good as ever. They take pride here in sourcing coffee from small independent growers around the world so there is always something new on offer. The only downside is that the shop is small with only a limited amount of seating but the coffee is so good no one really minds.
Compagnie des Vins Surnaturels (Neal’s Yard). This delightful courtyard, named after seventeenth century developer Thomas Neale, is picture perfect complete with climbing plants, hanging baskets and planters. This makes it a popular haunt and it is well worth a visit. Home to numerous cafés, and health food outlets it also houses Compagnie des Vins Surnaturels wine bar and restaurant. The menu here is largely French as is the excellent wine list. It is ideal for a quick glass at the end of a busy day seeing the sights. They have a great selection of champagnes here if you feel like celebrating or just fancy some bubbles.
Neals Yard Dairy ( 17 Short’s Gardens). London has some great cheese shops and this is one of them. Specialising in mainly British and Irish cheeses it is a great place to come if you want to discover more about local products. They also offer courses but for those you will have to travel to their other outlet in Borough Market.
The Cross Keys (31 Endell Street). The demise of the great British pub has been well documented in recent years. If you want to a see an example of why they should be wholeheartedly supported and preserved look no further than the Cross Keys. The exterior is enticing enough in itself with its lush vegetation and floral hanging baskets. You could almost be excused for not being able to locate the door. Inside it has real character with plenty of pictures, instruments, mirrors and bric a brac. A real feast for the eyes. The beer is pretty good too.
10 Cases (16 Endell Street). Restaurant, shop, wine bar, there is something for everyone here. For me though its all about the wine. Not content to serve the same wines all the time the philosophy here is one variety and exploration. The wines change frequently, are always excellent and prices are reasonable compared to many similar establishments in central London. It does get quite busy as people leave work so getting in can sometimes be a challenge but it is well worth it.
Hawksmoor (11 Langley Street). Located in there basement of the former Watney-Combe brewery this is probably my favourite steak restaurant in the capital and is one that I return to time and again. Prices are not cheap but the quality is high and the cocktails excellent. They also have a very reasonable, if limited, pre and post theatre menu. Always advisable to book ahead here.
Stanfords (7 Mercer Walk). A presence in Covent Garden since 1853, and having recently moved from premises on Long Acre to its current location, this is the number one place for travellers. They have an incredible selection of travel, guides and maps downstairs that you will never be stuck for ideas for where your next destination should be. I love it in here and they also serve a nice line in coffee if you feel you need a little caffeine to help with the browsing and decision making.
Dishoom (12 Upper St Martins Lane). Always popular and busy at any time of day and it is easy to see why. A Bombay styled café in the heart of London serving delicious Indian food that you won’t find on more traditional restaurant menus. The no reservation policy except for parties of ten or more means you may have to wait for a table but its well worth it. Go for breakfast/brunch, it makes for a great start to the day.
Margot (45 Great Queen Street). I went here for an early dinner one evening recently and was very impressed. From the minute you walk in the door the welcome and service are excellent. This is a restaurant that I know I shall be visiting again. The Italian menu has such a good range of dishes that I found making a choice difficult, in the end I went with pasta and wasn’t disappointed as it was perfectly cooked. The wine list offers a good range of wines by the glass.
Rules (34-35 Maiden Lane). Rules can lay claim to be London’s oldest restaurant dating back to 1798. It specialises in traditional British food including a good selection of game. Upstairs is the cocktail bar which to me is one of London’s hidden gems. Unquestionably traditional it is a great place to start an evening even if not eating in the restaurant. The cocktails are wonderful and prepared and presented as they should be. Not cheap but well worth if for a special treat.
Polpo (6 Maiden Lane). Following a delightful negroni at Rules head across the street to Polpo for a selection of Venetian small plates of well crafted Italian food. The atmosphere here is casual, relaxed and informal and the food is always good and the bill won’t break the bank.
Champagne + Fromage (22 Wellington Street). An excellent selection of grower champagnes together with a menu that includes cheese and charcuterie boards, salads and baked cheeses. Buy by the glass or bottle you can’t go wrong here if you are a fan of champagne and who isn’t?
In a world where restaurants seen to come and go in the blink of an eye there is something reassuring about Le Caprice in London’s Piccadilly. A feature on Arlington Street for over thirty years it stands as a testament to the fact that if you give people what they want they will come back again and again. My visit last week was the first in a number of years but it hadn’t changed much, still as busy as ever and we were extremely lucky to get a table for lunch without a reservation. There are still the celebrity photographs on the walls but it is so much more than that, it is a calm and relaxing dining room despite being busy, where service is attentive without being overbearing. It is so comfortable that you want to come back, maybe not next week, but it will always be on the list of restaurants to visit in London.
The menu has a certain familiarity about it with some well chosen specials of the day. There is something for everyone in what might be described as a modern British style. The cooking is good and consistent across the dishes we had. The tuna ceviche had lovely balance with the chilli complementing and enhancing rather than overpowering with its heat. The John Dory, perhaps my favourite fish, was just excellent, perfectly cooked and with a chorizo croquette that had crispness with a beautifully smooth filling. To finish the Seville orange almond cake was perfectly moist and the olive oil ice cream was subtle and delicate.
Tuna Ceviche, Avocado, Chilli and Lime
Deep fried ricotta stuffed zucchini flower, shaved asparagus and tomato
John Dory roasted with cauliflower and chorizo croquette
Roasted baby chicken with broad beans
Seville orange almond cake with olive oil ice cream.
Mixed berry and honeyed mascarpone with apricot ice creams
The relatively short wine list features mainly French wines along with some well chosen bottles from the rest of the world. We went with the Good Ordinary White from nearby merchants Berry Brothers & Rudd. Nothing ordinary here, bags of lime and gooseberry with freshness and a great accompaniment to lunch. As you might expect from its location prices aren’t cheap here but in my view it offers value for money on many levels and I for one will be back one day.
