Picture the scene: you're going out to eat at one of London's hippest new restaurants. You've dressed up and are ready for a night of intimate fine dining – trouble is, first you've got to find the place and unlike Covent Garden, there are no helpful tourist signs in the maze of quiet residential streets in Kilburn, Dalston or Brixton.
One of the best is an Italian one called Salento .
it caters for only five guests in a small victorian cottage near highbury fields , there was Gina a marketing manager in the city , John a youth player for Arsenal , Jim an accountant and Peter a computer expert and Petra a bar keeper ; we started with an anti pasto of sliced ham and figs then a truly great pasta with fresh tomatoes and another one with cima di rapa (above)
Then a great Italian frittata with a nice Italian salad of oranges and fennel .
there was an Italian macedonia fruit salad with maroschino at the end. Wine was a basic Montipulciano but you can bring your own. Cost per person was only 10 pounds .The owner is an abstract painter and you get a painting as a present on your first evening.
This was the best I have ever been to and easy to get to as its near Drayton Park tube station or Arsenal tube station. There was home baked bread as well and a very good cheese board .Coffe was superb Italian blend and everyone got a small bag of coffee to take home after brandy . After , sometimes, the owner puts on a DVD on his big screen telly , the film is decided in advance . The other night we watched "Battleship Potemkin"
Then a great Italian frittata with a nice Italian salad of oranges and fennel .
there was an Italian macedonia fruit salad with maroschino at the end. Wine was a basic Montipulciano but you can bring your own. Cost per person was only 10 pounds .The owner is an abstract painter and you get a painting as a present on your first evening.
This was the best I have ever been to and easy to get to as its near Drayton Park tube station or Arsenal tube station. There was home baked bread as well and a very good cheese board .Coffe was superb Italian blend and everyone got a small bag of coffee to take home after brandy . After , sometimes, the owner puts on a DVD on his big screen telly , the film is decided in advance . The other night we watched "Battleship Potemkin"
This is dining out with a difference – underground, "pop-up" restaurants in private homes are the latest foodie fad to hit London.Lots of the places are rip offs and many are shite but you could latch onto a winner, all are about making money , forget the bullshit of breaking even, thats for the tax man By their very nature you won't find any neon signs or overt advertising for these gigs – it's all done by word of mouth and the internet.
Although hot in London, these underground eateries are not new. In the US, roving supperclubs such as The Ghetto Gourmet and Red Box Bistro have sizzling reputations and serious waiting lists.
In Cuba, paladares are as much part of the culture as cigars and mojitos. It's tempting to think that modern supper clubs are just glorified dinner parties, but the unstoppable American Jim Haynes proves this is a myth. He has been running a weekly restaurant from his apartment in Paris for 30 years and has seen 130,000 people pass though his doors.
So why do people go? Is it the atmosphere or the sense of adventure in eating a surprise set menu in a stranger's home? Is it all about the food, or nosiness? Or is it the illicit nature of these borderline legal set-ups?
In many ways, pop-up restaurants are a return to real eating, when dining out was a social event worth dressing up for and getting excited about, and food was about fresh, seasonal ingredients cooked well but without gimmickry. Our restaurant would be the same, partly because we couldn't fit in tables for two, so diners would have to mix and mingle on larger tables – and if they wanted to switch around, that would be fine, too.
.Sheffield Supper Club
Sheffield's first supper club is hosted by the fusion chef and food-lover Komal Khan. Expect traditional Pakistani home cooking in big pans, served al fresco if the weather is behaving itself. £22 a head, with a maximum of 10 diners. sheffieldsupperclub.blogspot.co.uk
The Spice Club Manchester
Manchester's best underground dining experience is run by mother and daughter team Anita and Monica Sawney. They serve beautiful north Indian cuisine in their cosy flat, using fresh, locally sourced ingredients. They also host cookery classes for anyone looking to pick up their skills. Around £35. spiceclubmanchester.com
Moel Faban Supper Club
The food writer and chef Denise Baker-McClearn runs this north Wales supper club on the last Saturday of the month. The dishes are wildly international -– think Burmese spiced fish – but the ingredients are usually local. Numbers are limited to eight. £25 for three courses with coffee.moelfabansuppers.com
Jelly & Gin
A driving force in Scottish guerrilla restaurants, Jelly and Gin's owners, Aoife Behan and Carol Soutar, have a suite of pop-up events in rotation, such as Burgher Burger, in which an established chef leaves their restaurant to cook burgers in a greasy spoon. Tickets for Burgher Burger cost £35, often including drinks such as craft beers. jellyandgin.com
The Camberwell Kitchen Supper Club
A gluten-free supper club held in the flat of the organiser, Rosie, and her boyfriend, Ant. Rosie has coeliac disease and is training to be a dietician, so expect nutritious, delicious gluten-free fare. Seating for 14 at one long table. £25 a head for a cocktail, nibbles and three courses.glutenfreerosie.com
Find a supper club
Visit supperclubfangroup.ning.com for a handy and thorough guide to your nearest supper clubs and underground restaurants, featuring listings from all over the UK, a direct booking link, plus an excellent foodie forum.
Winchester farmers' market
This is one of the UK's largest farmers' markets, with more than 80 producers. You'll be able to source anything you need, from organic watercress to water buffalo. The award-winning producers will be happy to talk menus and make recommendations. All produce is grown or reared within 10 miles of Hampshire. Held on the second and last Sunday of each month, 9am-2pm.
Middle Brook Street and the adjoining car park, Winchester, SO23 8DQ;01420 588671; hampshirefarmersmarkets.co.uk
Pyne's of Somerset
Winner of the Butcher's Plus award at the 2012 Butcher's Shop of the Year awards, this family-run shop carries meat of the highest order: fully traceable beef hung for at least 21 days, free-range Creedy Carver chickens, even a whole hog for roasting if you're feeling ambitious.
Market Way, Junction 24, North Petherton, TA6 6DF; 01278 663050,pynethebutcher.co.uk
The Fine Cheese Company
This dairy mecca has more than 100 British and European artisan cheeses, as well as unpasteurised and vegetarian selections. They also sell the best range of cheese biscuits in the country, made by sister company Artisan Biscuits: herb-scented, spiced, tailor-made for specific cheeses – the kind of detail that will impress your guests. Mailorder available.
29 & 31 Walcot Street, Bath, BA1 5BN; 01225 448748, finecheese.co.uk
Fish for Thought
Not only is all their fish ethically sourced, but Cornish fishmongers Fish for Thought has won a slew of awards for its lobster, turbot, bream, scallops and many more. Deliveries of beautifully filleted and prepared fish can be ordered from its website.
Unit 1, Callywith Gate Business Park, Launceston Road, Bodmin, Cornwall PL31 2RQ; 01208 262202, martins-seafresh.co.uk
Worth Brothers Wines
This Staffordshire gem has more than 400 wines from around the world. Visit its cellars or buy online – there is a handy matching chart for a wide range of dishes.
The Cellars, Cathedral House, Beacon Street, Lichfield, Staffs, WS13 7AA; 01543 262051 worthbrothers.co.uk
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