Bumpkin - Banging Ribs and Burnt Burgers

The Eatery:Bumpkin South Kensington, 102 Brompton Road, London, SW7 3RD
The Site: http://bumpkinuk.com
The Companion: Great for lunch with a group of pals or the family
The Dolla: Around £35 per head
MCM Rating: 3.8/5

Today I went for a BIG Sunday lunch with the family at Bumpkin . Always good to end a weekend having eaten so much you're no longer able to move. There's a lovely atmosphere at Bumpkin, it has a sort of smart/casual feel that makes you feel instantly relaxed.

Everyone felt like an afternoon full of comfort food so we started off with a plate of ribs to share. This was a pretty generous portion, plenty of meat on the bone and the sauce was tangy, tasty and full of flavour (I kept the little pot of extra sauce for chip-dipping)! Delicious!

For the main course I went for a a burger and that's where it fell a little bit flat; the chips were under-done! More importantly, they wouldn't serve the burger medium-rare but said they would cook it pink, when it arrived  it was far too overcooked for my liking. The good thing was; it came with a fluffy brioche bun, a drizzle of delicious sauce some salad and a gherkin...I love a gherkin.

To finish off this naughty Sunday meal we went for a Sticky Toffee Pudding with Salted Caramel Ice Cream. They gave us another generous portion and this was pretty delicous, only complaint; I would have liked a little bit more of the sauce -I'm greedy like that.

The Verdict: I love the atmosphere here, the service was good and staff were lovely. A good choice for a Sunday lunch. Would be great to try some of their more refined dishes next time and see what they can do with a nice piece of fish or a pork belly. In the meantime Bumpkin, STOP BURNING YOUR BURGERS!

MURAKAMI - Sushi, Sake and Skewers

The Eatery: 63-66 Saint Martin's Lane, London WC2N 4JS
The Site: http://www.murakami-london.co.uk
The Companion: A dinner date
The Dolla: A little on the pricey side..around £100 for a meal for two with a bottle of wine
MCM Rating: 3.5/5

Murakami is a modern Japanese restaurant on St Martin's Lane in Covent Garden. If you peer through the window the buzzing atmosphere and the playful decor makes you want a piece of the action.

A good list of cocktails and good fun picking out your plates with your pals. They also have pre-selected menus for groups if you don't fancy arguing over salmon vs tuna.

The menu's made up of sushi, sashimi, grilled skewers and tempura. Loved the presentation but the food was probably a little more impressive on the eye than it was on the palate. 

Everything was beautifully made and perfectly good sushi but the menu and flavours were lacking a little bit of inventiveness and oomph in comparison to the price.

Bottom line; their logo probably sums it up ' live, life, love...oh and there's some sushi too'! Not the new Nobu but you could try it out if you're looking for somewhere with some good atmosphere and satisfactory sushi!