Best bites: Langoustine tacos at KOL and canapés at The Good Food Guide Top 20 launch

BiBo Shoreditch

It’s not every day you get to learn from a true master of their trade, but in the terracotta-coloured courtyard of BiBo Shoreditch I learned how to make paella with the very lovely Dani Garcia. He was chatty and patient in his explanation of how special bomba rice should be used, and explained that the meat or fish must be added to the paella last minute to avoid over cooking. He talked too of the crisp socarrat at the bottom of the pan – the crunchy, fat-imbued rice at the bottom might well be the best bit. While our dishes gently bubbled in the background, we snacked on slices of jamón Ibérico, pan con tomate, croquetas, and prawns with chilli aioli. When finally ready, a few generous spoonfuls of paella landed on our plates: inky black octopus, and wild boar and bone marrow. Conversations of Barcelona versus Real Madrid and cheffing at Sergio Ramos’ wedding merrily rounded off a good evening. 
Molly Wade, memberships manager
CODE was a guest of BiBo Shoreditch
BiBo Shoreditch is available on the CODE app

Moro Dishpatch Box

I walk past Moro twice a day and I always think how inviting it looks. Having now had their Dishpatch box I at least feel like I’ve made an honorary visit to the Exmouth Market stalwart. The tagine was full of warm spices and the lamb melted in the mouth. The labneh was refreshing, mopped up alongside everything else with a haul of pillowy flat breads. The best part of it all was that it only took 25 minutes to make.
George Gill, operations coordinator
CODE was a guest of Moro

KOL

The anticipation of my booking at KOL rose as I stood in a packed Groucho club for The Good Food Guide awards. KOL placed 19th, with exceptional ratings across the board. Upon my visit, high expectations were met, and possibly exceeded. I haven’t been to Mexico, but the country’s food is certainly having a moment in London. For me, KOL delivered a knock-out blow to all other tacos in the capital. My favourite on the menu was one comprising fresh langoustine, smoked chilli, and sea buckthorn. I was invited to squeeze the head of the langoustine on the taco to finish it off. I’m not sure I’ve experienced the same level of flavour anywhere else. It was a near-perfect two bites.
Harry Cromack, account manager

The Groucho Club

There is something faintly enchanting about canapés. Put together well, and they are pocket rockets: minute flavour bombs for our waiting mouths. Snacks are a true passion of mine and canapés fit snugly into this category. I enjoy the fact that with one or two-bite morsels, there is nowhere to hide; equally, rarely are they overkill, because their power is in their precision. At The Good Food Guide Top 20 awards on Monday night, there were canapés. There was some sort of sea bass ceviche on a white china spoon, and tiny sausage rolls with a tamarind-heavy brown sauce. There were also mini quiches. No, not refined. No, hardly majestic in their provenance. But I simply adore a mini quiche. These ones were filled with peas. I ate three on the bounce and then mooched off home all full of dainty pastry.
Josh Barrie, editor

Pivot British Bar & Bistro

I went for an early dinner at Mark Greenaway’s Pivot British Bar & Bistro in Covent Garden on Wednesday. Sat in a cosy banquette upstairs of the townhouse overlooking the piazza, we started with a seafood feast of Cornish oysters, grilled langoustines and Scottish smoked salmon which went very nicely with a glass of grüner veltliner. This was followed by a saffron seafood broth and wild mushrooms on toast with salt baked celeriac and truffle. The wild mushrooms were a delicious celebration of autumn. For dessert, we had sticky toffee pudding with custard, which was a perfectly indulgent ending. The three-course pre-theatre menu is £28 per person, which feels like pretty good value considering the quality of the fresh seasonal produce. There is also now Pivot Bar downstairs which has an all-day menu including sandwiches, pies and bar snacks and turns into a bar at night with a selection of small plates. It’s simple, honest and homely British food.
Alice Hale, production assistant
CODE was a guest of Pivot British Bar & Bistro

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