Tuttons Covent Garden, London

Now go put on some warm clothes and bring your brolly, because you are going to brave the autumn rain and come have a meal with me.

The venue is Tuttons, which sits at a very prime location, there at the east side of Covent Garden Square. We are going to have traditional English food and we are going to talk about absolutely nothing, just sit back, relax, eat, laugh and eat some more.

I’ve walked pass Tuttons ample times, but not sure why I never headed in for tea or a pork cutlet (at different times, not together). The interior is elegant, dignified and stately, whilst the ambience exudes casualness and vivacity. It’s a restaurant where we can both rest assured that we’ll not have to worry about the clinking sound of our cutlery or have to look around from the corner of our eyes when the server brings us our third dessert or second wine. In Tuttons, people are contented with their food, so they focus more on themselves, instead of everybody around them. 

We will have three courses, ok? If you’re a little adventurous, I’ll get you some Black Pudding Dumpling. I am a little more fussy, I want something light and zingy, but flavourful and creamy to start the evening, so I think I’ll go for the Croxton Manor Goat’s Cheese Curd, which is a plate of greens – pomegranate, asparagus, sun-blushed tomato with lemon dressing and, of course, morsels of goat cheese.

It certainly looks healthy and refreshing, but I could do with some stronger cheese and a little less slices of raw onion.

Look, how shiny your bacon strip is! Go ahead and take a bite and savour it. You’ll hear the dulcet, cracking sound as you chew. And please slow down so you can let it fill your palate with a meaty, smokey taste, so full of pleasure it’s not overly salty or greasy. I promise you’ll love it.

Then comes the black pudding. I have never been a fan of black pudding until I sampled one from the Wolesley (we shall leave this till another time so I don’t come across as someone too touristy in London, alright?) and now, here in Tuttons. I am not sure whether it’s a fancy food or a staple of northern breakfast here in the UK (so if you know, please pop a comment!). As squeamish as it sounds, the taste is quite the opposite. It has a texture akin to sausages, quite crumbly and is spiced up with pepper. It goes very well with the buttered cabbage, so give it a try. A tenner that you’ll like it.

Now let’s sweep our starter plates clean and we’ll call for the mains.

A comforting 8oz Beef Burger for you, with sweet-cured bacon, mature cheddar and skinny chips. I really fancy the caramelised onion, there in the middle, so I bet you will too.

As for me, I’ll have the grilled Dingley Dell Pork Cutlet.

Look at this chunk of meat! Aren’t you salivating at it already? It comes with mashed potatoes, caramelised apple and red wine sauce. The crispy herb on top is a sage on the pork, like icing on the cake, only will it add points to the dish as a whole.

For desserts, I pick a Glazed Apple and Almond Tart, and a Dark Chocolate Cherry Tart to share.

I always love sharing desserts because that’s the best way to try out more sweets without stuffing oneself to the limit or bordering on guilt and discomfort.

The apple and almond tart comes with a dollop of ginger Chantilly cream, while the chocolate cherry tart comes hand in hand with crème fraîche. They look dashing together, don’t they? So please be generous and let them dance the night away on your tongue. 

I hope you’ve enjoyed the dinner so far. I won’t say it’s the best restaurant in town but it’s definitely a worthy one where you could swing by on an evening when your fridge runs out of food. You’ll be in good hands, that’s for sure, for the staffs of Tuttons are always ready to serve a comforting plate to warm you up on a rainy autumn night. 

With love x 

Address: 11/12 Russell Street, Covent Garden, London, WC2B 5HZ. Opening hours: Mon to Sun – 8 to 11.30pm, Fri to Sat – until midnight. They also do breakfast, lunch and pre-theatre menu. Reservation is recommended at 0207 632 2081.