My Favourite Restaurant in London

My boyfriend and I are sometimes hard to please when it comes to eating out. For a start, my other half doesn't like chain restaurants so sometimes when you are starving and just want some food, it is excruiatingly painful to have to walk past restaurant after restaurant that can satisfy my hunger. Secondly (as you all probably guessed) is the gluten-free issue and the killer question, 'is this gluten-free?' which leaves many staff running for the exits. Thirdly, is his height: let's just say he'd be at home in a basketball team! We always have to check that his legs will fit under the table, then which side is easier for him to sit in and where can he sit so he won't obstruct the staff and other diners. In small restaurants, it can be a bit of a mission.

Now last night, we booked a table at a restaurant Brawn that we had tried to go to before but got turned away as they were so busy. This time we booked ahead. Walked in and did the checklist: not a chain, height..fine and the gluten-free aspect taken care of with complete aplomb. The menu came back with the glutenous items crossed out and when we placed our orders they were quick to spot one of them contained gluten and checked whether that was ok (which it was as it was for him not me).

After the arrival of our bottle of red, came the starter of a platter of charcuterie with a brawn (pig's head) terrine, salami and a pork paté and of course some bread for the gluten one. Next came main courses, mine was a black brawn dish with braised red cabbage and a green caramelised apple and his was pig trotters with some salad. The plates looked quite small but even a quarter of the way through we were both struggling to finish our meals. Although we did manage to find space for a delicious chocolate ganache with nuts, cream and meringue which we shared because we were about to explode!

I cannot put into the words how delicious the food is here but having been to plenty of London restaurants we both decided that Brawn is by far the best.