On May 18th 2020 I’ll be the ripe old age of 32. Whilst not an important milestone by any stretch of the imagination, it would be nice to make it feel a little more special than the rest of these long working-from-home days. SO, we got to thinking, what would our dream lockdown birthday look like?
We’re super lucky in that so many of the fabulous restaurants near us are now offering a delivery service, so we’ve got some very tough decisions to make. These are the ones that are in the mix – and let’s face it, by the end of this lockdown, we’ll have got through the lot (and we suggest you do the same!)
Baked good don’t come more pimping than those from Pophams, so we’ll 100% be starting the day with a maple bacon croissant delivered to our door. Of course, it would be a crying shame to miss out on their pasta so we’ll be ordering the wild garlic and goats cheese cannelloni for two, a round of pre-made negronis and a speciality cheese selection with their sourdough crackers for good measure.
Yard Sale have long been one of our favourites however they’ve really stepped up to the mark during the COVID-19 pandemic, offering contactless deliveries and keeping our lovely local frontline NHS staff fed with free pizza drops each week. We’ll be ordering our 18inch half and half speciality of TSB and Holy Pepperoni (thank us later), washed down by an ice cream sandwich.
We can’t think of anyone doing Thai food better in east London than the boys behind Kra Pow. Specialising in cuisine from the north in particular, the delivery menu is a little smaller than the restaurant version but you can still get your chops around the vegan night market aubergine, buttermilk Thai fried chicken and coconut noodle soup.
You’ll have to move quickly if you’re keen to get this three-course cuisine delivered to your door. There’s a new menu each week, appearing on Sunday at 9pm and so far it’s been a complete sell-out. You can expect the likes of broccoli salad with wild mushroom & five spice vinaigrette, taramasalata, fermented shimeiji and toasted seeds, followed by apple cider-braised pork belly on a warm lentil salad with tiramisu for dessert. Each comes with a recommended wine pairing if you’re feeling particularly fancy.
Only open for Friday and Saturday dinner as well as Sunday brunch, Bistrotheque are serving the likes of roast chicken with confit garlic and rocket and hash brown with charred corn and crème fraiche. YUM! You can also order dessert or a stack of pancakes and there’s packages such as the ‘boozy brunch’ which come with two meals, dessert and bloody mary’s!
With a selection of deli favourites, set menus and dishes to finish at home, Laughing Heart have you covered if you’re after a romantic night in (well we’re not going out are we). They’ll even provide the candles, wine glasses and pink napkins. Ooh la, la. A few bottles of skin-contact wine are an essential add-on.
We fell a bit in love with this Dalston newbie when we visited late last year and the good news is, all our favourite dishes are now available to takeaway! Available Monday to Saturday from lunch until dinner, we’ll be starting with all the mezze before demolishing a plate of fish koftas and chocolate mousse for dessert.
Let’s be honest, going to the effort of making a roast dinner with all the trimmings is not only a right faff but nigh on impossible when it comes to sourcing ingredients right now. So instead, we’ll be leaving it in the very capable hands of Jones & Sons, or Jones at Home as their new delivery service is now known. We particularly like the sound of the spinach and ricotta wellington but will half to order a side of mac & cheese too. Although it’s not all about the Sunday lunch – the main menu is available from Wednesday through to Saturday.
We’re going to let you into a little secret. We’re pretty ashamed of this fact but there’s no way around it. We’ve never actually tried those legendary QCH confit potatoes. I know, I know, it’s shameful. Good news though, this sexy steak package includes your choice of meat, those infamous spuds and a bottle of red. Date night, sorted.
We adored these guys when we visited IRL so we’re pretty confident a delivery will tide us over until we can return. They even have a ‘Birthday Party’ package which includes 2 x Three Sheets cocktails, a bottle of wine, a multi-course meal deal to feed two AND a random gift from their warehouse. What says lockdown birthday better? You can also buy dishes individually, as well as wine, cheese and cleaning products.
Stoke Newington’s Ceres have gone down the takeaway route and we are most excited by the Oyster & Wine bundle they’ve launched! Aside from that, you can expect substantial mains such as duck breast or lamb shank, cheese and baked goods.
I love pie so very much. Can’t ever be arsed to make my own though so thankfully The Clarence (a cracking Stoke Newington boozer) are doing it for us. Chicken & leek gets my vote but there’s also the veggie-friendly artichoke & chard pie and if pie doesn’t do it for you (who even are you?) the likes of salt cod stew and 7-hour lamb surely will. They’re also taking care of the sides (hello dauphinois potatoes!) and pud by way of tiramisu for three. They haven’t stopped there though, you can also stock up on kitchen and bathroom essentials.
