Date night at Duck & Waffle

Every night is date night, right? Not always. Although P and I do spend an inordinate amount of time (and money) eating out (I've actually lost count of the places I wanted to write up and then just ran out of time on). We just can't help ourselves at the moment.

We're planning to curb our enthusiasm a little when we move in together in just over two weeks (eek!). I am already dreaming of all the amazing meals we're going to cook up in our kitchen (with the cutest open shelving) and avoid the temptation to order in every night. But there's one place that I will never have a problem about going back to time and time again and it's the perfect date night destination - Duck & Waffle.

Doubtless you've seen all the selfies and sunsets on Instagram. With it being 40 floors above the city and open 24 hours all year round, the views are astounding and the gastronomic possibilities are endless.

We started yesterday's evening with a Woodland Negroni and a Daily Grind. Nestled in a moss-lined wooden bowl with a heady fragrance of ferns and meadows, this smoother than smooth campari was a dream. Cocktail genius Rich makes it with 'damp gin', campari and sweet vermouth and slow drips it through all sorts of flora as part of this season's 'Urban Foraged' collection. P, whose drink choices always tend to come in the most feminine of glasses, wasn't quite as keen on his cocktail which came topped with crushed coffee dregs (but that's only because mine was better).

No biggie though as D&W never disappoints. Just look at the guanciale and Welsh goat's cheese bread. Cured pork cheek is layered onto the dough and baked to order and oozing with tangy saltiness. Cutting into the still hot from the oven loaf, we always have to fight over who gets the last tear.

Particularly useful for finishing the last of the foie gras creme brulee. This small pot contains one of the most delectable dishes, worth hankering over with its smooth, meatiness. The cracked shards of sugar cut through the silkiness to add crunch and the heavy brioche with its pork crackling top serves as the perfect vessel from table to mouth.

We also had the seared octopus with raw fennel and chilli. I was too busy eating to take a photo but it was sharp and fresh with citrus and salad, complementing the meatiness of the cephalopod which had the lightest of smokes and crisps.

Next up was the pea and mint ravioli with brown butter crumble. I'm still trying to work out quite how they got this bowl of pasta quite so light and fresh tasting; no carb comas here but sweetness from the fresh peas and an undertone of buttery richness. Predictably, this was swept up and devoured.

We finished the last of our beautiful bottle of Ribeauville Gewurztraminer wine along with a British cheese plate. No time to waste, putting this new found love of Alsacien wine into practice.

So, another delicious date night. Normally I'd be aching to get another booking in the diary to do it all over again. This time? I don't have to wait - next week, we're showing off to clients and introducing them to a world of pig's ears, smoked eel and that duck and waffle dish.

Duck and Waffle

Some people set sensible resolutions: 'I'll work out', 'I'm doing dry January', 'I'll eat well'. I didn't set myself any of those unless you count my interpretation of eating well to be eating at great places rather than turning to the rabbit food. It's been a mixed bag so far but this week really kicked things off - first with a great meal at Tozi and then with what was firmly one of the best meals I've ever eaten at Duck and Waffle.

Our late night reservation had been weeks in the making so by the time Saturday night rolled around, I was raring to hit the lift up to the 40th floor and survey my stomping ground below. For the uninitiated among you, Duck & Waffle sits pretty on the 40th floor of the Heron Tower and is open 24/7 so whether you're in need of a morning pick me up, a late night lounge or simply in the mood for a cocktail, this place ticks all the boxes. Just perhaps avoid if you're afraid of heights.

Luckily for us, S and I are huge fans of high places and we decided to raise a toast to our fantastic little corner table which gave us views across the city in two directions (seriously, try and nab one if you can, I promise you it's worth it). And of course, we had to break bread. Fresh out of the oven and deliciously hot nduja and gruyere bread, naturally, before choosing what else to feast upon.

Like a lot of places at the moment, Duck and Waffle is all about the small plates. Big enough to share, not enough to overwhelm and just the right amount to make you fall in love, they came thick and fast from the open kitchen and had us speechless in appreciation.

We kicked off with the achingly smooth Angus beef carpaccio which comes garnished with small spots of truffle, foie gras and pecorino - combinations of woody, earthy flavours that compliment the mild meat brilliantly. This is a dish I could happily eat for the rest of my life. Next up, the roasted octopus - succulent octopus combined with the meaty, almost tomatoey flavours of melting chorizo were melded together with lemon and caper for a bit of bite and mixed with potatoes. I gleefully scooped this up with first fork and then bread while S barely got a look in, because it was such a perfect plate.

Then came the Scotch bhaji - a new twist on the classic Scotch egg that's seeing a surge of popularity at the moment. Cumberland sausage meat encased a beautifully runny yolk, and crispy deep fried onion wrapped the whole thing together. It arrived on the plate like some twining vine with crunchy tendrils to break off and dip into the caramelised onion yoghurt. Fourth was the hugely decadent foie gras creme brulee with lobster  - if ever there was a time to forget the diet, this must be it. The pot of molten pate, topped with the classic sugary crust which satisfyingly split with a crack or two of the teaspoon, demanded simultaneous dipping of the moreish lobster tails and the brioche toast immediately.

Our final dish - and perhaps the one we didn't really need to order because the first four plates were exceptionally filling - was the jerusalem artichoke ravioli. From the 'For the table' part of the menu, this is meant as a sharer and sits alongside the eponymous duck and waffle which (whisper it) we didn't really fancy ordering. Instead, this gorgeous pasta dish came served in a heavy skillet and was topped with charred cauliflower, smoked butter and malt crumble - a sexy comfort food if ever there was and tasty enough to satisfy my meat-loving companion.

I would have loved to have tried one of the desserts - especially the pistachio and dark chocolate macaroon sandwich with drunken cherries - but I was so full from gorging on the fantastic mains that I think it's a brilliant excuse for another visit. Rich (the cocktail maestro) sent us over two delicious cocktails to try: the Duck & Stormy (rum and ginger in a brown bag) and a Removed Aviation (gin, violet and citrus juices) so we graciously sipped on those instead before bowing out at a civilised 1am.

Having looked forward to eating at Duck and Waffle ever since it opened, it definitely didn't disappoint. Dining at height late at night lent itself perfectly to romance and fun in equal measures; the ever-changing atmosphere reflected the ever-changing clientele, and we were bouncing around to Al Green and Mark Morrison from start to finish. The service, as you'd expect, was brilliant - unobtrusive but friendly, polite and there when you needed them and still going after hours on end. My only gripe? That I can't call that little corner table my own and eat there whenever I'd like... Maybe that can be next year's resolution.

& other places: Duck & Waffle, The Lauriston and Stories

Duck & Waffle
It seems that everyone and their cat has been to Duck & Waffle, the bar and restaurant 40 feet high above the city that's open 24 hours. Everyone other than me. I'd been to the fantastic Sushi Samba the floor below on a date but had yet to head upstairs and sample the diurnal delights. Until now. After hitting up The Empress for a birthday meal, my friend Harry and I weren't quite ready to call it a night and a spontaneous decision based on it being 2am in the morning saw us haring over to the Heron Tower in a cab and being whisked upstairs in the blink of an eye. We were just after drinks and were happily ensconced by one of the many windows whilst we sipped on what has to be one of the best cocktails I've ever tasted. The Marmite Black Velvet is a silky little number - a Guinness and marmite reduction served with champagne - that was so inexplicably sumptuous and moreish, I had to order a second. Harry went for the Dark & Stormy twice that comes in a brown paper bag for all your prohibition needs. But two each at two in the morning was enough for both of us and so we called it a night, but not before vowing to return and sample the rest of the ingenious creations on the list.

The Lauriston
Sometimes seeing old friends calls for a pub. And pizza. And where better to go than a place that combines the two? The Lauriston in Victoria Park Village is an eye-catching black fronted building that you can barely miss. We soaked up the evening sun with one of their wood-fired pizzas (aubergine, courgette, peppers and mushroom with added chicken) and the meat deli board (parma ham, bresaola, cotta ham, Milano salami, olives, bresaola, toasted bread and oils and vinegar) before ending up inside and catching the first half of the football. With a shot of tequila for good measure. Naturally.

Stories
You're spoilt for choice on Broadway Market - from bars to delis, fishmongers to butcher shops, there's always somewhere worth checking out. Stories is one of the best brunch spots going - slap bang in the middle of the street, with prime people-watching real estate out front and a cool, airy eatery inside. We'd spent the crazily hot morning cleaning out the old house and getting ready to hand the keys back after two years there. In need of a breather and a beer, we grabbed a table inside and refuelled. The Bloody Marys are build your own (and not bad at £5 a pop) and the brunch menu's available til 4. Ash went for a quinoa and tahini salad with halloumi whilst I went for old favourite avocado on sourdough with chilli flakes, poached egg and cripsy bacon. Brunch of kings, for sure. And washed down with a bottle of ice cold Krusovice, you definitely can't go wrong at Stories.