Tamarai is one of London’s most stylish venues and was voted the best late night bar in UK at the Theme Bar & Restaurant Awards 2008. Designed as hybrid hub – one reinvents itself seamlessly from a fine dining restaurant to a post 11 pm late night bar with an in house DJ and Video Jockey and a late night license till 3 a.m. on Friday and Saturday nights. The restaurant has also been awarded ‘The Best Wine List in London’ by Terry Durack in The Independent on Sunday Food Oscars.

Tamarai and Ketel One Vodka have got together for an exciting new promotion to bring in the summer. All diners who book for this offer at Tamarai will enjoy a complimentary ‘Ketel One Frappe’ sharing cocktail on their table. The ‘Ketel One Frappe’ cocktail is an interesting blend of Raspberry Schnapps, Blackberry Liqueur, Lemonade and Ketel One, one of the world’s best ultra premium vodkas. This is first in the line of many new such promotions planned throughout the year by Tamarai for its guests.

Awarded Best Late Night Bar in UK in 2008 and Best Wine Bar in London by The Independent, Tamarai Bar is one of the most popular late night destinations in London. An in-house DJ and Video Jockey bring alive the multiple LCD screens in the venue with specially created video images synchronized to the music. Tim Atkin MW, one of Britain’s leading wine writers has done the Wine List at Tamarai. The Cocktail Bar List has been compiled by the Gorgeous Group who have created an innovative Pan Asian drinks concept for Tamarai.

The Lobster Pot situated on the corner of a noisy major road junction in Kennington, this rather dirty old grey London building certainly did not lean itself to what I was expecting. I think the fact that the main door was decidedly locked didn’t help. This was looking more like a very suspect area with a “get me out of here” feel. However I needn’t have worried, with a few bangs on the door, it flew open and there in the doorway stood our very excitable host Herve Regent, including huge handlebars moustache and winning smile!

He took us to our table where we were surrounded by the sounds of squarking seagulls. The interior was decked out (if you excuse the pun) of the inside of a large boat complete with portholes and live fish swimming past! On the ceiling hung enormous fishing nets. As we purused the setting a ships loud foghorn blasted into life! Nearly scared the pants of me!

I began to forget the ugly surroundings outside and concentrated on the eight course menu in front of me. I was in awe and had gone to gastro heaven! There’s no mistaking their intention here, every meal is a feast! There is no doubt this guy is a specialist in fish. When most of us are still in the land of nod, Herve is on his early morning wanderings around Billingate Fish Market in the heart of the city to discover some strange new fish to put on the menu.

The surprise came at the end, we actually managed to finish all the eight courses! Fantastic evening, superb service and unusual but delightful surroundings.

Herve even accompanied all six of us across that busy road junction to the waiting taxi’s with the passion only a frenchman can muster.