Restaurant Meal Kits I Have Known And Loved

[Mountain Goat]

Yeah, loads of people had issues with Restokit at Valentine's.

Tommy Banks releases each week's menu on Wednesday morning and often sells out in minutes so keep an eye out and your hopes low. We had Quality Chop House's steak night last night which was lovely ( but it was mainly lovely due to fantastic meat, rather than much added value, if that makes sense). Last week was som saa via Farmdrop which I hugely recommend ( duck massaman curry plus sides/ starter, but they've since changed the menu)- they are doing a different/ bigger option via Dishpatch too now. Before that was Shoryu ramen via Restokit which was meh. Fine ( and cheap!) bit nothing very special.

[Rebel Pebble]

I'm looking at getting one of these for my birthday in a couple of weeks' time. My only experience until now was Cote at Home last summer, which was a pleasant surprise in terms of quality and quantity but maybe not quite as gourmet as some of these, and less prep.

I'm deliberating between Bar Douro, Lima, Petersham La Goccia or Sabor from Restokit, The Elite Bistros menu (from the Guardian list that Ella posted) or maybe Tommy Banks depending on the menu/cost which isn't released yet for 5-6 March. Anyone tried any of these yet? A lot of the Restokit ones ruled themselves out with fish but I don't want just veggie.

As well as Goat's sad Tommy Banks experience, I have an idea that someone else here had delivery issues with Restokit for Valentine's. Couriers are obviously the weak point in this.

Have you looked at London House? My friend said good things about theirs.

Ooh! No, I didn't know they were doing them. Thanks - off to have a look. That would take the courier out of the equation if we could pick it up.

[Rebel Pebble]

Yeah, loads of people had issues with Restokit at Valentine's.

Tommy Banks releases each week's menu on Wednesday morning and often sells out in minutes so keep an eye out and your hopes low. We had Quality Chop House's steak night last night which was lovely ( but it was mainly lovely due to fantastic meat, rather than much added value, if that makes sense).

It's like Sainsbury's C&C slots, April 2020, all over again.

Last week was som saa via Farmdrop which I hugely recommend ( duck massaman curry plus sides/ starter, but they've since changed the menu)- they are doing a different/ bigger option via Dishpatch too now.

Love Thai so will check this out too.

[Lily]

These were all recommended in The Week:

https://lylesprovisions.com/

https://www.santoremedio.co.uk/at-home

https://smokestak.co.uk/

https://www.rickstein.com/steins-at-home/

https://berenjakbazaar.com/

[Ella77]

If you do decide on Restokit, one of us is bound to have a £10 off code, so do check. (I’m sure I’ve got one somewhere.)

[Rebel Pebble]

Oh. The starter on the London House Fri 26th menu is a complete nightmare for me so possibly not.

Soused mackerel fillet with white wine, slightly pickled and served with Cornish crab potato salad and dill Oil

I don't know how far in advance they announce each menu but I don't want to miss my chance with other options and then find they're serving up a fishtastic feast.


Thanks Lils, I'll check those out. Lima and Bar Douro are the lead contenders at the moment I think so the 10% Restokit referral would be great in that case.

[Mountain Goat]

I fancy Lima.

Of those above I've had Santo Remedio and Berenjak and both were fantastic. Berenjak was a revelation in kebab form ( and fun to do).

[Rebel Pebble]

Santo Remedio sounds amazing but Mr R makes a lot of lovely mexican food, it's kind of his thing, so I'd like to go more for something we've been deprived of by not going out.

I'm quite drawn to Berenjak now too.

[Derek Nimmo]

If you're still mulling (/for general interest) a couple of friends very sweetly got me the Andrew Edmunds kit from Dishpatch which was easy but felt very indulgent.

Cauliflower soup, garlic croutons, black olive tapenade

Aged beef wing rib, potato dauphinoise, baby Swiss chard

Chocolate terrine, poached rhubarb, crème fraîche

Only note of criticism is that they need to increase the rhubarb portion

ETA Oh, definitely for general interest as I've just noticed they're sold out friday - sorry!

[Lily]

That sounds SO GOOD.

I wish someone did meal kits for loners who don't have anyone to eat with.

[Ella77]

Just checked and I do have a referral thing for Restokit*, so if anybody wants £10 off their first order (there might be some Ts and Cs), PM me an email address to use.

I think I would get a tenner's credit too, just so you know.


* Order at your own risk, avoiding major holidays .

[Rebel Pebble]

Just checked and I do have a referral thing for Restokit*, so if anybody wants £10 off their first order (there might be some Ts and Cs), PM me an email address to use.

I think I would get a tenner's credit too, just so you know.

* Order at your own risk, avoiding major holidays .

Yeah, thankfully Mothers Day falls the weekend after.

Assuming I don't like or don't manage to snag Tommy Banks on Wed, I think it'll be Restokit so I'll let you know then. Berenjak is shortlisted for Mr R's more barbecue friendly April birthday.

That sounds gorgeous Del. Not surprised they're sold out!

I wish someone did meal kits for loners who don't have anyone to eat with.

I've lost track of exactly where now as I've looked at so many but I've definitely seen "Serves 1" kits and I'm sure some of them are on Restokit. Plus with e.g. the Elite bistros menu it wouldn't take much to get to the free delivery price, even ordering for one.

[Mountain Goat]

Definitely worth signing up to Dishpatch to get email updates, as they sell out of the best ones really quickly. (I've got the Ottolenghi coming for the last weekend in March).

Pez does a few kits for one (Pez is mostly Asian food and generally pretty cheap/one dish rather than a three course meal BUT has a minimum order that is more than most of its meal kits, which is aggravating). Most of them (generally, not specifically Pez) are designed to last 3 days or so so you could splash out on a meal for two and feast on it over the weekend?

I did the Berenjak on the grill no problem but barbecue would be amazing.

[Suzi.Q]

I’ve ordered a six by nico meal for March.

[Mountain Goat]

That looks lovely, that is pretty much my ideal Italian meal. I'd never heard of the restaurant and googled and apparently the poor sods had their London opening last March - what timing.

[Lily]

Thanks Rebs, I'll take a look.

[Suzi.Q]

That looks lovely, that is pretty much my ideal Italian meal. I'd never heard of the restaurant and googled and apparently the poor sods had their London opening last March - what timing.

We ate at the one in Manchester for my birthday in November, just before everything got shut down again and it was really good. The theme was Indian food then.

[Rebel Pebble]

Oh, it's like Ocado April 2020, not Sainsbury's Good old Queue-it.

Screenshot 2021-02-24 at 09.00.27.png

At least Ocado used to tell you how long the queue was.

[Mountain Goat]

I got that a few weeks ago when I had no idea they had such demand now (it used to be easy to get stuff!) and casually logged in around 10 and found myself 7,000th in the queue, with most boxes already sold out.

I have Honest Burgers' Fondue Burger (feb special) coming today for tomorrow, and next Friday I have booked Hoppers (good food prices, extortionate £15 delivery fee wherever you are/whatever you spend - I almost changed my mind but by that point my stomach had its hopes up. )

[Rebel Pebble]

I loved Hoppers when we went there in person but that is quite the delivery fee!

After all that the Tommy Banks menus didn't do it for me so I've gone for Lima via Restokit.