..and thanks for all the fish...

I owe my recovery to an intensive program I did at 'Charter Harley Street'. They are fantastic and I directly attribute me getting better to the work I did with them. It was fucking hard, intense, painful and challenging. It was the best decision I have ever made in my life and the best investment (they ain't free).

The beauty of the team is that they also don't leave you hanging, there is a thriving after care community held each Wednesday and whenever I can, I go. Timing is a bit iffy regarding food. Group runs from 7 to 8:30 pm and that's exactly the time I would normally eat.

In the winter, I have brought some food and eaten in the Charter kitchen prior to the start of the meeting. Now that it's light and lovely outside, I would rather eat afterwards. The only problem is where to eat - grabbing something on the go for the bus home feels a bit 'meh'. Waiting until I get home and then cooking something is ok, as long as it's a quick 'throw it all together' meal.

I thought meeting the British Boy for dinner at Bonnie Gull would be a good alternative, especially as he was out for drinks with work in the centre. In theory, we were to meet close to Charter, order and get fed quickly. It turned out to be a longer than anticipated 'no food' period. We talked, we observed, we anticipated our meal - it was enjoyable.

The restaurant is intimate with a few tables outside, a few inside and a bar to sit at. The overall feel is light and summary and the waiters were friendly. The drinks sounded fantastic (Gin with thyme anyone?) and the wine list looked great too.

Bonnie Gull

 Because it was so late in the evening when we sat down, we opted for mains only. I had the crab with shack mayonnaise and toasted sourdough and the British Boy ordered the hake.

1kg crab with shack mayonnaise

Hake with burnt butter, elderflower and asparagus. Summer on a plate.

The dishes looked amazing and the whilst Max' delivered on presentation and taste, my crab was sadly raw in some places. As the cook was unable to recover it, the team kindly took Max' wine off the bill. The crab I was able to eat was lovely and the mayonnaise gave it that added dimension - I ate it all and enjoyed it, crabby fingernails and all (mmh, on that thought, I would have totally appreciated one of those lemony water bowls that make you look totally naff when flopping the fingers in to try and wash off the fishiness). Overall, this is not the cheapest place (£19 for the Hake, £20 for the crab) and I was disappointed by the raw shellfish. Nonetheless, I would give it a second chance once it's scallops season because I liked the atmosphere and that they offered compensation for the hiccup.