Smokey BBQ pork belly served with an 'orchard' salad sounded good to me ... when I quizzed my waiter if I should pick this dish, or if  there was another the restaurant was well known for, his reply was "you know the pork belly reminds me of Sundays". My immediate thought, on what was a rather grey and quite nippy London day, was ... ooh that sounds comfy, familiar, family and friendly ... and SOLD! The delightful Richie Davis was my boy wonder waiter at Barbecoa (blurry pic on the right), Jamie Oliver's new restaurant tucked in behind St Paul's Cathedral in The City. Whilst I tried my darndest to snap a pic of the super friendly and knowledgeable Davis he was too fast on his feet to get a clear papparazzi shot (in other words, I failed dismally).

Sporting robata grills, a tandoor oven, fire pits and a Texan smoker ... if you can't stand the heat in the kitchen then I recommend you pull up a chair in the Tom Dixon designed interior and enjoy a fab view of Sr Christopher Wren's architectural wonder. Barbecoa was packed to the char grill with city suits on a Tuesday lunch time ... a fair indication that if there is a recession in the UK then it is apparently being ignored with fabulous abandon. Overall a rather stunning fit out and flamin' good menu, particularly if you're a meat eater. If you're popping into St Paul's to say one then I would be praying this is on your lunch agenda.

P.S. As a side note, when the POD is out pounding the pavements of various cities around the globe looking for retail inspiration sometimes she gets a little foot weary but this was definitely worth the walk to get there. Barbecoa is a joint venture by Jamie Oliver and Adam Perry Lang. The web site tells the story in a lot more detail.