Apart from incredible job satisfaction, one of the best things about being a teacher is that you get a whole week off in February. So, when Wine Geek went back to work on Thursday, I headed into London with fellow colleagues and ladies who lunch, Vics and Rochey. This time, our destination was Bubbledogs on Charlotte Street.

As with many of these fashionable fast food places, Bubbledogs does not take bookings. Luckily, it was only a short wait for a great table and we easily idled away the minutes taking in the cool décor (all exposed brick and blackboards) and eyeing up the menu (not extensive but all very tempting). There was a sticky moment when we were asked to give up our table before we even got it to a family who had arrived shortly after us. Luckily, Vicky doesn’t take any crap from Year 9 or cute French waiters so the family behind us just had to wait a while longer.
As the name implies, Bubbledogs is all about champagne and hot dogs, a fabulous combination. The wine menu features a wide range of fizz, arranged under sub headings such as ‘a lick of chalk and stones’, ‘ripe fruit bowl’ and ‘touch of spice.’ We selected a 100% Chardonnay blanc de blancs from the ‘so fresh, so clean’ section and it certainly lived up to its billing – delicate bubbles and a pure crisp taste. Fortified by fizz, we studied the menu with care and concentration, finally opting for one New York Original (onions and sauerkraut), one Reuben (sauerkraut, Russian dressing and Swiss Cheese) and one BLT (bacon, lettuce and truffle mayo). In the interests of research, we also ordered all three of the sides on offer (tots, sweet potato fries and coleslaw). The food was all delicious; we left one tiny potato tot to be polite.
Having finished the bubbles and the dogs, it felt like a natural progression to cross the road to the stylish Charlotte Street Hotel for a few afternoon cocktails to finish our lovely lunch. Oh, and don’t feel too sorry for Wine Geek; I picked up a Baker Street lamb samosa for him on the way home!