The Mondrian has opened its ship inspired five star hotel in the old Sea Containers building right on the river near Blackfriars Bridge. It’s a pleasant, if not a little showy, hotel with a large tin covered ship’s hull running all the way along the reception and through to the restaurant. The dining room is all open plan with a semi open kitchen and lively … Continue reading Sea Containers at The Mondrian
Established in 1798, Rules is London’s oldest restaurant and even featured in an episode of Downton Abbey; the highlight of a long and lustrous existence you could say (jovial winky face!). It was a handsome restaurant with velour banquette seating and plush carpets. Hundreds of framed pictures and paintings, along with deer heads, hung on the wood panelled walls; it felt like old fashioned glamour. … Continue reading Rules, Covent Garden
China Tang is a Chinese restaurant which resides in the basement of the Dorchester Hotel on Park Lane. We’ve been meaning to go for quite a while now and after a recent meal at A. Wong in Pimlico, we found ourselves craving a bit of dim sum so we popped down for lunch. It was a pretty and quaint restaurant; the dining room felt like … Continue reading China Tang, Park Lane
Antidote is a wine bar and restaurant just off Carnaby Street. There have been rumours that Michelin starred chef Mikael Jonsson of Hedone in Chiswick is currently heading – or is just about to take over – the kitchen so we thought we’d pop along for a spot of Saturday lunch to check it out. Upstairs is the dining room which offers only a set … Continue reading Antidote, Carnaby Street
Chiltern Firehouse is the restaurant inside the new hotel with the same name in Marylebone by André Balazs and it’s run by head chef Nuno Mendes. I was sad when I heard he was leaving Bethnal Green’s Viajante and Corner Room but after seeing this new venture, I can understand why he did – it’s pretty amazing. The hotel wasn’t open yet on our visit … Continue reading Chiltern Firehouse
Sixty One is the latest restaurant from the Searcys group (they run the restaurant at the top of the Gherkin) and it’s based inside an unassuming looking hotel near Marble Arch, called the Montcalm. It was a pretty restaurant inside and although the place was quiet during my weekday lunch, the atmosphere didn’t feel awkward; it was relaxed and almost tranquil. There were straw placemats … Continue reading Sixty One
Bermondsey Street isn’t short of great places to fill your gut, what with the likes of Jose, Pizzaro, Casse-Croûte and Zucca, but one thing the street has certainly been missing is pizza – until now. The Gianelli family have opened an Italian restaurant (complete with pizza oven) called Ticino right opposite their wholesale bakery that they’ve owned for over thirty years. The ground floor … Continue reading Ticino, Bermondsey Street
I’ve heard from many a trusted source that Goodman is arguably London’s finest steakhouse, yet I’d never actually been. Seeing as my parents were down in London for the weekend, I decided to rectify that and booked us in for a bit of beef at their Mayfair restaurant (there’s also a Goodman in Canary Wharf and The City). The restaurant had the perfect atmosphere; loud … Continue reading Goodman, Mayfair
Honey and Co. is a restaurant near Great Portland Street which specialises in food from the Middle East. Husband and wife team, who are both based in the kitchen, run the place and as it’s proving to be rather popular, I was looking forward to our Saturday lunch. As we walked down a quiet, sleepy street we nearly walked past the place as it wasn’t … Continue reading Honey and Co.
Hixter, which is just a short stroll from Liverpool Street, is the latest restaurant from Mark Hix. It’s based on the same idea as his other restaurant Tramshed; specialising in just chicken and steak – that’s Swainson House Farm chicken and Glenarm Mighty-Marbled steak to be precise. The restaurant was a pretty little thing; giant paintings of smiley faces hung on the exposed brick walls and … Continue reading Hixter, City
After the closure of the Chancery Court Hotel on High Holborn, the Rosewood has taken its place, and what a beauty of a hotel it is too. Housed inside this stunning building is the equally stunning Holborn Dining Room, which is the latest venture from Des McDonald – the man behind The Fish and Chip Shop in Islington. It was a huge restaurant which had … Continue reading The Holborn Dining Room
Whatley Manor is a manor house hotel and spa based in the Cotswolds and it’s home to The Dining Room, which has held two Michelin stars since 2009. The restaurant is only open for dinner from Wednesday – Sunday and never for lunch which seemed such a shame as we couldn’t take in the full beauty of the surroundings as we arrived in darkness. We … Continue reading The Dining Room at Whatley Manor
When Polpetto originally opened in a tiny room above the French House on Dean Street in Soho, it was my favourite restaurant. I remember osso buco and a steak salad with truffle dressing; the food was always brilliant. When it closed I was rather shocked, as I thought it would be there forever. Luckily for me however, Russell Norman (he’s The Restaurant Man on BBC2, … Continue reading Polpetto, Soho
Based just a short stroll from Marble Arch and tucked away behind the haze of the hubbly bubbly pipes from the Edgware Road, Lockhart is a restaurant that specialises in food from the Deep South. But this isn’t just another junk food inspired restaurant; this is refined soul food. After a recent change of head chef to Brad McDonald and given the fact that … Continue reading The Lockhart
I was a bit sceptical when I heard about the new restaurant inside the Marriott Hotel on Park Lane. Its name, Lanes of London, refers to its concept, which offers a varied array of dishes inspired by the many lanes of London – Indian, Vietnamese, Lebanese for example. After an extensive refurb of the restaurant and bar area, I was invited down to try out … Continue reading Lanes of London, Park Lane
