Emile won’t be around for long; if you fancy visiting this restaurant from Nick Gibson and Damian Clisby you’ve got just under 6 months. It’s a popup taking over the former Rok Shoreditch site and it’s the first time this illustrious pair have teamed up. Continue reading Emile, Shoreditch
I remember trying Heinz Beck’s food at Apsleys at the Lanesborough a good few years ago. That man could cook and he thoroughly deserved his Michelin star. For some reason or another it closed (becoming Celeste) and this marks his first return to London. Inside Brown’s hotel on Albermale Street in Mayfair sits the large wood panelled dining room which is made brighter by birds-in-the-trees … Continue reading Beck at Brown’s, Mayfair
I remember taking my Mum to the bar at Kettner’s a good few years back, we drank rose champagne and it all felt quite glamorous. There were no signs it was owned by Pizza Express although we went for just drinks as the food, we were told, was ‘meh’. It has since closed and been tarted up good and proper in the way that only … Continue reading Kettner’s Townhouse, Soho
This is the third restaurant from Mark Jarvis who also owns Anglo in Farringdon and Neo Bistro near Oxford Street. I’ve had banging meals at both so I was particularly excited to be invited in for a preview lunch before Stem’s official opening. It’s a simple but cute space with just 30 odd covers. We’re seated in the first of two dining rooms where an … Continue reading Stem, Mayfair
If it’s cocktail perfection you’re after, you’ll struggle to find better than Bar Termini. This compact bar in Soho’s Old Compton Street is the brainchild of Tony Conigliaro who also owns 69 Colebrooke Row and Untitled in Dalston. This second Bar Termini, Termini Centrale, lacks the beauty of the original. It’s off a side street by Selfridge’s and inside it’s not much to look at. … Continue reading Fat Tony’s, Termini Centrale
Yen is a Japanese restaurant specialising in handmade buckwheat noodles called Soba – something I’ve never had before. They own a successful restaurant in Paris already and this is their first flurry away from home. The dining room is impressively sized with a ceiling taller than most churches. There’s an open kitchen and sushi counter, tables are generously spaced and there’s a calm vibe about … Continue reading Yen, The Strand
Kingly Street in Central London (just behind Carnaby Street) is doing rather well in the food department as of late. There’s a new Bread Ahead cafe just opened, Breddos Tacos, which is brilliant, and now CLAW. Owned by Fabian Clark with what originally started out as a street food business serving all things crab, its nice to see he’s now got a proper, and rather … Continue reading CLAW, Kingly Street
Duddell’s is a two Michelin starred restaurant in Hong Kong. Or as they put it “a cultural and social destination for people who have an active appreciation for the arts”. It’s popular and although I’ve never been, I hear good things. This is their first restaurant abroad and they’ve chosen a rather stunning location for it: St. Thomas Church near the Shard. Inside, four huge chandeliers … Continue reading Duddell’s, London Bridge
I don’t mind restaurants with silly names I really don’t. Sexy Fish, Phat Phuc, Scoff and Banter, Pussey Liquor (although that didn’t stay around for long) – a terrible name won’t put me off my dinner. And so I introduce you to Flavour Bastard, which replaces Arbutus on Soho’s Frith Street. The space is split into two long dining rooms both of which are pretty … Continue reading Flavour Bastard, Soho
“A tale of chef Gonzalo Luzarraga’s culinary journey”. This sentence definitely sums up the service style at Rigo as every dish comes with a long and detailed explanation as to its relation to the chef. Why, how, who, when, where – it’s all there. It won’t be everyone’s cup of tea – some will find it intrusive and, at times, a little annoying. I quite … Continue reading RIGO’, Parsons Green
I’ve been doing this blog for over five years now amassing over 650 reviews and I really do enjoy it. One slight niggle which has been present since the beginning is the notion of “being in the pocket of the restaurant” when writing up a freebie. It really does seem to bug some people. I was invited to a preview of Breddos Tacos, this being … Continue reading Breddos Tacos, Kingly Street
There are two options when eating here; Bun House – a ground floor order-at-the-counter-jobby with a limited menu of steamed buns (think ‘quick bite to eat’) or Tea Room – a hidden downstairs dining room which is much calmer and a whole lot sexier. Here, the menu is more extensive and features plenty of offal. The setting is unusual; there’s an old school record player … Continue reading Tea Room at Bun House, Soho
After a gloriously sunny and rather boozy #GrillStock2017 (a weekend-long festival in Bristol dedicated to smoked and barbecued meat) we thought it only appropriate to make the most of being harbour-side and head to Pi Shop. It’s right next to, arguably, one of the country’s finest restaurants, Michelin-starred Casamia and at the helm is the same chap, Peter Sanchez. I had the pleasure of meeting … Continue reading Pi Shop, Bristol
I last went to Wild Honey back in 2012 when it had a Michelin star. The food was great and I loved the hunter’s log cabin-esque dining room. It since lost its star after the split of its business partners and now one of them, Anthony Demetre, is running the place solo. Not much has changed, it’s still a looker. Dark wood panelled walls and … Continue reading Wild Honey, Mayfair
If like us, you’re a fan of Anglo, the restaurant from Mark Jarvis in Farringdon, then you’re likely to love his new place, Neo Bistro, just off Bond Street. With the facade of its previous incarnation as The Woodstock pub, you could easily walk past it, as we did. Twice. Inside it’s not your beat up old boozer however, it’s far more plain and simple … Continue reading Neo Bistro, Mayfair
