I first visited this Indian restaurant a few years back when it was called Rasoi and it had a Michelin star. Although nothing was hugely wrong with it the food wasn’t exactly scream-worthy. After losing their star it has since had a refurb, name change and complete menu overhaul – evenings are tasting menu only at £105 per noggin. We have to knock at the … Continue reading Vineet Bhatia London, Chelsea
The Michelin Guide has received a bit of stick of late; their Twitter account is cringey to say the least and their recent award ceremony wasn’t much better. But I will say this for them: they rarely let me down. Whether it’s Michelin stars or Bib Gourmands, it’s a pretty solid list. Which brings me to Ellory in Hackney, which was recently awarded a coveted … Continue reading Ellory, Hackney
So Islington’s Upper Street really is on the up food wise; you’ve got Oldroyd, Bellanger, Galley, MEATliquor. And now there’s Chinese Laundry. Everything about the place feels cool but not in a try hard way. There are two small “dining rooms” at the front and out the back with a small bar in the middle. It felt like we were perching on stalls in the … Continue reading Chinese Laundry, Islington
There’s plenty of decent Mexican food in our fine city. Ex Masterchef winner Thomasina Miers for one has done plenty for the cuisine with her hit chain Wahaca. Edson Diaz-Fuentes, the ex ‘head of menu innovation’ for that very group, has since gone solo, or duo with his wife, and opened Santo Remedio, a cute and authentic Mexican cocina. Inside, there’s a small ground floor … Continue reading Santo Remedio, Shoreditch
Pierre Koffmann is one of those culinary greats; he’s trained the likes of Marco Pierre White, Gordon Ramsay, Marcus Wareing and Tom Kitchin. He once ran the 3 Michelin star restaurant La Tante Claire in Chelsea. He then retired, came out of retirement for a pop up at Selfridge’s, then opened Koffmann’s at The Berkeley hotel. The dining room is simple with a large staircase … Continue reading Koffmann’s, Knightsbridge
Shotgun is the second restaurant from the husband and wife team who own The Lockhart in Marylebone, made famous by its superb cornbread and fried chicken. This new spot specialises in barbecue and it has already found fans in Jay Rayner and Andy Lynes. As walk ins we were refused the three empty (and very cute) banquettes on the left, as they were reserved, and … Continue reading Shotgun, Carnaby Street
Pizza Locadeli is a new pop up on Islington’s Upper Street by Michelin starred restaurateur Giorgio Locatelli. The move into a more affordable, every day option makes sense – and it doesn’t get much more affordable than pizza – it’s just a shame it wasn’t any good! On our Friday evening visit the place was packed but a table quickly became available after a short … Continue reading Pizza Locadeli, Islington
Piquet is the new restaurant from Allan Pickett, a lovely chap who used to be head chef at D&D’s Plateau in Canary Wharf. It’s based in Fitzrovia (just a two second stroll from the middle of Oxford Street) which has fast become a mecca for good food. There’s a ground floor bar which is dark and sexy, and a basement dining room. As we were … Continue reading Piquet, Fitzrovia
I loved Cafe Pistou when it first opened, a cute restaurant with tapas-style French dishes, at the beginning of Exmouth Market. With tickets to Matthew Bourne’s The Car Man at Sadler’s Wells booked (it’s bloody brilliant by the way) I thought we’d pop in for a pre theatre dinner. At 6pm we were one of only a few tables taken which made the lack of … Continue reading Cafe Pistou, Exmouth Market
I first visited Simon Rogan’s restaurant Fera in Claridge’s (he also owns SR at The French and L’Enclume) back when it first opened and I loved everything about it. I was excited to return for lunch to see if it was just as wonderful and it really was. They’ve now introduced a set lunch menu priced at £35 for three courses but we opted for … Continue reading Simon Rogan’s Fera at Claridge’s
Based in what was once a Vodka Revoloution on St Anne’s Court in Soho, Rex & Mariano is the latest restaurant from the team behind Burger and Lobster, Goodman and Beast. It’s a solely seafood offering but what makes this place quite unique is that you order using iPads – which might sound like a gimmick but it’s actually rather clever. The only thing that … Continue reading Rex & Mariano, Soho
Boopshi’s (I’m still not sure how you pronounce it) is a charming little restaurant just off Tottenham Court Road that specialises in schnitzels and spritz. The wiener schnitzel at The Delaunay is the best I’ve ever had, so I was excited to see how good these ones were. It’s a bright and airy space with long shared tables and old-fashioned school chairs to perch on. … Continue reading Boopshi’s, Fitzrovia
Chef and owner of Hibiscus Claude Bosie has successfully maintained his restaurant in Mayfair as one of the few in London which holds two Michelin stars – and he’s done so for over five years now. The dining room is a simple affair; it had undergone a refurbishment since I last went a few years back (they’ve added a private dining room and a chef’s … Continue reading Hibiscus, Mayfair
Barrafina, a small tapas bar on Frith Street in Soho has proved so popular that they’ve opened another in Covent Garden. As I’ve been to neither, I thought I’d pop my cherry with a visit to the original, which recently received a Michelin star. I was pre-warned about the lengthy queues (they don’t take reservations) so we arrived at 5:45 and nabbed the last remaining … Continue reading Barrafina, Frith Street (CHANGED LOCATION)
It’s been voted the best restaurant in the world for a number of years now (apart from last year when it lost out to El Celler de Can Roca) which is quite an achievement. That’s all well and good, but I feel like I must be honest from the outset – I’m not entirely sure I liked Noma. Let’s start with the positives; we were … Continue reading Noma, Copenhagen
