Who fancies a cow’s milk vodka and asparagus cocktail? Mark Hix serves up a storm in his new column April 26, 2016 Asparagus is one of our most fantastic seasonal vegetables, which traditionally would have a short season from about May to June. But things have changed and these days there’s high demand for cheaper imported stuff from Peru and Spain, which has put a bit of strain on our British growers. Believe it or not, I [...]
Vico review: The fast-food Cambridge Circus trattoria is reborn as a grown up, sit down, complete dining experience April 19, 2016 Dominating an entire corner of Cambridge Circus, Vico was once a grand yet informal arancini outpost serving superfast Italian street food to exiting theatre audiences. But since relaunching in December the pace has mellowed, a giant indoor fountain has appeared, comfortable tables and chairs invite you to stick around and the expanded menu has evolved [...]
Mark Hix re-assesses Venice on a 48-hour whistle-stop tour of its local foodie gems April 19, 2016 The last and only time I visited Venice was some years ago for the Bianale when Tracy Emin was representing the UK. It was a brief trip; I was probably only there for 36 hours and didn't see an awful lot except for a load of the London art crowd, which made it something of [...]
The Woodford review: Fine dining hits TOWIE country April 19, 2016 Food | ★★★★☆ Value | ★★★☆☆ Atmosphere | ★★★★★ 159 High Rd, London E18 2PA Tel: 020 8504 5952 I’m going to open a restaurant. It’s going to be just outside the North Circular – not technically in Essex, but close enough that people from central London will sneer – in a former nightclub that was shut down [...]
How Argentina’s finest Malbec eventually won over our wine columnist April 13, 2016 If I were to choose an acronym to promote my luxury product, WMD wouldn't be my first choice. It’s hardly redolent of balmy days spent quaffing a glass of full bodied vino. But World Malbec Day – now sheepishly retooled as Malbec World Day – celebrates its third anniversary on 17 April. Malbec is officially [...]
Quiches are back and they’re sexier than ever: Here are six of the best places to get them in London April 12, 2016 Here are six quiches that'll make you re-assess your apathy towards egg-filled tarts. The Mount Street Deli 100 Mount Street, W1K If you’re an ardent quiche fan, you’ll never get bored with the Mount Street Deli, which serves up freshly-baked quiches from its Mayfair premises daily. The quiche menu changes daily, depending on what hearty [...]
Dickie Fitz review: The new restaurant opening brings platefuls of Australasian flair to Fitzrovia April 12, 2016 Dickie Fitz 48 Newman St, W1T 1QQ WHAT? A modern Australasian diner serving lunch and dinner to passing Fitzrovians. It’s a beautiful spot, light and airy with bright yellow seating and fresh white walls bringing to mind the cozy feeling of climbing into a big egg. WHERE? “On the corner of Newman and Goodge,” as [...]
The Harcourt restaurant review: Reindeer and meatballs are reimagined as pub grub in Marylebone April 12, 2016 There are enough fancy ways to dine in London to fill your fancy pants several times over. You have 12-course tasting menus and sprawling art deco palaces and molecular gastronomy and precise fine dining and sharing concepts and foraged ingredients and organic gluten-free superfoods and authentic indigenous cuisines from previously undiscovered nations. But sometimes you [...]
Eight of the best bottles of tequila, including George Clooney’s latest venture Casamigos April 7, 2016 In childhood, we form sensory memories that can last a lifetime: the smell of baking might remind you of your grandmother’s home, for instance. It can also work in a negative way – for many, the taste of tequila reminds them of overpowering nausea and vicious hangovers. But this spirit, made from the blue agave [...]
The London Coffee Festival is the perfect opportunity to try out some new and boozy coffee cocktails April 7, 2016 From Thursday to Sunday, Brick Lane's Old Truman Brewery will host The London Coffee Festival. This city is awash with coffee fiends, so it's sure to be a popular event. And why not? Coffee may well protect you against loads of diseases, plus we all know caffeine makes you more alert and sociable. It's the [...]