Lotus restaurant review: The food is fine, but it’s not fine dining September 2, 2015 Lotus 17 Charing Cross, WC2H 0EP Tel: 0207 839 8797 FOOD ★★★☆☆ VALUE ★★★☆☆ ATMOSPHERE ★☆☆☆☆ Cost for two with wine: £120 The last five years have seen every restaurant in the country renounce their tablecloths. They’ve ripped the plaster off the walls to expose the jagged, crumbling brickwork beneath, because brickwork is real and plaster is a [...]
Lessons in wine: discover the sweet magic of Sauternes September 1, 2015 Most of us would rank Bordeaux among the great red wine-making regions of the world and, with around 450m bottles produced there each year, we’re certainly not short of a drop. However, there is also a substantial following for White Bordeaux; Sauvignon Blanc fans would be advised to divert their attention from New Zealand for [...]
Hotel Chantelle needs to earn its place on the culinary map August 26, 2015 Hotel Chantelle 23 Orchard St, W1H Tel: 020 7299 2522 FOOD ★★☆☆☆ VALUE ★★☆☆☆ ATMOSPHERE ★★☆☆☆ Hotel Chantelle is terribly exclusive. It has a bouncer, who is in charge of fastening and unfastening a red velvet rope, like you remember from nightclubs in the 1990s. It has a lady in a pencil skirt who stands next to [...]
Restaurant review: Fall down the culinary rabbit hole at Céleste at the Lanesborough hotel August 18, 2015 Céleste at the Lanesborough 9 Hyde Park Corner, SW1X 7TA Tel: 020 7259 5599 These are halcyon days for the London restaurant scene, a time when seemingly everybody is a foodie and every borough in London has at least half a dozen restaurants worth visiting. You can start to take it all for granted, [...]
Demystifying the Italian stallion of the wine world August 18, 2015 Have you ever felt as though the world of wine was an elite club, made up of snobs intent on throwing around words such as “mouthfeel”, “cuvée” and “vinification”? You are not alone. Learning about wine can seem daunting, and plenty of people will try to convince you that their palate is more sophisticated than [...]
Mix it up: The best brunch spots in London August 18, 2015 Brunch, as we all know, is the most important meal of the week. So if you haven’t already, lay down that greasy spoon and brunch like the British invented it (which, in fact, we did in the 1800s). For those chasing the hair of the dog that bit off as much as it could chew, [...]
Five of the best places to eat game August 11, 2015 Tom’s Kitchen Get your game on while looking out over the marina at St Katharine Docks, where Tom’s Kitchen will be serving up a whole roast grouse for two to share with pate en croute, game chips and plenty of bread sauce. tomskitchen.co.uk/st-katharine-docks Bluebird This Chelsea institution – known for its sprawling courtyard on the [...]
Working lunch in the City: Tonic and Ready August 6, 2015 Our guide to the best places to eat during office hours in the City and Canary Wharf WHAT? Don’t be fooled by a name that brings to mind medieval lotions and potions, Tonic and Remedy is a bitingly modern Hoxton restaurant from Gary Rhodes protege Paul Welburn. The Hoxton eatery, located on the first [...]
The restaurants truffling feathers: Best truffle venues in London August 6, 2015 London’s love-affair with the truffle continues apace with the opening of Sackville’s in Mayfair. Here are some of our favourite truffle spots SACKVILLE’S This Mayfair new opening is crazy about this distinctive fungus, serving it on practically every dish. Last week our restaurant critic fell in love with Sackville’s self-titled wagyu steak burger with foie [...]
Mix it up: Get off your Spritz on the cocktail of the summer August 6, 2015 The Spritz may have been born by the canals of Venice, but it’s coming of age on the packed terraces of London’s rooftop bars. Ten years ago nobody drank them; now we can’t get enough of the stuff. It’s is one of the simplest cocktails to make. Find the largest glass you can, fill it [...]