Graciano: An obscure but memorable wine from Rioja and Navarra November 18, 2014 It’s not often I come across a completely new wine these days. But that’s what happened when I was wandering through the vineyards of Rioja a few weeks ago at harvest time. Intriguingly, it is a wine made from a grape variety that has been around for more than a century. The grape varietal [...]
Go all the way with Beaujolais November 5, 2014 My least favourite date in the entire wine calendar is 19 November. It is, of course, Beaujolais Nouveau Day, the time when marketing men and desperate wine bar owners flood the Square Mile with cheap, nasty, pink plonk and try to kid us that it is something special. If I haven’t made myself clear, Beaujolais [...]
Restaurant review: Tredwell’s – Marcus Wareing’s new venture in St Martin’s Lane October 29, 2014 Upper St Martin’s Lane, which neatly bisects the tourist wastelands of Leicester Square and Covent Garden, seems like the last place Marcus Wareing would pick for his third UK restaurant. His flagship venture “Marcus” – formerly Marcus Wareing at the Berkeley – is a two Michelin-starred love-letter to formal dining (and home to one of [...]
How to make Blanchette’s perfect beef fillet October 15, 2014 Tom Storrar, head chef at Soho's Blanchette, on his beef fillet with courgettes, sarladaise potatoes and green peppercorn sauce I’ve been at Blanchette since the restaurant opened late last year. The beef in this recipe is a new dish on the menu; a restaurant version of steak and chips. I chose it because many [...]
The Bottle Opener: Why you shouldn’t overlook Rioja October 14, 2014 There are perks to being the Bottle Opener, and this is definitely one of them. I’m relaxing in the late Autumn sun, gazing across a rich vineyard down to the river Ebro. With me are two charming fifth generation descendants of the founder of one of Rioja’s great houses, and we are tasting some magnificent [...]
Something for the Weekend: 26-28 September September 26, 2014 FOR STYLISH DINING: Bourne and Hollingsworth Buildings London party fiends Bourne and Hollingsworth – behind club nights The Chap Olympiad and The Blitz Party – have opened a bar, cafe and restaurant below their headquarters in Clerkenwell. Book at bandhgroup.com. FOR A CHANGE OF SCENERY: Country Life Fair The first Country Life Fair comes [...]
Eating lunch at your desk again? Here’s how the City does delivery September 23, 2014 Eating al-desko isn’t just about showing your boss you’re the keenest worker-bee in the office. As winter draws nearer it’s also a way of eating your sandwiches without getting frost bite. The latest lunch-break craze in the City allows hungry employees to select, buy and eat their lunch without leaving their office at all. Delivery [...]
Where to drink in the City: The changing face of Square Mile nightlife September 17, 2014 The City of London: engine-room for the country’s economy, working place of some of the most powerful decision-makers in the Western world. But the Square Mile is strangely anachronistic in terms of its watering holes. If you fancy a drink after work, the choice has tended to be between good old spit and sawdust boozers [...]
Dish of the day: Salt cod beignets with scallops and blood orange September 9, 2014 Salt cod is dried and salted and needs to be soaked before use. It’s popular in Mediterranean cooking, particularly in Spain (it’s known there as bacalao), where it’s incorporated into many different meals. One of the most popular involves deep-frying it in croquettes, similar to this beignet dish we cook at the Boundary. It works [...]
Dish of the day: Blueberry Pancakes from One Canada Square September 2, 2014 Jamie Dobbin worked at celebrity haunt The Ivy before he was appointed head chef at One Canada Square, Canary Wharf. The restaurant offers a Bottomless Brunch at the weekend, offering two courses for £20 or three for £25, with unlimited selected cocktails or wine for an extra £15. I first stepped into the restaurant about [...]