Why Devon is the capital of grape Britain May 29, 2014 The English wine industry is thriving. Kasmira Jefford marks Wine Week with a trip to see where it’s made WHEN driving south from Exeter towards the coastal town of Teignmouth, the road makes a steep ascent over the Haldon Hills where, according to local legend, the first vineyards in Britain were planted by the Romans. [...]
Review: Ting at the Shangri-La Hotel May 20, 2014 @steve_dinneen RESTAURANT TING 31 St Thomas Street, SE1 9QU Tel: 0207 7234 8000 FOOD Four Stars VALUE Three Stars ATMOSPHERE Five Stars Cost for three with wine: £270 Ah, the Shard, that icy middle finger to the London skyline. No guile hides behind those panes of glass, no hidden architectural easter eggs lie waiting to [...]
Mix it up: Brave the World Cup with Brazil’s national cocktail May 20, 2014 @philip_salter There is a high probability England won’t be playing in the later matches of the World Cup in Brazil, if the conclusion of a recent Home Office report is to be believed. So it looks like we’ll need a drink or two just to get though Group D. Cometh the Cup, cometh Brazil’s national [...]
A view to dine for May 20, 2014 SOUTHERN GEMS Now we’ve told you to go to Ting, we can’t ignore the other brilliant restaurants inside The Shard. Hutong is also an Asian-inspired affair, while Oblix and Aqua Shard are focused on modern British cuisine – all massively capitalise on the panoramic views. Book in at Skylon brasserie in the Royal Festival Hall [...]
Five of the best: Rooftop bars in London May 20, 2014 Skylounge This summer, the rooftop bar in Tower Hill has partnered up wtih tequila brand Jose Cuervo to serve cocktails, sangria, and Mexican food, while you enjoy the skyline to the soundtrack of a mariachi band. Coq d’Argent The restaurant and terrace bar near Bank station has also transformed itself for the summer into Yacht [...]
Toto’s makes a return to its west end home May 13, 2014 @steve_dinneen RESTAURANT TOTO’S Walton Street, SW3 2JH Tel: 0207 589 2062 FOOD Four Stars VALUE Three Stars ATMOSPHERE Three Stars Cost for two with wine: £170 Toto’s, the Italian between Sloane Square and South Ken, was one of those places that existed on the periphery of my brain. I knew it had been around for [...]
Mix it up: The English fizz giving French bubbles a run for their money May 13, 2014 @philip_salter Ideas can change the world. Back in 1776 the Scottish economist Adam Smith wrote The Wealth of Nations, and in the process upended the winner-takes-all, mercantilist vision of international relations. He replaced it with a model of the world in which nations cooperate and prosper through trade. From the ideas of Smith we grew [...]
Melting pot of the American South May 13, 2014 Dish of the day Christopher’s Blackened Salmon Here At Christopher’s, where I’m head chef, the blackened salmon is one of the most iconic dishes. It’s blackened by spices like cayenne, paprika, thyme and garlic powder, which caramelise when they hit a hot pan. Jambalaya is a spicy risotto with roots in the French and African [...]
Get your just dessert by investing in sweet wine from Bordeaux May 13, 2014 Bottle.opener@cityam.com IF THERE is one crumb of comfort to be taken from the miserable 2013 Bordeaux vintage – which, by the way, has also been remarkable for the carnival of desperate euphemisms employed by vignerons and wine merchants alike – it is that last autumn’s mists and incessant rain provided perfect conditions for the region’s [...]
Make it yourself: Blackened salmon with Jambalaya rice by head chef Francis Apyepong May 13, 2014 INGREDIENTS (SERVES TWO) Blackened spice ■ 2 tbsps paprika ■ 1 tbsp dried oregano ■ 1 tbsp dried thyme ■ 1 tbsp cayenne ■ 1 tbsp black pepper ■ 1 tbsp garlic powder Jambalaya risotto ■ 100g arborio rice ■ 200ml hot stock, vegetable or fish ■ 1 small clove of garlic, finely chopped ■ [...]