Why buying en primeur is the smart choice for wine investors April 28, 2015 “En primeur” is Bordeaux’s unique trade structure of purchasing wines as futures, offering the opportunity to invest in a particular wine prior to the physical release of a vintage. After two years of ageing, the wines are bottled and buyers can either keep the wines “in bond” or take delivery. Last month, the City A.M. [...]
Restaurant review: Percy & Founders brings a taste of spring to Fitzrovia April 21, 2015 Is there a greater sign of our times than a hospital closing down to be replaced by a modern European restaurant and some offices? It’s the kind of thing politicians go wild for, especially this close to an election. “I pledge that my government will favour nurses over barbecued langoustines. We need hospital beds, not [...]
Mix it up: Japan’s favourite drink returns – sake is having a moment April 21, 2015 Learning to drink is like learning to read, in as much as you should start with the easy stuff, although it is generally advised that you perfect the latter before indulging in the former. Nobody could ever learn English by reading James Joyce (except, perhaps, someone with the intellect of James Joyce), while you'll struggle [...]
Sun’s out buns out: Where to eat al fresco in London – restaurants with outdoor dining April 14, 2015 Angler, South Place Hotel, Moorgate anglerrestaurant.com / 020 3215 1260 This Michelin-starred seafood restaurant in South Place Hotel has a beautiful terrace overlooking the City. It has an a la carte menu offering three courses for £35. Must try: Roasted monkfish tail with braised octopus, aubergine caponata and golden raisins Typical cost for [...]
Mix it up: Why the lazy cocktail drinker should consider pre-mixed April 14, 2015 @philip_salter The words “pre-mixed cocktail” are anathema to many self-respecting cocktail aficionados. The experience of consuming these fine, upstanding drinks goes far beyond simple taste – it’s about the knowledge that a great deal of work, expertise and even love has gone into making each and every one. The slogan “good things come to those [...]
Top London restaurant openings: Our favourite new dining spots so far this year April 7, 2015 THE IVY CHELSEA GARDEN 195-197 King's Road, SW3 5EDtheivychelseagarden.com, 020 3301 0300 It’s not long until The Ivy’s flagship restaurant re-opens – until then you can dine in its new, more informal cousin on The King’s Road. BAO Lexington St Soho, W1F 9ASbaolondon.com, 020 7287 5724 “Bao” is a type of fluffy [...]
Mix it up: The basics every cocktail aficionado needs to own April 7, 2015 After the Second World War, London’s population fell off a cliff, plummeting from 8m to 6.6m. But like a phoenix from the flames, our numbers have multiplied in the last 25 years. The downside to this is that space is at a premium: alas and alack, where oh where are we going to store all [...]
Restaurant review: Second time lucky for Kensington’s Zaika? March 31, 2015 Zaika has a pleasingly convoluted history. Pay attention, now. It opened in 1999 under the auspices of chef Vineet Bhati and two years later won a Michelin star – the first time an Indian restaurant had received the accolade (two did that year). It held onto the star for four years, during which time it moved [...]
Mix it up: In praise of SushiSamba’s Kobe Cocktail and the inimitable Tom Yam March 31, 2015 For years I’ve been hearing the general buzz about Heron Tower’s bars and restaurants, but until recently I hadn’t taken the memorable ride in its near supersonic elevator to find out more. Prior to my elevation, I had conflated the building’s Japanese-Brazilian-Peruvian SushiSamba with its modern European Duck & Waffle into a mush of quacking [...]
Eggspect more this Easter: The gourmet eggs you won’t regret shelling out on March 31, 2015 PRESTAT LONDON GIN TRUFFLE EGG For a very British egg, look no further than the Queen’s chocolatier Prestat, whose egg nods to its 100-year-old London heritage. This milk chocolate and lemon oval is filled with white chocolate truffles flavoured with gin, lemon and juniper. £15 from prestat.co.uk. PAUL A YOUNG EGG-FILLED EGG [...]