Valentine’s Day: Fancy a romantic bowl of chocolate spaghetti? February 13, 2026 What could be more romantic than a meal out in Soho, a bottle of red wine and a nice bowl of chocolate spaghetti? Well, I can think of a few things… The ‘spaghetti bucatini’ at 27 Old Compton Street is being sold not as a dessert but a main course: thick strands of pasta slathered [...]
Bar of the week: Why Three Sheets is a little slice of old Soho February 10, 2026 Three Sheets Soho | 13 Manette St, W1D 4AP This new column celebrates the great drinking holes of London, the pubs and bars that keep the capital lubricated despite the government’s best attempts to send them crashing out of business. Last week I profiled The rising Sun, the Victorian gin palace that claimed our Best [...]
How to drink sake: A beginner’s guide February 10, 2026 Have you heard the siren call of sake? This Japanese drink is everywhere and it’s the coolest thing to be quaffing (though you can enjoy it chilled, warm or hot). The problem is that it is quite complicated compared to wine, so I have compiled a brief beginner’s guide to make you a speedy sake [...]
Khao Bird: Top Thai restaurant takes over Soho’s last dirty cinema February 10, 2026 What could be a greater sign of the times than a hip pop-up restaurant opening on the site of Soho’s last adult cinema? It’s over! Soho’s dead! First they closed the late night drinking dens and then they pushed out the brothels and now there’s nowhere to watch grubby movies. The final remnants of seedy [...]
Gordon Ramsay is the big winner from Michelin Guide 2026 February 9, 2026 Gordon Ramsay was the big winner from the 2026 Michelin Guide, maintaining his three stars at Restaurant Gordon Ramsay for an unbelievable 25th year as well as earning a new Michelin star for Restaurant Gordon Ramsay High at his sky-high fine dining venue at 22 Bishopsgate. Ramsay has developed a sizable presence in the Square [...]
Pub of the week: Toast Award-winner The Rising Sun on Carter Lane February 4, 2026 Nobody loves a pub as much as City AM. Over the years we have campaigned for them, we have reported on their plight, and we have honoured them in our Toast the City Awards. Now we’re launching a new regular feature celebrating the best drinking holes in the Square Mile and beyond. While the exact [...]
Valentine’s Day: My top recommendations for the perfect date January 29, 2026 Whether you’re treating your partner to a night on the town, whisking them out of the city for a weekend away or just cosying up together at home, here are my top recommendations for Valentine’s Day. For London lovers The Elizabeth on Ebury St, Belgravia will be serving a special three-course menu (£55pp) with an [...]
Diet advice: A guide to eating better and living longer January 29, 2026 Food has become noisy. Superfoods, supplements, biohacks, rules. Eat this. Avoid that. Count everything. Track it all. Somewhere along the way, managing your diet stopped feeling intuitive and started feeling like a full-time job. Thankfully I stopped buying into that a long time ago. I have eaten my way through all the diet fads and [...]
Pay now, drink later: A beginner’s guide to En Primeur wine January 29, 2026 It’s Burgundy En Primeur season in London for the 2024 vintage. En Primeur means buying the wine before it is finished and bottled. You buy before you try. Sounds risky, so why would anyone do it? Well, it gives the buyer early access to the wines, ensuring themselves a few bottles before they hit the [...]
Alta review: Serious Spanish food amid the Carnaby crowds January 28, 2026 Alta, Kingly Ct, Carnaby, W1B 5PW | Nearest Tube: Oxford Circus With its jolly pink furniture and candy-striped awnings, Kingly Court has an air of unreality. It’s a Disneyfied version of what food culture might look like if it were imagined by a private equity firm, a place designed to house tourists grappling with their disappointment [...]