Smithfield meat market to close: ‘Farringdon will be losing part of its history’ November 26, 2024 The fate of City institution Smithfield market was decided yesterday, with the City of London Corporation announcing the last chops will be sold after 2028. Local business owners reacted with dismay to the news. Graham Chatham, chef patron of Origin City and 56 West Smithfield said: “It’s terribly sad to see the market close after [...]
Restaurant Sat Bains is the best reason to visit Nottingham November 20, 2024 When you think of the great culinary capitals of the world, your mind probably wanders to Tokyo, Paris or perhaps San Sebastian, cities where the great chefs of our time gather, their collective talent creating a surge of excellence and innovation. You probably do not think of Nottingham, or, more specifically, a nondescript little corner [...]
Experience the Château Latour Discovery Room at Ten Trinity Square November 1, 2024 | Sponsored Private Access to Château Latour Wine Stepping into Ten Trinity Square Private Club is like walking into the most luxurious version of London 100 years ago. This Grade II listed building exudes warmth and sophistication, perfectly situated in the heart of London’s financial district, ideal for private meetings, indulgent dinners, or to celebrate a special [...]
This will change how you think of Morocco October 22, 2024 THE LOCATION When the Portuguese landed on the stony face of the Atlantic coast in the early 16th century, they stopped at El Jadida, a Moroccan port just an hour south of Casablanca. To protect trade routes between Europe and Asia during their two-and-a-half-century occupation, they built a stronghold known as Mazagan. The centrepiece of [...]
This trip to Languedoc turned me into a wine snob October 17, 2024 I’m not a wine guy. The oenophile subjects alcohol to a level of scrutiny that, to me, feels antithetical to the loosening joys of boozing. I enjoy wine. I prefer wine that tastes nice. But to theorise about it, to intellectualise it, to hold it to the light and inspect its colour, to soliliquise about [...]
Ibai review: This Basque restaurant is one of the best of the year October 9, 2024 Creating a vibe is a tricky business. You can have the most beautiful dining room in the world and somehow end up with a tragic, inexplicable lack of vibes, even slipping into negative vibe territory, actively sucking the spirit out of your diners (see: Brasserie Zedel). On the other hand, you can have a brutalist [...]
Why Georgia’s capital Tbilisi is the most fascinating city in Europe October 7, 2024 Towering over the Georgian capital of Tbilisi is Mtatsminda Park, a Soviet-era fairground and gardens set atop a craggy hill. Accessed by a funicular railway, you will find a host of terrifying, creaky old amusement rides, including the 65-metre-high Giant Wheel, which seems to bow outwards over the edge of a sheer cliff. Dotted around [...]
No more Noma: What’s next for Copenhagen’s food scene October 3, 2024 For decades, Noma has been one of the most coveted restaurants on the planet. It birthed ‘new Nordic’ cuisine in 2003 and stamped the small Danish capital on the gastronomic map, winning the world’s best restaurant award multiple times and holding Michelin stars since 2008. Its stratospheric success was led by head chef and co-founder [...]
‘I didn’t give a f**k what Ofcom thought’ – in conversation with Grace Campbell and Hannah Crosbie October 1, 2024 Wine writer Hannah Crosbie interviews her friend and comedian Grace Campbell in Soho’s Bar Crispin about the changing face of social media, the pull of TV and getting high in Edinburgh. Hannah Crosbie: So the last time we saw each other was that hilarious night at the Edinburgh Fringe. We went to Noodles & Dumplings [...]
When viral fame fades: From Binley Mega Chippy to the Spudman October 1, 2024 In March 2022, I visited fish and chip takeaway Binley Mega Chippy in my hometown of Coventry 10 minutes after it had opened for dinner, joining a growing queue of people snaking out across a tarmac car park on the side of a busy A road. A line of cars waiting for a parking spot [...]