Exclusive: Richard Caring in talks to buy City icon 1 Lombard Street Life&Style Richard Caring is in advanced talks to buy iconic City restaurant 1 Lombard Street, marking his first foray back into the restaurant business since the £1.4bn sale of his empire. A deal for the Lombard St restaurant, located in a stunning former banking hall, is understood to be in the final stages of negotiations following [...]
House of the Dragon’s Abubakar Salim dreams of Kenyan kebabs for his last supper Life&Style House of the Dragon star Abubakar Salim tells us what he’d eat for his last meal on earth, from Kenyan kebabs to a warm bowl of ramen My mum has always been the cook in our family. My memories of being young are just my mum being in the kitchen cooking all the time – [...]
Ikoyi founder Jeremy Chan: ‘Eating my own food is forbidden’ Life&Style Jeremy Chan is a singular guy. Upon arrival for the only sitting at Ikoyi, he greets each guest at the door, ushering them into a space that feels less a dining room than a glimpse into his subconscious. Quiet and intense, he thinks about food in a way I’ve never heard expressed before. Eating his [...]
Fogo de Chao nominated for Best Casual Dining Toast award June 19, 2026 We have launched the Toast the City awards 2026 and throughout the year we’ll be speaking to some of our nominees – this week it’s Brazilian restaurant Fogo de Chao at Bishopsgate. To vote for your favourite Square Mile spots for the 2026 awards, from bars and restaurants to galleries and green spaces, visit the [...]
Inside City’s latest Irish pub: London’s poshest Guinness served here June 5, 2026 The Square Mile’s latest Irish pub, London’s poshest, serves steaks with a Guinness jus From the polished mahogany bartops to the Prince-Charles-pulling-a-pint photos, pubs tend to trade on their ubiquity. No one wants to think about design credentials when they go for a pint. Or do they? The Horsemen & Fitzgerald’s, a new City watering [...]
I’m 50 – but I feel young dining at Simpson’s in the Strand May 29, 2026 Happy birthday to our top columnist – 50 years young and still eating out every night, especially at Simpson’s in Strand where he feels half his age As I turned 50 this weekend, with a solid celebration at Quaglino’s, a friendly journalist advised me that when it comes to writing, less is more. Or in [...]
Tom Aikens finds his Muse May 26, 2026 From Norwich to London to Paris, Tom Aikens is serving his life in food, but does the conceit live up to the eat, asks Carys Sharkey Walking through the corridors of Norwich catering college, Tom Aikens knew he was exactly where he wanted to be. After “underperforming superbly” at school alongside his twin Robert – [...]
Lazy Coffee is the best coffee in the City – this is how they do it May 19, 2026 We have launched the Toast the City awards 2026 and throughout the year we’ll be speaking to some of the past winners. Today we caught up with Lazy Coffee founder Matthew Staite, whose Abchurch Yard coffee cart won the Best Coffee award. To nominate your favourite Square Mile spots for the 2026 awards, from bars [...]
Campanelle hopes to pick up Toast the City Best Restaurant win May 13, 2026 Campanelle is one of our favourite new Square Mile restaurants, a vast Italian dining room set inside the beautifully restored London Shipping Exchange on Billiter Street. Created by restaurateur Ninai Zarach, the all-day venue is an excellent showcase for grand City architecture. The menu takes inspiration from across Italy, catering for everything from breakfast meetings [...]
Evolv: Revenue at Quaglinos, Coq d’Argent, Madison and Bluebird owner soars May 8, 2026 The group behind restaurants including Quaglinos, Coq d’Argent, Madison and Bluebird has seen its earnings surge despite the challenges facing the hospitality sector. Evolv – formerly D&D London – saw revenue increase 20 per cent from £126.3m to £151.6m year-on-year, with Ebitda rising from £2.6m to £14.6m. Evolv reported a modest loss of £6.8m for [...]