Victor Garvey’s mad new MATER1A concept is a Willy Wonka-esque theatre of gastronomy Life&Style MATER1A, 115 Westbourne Grove, W2 4UP | ★★★★★ | Cuisine: Japanese, fine dining, tasting menu A benefit of having written restaurant reviews for 15 years is that you begin to see the overarching warp and weft of the business, the trends that slowly emerge and dissipate, the way hospitality gradually evolves, holding up a mirror [...]
£90 for breakfast? We review London’s first Michelin-starred breakfast tasting menu Life&Style Pavyllon has unveiled London’s first Michelin-starred tasting breakfast. Is it a novelty, or a reflection of a changing fine dining market?
Da Terra’s Rafael Cagali is breaking down borders The Magazine This piece is published in City AM The Magazine, Winter edition, distributed at major Tube stations and available to pick up from The Royal Exchange Brazil, Bethnal Green, Brighton: Rafael Cagali is cooking from his roots, writes Carys Sharkey What little I know about Brazilian food stems from two places. Hungover lunches in Southwark at small cafes [...]
Michael Caines checks in at The Stafford November 19, 2025 Legendary chef Michael Caines is taking on his next big project – and returning to London after decades away. He speaks to Carys Sharkey Michael Caines last worked in London when he was just a teenager. Now aged 56, he’s one the UK’s most recognised chefs, – and he’s back in the capital. This time, [...]
Gorse: A star is born in Cardiff November 12, 2025 After winning Cardiff’s first Michelin star, Gorse is opening a new chapter for fine dining in the Welsh capital, writes Carys Sharkey On a quiet street in the leafy Pontcanna neighbourhood of Cardiff is Gorse. A small, unassuming restaurant with an open kitchen and just a handful of tables, Gorse is the first place to [...]
Liverpool Street Chop House: Should you go over Hawksmoor, Boisdale? October 20, 2025 The closure of Threadneedle Street’s M Restaurant earlier this year, after a decade slinging the capital’s finest steak, was a genuine blow. One of the restaurants that helped the Square Mile shake off its stuffy reputation, it combined a meticulous, scholarly appreciation of meat with a sense of fun, even whimsy. Robot waiters, wine vending [...]
East Sussex teenager wins prestigious Le Cordon Bleu culinary prize September 26, 2024 Caoimhe O’Neill-McGuinness, an 18-year-old from Eastbourne, has won a top culinary prize from Le Cordon Bleu worth £60,000. The competition, which is designed to identify and nurture the next generation of culinary talent, was one of the most competitive in recent years, with all finalists “demonstrating remarkable talent and creativity”, Le Cordon Bleu said. O’Neill-Mcguinness [...]