Why Boisdale founder Ranald MacDonald is a London hero Life&Style My culinary journey last week took me away from London. It was a tale of two Vikings, from Scotland to Stockholm and back again. So allow me to introduce my fellow founders, Niklas Ekstedt of his eponymous restaurant Ekstedt and Ranald MacDonald of Boisdale. BOISDALE OF BELGRAVIA When I began my entrepreneurial journey as founder [...]
London is the best food city in the world – here are 3 reasons why Life&Style A month of Michelin madness in the UK draws to a close. Among the many accolades gifted, my personal highlights were seeing Row on 5’s executive chef Spencer Metzger receive a second star and Gordon Ramsay High joining Craig Johnson’s Angler to be the second restaurant with a star in the Square Mile. The Evolv [...]
Top London restaurants to visit in January 2026 Life&Style Despite record restaurant closures in the capital, brave souls continue to open new ones. But as tempting as it is to visit the latest hotspot or search for new trends you should never ignore the iconic restaurants in our city. Some classic London favourites I have visited recently include The Maine, Bob Bob Ricard City, [...]
Good luck to my fellow Toast the City award nominees! October 21, 2025 It is the day of City AM’s Toast the City Awards, celebrating the hospitality and placemaking that makes the Square Mile great. I could not be more proud to be attending, as both a judge and a nominee. I would like to reach out ahead of the event to wish all the best to everyone [...]
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 [...]
Coq d’Argent review: Is this the best rooftop restaurant in the City? July 15, 2025 City AM’s inaugural Toast the City Awards has set off to discover the things that make the Square Mile great, from the coffee shop you always stop at to the gym class you never skip. Among the categories is the Best Restaurant, which will celebrate the top place to eat in the City of London. This [...]
Eat, drink, sleep, repeat: Foodie delights in Dubai June 25, 2025 Martin Williams is one of the judges for our first Toast the City awards. Here he tells us about his recent trip to the gastronomic paradise of ever-sunny Dubai. The Serpentine Summer Party never disappoints. After a wonderful lunch at Petrus, I found myself enjoying Mujen Sochu Cocktails, created by the bar legend Tato Giovannoni, who [...]
London food scene says farewell to Richard Vines at Quaglino’s June 18, 2025 On Tuesday evening the great and good of the London restaurant world gathered at Quaglino’s to celebrate the life of food writer Richard Vines, who died earlier this year. Vines was the restaurant critic for Bloomberg for 26 years until his retirement in 2021. Known for his natty sense of style – paisley shirts and [...]
Martin Williams: Here are my favourite places to Toast the City June 4, 2025 This month, you can let your thoughts be heard as we open the nominations for ‘Toast the City’, City AM’s inaugural hospitality awards celebrating the best of the Square Mile! For inspiration, debate and disagreement – best made over a pint, or a glass of burgundy, as per your preference – here are a few [...]
Toast the City: How we are celebrating the Square Mile! May 22, 2025 This autumn City AM will launch Toast the City, an awards celebrating all the places that make the Square Mile the vibrant, exciting location it is – and we need YOUR help. Over the 20 years we have served the Square Mile, it’s transformed from somewhere people worked hard to a place they want to [...]