Exclusive: Gaucho owner to shut City icon M Restaurant next week May 12, 2025 Iconic Square Mile dining spot M Restaurant is to shut for good next week after 10 years serving steak to the City. The move comes after founder Martin Williams left M’s parent company Rare Restaurants in October. City AM understands new chief executive Baton Berisha, who assumed the role in March following spells at The [...]
Eat, Drink, Sleep, Repeat: Our top food columnist on his favourite New York dining spots April 24, 2025 Restaurants can have a greater purpose than simply offering heightened hospitality; this week I met the CEO’s of the ‘Only a Pavement Away’ charity and ‘Not for sale’ movement, both of which I worked with for the past eight years as CEO of Gaucho and M restaurants. OAPA identifies disadvantaged, vulnerable people often due for [...]
Eat, drink, sleep, repeat: London’s best dog-friendly restaurants March 26, 2025 Last week Franco Manca announced that they have become ‘dog friendly’. This a welcome turnaround for the restaurant group that turned away a guide dog from one of their venues in 2018. Fortunately, this shameful incident led to my meeting with Dave Kent, the blind gentleman who required his trusty friend Chad to lead him [...]
Eat, drink, sleep, repeat: The best restaurants in Florence March 20, 2025 Last week began with a wonderfully long lunch in Bluebird Chelsea with Mirabeau founder Stephen Cronk and his chief exec Richard Larkin. Everyone in the drinks business loves these guys, but I take credit for introducing the Batman and Robin of Provencal rose to each other back in 2017. In Bluebird, the restaurant atmosphere was [...]
Eat, drink, sleep, repeat: The best gastropubs in London March 6, 2025 The past week has been one of celebrations. Gordon Ramsay opened his 22 Bishopsgate venue, where I enjoyed caviar and Chablis Grand Cru Vaudesir as Nick Grimshaw played tunes and GQ’s Worst Dressed Man of 2018, Joe Wicks, danced with Angela Hartnett and other ‘A-listers’. I enjoyed an amazing St David’s Day dinner at Quaglino’s [...]
Eat, drink, sleep, repeat: The best steak in London February 28, 2025 When I joined Gaucho as CEO in 2019, I embarked on a five year programme to re-imagine the brand; making it accessible and attractive to a more diverse demographic. We already sold the best steak in London so I achieved much of this through design, an innovative international wine list, and our catering at a [...]
Martin Williams to take over as D&D London boss, now rebranded Evolv February 27, 2025 Former Gaucho boss Martin Williams is to take over as chief exec of D&D London, one of the biggest high-end restaurant groups in the UK. The move will see him take charge of brands including Coq d’Argent, Bluebird, German Gymnasium, Quaglino’s and Angler, which holds a Michelin star. Williams said: “I am delighted to be [...]
Eat, drink, sleep, repeat: Martin Williams’ own Michelin guide February 20, 2025 There are birthday parties, and then there are A list celebrity parties, complete with The Box style live entertainment and lashings of champagne. Music producer and celebrity booker Azim Majid has been a friend since 2015 when we first hosted his birthday at M in Threadneedle Street and have continued to do so most years [...]
Eat, drink, sleep, repeat: The best places to avoid Dry January January 16, 2025 Every January, I hang my head in shame. As a business leader who has spent almost three decades championing the finest beverages and hospitality, I must admit I am in no small part responsible for the abomination which is Seedlip, the crown jewel of the no alcohol movement, forced down your throat each “Dry January”. [...]
Martin Williams: A wine-lover’s guide to London restaurants January 9, 2025 Having enjoyed many of the finest restaurants across the globe and my fair share of city breaks since leaving Gaucho and M in October, I can confirm that London’s restaurant scene continues to deliver in silver-plated spades and remains the gastronomic capital city, in terms of both diversity of offering and quality. As we enter [...]