How to drink sake: A beginner’s guide February 10, 2026 Have you heard the siren call of sake? This Japanese drink is everywhere and it’s the coolest thing to be quaffing (though you can enjoy it chilled, warm or hot). The problem is that it is quite complicated compared to wine, so I have compiled a brief beginner’s guide to make you a speedy sake [...]
Baby octopus and super strength sausage: the Italian restaurant refusing to bow to trends February 6, 2026 Italian restaurant 2Veneti is celebrating its 20th anniversary this year by doing things the way they always have, says Adam Bloodworth How about a great pile of baby octopi for starters? They’re super soft and super controversial, with many chefs believing the animals should reproduce three times before being eaten, to allow each a long [...]
Hawksmoor: London St Pancras opening is deliciously opulent February 4, 2026 There’s more testosterone in Hawksmoor in the Square Mile than there is in the Virgin Active around the corner. Men obsess over meat, didn’t you know, and over the last two decades, childhood friends Will Beckett and Huw Gott, the pair behind Hawksmoor, have obsessed more than most. Their enthusiasm has paid off, winning the [...]
Valentine’s Day: My top recommendations for the perfect date January 29, 2026 Whether you’re treating your partner to a night on the town, whisking them out of the city for a weekend away or just cosying up together at home, here are my top recommendations for Valentine’s Day. For London lovers The Elizabeth on Ebury St, Belgravia will be serving a special three-course menu (£55pp) with an [...]
Alta review: Serious Spanish food amid the Carnaby crowds January 28, 2026 Alta, Kingly Ct, Carnaby, W1B 5PW | Nearest Tube: Oxford Circus With its jolly pink furniture and candy-striped awnings, Kingly Court has an air of unreality. It’s a Disneyfied version of what food culture might look like if it were imagined by a private equity firm, a place designed to house tourists grappling with their disappointment [...]
DakaDaka review: The comfort food we all need right now January 27, 2026 DakaDaka, 10 Heddon Street, W1B 4BX | Nearest Tube: Piccadilly Circus Heddon Street has developed its own culinary microclimate. Whether by luck or design, it has become a place where you can almost guarantee a decent plate of food, with its current crop of restaurants including Sabor (superlative Spanish), Fonda (respectable Mexican) and Casa do [...]
Top London restaurants to visit in January 2026 January 19, 2026 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, [...]
Why The Ivy is a bastion of hope and quality during a bleak month January 19, 2026 The start of the year is an especially tough time for hospitality as people watch the pounds when it comes to both their wallets and weight. This kind of abstinence is even more of a travesty in London, a city packed with the most incredible restaurants, with a rich history of social eating and drinking. [...]
Galvin La Chapelle launches menu to celebrate Toast award January 15, 2026 I have written about restaurants for this newspaper for some 15 years – but my latest visit to City institution Galvin La Chapelle was a first: reviewing a menu designed to celebrate winning a City AM award. Last year we hosted the first Toast the City awards, celebrating the things that make the Square Mile [...]
Farmer J has a rival: meet new London restaurant Honest Greens January 14, 2026 Until very recently one of the top corporate complaints was how impossible it is to get a healthy lunch. Well, how things have changed: now you cannot move through the City without being confronted by a fast-casual outlet touting some sort of swattishly nutritious boxed up lunchstuff. There are now so many options that innovator [...]