Counter culture: The best counter dining in London Food Chairs with backs are nice and all, but sometimes the best meal is eaten on high – stool-high, writes Carys Sharkey A recent trip to New York has got me thinking about counters. I don’t think there’s loads New York does better than London, but counters are one. Counter seating is reflective of the city [...]
Hélène Darroze à la carte is the ultimate lunchtime luxury Food When it comes to fine dining, who says we shouldn’t have a choice, writes Carys Sharkey There is a continual grumble in fine dining, a tedious debate that flares up every now and again when a critic complains about a sore arse from sitting through a tasting menu. I love tasting menus. I should get [...]
Andaz Lisbon: A long weekend in the City of Seven Hills Travel Known for its butter-yellow trams and buttery natas, Lisbon has long been one of Europe’s most popular city breaks. Carys Sharkey checks into the Andaz to gain a fresh perspective on this ancient city Lisbon is known as the City of Seven Hills, but speak to locals and they’ll joke that it feels like a [...]
Ynyshir: Gareth Ward’s shrine to heavy metal cooking June 25, 2026 Years ago, a spoonful of Gareth Ward’s blew her mind, now Carys Sharkey makes a pilgrimage to his two Michelin-starred restaurant Ynyshir Many, many years ago, when I had just finished university and was listlessly waiting around to be headhunted, I supported myself by picking up the occasional hospitality odd job. This was normally hours [...]
KOL: How Santiago Lastra reimagined Mexican food with British ingredients June 17, 2026 London’s Mexican food scene is going from strength to strength, and it doesn’t get any better than Michelin-starred KOL, writes Carys Sharkey Sacks filled to the brim with scarlet mounds of chillies sit in Ocean Spray cranberry juice boxes in the oppressive midday sun of Oaxaca City. Up top, bags of pre-packed chillies hang like [...]
The best places to eat sandwiches in Lisbon, from bifanas to pregos June 12, 2026 Most people have their own markers of summer. Elderflower trees blossom into white spidery nets, parks fill up and tops come off, the Premier League finally ends. But for sandwich lovers, the sign of supposedly warmer days ahead comes in the form of an Instagram post by Farringdon-favourite Quality Wines. Word quickly spreads: The bifana [...]
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 – [...]
Alex Dilling: Mastering the art of French cooking May 6, 2026 After honing his craft under two titans of French cooking, Alex Dilling now presides over one of London’s most refined dining rooms. His double Michelin-starred restaurant at Hotel Café Royal is a masterclass in modern haute cuisine, writes Carys Sharkey. As a teenager in sunny, expansive California, Alex Dilling thought he’d be a punk rocker, [...]
Dining out with Michelin’s most dedicated followers April 24, 2026 The all-powerful Michelin Guide has garnered a cult following of enthusiasts. Carys Sharkey goes star gazing Slap-bang in the middle of March, the impressively drawn-out awards season reached its zenith. First comes the trailers, then the films, then the media rounds, then the SAG Awards, the BAFTAs, the Golden Globes and finally the Oscars. The [...]
‘Indian food is a universe’: Making a home at Chet Sharma’s BiBi April 2, 2026 Quietly but surely, Chet Sharma is serving up some of the tasty plates of food in London. Carys Sharkey meets the chef reimagining fine dining with a healthy serving of nostalgia If you make your way down Oxford Street, past the shops slinging vapes and candy to indiscriminating kids, weaving through the preachers confirming your [...]
