Can wine school teach me to talk like a sommelier? Wine Could a day spent learning to tell your Pinots from your plonks at London’s WSET turn the average wine-lover into a bona fide wine connoisseur? Carys Sharkey finds out The UK’s wine sector is going through a period of chop and change. The UK is still the second largest importer of wine in the world, [...]
St Barts: The hidden City restaurant looking beyond the British larder Food The Toast the City Awards are mere days away, with the great and good of the Square Mile preparing to descend upon Steel Yard for the party of the year. One of the Finalists is the stunning Barts North Wing – but did you know there is also an incredible place to grab lunch after [...]
Where to eat Greek food in central London Food If there has been a dominant trend this year with new restaurant openings, it’s the unending rise of the Greek taverna. It feels apt. The same year that pavements cracked with heat and parks turned brittle, a yearning for the Hellenic feels natural. And the Odyssey came out, which felt weirdly foreign in its dark [...]
Vraic: The Michelin-starred restaurant putting Guernsey on the map September 2, 2026 At Vraic, Nathan Davies has created a restaurant worth flying to – and back from – in a single day, writes Carys Sharkey Flying anywhere for lunch is pretty decadent. Flying back the same day is borderline obscene. But Vraic, which opened on Guernsey a year ago, is a restaurant that has muscled its way [...]
Lita: The pursuit of the perfect neighbourhood restaurant August 26, 2026 After running a three-Michelin-starred kitchen, one chef has set out to create the ultimate neighbourhood restaurant at Lita in Marylebone, writes Carys Sharkey What makes the perfect neighbourhood restaurant? Some immediately come to mind: Perilla in Stoke Newington, Camberwell Arms in Camberwell, Chez Bruce in Wandsworth, Saikei in the retail complex side of Greenwich. All [...]
Counter culture: The best counter dining in London August 20, 2026 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 July 30, 2026 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 June 30, 2026 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 [...]
