Take time out to enjoy Warwick, a quintessential English county town. A 1970 travel guide described Warwick as being “one of the least spoilt county towns in England”. I’m happy to report that 50 years later this is still the case. By train, taking the frequent service from London’s Marylebone Station, you’ll arrive within 90 […]
Rothay Manor – boutique hotel in Ambleside – review
Finest of fine dining and accommodation in the heart of the Lake District You have to hand it to those merchants of old Liverpool who came to the Lake District – they could spot a great place for a country retreat, somewhere to escape the stresses of nineteenth-century living. They also had the brass to […]
Palé Hall, a Sumptuous Country House Hotel, Snowdonia, Wales
Palé Hall – the ultimate luxury staycation at this top hotel in Snowdonia For some, the pop of a Champagne cork instantly conjures up a feeling of pleasure. For me, it will be remembering the crunch of tyre on gravel, pulling up in front of Palé Hall and hearing that first, friendly welcome. While your […]
Frog by Adam Handling – Covent Garden
Adam Handling, Covent Garden – Frog Restaurant and Eve Bar. Not bad as a last before lockdown lunch, I’ve been meaning to visit Frog by Adam Handling in Covent Garden for some time. As it happens, I made it just before all restaurants in the UK were closed thanks to the COVID-19 pandemic. There’s a […]
Introducing Stock’d Up – comforting, innovative dishes to enjoy at home
Stock’d Up – a new, little sister to Wandsworth’s superb London Stock restaurant offers a fab new takeaway menu Only open a few weeks before Covid-19 hit, London Stock had been slowly building its reputation for superb food and getting rave reviews from enthusiastic diners – including me (here). Situated in Wandsworth’s Ram Quarter, the […]
London Stock – Ram Quarter, Wandsworth – Review
A superb tasting menu offers seven steps to heaven ‘’Empyrean’’ is the highest part of heaven, thought by the ancients to be the realm of pure fire and there’s no better word to describe London Stock, a new restaurant in Wandsworth’s Ram Quarter. The cooking is heavenly and its young chefs are on fire, lighting […]
Novikov Italian Restaurant – Mayfair – review
Novikov – A touch of Italy in Mayfair. The Italian Novikov restaurant sits alongside its Asian counterpart in a prime Mayfair location on Berkeley Street just a stone’s throw from Green Park, neighbouring other exclusive dining destinations including the Ritz, Hakkasan Mayfair, Murano, Alain Ducasse at the Dorchester and more. The brainchild of celebrated Russian […]
The Clove Club Restaurant, Shoreditch – Review
Shoreditch Spectacular at The Clove Club The Clove Club in Shoreditch is the love child of chef Isaac McHale, a chef who first came to prominence as one of the duo of ‘Young Turks’ who first hit the gastro headlines with their popup above The Ten Bells pub in 2011 in neighbouring Spitalfields. McHale had […]
Pied à Terre Restaurant Review
Pied à Terre Tasting Lunch review with BuyaGift. What’s your favourite ‘pick-me-up’ treat? A spa day? A posh afternoon tea? an indulgent lunch somewhere you’d never normally go? All of them work for me – and I love the fact that my friends and family can give me a voucher from BuyaGift with their idea […]
Paschoe House – indulgent rest and relaxation in Devon
Head south-west to Paschoe House, a little piece of Heaven in the heart of Devon. There are country house hotels which feel like hotels and there are country house hotels which feel like homes, and then there is Paschoe House, a stunning grade II listed, family-run, country house offering luxurious rooms and a glorious 3-AA […]