A Lyonnaise in London – Chez Antoinette Restaurant. I love restaurants that have family history intertwined with the brand. Originally from France’s gastro-capital Lyon, designer Aurelia Noel-Delclos had a dream that she wanted to open a restaurant in conjunction with her hotelier husband Jean-Baptiste, a place that not only honoured her grandmother Antoinette’s cooking but […]
M Young Chef of the Year with Bookatable and Champagne Pommery
Testing the Finalists – M Young Chef of the Year. It’s the last day today of the Young Chef of the Year competition – sixteen finalists have been battling it out, taking over the M Victoria kitchen and dining room to cook a four-course menu for paying guests. I was lucky enough to go along […]
London Living – Victoria and St James’s
Rubbing Shoulders with the Royals at the Best Address in Town – St James’s: If money is no object, where should you choose to live in London? There are a few obvious answers – Mayfair of course, Knightsbridge, Kensington or Chelsea. If you are happy to be a little further out, perhaps Hampstead, Richmond or Holland […]
Omar’s Place – Review
Passport to Pimlico Occasionally something takes you by surprise. When asked to review Omar’s Place, a Pimlico restaurant, I didn’t have any real sense of what it would be like. I knew that Mallorcan born chef Vicente Fortea had an impressive CV that includes three Michelin-Starred Arzak in San Sebastian and one Michelin-Starred Plat D’Or in Mallorca; […]
M Victoria – Grill, Raw Bar, Club and Wine Experience
Exploring M Victoria: A year or so ago I was at the Regional Finals for the San Pellegrino Young Chef of the Year contest. I knew some of the entrants – in particular Adam Handling. But the contest was won by an ‘outsider’ for me – from a restaurant I’d never visited. It was George […]
Rockin’ Around the Mango Tree
A Christmas meal with a twist of Thai tinsel Attention all party planners! If you’re looking for a Christmas menu to impress colleagues and friends well-seasoned in seasonal spreads, then take a look at Mango Tree’s Christmas menu. This award-winning, much-loved, Thai restaurant sits on the edge of Belgravia adjacent to Buckingham Palace and a […]
The Sweetest Afternoon Tea at St Ermin’s Hotel
Honey afternoon tea as St Ermin’s celebrates 350,000 honey bees in residence: When I first learnt of the bees on the roof of St Ermin’s Hotel it must have been around the time I started writing London-Unattached, in 2012. I can remember learning that it was all part of a programme to bring the bee […]
M RAW – Review
M RAW – Gluten Free dining in Victoria: When I was growing up in the 1960s Victoria was a bit of a no-mans land full of offices, dodgy hotels and The Army & Navy Store. There were certain things that could apparently only be bought at The Army & Navy Store and none of them […]
Review of Lunch at Kouzu – Affordable Luxury
Sushi and More at Kouzu – Healthy, Affordable Lunch: A few months ago I went to Kouzu for the first time. Still in ‘soft launch’ phase, it was a great experience, watching the very talented sushi chefs prepare a visually impeccable and delightfully fresh series of dishes. I was invited back recently, perhaps a little prematurely, […]
In Chains – All Bar One Restaurant and Bar Victoria
Girls’ Lunch at All Bar One: Back in time women didn’t go into pubs or bars by themselves or even with other women. You’d take a man with you, especially in the evening. When All Bar One opened their first branch in 1994, the idea of women friendly bars was quite new and I can […]