Ibérica Restaurants Regional Spanish Cuisine – Asturias It’s difficult to overstate the influence of Spanish cuisine on British food culture; Ferran Adria’s El Bulli restaurant completely reinvented our conception of what fine dining could be, and at a less esoteric level the small sharing plate ‘tapas’ revolution that swept through Soho a few years is […]
Cottons Rum Shack and Restaurant – Vauxhall
The Caribbean in my Back Yard – at Cottons Vauxhall: I have a somewhat biased love for restaurants that are within walking distance. I have to confess Vauxhall is marginal – it’s around a half hour from home. But, it’s easier to walk there than rely on public transport and in any case, our very […]
Afternoon Tea at St Ermin’s Hotel
A Summer Garden Afternoon Tea at St Ermin’s Hotel, London: Sunshine on a day when I’m going to be reviewing an afternoon tea might not sound important. But, St Ermin’s Hotel, a stone’s throw from St James’s and not much further from Victoria, has a pretty first-floor terrace looking out over their courtyard garden, which […]
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; […]
Caxton Grill at St Ermin’s Hotel, Westminster
Perfect Dining in Westminster – Caxton Grill: Is there any such thing as the perfect London hotel restaurant? Personally, I doubt it. There are days when my perfect meal is a pizza and a glass of red – and others when I crave the fine dining experience of Alain Ducasse at the Dorchester. Central London […]
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 […]
An evening with Nacho Manzano – seasonal tapas at Ibérica, Victoria, London
From Asturias to London seasonal tapas featuring game at Ibérica, Victoria I was happy to attend the launch of the new seasonal tapas menu at Ibérica in Victoria. I had been to the restaurant before with a friend and really enjoyed the food and atmosphere. The head chef of the Ibérica group, Nacho Manzano who runs […]
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 […]
Say Cheese – Afternoon Tea at the Georgian House
Cheese Afternoon Tea and more at the Georgian House Hotel, Pimlico: I am definitely someone with a sweet tooth. And, I love a good afternoon tea, particularly the refined, dainty sort served in London’s top hotels. But, every so often something different comes along which sounds just perfect. A cheese afternoon tea. Wouldn’t you be […]