“Everywhere in the Capital, everyone is grabbing for their bit of the pie. Whether it’s mediocre no-hopers petulantly clinging to the armrest in the tube, or unjustifiably self-important fat cats creaming off bonuses in the City. It is universally acknowledged that no one wants to share.”
Theo Randall deals in rusticity. His cooking philosophy is simple: source the best ingredients to create authentic Italian dishes that would make mama weep for her homeland.
“You can see Copenhagen’s balls from here!”. Excuse me? “What on Earth are you talking about” I said to Mr P, who was stunt double for Lady Stirling this particular evening. “Copenhagen, his balls, you can see them quite clearly from here”. He was right.
“How’s the meat situation?” – This enigmatic question was graffitied onto a work top at my old university and is, bizarrely, permanently etched in my mind.
Parquet floors, like steaks, require meticulous care. My grandmother knew this with clarity, and as a boy I used to visit her every Saturday to gorge on steak and chips.
“What is the most annoying sound in Edinburgh? Clue: it has nothing to do with football or rugby. You got it? No? Okay, another clue: it can be heard during the day and night? Anything?”
Tucked neatly away at the far end of a mews off Berkeley Square lies Bellamy’s Restaurant. I suspect there’s a strong argument to state that Bellamy’s might be the most civilised dining room in London.
“Celebrity chefs are somewhat rare in France, a country that takes its food very seriously. Culinary masters should be slogging it out in the kitchen rather than gracing television screens, many would agree.”
Beyond plate glass, which reflects strings of LEDs in trees and a surging line of well-chilled commuters decanting into their offices, is L’Anima’s beautifully-composed dining room.
“In La Turista: Café Duende, Moro’s small next-door sibling Morito becomes the unlikely stage for an immersive theatre and dining experience set against the backdrop of the Spanish Civil War.”
Founded in 1988 by the energetic Ranald Macdonald, Boisdale Belgravia was created in celebration of the best Scottish produce and has since become something of a London institution…
“Edinburgh was freezing the night I headed to the Scotch Malt Whisky Society on Queen Street. I’d spent 15 minutes slipping and scuffing my way down tall hills in too-tall heels, wishing we had opted for a cab instead.”