The Victoria
“The Victoria in Richmond manages to straddle a number of hospitality guises in a way that I’ve never encountered before; it’s a local-friendly pub, a restaurant, a café, and a hotel, all rolled into one effortless whole.”
Browsing: Eating Out
Viajante
“Viajante, meaning traveller in Portuguese, is an apt name for Nuno Mendes’ Michelin-starred restaurant at the converted Edwardian Town Hall Hotel, which has brought a much-needed dose of glamour to Bethnal Green.”
Riddle & Finns
“Since opening in 2006, Riddle & Finns Champagne and Oyster Bar, tucked away in the maze-like Lanes, has established itself as one of the finest seafood restaurants in Brighton – or indeed anywhere.”
Angelus
“Fillet is the French caviar,” crisply alliterates Thierry Thomasin, the author of Angelus restaurant. Sitting in the cosy, couth dining room, I struggle to recall a lovelier mouthful.
Boisdale Canary Wharf
“We arrive as the sun begins to wane and are shown to a spot by the stage. The tables by the elongated, convex windows that fill one entire wall of the restaurant are full of bankers negotiating lobster claws and oversized steaks.”
The Reform Social and Grill
“Jonesy and I make our way through the reception area of The Mandeville and slip into the low-lit cocktail bar. Fresh from the book, I immediately feel like Ripley. My recent reading is having a palpable effect on my state of mind, my sanity.”
Antico
“Recently, I happened to mention Bermondsey Street as a gastronomic hotspot to an old family friend – he scowled and looked at me like I was speaking in tongues.”
Sake No Hana
When Sake No Hana first opened several years ago, I thought it was the headquarters of some murky secret society; it looked so mysterious from the outside. The external walls were almost entirely black and disconcertingly opaque…
The London Picnic Club
“Perched atop an office block, just down the road from London Bridge station, the Skyroom is the perfect spot for an urban roof garden. You feel like you’re one of the lucky few in on a secret as you look down over the rush-hour traffic…”
The Falmouth Bay Seafood Cafe
“The 143 reviews on Trip Advisor turned out to be spot on – praising Valerie Thomson for her outstanding preparation of the finest seafood, partnered with her daughter Vicky’s warm and welcoming front of house.”
The Balcon
“Old masters line the walls, providing a touch of clubby propriety, but the general tone is of a darker elegance than that. I decide this will be my new haunt when looking for late night refreshment in St. James’s.”
Osteria Francescana
“I’ve gone down the rabbit hole and there’s no telling when, or if, I’ll come out. In front of me is a dish that smells of freshly cut grass. Truffles and toadstools float in a thick pond of green, their tops covered with what looks like dried basil.”