Anticipation in the foodie world has been at fever pitch. Could this Mayfair newcomer possibly equal the remarkable value which has been all but universally acclaimed at Arbutus, its Soho parent? As we entered the paneled premises formerly known as the Drones Club, the Arbutus team – Anthony Demetre and Will Smith – were both […]
For some reason, new-wave Old English food is something you normally only find in pubs. There is of course a famous exception – the founder of the movement, St John of Smithfield. But the vast majority of St John’s imitators and inspirees are pubs, or dining rooms attached to pubs. The logic of this (or […]
Over-design is one of the curses of the modern restaurant world, so it was a joy to enter Patrick Molloy’s new solo venture, by Guildhall. It’s almost a parody of plainness. Not perhaps quite to the extent of the epic Victorian stalwart Sweetings – where Molloy was formerly maitre d’ – but more in a […]
It wouldn’t be fair to say that Fulham has no good restaurants. But – certainly as you leave the immediate environs of Fulham Broadway- the distant reaches of the Fulham Road have historically been a land of big pubs and chains. Here, indeed, near the junction with the Munster Road, stands the world’s very first […]
It’s important for restaurants to be true to their roots, so first impressions of this new tapas bar near the Old Street roundabout are very comforting. Slightly ramshackle? Low-level bare-bulb lighting? Attractive, slightly offbeat staff? Yes, yes, yes. Spiritually speaking, this place is an absolute knock-off of its Brighton parent. And the mother ship is […]
It’s never seems like the hottest idea when a new restaurant’s menu looks conceptualised to within an inch of its life. Few restaurateurs have the energy to get every aspect of an opening right, and it just seems to show a warped sense of priorities. This new Spanish outfit near King’s Cross puts its menus […]
Originally owned by Lee Chapman, Soho’s Teatro had more than its 15 minutes of fame when it opened in the late ’90s. As a member’s club, the Teatro name sails on, but the adjoining restaurant – having lost its way badly – has now been re-launched by new owners under this new moniker. Its first […]
We’d heard some good things about the sandwiches and smoothies at the Krüger take-away operations, so we thought its eat-in dining facility might be worth checking out. Part of a privately-run venture, we hoped it might stand out against the nondescript backdrop of dining on the Wharf (which is almost invariably overhung by the dead […]
If anyone wants to see how London restaurants have evolved over the past two decades, they could do much worse than a brief walking tour of the various branches of the Olivo franchise. The original restaurant near Victoria, offering Sardinian specialities, seemed almost exotic when it opened back in 1991. Its tasty cooking still makes […]
Clerkenwell is not just one of London’s more attractive emerging areas, it is also home – not entirely coincidentally – to a good number of the better mid-price restaurants. So there’s clearly plenty of custom round here. If, however, a new concept doesn’t immediately click – witness the defunct Xich-lo, a few doors from the […]
