Our mission is remarkably simple. To tell it how it is!
Our round-up of what the nation’s restaurant critics were writing about in the week up to 14th July 2024 Evening Standard Tollington’s, Finsbury Park Jimi Famurewa hailed the Spanish-accented makeover of a derelict chippy, by Four Legs chef Ed McIroy (Plimsoll and the Compton Arms), as “both a justified candidate for opening of the year and […]
Petersham Nurseries has prevailed after an epic 18-year battle with Richmond Council that threatened the future of its famous greenhouse restaurant. “We’re very happy,” said a spokesperson for the restaurant. “Petersham Nurseries is delighted to have won planning permission. The Appeal recognised the significant positive benefits the business brings to the community. This news secures […]
A prominent London Chinese restaurant faces closure following repeated raids by immigration enforcement officers. The website Hot Dinners reports that Westminster Council has applied to revoke the licence of the Royal China on Baker Street, on grounds that it “appears to be operating with a complete disregard for the law and the licensing objectives“. A […]
Football fans planning to watch the Euros final away from home should book ahead – and check whether their chosen venue will be open. Pubs and restaurants showing England v Holland live on Sunday night expect to be packed to the rafters – but many restaurants will be closing early to give their staff an evening off […]
Jazz saxophonist and entrepreneur YolanDa Brown is to open her restaurant and music venue Soul Mama in Stratford this September. Originally slated for Islington, Soul Mama is set in the Gantry hotel, opposite Westfield, and will offer a menu inspired by Caribbean, African and South American cooking. The project is funded by a Kickstarter campaign […]
L’Ortolan near Reading, a beacon of UK gastronomy for four decades, is to close down at the end of next month. Peter Newman, the IT entrepreneur who has owned the restaurant since 2000, blamed the closure on a familiar combination of Brexit, pandemic lockdowns and the cost-of-living crisis, which left customers less inclined to spend […]
The Barbary is to open a new flagship on Westbourne Grove in Notting Hill in September. Inspired by the cooking of North Africa, the original was launched by Zoë and Layo Paskin in Neal’s Yard, Covent Garden, eight years ago, and was followed by The Barbary Next Door. The new venue, formerly the Maddox Gallery, is […]
Our round-up of what the nation’s restaurant critics were writing about in the week up to 7th July 2024 Evening Standard Julie’s, Notting Hill Was Dylan Jones pulling rank, or rolling up his sleeves to show the guys on the shop floor how it’s done? Either way, the editor-in-chief of the Evening Standard cropped up […]
Diners were disappointed to learn of two premature endings this week, with the closure of London risotto specialist All’Onda from first-time restaurateur Cordula Schluz (pictured) and the departure of veteran chef Simon Bonwick after 18 months at the Dew Drop Inn in Berkshire. All’Onda (meaning ‘on the wave’), in Charlotte Street, Fitzrovia, only lasted for […]
Hot on the heels of the £1bn Ivy sale, the Financial Times has reported that the Hawksmoor steakhouse group is considering the possibility of a £100m sale to fund its international expansion. Founded in 2006 by Will Beckett and Huw Gott with a single site in Spitalfields, Hawksmoor opened a branch last week in Chicago, […]
