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Grind, the East London-based coffee shop and cafe brand behind “great espresso martinis” and “on-trend, wholesome food” is planning to open a “restaurant bar” if its crowdfunding total hits £3.5m. The burgeoning chain, currently 11-strong, already has plans to open six new sites. But Grind has well exceeded its original £1.25m crowdfunding campaign, which was […]
The team behind the prolific Flat Iron restaurant group has launched Vinegar Yard, a new “eating, drinking, shopping, and art space” at London Bridge – it’s currently in ‘soft launch’ and officially opens on 3 April. Described as “urban cool”, the entertainment venue features art installations, bars, events, pop-up shops, and street food vendors. Food […]
Angelina, London E8 Jay Rayner for The Observer visited Angelina despite the “acute flashbacks” he suffered when told it was a fusion of Italian and Japanese food; it took him right back to the “unmitigated disaster” that was Shumi in 2003. Luckily for him, and us, Angelina avoids any such disaster: it “feels like a […]
James Cochran is to launch a five-course tasting menu at his Islington restaurant 1251. Cochran, 2018’s ‘Champion of Champions’ on the Great British Menu, launched 1251 last year in a spot previously occupied by the esteemed Chinese Laundry. He did so after receiving strong reviews at his eponymous E3 restaurant, which he left following a […]
Aldo Zilli has a new gig: consultant executive chef at San Carlo on Regent Street in St James’. It’s quite a title. The Italian chef has previously worked with the restaurant group, helping to launch Chicchetti Piccadilly, as well as Chicchetti and Fumo, both of which are in Covent Garden. At the new San Carlo, […]
Gordon Ramsay is soon to open his first major London restaurant in more than ten years. Ramsay, once chef, then celebrity chef, now, really, simply a celebrity who owns a lot of restaurants, is to relaunch his Mayfair haunt Maze as an Asian-inspired concept called Lucky Cat. Ramsay first announced Maze’s closure – after some […]
London bakery Bread Ahead is to open a restaurant, baking school, and wholesale retail unit in Wembley. Bread Ahead, which has branches in Borough Market, Soho, and Chelsea, is planning to launch a 220-cover restaurant later this summer. Breakfast, lunch, and dinner will be available. The menu will feature sourdough pizzas, roast chicken with sea […]
South London cafe group Megan’s is to open at Battersea Power Station as part of the site’s extensive and lavish new development. Megan’s, which has four existing dog-friendly, brunch-focused sites in Fulham, Parsons Green, Clapham and Balham, will serve the same food and drink as at its other branches – “wholesome fare”, including shakshuka, halloumi […]
Glynn Purnell has announced a third restaurant, which is set to open at a historic former monastery in Coventry. Purnell, who has long run his “exceptional” and “stunning” eponymous restaurant in nearby Birmingham, will be opening at The Charterhouse, a Grade 1-listed Carthusian monastery – and one of just ten ever built in Britain. The […]
Jay Rayner Instead of a review this week, Jay looks back over his 20 years as The Observer’s restaurant critic in an article that ranges from 1999 (the year MPW retired, Jamie O debuted his Naked Chef show, Restaurant Gordon Ramsay hit its stride and The Fat Duck won its first Michelin star), through the […]
