A new Basque steakhouse has opened in the City specialising in dishes from the French side of the Basque country – and with long-term plans to showcase the first Galician Blond beef bred in the UK. Ibai, close to Smithfield Market, brings together former Chiltern Firehouse head chef Richard Foster (pictured centre) with Nemanja Borjanović […]
Jason Atherton has embarked on a dizzying reorganisation of his London restaurants that will see the closure of three ventures and the opening of at least five (depending on how you count them). The latest opening to be announced is Mary’s, a grill-led restaurant that will take over the Mayfair premises of Pollen Street Social […]
Chef Andrew Sheridan of Liverpool’s Restaurant 8 has revealed that he was subject to a blackmail threat from criminals who demanded payment to stop them posting fake one-star reviews online. Andrew and his business partner Sam Morgan, who will open their seventh restaurant on August 2, Dishes in Prestatyn, North Wales, revealed the extortion attempt […]
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 […]
