Ace Aussie chef Scott Hallsworth is reviving his raved-about Freak Scene pan-Asian restaurant once again – this time off Parson’s Green in Fulham. The new venture follows his Double Dragon pop-up, which ran for several months last year in Clerkenwell and also generated much enthusiasm. Freak Scene itself started out as a pop-up in Farringdon, and […]
Three chef brothers from the foothills of Mount Vesuvius near Naples plan to erupt on the Glasgow dining scene with an ambitious Italian restaurant in the city’s Royal Exchange Building. Called appropriately Banca di Roma, the venue is set to open early this year and will reflect their upbringing on the family tomato farm. The […]
Master-chef Tong Chee Hwee, a pioneer of contemporary Chinese cooking in London as the culinary brains behind the rise of the Hakkasan group, is to launch his own restaurant in the city for the first time. Named Gouqui, it will occupy the former site of Garfunkel’s in Cockspur Street, off Trafalgar Square. Born in China, […]
D&D London is closing four of its restaurants, including Radici in Islington and Klosterhaus in Bristol (pictured), as part of a “strategic review” of its portfolio. The company, which parted ways with co-founder Des Gunewardena in September leaving his former partner David Loewi in charge, has 36 venues, including outposts in Paris and New York. […]
A vast new pan-Asian restaurant and basement cocktail bar, Tabu, opens tonight in Birmingham’s Jewellery Quarter in the premises which previously housed The Vaults nightclub. Tabu is said to be inspired by 1920s-style New York speakeasies and accommodates up to 400 guests, with entertainment including DJ sets and live performers every Thursday to Sunday. The […]
Certain details in this article have been corrected. Rising star Harriet Mansell has announced her intention in the New Year to reformat her highly rated Lyme Regis restaurant Robin Wylde. She plans to reposition the business with the addition of a bakery to the existing restaurant space. The eight-course tasting menu celebrated in our soon-to-be-released […]
Paul Kitching, chef-proprietor of Edinburgh restaurant 21212, has died suddenly at the age of 61. His passing was announced this week by his partner, Katie O’Brien, who said “I’ve lost my love“. Paul was born in Gateshead and worked in leading kitchens, including Gidleigh Park in Devon, before launching Juniper in Altrincham with Katie. In […]
Veteran Soho restaurant Quo Vadis is to double in size following a major refurb in January. Owners the Hart Brothers say the work will provide a “grander and more spacious restaurant” befitting the cooking of acclaimed chef-partner Jeremy Lee (pictured). Having opened in 1926, Quo Vadis is rare among older restaurants in that it trades […]
North Italian-style TOZI Grand Cafe opens on Monday 12 December, as the gastronomic offering at the Battersea Power Station redevelopment in London continues to take shape. Sister restaurant to TOZI in Pimlico and another branch in Amsterdam, it is on the ground-floor of the new art’otel in Electric Avenue, where it will be joined next […]
Soho gastronomic landmark I Camisa is to close down after Christmas – just seven years short of its centenary – unless a buyer steps forward to save it. Famous for its sandwiches, the Old Compton Street deli is a relic of central London’s Italian community and a much-loved feature of ‘old Soho’. Gianni Segatta, a director of […]
