Alan Pickett’s (sort-of) eponymous solo venture Piquet in Fitzrovia gets a double dose of restaurant reviews as both the Standard’s Fay Maschler and Tracey MacLeod of the Independent pop by to try the chef’s Gallic-influenced British dishes. The Indy’s critic finds the service surprisingly stiff and the venue strangely deserted. Fortunately the food also receives […]
AA Gill’s Table Talk column in the Sunday Times is back after a summer hiatus and we discover he’s been in Italy all this time – lucky him. Perhaps the holiday has brought out his softer side as he gifts the reborn Locanda Locatelli at the Hyatt Regency hotel a rare five out of five […]
If the hipster-driven dude food revolution was prompted by the 2008 recession then, according to Giles Coren at The Times, the arrival of Sackville’s in Mayfair (an opulently expensive ode to beef and truffles) is a sure sign the hard times are well and truly over… “There would be exposed brick, bespoke cocktails and an […]
No egg puns were used in the writing of AA Gill’s review of Egg Break in the Sunday Times, but no punches were pulled either. He hated the place, from the bottom of its ‘Fritzl memorial lounge’ basement to the top of its ‘counter-cultural, recycled, reclaimed, ironic’ name sign. And is this the least appetising […]
The Observer’s critic-in-chief Jay Rayner heads to Levanter Fine Foods in Ramsbottom in search of thick-cut Galician beef steaks. Unfortunately they hadn’t arrived yet, but that didn’t stop him enjoying everything else that Joe Botham’s Spanish restaurant had to offer. “We run up a bill of £60 without any booze, but with the lobster, which […]
These days sustainability doesn’t mean sacrificing quality as great produce can be found locally or through fair trade importers. Partake of some fantastic food as you do your bit for the environment by choosing your dining destination with a little help from our friends at the Sustainable Restaurant Association, who’ve assessed all of these restaurants across the […]
Jay Rayner weighs in on the north/south restaurant divide question The Observer’s critic-in-chief heads to Manchester to try out the new Hawksmoor and stumbles across a veggie dining room, 1847, serving great food – well, apart from the desserts. Read our roundup of restaurant news in Manchester and enter our Hawksmoor Manchester competition. Meanwhile the […]
Can a pie be life-affirming? Marina O’Laughlin certainly makes Portland’s sound so The Guardian reviewer loves this recently opened Fitzrovia venture from the Quality Chop House’s Will Lander. “…it takes reservations and doesn’t charge like a rhino.” Meanwhile The Observer’s Jay Rayner is on another one of his jaunts, this time in Lyon The critic-in-chief […]
The Editors’ review of Heddon Street Kitchen It’s a competent operation but we can’t help but feel Ramsay’s association has inflated prices. Grace Dent can’t find her sea legs at Sea Containers Why would anyone call a restaurant something so “bloody awful”? the Evening Standard’s reviewer wants to know. Tuscan wine dynasty opens […]
The Editors’ review of The Palomar We find a characterful, upbeat dining room-come-bar serving refreshing Israeli cuisine. David Sexton is impressed by Jon Hunt’s first restaurant foray Pavilion, under chef Adam Simmonds, delivers plenty of luxurious complexity for the price. Never knowingly undersold (on burgers) Ham Holy Burgers to open first UK outlet […]
