⦿ Jay Rayner of The Observer reviewed Bundobust in Manchester, a “vibrant and cheap” combination of Indian veggie streetfood and craft beer that opened in December — and “by God, it works“. “Right now, the large, echoey basement space off the city’s Piccadilly feels like a big fat link in a chain, only one that hasn’t quite been […]
Nieves Barragan, head chef at London’s all-conquering Barrafina tapas bars, is leaving the group where she has run the kitchens since the first Barrafina opened in Soho. Group general manager José Etura (pictured) is also leaving to work with her on a new project. Barragan joined the […]
Chef Gordon Ker is opening an offshoot of his hip Soho chophouse Blacklock in the City of London next month. Blacklock wins praise in the latest Harden’s Survey for “the best chops in London”. The new, bigger venue will have an extended version of the same menu, featuring char-grilled meat from Cornish farmer-butcher Philip Warren, served on flatbread, […]
The trio behind Taiwanese steamed bun specialist Bao are to open a more upmarket restaurant, bar and tea house called Xu in Soho this spring. Bao, which has branches in Soho and Fitzrovia, has been a runaway success for founders Shing Tat Chung, Wai Ting Chung and Erchen Chang, with customers enduring long queues to sample […]
Following the success of the Cronut – a donut crossed with a croissant – here comes the sushi donut, the latest hybrid from the new Camden branch of Asian fusion mini-chain Inamo. In fact the sushi donut is much more palatable than the name suggests, mainly because it does not involve the deep fryer. Inamo is best known for […]
⦿ AA Gill of the Sunday Times opened his review of The Magpie Café 5/5 in Whitby with the bombshell that he has cancer, an announcement that – uniquely perhaps for a restaurant review – was trailed by a front-page report. “I’ve got an embarrassment of cancer, the full English,” he wrote, promising to let his readers know […]
⦿ Jay Rayner of The Observer reviewed Jaya in Llandudno, where he found “cracking Punjabi food by way of East Africa”. “From the specials there are lamb chops, marinated in their own lime pickle, which is all fire and acidity. The heat of the oven has mellowed the punch a little but turned it into something deeper […]
Billed as the world’s most expensive pho, two bowls of the Vietnamese national dish could be yours if you’re prepared to pay more than £1,000 for the privilege. The “super pho” concocted by Shaftesbury Avenue restaurant Pho and Bun using Kobe beef is being auctioned to raise funds for Action on Hunger. Owner Andy Le […]
The Araki, a nine-seater Japanese counter in Mayfair that at over £350 a head is Britain’s most expensive restaurant, has been crowned London’s Top Gastronomic Experience at the first ever Harden’s London Restaurant Awards, justifying sushi master Mitsuhiro Araki’s gamble in closing down his Michelin three-star operation in Tokyo to move around the world. He shared the […]
Ben Chapman, founder of one of London’s hottest restaurants of last year – Smoking Goat – is set to open a second Thai BBQ venture in September 2016. Kiln, in Soho’s Brewer Street, will be a ‘side of the road type restaurant’ serving grills and a speciality daily noodle dish. The cooking is inspired by […]
