Restaurants
Why are there suddenly so many dessert cafés in London?
Fifteen years ago, if you were eating at 239 Brompton Road in Kensington, just over from the Oratory, you may…
‘I wanted to like it more’: Cloth Cornhill, reviewed
In 1757, the same year that Admiral Byng was executed pour encourager les autres, Simpson’s Tavern opened in the City…
‘The best roast duck in Birmingham’: Look In, reviewed
You know what, I was looking forward to Reform’s party conference in Birmingham. Up there as a journalist, not a…
‘In a word: go’: Kid, reviewed
Well, I’m still full. That’s the first thing to know. -Probably will be at the time you read this too.…
Taking on the Cornish culinary mafia: Four Boys reviewed
‘Expect David Cameron to be there.’ This was the main thing I had been told before I went to Four…
‘If you’re a lamb chop ultra, then start your car’: Koyal reviewed
One of the things I find most confusing is the practice of going for a curry when you’re hammered. Having…
The wisdom of Anthony Bourdain
Tony is a biopic of Anthony Bourdain, the late, great chef who, in fact, considered himself a writer first –…
‘Right-wingers know better food’: Rosina reviewed
The worst areas to eat in London are the best places to live. Hampstead, Chelsea, Chiswick, St John’s Wood: all…
‘I hope Keir Starmer comes for the pints, not the food’: The Pineapple reviewed
It’s a Saturday afternoon and I’ve just walked into The Pineapple in north London, thus becoming the 4,825th journalist to…
‘A contradiction in terms’: Zylia reviewed
Can there be, in Britain, such a thing as a destination Greek taverna? There are some cases where proximity is…
‘Through ecstasy I say: it’s perfect’: The Old Original Bakewell Pudding Shop reviewed
The obvious thing to say about themed restaurants is that they are usually bad. The Rainforest Café in London, for…
‘It feels subversive to eat so much carbohydrate in Mayfair’: Claridge’s ArtSpace Café and Bakery reviewed
Claridge’s grew nine storeys in the last decade: it’s a metaphor. The ornamental 1897 castle on Brook Street has expanded…
‘I wanted to lie face down in the hummus’: Erev reviewed
Erev is an Israeli restaurant in Notting Hill, though Israeli restaurants do not call themselves Israeli nowadays. They have rebranded…
‘A constant good in this world’: Simpson’s in the Strand reviewed
Simpson’s in the Strand is a dream palace, and its fortunes are as tidal as the river. It is on…
I wanted to rescue this waiter
‘Something I like to do with all my tables is ask what brings you here today?’ said the young waiter…
‘An adequate meal for a Cornish giant’: Brasserie Angelica reviewed
Brasserie Angelica is the – is the word signature? – restaurant inside the Newman, Fitzrovia, a new hotel that has…
Treasure Britain’s last railway dining car while you still can
The 17.48 from Paddington does not, on first sight, seem exceptional. Over-hard seats, over-bright lights and a scrum at the…
In days of war, we need trifles: Mezzogiorno reviewed
Mezzogiorno is a very serious, golden Italian restaurant inside the Corinthia London Hotel on Northumberland Avenue. Restaurants are increasingly gold…
Food for adults remembering childhood: Dover Street Counter reviewed
Dover Street Counter is the tiny sister of The Dover, a very good restaurant on – who knew? – Dover…
Like dining with Elrond in Rivendell: Corenucopia reviewed
Corenucopia by Clare Smyth is in Belgravia, amid a line of interior-design shops, and it is prettier than all of…
‘Beloved by Chinese tourists – and the Labour party’: Phoenix Palace reviewed
The exterior of the Phoenix Palace is cream with golden letters like the napkin and the Laffer curve, and it…
A restaurant so perfect I hesitated to review it
Sometimes you find it, H.G. Wells’s door in the wall, but to tapas: a restaurant so perfect you hesitate to…
Scott’s vs Mayfair
Kingsley Amis was obsessed with Scott’s on Mount Street, Mayfair, and he knew a lot about food. He ate himself…
Why does Netflix never show us business heroes?
God bless Netflix: I’ve just watched all 28 episodes of Foyle’s War, the 1940s detective series set in Hastings and…
