Ye Olde Fighting Cocks in St Albans, said to be Britain’s oldest pub, is to reopen on Monday, 4 April, after its closure was announced in February by “heartbroken” landlord Christo Tofalli in the face of rising costs. Former manager Martin Robinson is now the licensee, flanked by chefs Ian Baulsh and Sam Walker. The […]
Entrepreneurial chef Robin Gill has announced his latest venture – a neighbourhood restaurant set in a west London retirement community. Maria G’s, inspired by his time on the Amalfi coast near Naples, is scheduled to open in June in the Riverstone development in Warwick Lane, between Kensington and Earl’s Court. The Irish-born chef made his name […]
A new style of Sicilian artisan bakery/restaurant opens in Putney tomorrow. Soffice, on the South Circular road, serves home-cooked savoury and sweet pastries, brioches and breads, alongside pizzas, pasta dishes and Sicilian specialities such as arancini (deep-fried rice balls, pictured above in three flavours). The all-day venture, set over two storeys with an outdoor terrace, […]
The Moorcock Inn in West Yorkshire, one of the highest-rated new-wave food pubs in the country, is to close down at its peak of popularity. Its many fans – and gastronomes who have yet to make the journey to the moors above Halifax – will be pleased to learn that it will remain open until January […]
Here is our weekly round-up of what the national and local restaurant critics were writing about in the week ending 27 March 2022. ***** The Observer “Let me introduce you to Queens Wine Bar and Bistro in Liverpool which, in dark days, can show you a very nice time indeed.” On the train to Liverpool, […]
Gareth Ward of Ynyshir in Wales and Josh Eggleton of the Pony and Trap near Bristol are among the highly rated chefs lined up for month-long residencies at a new brasserie in the City of London. Revolve, in the Broadgate development near Liverpool Street station, is billed as a “brasserie extraordinaire” and scheduled to open […]
Hip Liverpool Cantonese outfit Yum Cha is to open its first branch in Manchester this spring, at the £250million Kampus redevelopment on the former Metropolitan University site between Piccadilly station and the Gay Village. The Merseyside connection will be reinforced with Madre taqueria and Middle Eastern specialist Maray also moving into Kampus. Manchester’s own Cloudwater […]
Korean streetfood specialist Bunsik opens its second London site tomorrow (26 March), with a menu headed by “corn dogs” – sausage and/or cheese on a skewer wrapped in batter and breadcrumbs then deep-fried. The new branch opens on Villiers Street, Embankment, at midday, with freebies to reward the first 50 customers. Corn dogs were apparently invented […]
Experimental barbecue outfit Acme Fire Cult has moved into a permanent new home at Dalston’s 40FT brewery, and opens fully next Friday, April 1st. Chefs Andrew Clarke and Daniel Watkins (centre and right in pic), formerly of St Leonards, launched Acme as a pop-up in London Fields last summer, and have linked up with Steve […]
Saborcito, the first spinoff from Nieves Barragan Mohacho’s smash hit restaurant Sabor, is among the big draws at the relaunched Arcade Food Hall below London’s landmark Centre Point tower. Saborcito will serve Hispanic tapas and fresh seafood in the style that earned Nieves accolades as the chef behind the Barrafina group. Initially launched as Arcade […]
