Much-travelled Aussie chef Scott Hallsworth opens the second permanent venue of his pan-Asian project, Freak Scene, in Balham, south London, next week. Freak Scene Sushi & Grill launches on Thursday 18 January, and follows the first permanent Freak Scene in Parsons Green, which opened last spring in “fine form“, according to the 2024 Harden’s guide. […]
James Close is to close down his acclaimed Co Durham restaurant the Raby Hunt after 14 years and join nearby Rockliffe Hall as culinary director. An ex-pro golfer, James taught himself to cook in the kitchen of the former pub and quickly earned a reputation as a standard-bearer for gastronomic excellence in the Northeast. The […]
Here’s our weekly round-up of what the nation’s restaurant critics were writing about in the first week of 2024. ***** The Evening Standard Jimi Famurewa opened his first review of 2024 with a bold headline: “Welcome to London’s best new restaurant”. He was reviewing Donia, a Filipino spot that’s taken over the top floor of […]
Highly rated Manchester pasta specialist Sud is relaunching its four restaurants as Rigatoni’s – less than a year after their last name change. Brothers Alex and Mike de Martiis (pictured above) founded the group as Sugo in 2015 with a single site in Altrincham, adding further branches in Ancoats, Sale and most recently the city centre’s […]
Prominent vegetarian restaurant Greens, of Didsbury in south Manchester, has closed down after 33 years following a 35% rent hike – while Copper & Ink in Blackheath, southeast London, is another New Year casualty of rising costs. Greens’ founder Simon Rimmer, a regular on television, announced the closure in a video posted to social media […]
Possibly London’s smallest restaurant opens in Notting Hill next week – an omakase with just six seats per sitting called Juno, upstairs at Markus Thesleff’s Mexican-Japanese mashup Los Mochis. Juno will serve a 15-course meal costing £180 in two evening sittings – at 6 and 8.30pm, Tuesday to Saturday – overseen by Los Mochis’ executive chef […]
A team who met at Larry’s in Peckham have taken over the former Nest site in Hackney’s Morning Lane to launch Big Night – billed as a ‘British izakaya’ drinking den with meals cooked over a charcoal grill. Jack O’Connor and Joshua Ralphs have between them worked at some of London’s hippest spots, including Flor, Lasdun […]
Happy New Year! Here’s our weekly round-up of what the nation’s restaurant critics were writing about in the fortnight over Christmas 2023. ***** The Evening Standard In a departure from the usual ‘best meals’ lists from our favourite critics, The Standard has produced a list of the worst meals of the year, compiled from the […]
Here’s our weekly round-up of what the nation’s restaurant critics were writing about in the week up to 18th December 2023. ***** The Evening Standard A “knack for deftly articulated pleasure and willingness to try things”. Jimi Famurewa reviewed The Corner, a “louche long-term kitchen residency” from Jackson Boxer that’s “wedged in between luxury womenswear […]
High-profile Bristol chef Freddy Bird and his wife Nessa are to open a new restaurant in the city’s Georgian enclave of Clifton tomorrow. 1 York Place is named after its address, and takes over the premises occupied by Italian restaurant Rosemarino for 13 years until its closure in July. The Birds also run Little French, […]
