Here’s our weekly round-up of what the nation’s restaurant critics were writing about in the week up to 26th November 2023. ***** Tributes have poured in from all quarters since it was announced on Thursday that Russell Norman, founder of ground-breaking restaurants from Polpo to Brutto, died aged 57 after a short illness. David Ellis […]
A new ‘wine pub’ and restaurant with ten wines on tap (and just a couple of beers) opens in Spitalfields Market next week. Alfi’s ‘draught’ options range from an organic biodynamic Riesling and an orange wine to several fizzies including a pet nat. The operation is being launched by Ben Hodges and Alex Lewis in […]
The company behind the Birch duo of luxury food and wellness retreats fell into administration this week. Birch Cheshunt (pictured) closed with immediate effect while Birch Selsdon is looking for a new owner – just a week after highly rated Pensons at the Netherwood Estate on the Herefordshire/Worcestershire border also announced its imminent closure. Both Birch […]
A new Italian neighbourhood restaurant has opened on the former site of hip natural wine bar Peg, in Hackney’s Morning Lane. Dalla has been created by Naples-born brothers Gennaro and Gianmarco (ex-Claridge’s) Leone, along with Mitchell Damota, former head chef at P Franco. Gennaro, who runs the design gallery Spazio Leone in Lower Clapton, has […]
Former L’Enclume executive chef Tom Barnes is launching his first restaurant next year, in Manchester – with the blessing of Simon Rogan, his former boss at the Lake District gastronomic powerhouse. Skof will open next spring in the Hanover building, a terracotta-tiled former drapery warehouse built in 1904 by the Co-operative Wholesale Society in what is […]
Dishoom opens its first London branch south of the Thames – and its 11th in total – next week in the redeveloped Battersea Power Station complex. The new venue pays tribute to its location adjacent to the power station with a ‘retro-futuristic’ take on 1950s Bombay. The familiar Dishoom menu beginning with breakfast will be joined by […]
A new Mexican restaurant opening in Chelsea next week will focus on the flavours of Tulum on the Yucatan peninsular – with no hint of ‘Tex Mex’ cooking. Ixchel, named after the Mayan moon goddess, will offer an all-day tapas-style menu of dishes created by Mexican-born chef Ximena Gayosso Gonzalez (pictured), who has worked at […]
Sune, a Nordic-inspired neighbourhood restaurant with an emphasis on wine and hospitality, is the latest addition to Broadway Market in Hackney, opening on Wednesday 29 November. The couple behind it, Honey Spencer and Charlie Sims, have both worked in Copenhagen, where Charlie did a stint at Noma while Honey was mentored by legendary wine importer […]
Singapore-born chef Abby Lee opens the first bricks-and-mortar version of her modern Malaysian venture Mambow in Clapton next week. Abby made her debut with Mambow as a pop-up in Commercial Street in 2020, and under lockdown she distributed Nyonya-style meal kits celebrating her Peranakan or Chinese-Malaysian heritage. Moving on to Peckham Market, Mambow won rave […]
Wine bar/restaurant Linden Stores, which began life in London before heading north to Cheshire four years, is reopening this month at its third address – in the market town of Knutsford, south of Manchester. The venture was launched in Highbury in 2017 by partners Laura Christie, formerly of Oklava and Kyseri, and Chris Boustead, ex-Opera […]
