In Brick Lane’s Old Truman Brewery, a casual new diner from the founders of Wahaca; the food has its moments, but the whole experience can be somewhat uneven. Thomasina Miers and Mark Selby seem to be paid-up subscribers to the notion that the art of cool is being in the know. The name of the […]
In the maze of cobbled streets near Spitalfields Market, a new Tuscan ‘villa’ serving a simple, fuss-free menu of steak and pasta, competently realised. Just south of Spitalfields Market is a cobbled maze of streets that look as though they might have sheltered Jack the Ripper. Its an atmospheric place with a couple of decent […]
Near the grand City-fringe Italian of the same name, a large contemporary-style café-pizzeria-trattoria; some of the food is of very high quality, and some of the prices are very reasonable too – both fronts, though, offer some scope for greater consistency. How quickly we forget. When L’Anima opened back in 2008, it seemed remarkable that […]
A relaunch, under unchanged ownership, of a dud former Shoreditch bar-restaurant (Beard to Tail, RIP) which looks set to become a handy all-day destination; our early-days visit was an all-round success, though the ‘new look’ may not fully be realised till Christmas. Under unchanged ownership, but new management, the Shoreditch premises once known as Beard-to-Tail […]
A handy destination for visitors and locals alike, this British brasserie on the corner of Trafalgar Square is open all day and ideal for breakfast, coffee or tea; on our early-days visit, however, its attractions as a lunch or dinner destination were less persuasive. The Wolseley has a lot to answer for. When the Piccadilly […]
Handy enough for a pricey shopping lunch near Ken High Street, this grandly marbled bar-cum-restaurant otherwise struck us as a venue without many obvious attractions. F. Scott Fitzgerald was right. The rich are different from you and me. They seem, for example, to deem only one decorative finish acceptable. And that is marble. Step forward, […]
Uncompromising but welcoming, a light and bright operation in the ‘School of St John’, offering an interesting and evolving menu at prices which encourage experimentation. James Lowe is part of a diaspora of former Young Turks – a group of ex-pop-up chefs which also includes Isaac McHale, now of the esteemed Clove Club, which is […]
Handily located near Piccadilly Circus, a characterful and upbeat dining bar/restaurant bringing refreshing modern Israeli cuisine to the heart of the West End. Serving ‘the food of modern day Jerusalem’Âť – in Chinatown – this quirky spot is clearly not your typical newcomer. And it’s not just the mismatch between the culinary style and the […]
On the former Bethnal Green site of Viajante, a great all-rounder from Jason Atherton protégé Lee Westcott, where the food is fashionable enough to be interesting, without being so mannered as to be irritating – hopefully the beginning of a trend! Only those recently returned from Mars will be unaware of the fact that Nuno […]
Remarkable in location and setting – just two mins from Piccadilly Circus, and with a large terrace – the latest Firmdale Hotel offers the group’s usual dining formula; the establishment’s all-round charms, though, may well make it a real destination. You’ve got to hand it to Tim & Kit Kemp, the Londoners who’ve built up […]
