The opening of two new neighbourhood French bistros in quick succession confirms the enduring popularity of classic Gallic cuisine in the British capital. Earlier this month, La Bouffe (pictured) launched in Wandsworth Bridge Road, Fulham, from husband-and-wife team Lawrence and Emily Hartley, who own the Provence-inspired Le Petit Citron in Brook Green. They say the […]
Romanian-born chef Alex Craciun, who made his name at Jason Atherton’s Sosharu, has returned to London after nine years to open a Japanese-inspired restaurant called Aces Foodcraft in Fitzrovia. The restaurant, which opens tomorrow (1 November), operates on two levels: during the daytime it is relatively casual, with a seasonal à la carte menu, daily […]
Amy Poon will revive one of the most famous names in British Chinese cooking with the opening of her first permanent restaurant – called Poon’s – in Somerset House on Bonfire Night. Amy’s parents Bill and Cecilia opened the original Poon’s in Chinatown in 1973, which ran alongside a second venue in Covent Garden until they […]
Our round-up of what the nation’s restaurant critics were writing about in the week up to 26th October 2025 The Guardian Fête, Chelmsford Grace Dent thoroughly enjoyed a “welcome slice of unpretentious hospitality happiness” in deepest Essex, where chef Tobias Godfrey and his co-owner and partner, Laura Day, have “taken the Chelmsford dining scene by storm” with […]
Ivan Tisdall-Downes, the chef behind several versions of itinerant sustainable restaurant Native, has opened a new venue in London Fields – this time under a different name. Field Notes, close to Mare Street Market, occupies similar culinary territory to Native, with Ivan saying it is “about exploring sustainability as a global conversation. But at its heart, […]
One of East London’s ‘lost’ eel, pie and mash shops has been revived as a pub called The Black Eel by Andy and Steph Solley of Walthamstow’s Exale Brewing. The new pub opens this Friday (24 October), with 150 free pints of beer waiting for the first arrivals through the door from midday. The spacious […]
Birmingham high-rise restaurant Orelle is changing its name to 24 Stories as the Evolv Collection – originally Conran Restaurants and more recently D&D London – modifies its structure with the introduction of a series of mini-brands. 24 Stories – on the 24th floor of Birmingham’s tallest office building, 103 Colmore Row – combines with 20 Stories […]
Former prisoner Nathaniel Mortley has opened his first permanent restaurant – 2010 by Natty Can Cook, in Herne Hill, south London, which offers a refined take on Pan-Caribbean cuisine. Nathaniel served a two-and-a-half-year sentence in Brixton prison, less than a mile away, where he worked in prisoner-operated restaurant The Clink – for which he remains an ambassador. […]
A high-end food market focusing on prime ingredients such as caviar and wagyu with separate European and Japanese dining counters opens next week on the King’s Road in Chelsea. Arthur’s Market is the brainchild of Artur Voloshin, the entrepreneur behind high-end Belgravia pub The Prince Arthur, which opened earlier this year with a fresh seafood […]
Patty & Bun founder Joe Grossman launches his second dining pub today (Friday 10 October) – The Shaston Arms in Soho, a follow-up to the successful Waterman’s Arms which he opened in Barnes two years ago. The Shaston’s kitchen is led by former Ducksoup head chef Sam Andrews, who is also behind the Waterman’s modern European […]
