Here’s our regular round-up of what the nation’s restaurant critics were writing about in the week up to 2 April 2023. ***** The Observer “Wave after wave of sweet and fiery and sour crashes on the wilder shores of your tongue.” Jay Rayner dived into the “neon-bright Bangkok flavours” at Speedboat Bar, on the Chinatown-fringe […]

Continue reading


Our summary of what the national and local restaurant critics were writing about in the week ending 5 March 2023. ***** The Observer Jay Rayner dropped in on 10 Tib Lane during his recent visit to Manchester (see below for a link to his interview with Manchester Live). The “trio of Manchester hospitality veterans behind […]

Continue reading


Pucci, London W1 Jay Rayner for The Observer reviewed Mayfair newcomer Pucci, revived from its bygone King’s Road days by the founder’s son (the original closed in 2010). Decorated like “a wealthy person’s version of a humble farmhouse”, it’s the sort of room “in which you can have a very good time, though ideally with […]

Continue reading


Imperial Treasure, London SW1 Did the chefs at Imperial Treasure recognise Jay Rayner when he visited for The Observer? They chased him to the toilet, so one presumes so. Why then, did they take away his Peking duck (for which he paid a “nose-bleeding… shameless” £100) half-eaten? Astonishing. It tainted the rest of his meal, […]

Continue reading


Grace Dent in The Guardian visited Hot Manchester Newcomer Tast Cuina Catalana, one of the ” delicate, thoughtful, educational places” that is aiming to bring a true taste of Spain to Britain. It’s “forward-reaching”, “high-end, imaginative, occasionally edgy” – and huge: there’s three “capacious” floors to fill, each offering a different level of formality and adventurousness. […]

Continue reading


Grace Dent in The Guardian rejoiced in the “sheer chutzpah” of chef Alex Bond at Alchemilla even before she ate a bite of the “veg-centric” menu. Bond has turned a huge, “crypt-like space… an abandoned coaching house” that had “sat unloved and festering for more than 100 years” into “a capacious, open brushed aluminium kitchen” […]

Continue reading


50 Kalo di Ciro Salvo, London, WC2 (****) in The Evening Standard visited the latest Neapolitan pizzeria to import itself into London (following on from L’Antica Pizzeria da Michele, which recently opened in Baker Street – the first branch in Stoke Newington is no more). Despite almost everything about the place – the location (Northumberland […]

Continue reading