Our round-up of what the nation’s restaurant critics were writing about in the week up to 2nd November 2025 The Guardian Franc, Canterbury Grace Dent enjoyed some “just great, great cooking” at a new venture from Dave Hart and Polly Pleasence, formerly of the Folkestone Wine Company, in a timber-framed gatehouse to Tudor-era almshouses – which, unusually, serves its fancier […]

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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 […]

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Our round-up of what the nation’s restaurant critics were writing about in the week up to 19th October 2025 The Guardian  670 Grams, Birmingham Grace Dent thrilled to a “dark, daunting, uncompromising” but “never boring” venue in Digbeth’s Custard Factory development, from former Purnell’s and The Man Behind the Curtain chef Kray Treadwell – a place of […]

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Our round-up of what the nation’s restaurant critics were writing about in the week up to 12th October 2025 The Guardian Punk Royale, Mayfair Grace Dent braved a subversive, immersive and rowdy Swedish take on multi-course fine dining that she felt was targeted at “cash-rich, experience-hungry twentysomethings”. It certainly wasn’t for her, and she signed […]

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Our round-up of what the nation’s restaurant critics were writing about in the week to 14th September 2025 The Times Legado, Shoreditch Giles Coren was the first of the critics into print on the merits of Spanish chef Nieves Barragan’s eagerly anticipated follow-up to her phenomenally successful Sabor. His verdict: “Legado is set fair to […]

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Our round-up of what the nation’s restaurant critics were writing about in the week up to 24th August 2025 The Guardian Bellota, Bury St Edmunds Grace Dent hailed a 20-seat counter venue “tucked away in a quaint West Suffolk market town” and serving a set menu from two “relatively unknown chefs”, married couple Ruben Aquilar Bel and […]

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Our round-up of what the nation’s restaurant critics were writing about in the week to 17th August 2025 London Standard Paulie’s, Shoreditch David Ellis popped in to one of the plethora of New York-style pizzerias that have sprung up around London in recent times – this one from Ryan O’Flynn (“Canadian, shush”), who also owns nearby Detroit […]

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Our round-up of what the nation’s restaurant critics were writing about in the week to 3rd August 2025 London Standard Lil’ Nashville, Chiswick  David Ellis whooped, hollered and kicked up his heels at a ‘country bar and kitchen’ in west London that is “better considered a kind of theme park ride”, offering line-dancing accompanied by Southern-style […]

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