63-69 Canonbury Road, London N1 2DG The decision of which restaurant to go to first, after the first COVID-19 lockdown, didn’t feel particularly important at the time. In truth, I was nervous about going back into a restaurant environment, and my priority was to find somewhere easy to get to from home, where we could […]

48 Greek Street, London W1D 4EF It is easy to forget that, not so long ago, before we became infatuated and intrigued by hipster tacos, sushi and ceviche, French cuisine was the most highly revered form of cooking. Whether it was the rich haute-cuisine of the bourgeoise, or the more earthy cuisine familiale of the […]

4 Mercer Walk, London WC2H 9FA Don’t go to Kebab Queen if you don’t like surprises. Don’t go if you don’t enjoy tasting menus. Don’t go if you are a veggie. Don’t go if sitting at a communal table isn’t your thing. Don’t go if the thought of edible disinfectant freaks you out. Don’t go […]

40-41 Rathbone Pl, Fitzrovia, London W1T 1HX As we sat, chatting at the end of our recent lunch at Circolo Popolare, I noticed that we were the last guests left in the restaurant…except for two young tourists, who were taking selfies and photos of each other, against the backdrop of the restaurant’s extraordinary interior. It […]

King Street, Fordwich, Kent CT2 0DB The Fordwich Arms, located in what one seems obliged to note is Britain’s smallest town, is a Michelin-starred “pub and restaurant”. At least that’s what they say, but I’m not convinced that it really operates as a pub anymore. Certainly, on my Saturday lunchtime visit, all the tables in […]

24 – 26 Baker Street, London, W1U 3BZ The primary purpose of a restaurant is to feed. The best of them do so with a warmth and grace that does justice to the term “hospitality”. Some restaurants seek to capture a zeitgeist whilst others seem to want to entertain, which is fine, as long they […]

30 Henrietta St, London WC2E 8NA Perhaps like the 19th century courtesan that the restaurant is named after, Cora Pearl reveals its charms slowly, but beguilingly. The ground floor room is relatively small – with some genuinely uncomfortable tables – but lighter than expected for a Covent Garden townhouse, thanks to the windows at the […]