Tag Archives: restaurants

Lunch at Assiette Anglaise, Liverpool Road, N7

I had a fantastic lunch last week at Assiette Anglaise, a relatively new restaurant for Highbury and a welcome one indeed! It’s is a fine little neighbourhood brasserie which locals should be proud to call their own. Everybody else? This all day eatery’s only a short stroll away from Highbury and Islington Station (and is just about as close to Holloway Road and Caledonian Road stations too). The delighful meal I had was certainly worth the time I spent on public transport to get there. Continue reading

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Bourbon Tasting Flights and a Steak of the Month at JW Steakhouse, Park Lane

JW Steakhouse at the Marriott’s Grosvenor House hotel has recently introduced a couple of brilliant new reasons to pay this fine dining establishment a visit post-haste: a series of four bourbon tasting flights and a Steak of the Month. Both these offers represent deliciously good news to be sure! However, what is perhaps even more deserving of me shouting about you making speedy beeline to enjoy is the simple fact that, as I discover during my dinner last night, everything else about this American style Steakhouse is fantastic too. Continue reading

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Samphire Picking in the River Dart Estuary (Great British Chefs)

It’s low down dirty work gathering samphire. But that doesn’t mean it’s bad, just that you’ve got to get in the mud and squat, stoop, bend or crawl to pluck the tasty little stems from the earth. A trusty pair of Wellies are obligatory and, as I recently discovered, wearing kneepads would be a smart idea as well. Up until last week, picking samphire meant pointing to a container inside a deli counter and saying something along the lines of “May I please have 100 grams, please?”. Now, after accepting an invitation to Devon by Riverford Organic Farms to harvest wild samphire in the River Dart Estuary, I have a new appreciation for what goes into bringing this crisp and salty coastal treat to my London plate. Continue reading

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Mozzarella and the City: Where to Get the Good Stuff in London (OneTravel)

Mozzarella di Buffalo (buffalo milk mozzarella) has become something of a celebrated cheese in London lately with new mozzarella bars opening and fine dining establishments featuring it prominently on their menus. A good number of quality delis, pizzerias and restaurants around town now carry the proper white stuff. Here’s a look at a few of the best. Continue reading

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Sunday Lunch: Paradise by Way of Kensal Green

I don’t want to give away too much about the fantastic dining room of Paradise by Way of Kensal Green. If you’ve never been, it’s worth a bit of uncertainly for the wonderful surprise of seeing the interiors for the first time. And, of course, if you have been then you know what I’m talking about. Nice place for a drink, eh? But have you tried the Sunday lunch? It’s full-on (and filling!) and as lovely as you might expect to enjoy in such a pleasant setting. Continue reading

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New Reasons to Love an Old Favourite: Gourmet Burger Kitchen at the N1 Centre, Angel

Remember when Gourmet Burger Kitchen was virtually the only place in London where you could go for a halfway decent burger? I guess such a time really wasn’t all that long ago but it seems like ancient history given all the choice we have for burgers now. I reckon GBK deserves much of the credit (or should I say blame?) for creating the conditions that led to the burger mania that’s swept London these past couple of years. And now that a number from the recent onslaught of burger joints seem to have eclipsed GBK in popularity and success, is the beefy trendsetter still worth taking a bite out of? Yeah, I’d say so. Continue reading

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4 Unique Eats in Mexico City’s Centro Histórico (CheapOair)

There’s no shortage of great places to eat in Mexico City, but deciding on where to grab a bite can seem like a daunting task at times – you’re spoiled for choice (well, as long as you like Mexican), and it’s not always so clear what your best options are. Here’s a list of four unique eateries in the city’s Centro Histórico near the city’s famed Zócalo plaza. Continue reading

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Taste of London Celebrates 10th Anniversary (OneTravel)

The perennially popular Taste of London restaurant festival marks its tenth anniversary this summer with its biggest and best line up to date. Read my complete post at the OneTravel blog.

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Foodie Fun at England’s Seaside in Sussex (CheapOair)

Located along the coast in Southeastern England, Sussex offers the best of British surf and turf for gourmet travelers visiting the UK and all within easy reach of London and its two main airports – Heathrow and Gatwick. Indeed Gatwick is located halfway between London and Sussex seaside communities of Brighton and Hove. Here’s a selection of upcoming food and drink events around in Brighton and Hove and surrounding Sussex countryside. Happy eating! Continue reading

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Tapas Recipe: Apple Crumble Crema Catalana by Jose Pizarro

A few weeks back I had the pleasure sampling the results of chef Jose Pizarro and Codorníu cava teaming up to create a series of “Great British Tapas”. You can read about that experience in my write up for Blue Tomato. I really enjoyed … Continue reading

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Tapas Recipe: Beef and Pimentón Yorkshire Mini Puds by Jose Pizarro

A few weeks back I had the pleasure sampling the results of chef Jose Pizarro and Codorníu cava teaming up to create a series of “Great British Tapas”. You can read about that experience in my write up for Blue Tomato. I really enjoyed tasting … Continue reading

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Tapas Recipe: Fish and Chips Tostados by Jose Pizarro

A few weeks back I had the pleasure sampling the results of chef Jose Pizarro and Codorníu cava teaming up to create a series of “Great British Tapas”. You can read about that experience in my write up for Blue Tomato. I really enjoyed tasting … Continue reading

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Tapas Recipe: Shepherd’s Pie Croquetas by Jose Pizarro

A few weeks back I had the pleasure sampling the results of chef Jose Pizarro and Codorníu cava teaming up to create a series of “Great British Tapas”. You can read about that experience in my write up for Blue Tomato. I really enjoyed tasting … Continue reading

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Tapas Recipe: Full English Sourdoughs by Jose Pizarro

A few weeks back I had the pleasure sampling the results of chef Jose Pizarro and Codorníu cava teaming up to create a series of “Great British Tapas”. You can read about that experience in my write up for Blue Tomato. I really enjoyed tasting … Continue reading

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Good Stuff and Grand Designs

Here’s a quick little list of good stuff I’ve recently come across and thought was worth sharing with you. Enjoy! Continue reading

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Soho’s Best Indian Restaurants (OneTravel)

Perhaps nowhere in London is the variety of restaurants and dining options as varied as in Soho, the compact and social heart of this sprawling city. Even once you’ve decided on what type of food you’re keen to enjoy, going out to eat in Soho brings with it tough decisions. Continue reading

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Spring into a Great Soho Supper at Carom Pan-Indian Restaurant

Kemey and I were treated to a delicious meal over the weekend at pan-Indian restaurant Carom at Meza. Based on past experiences, I figured we were in for a more than decent dinner when I made the reservation, but expectations were exceeded and both of us came away glad to add one more reliably good and centrally located restaurant to our list of quality venues worth keeping in mind. Continue reading

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A Beefy Visit to Smithfield Market with Tom Hixson & Co (Great British Chefs)

There’s a good chance that if you’ve recently enjoyed a cut of USDA Prime beef at a London steakhouse or cut into a sumptuous mound of bife de lomo at one of this town’s many Argentine restaurants, your steak found its way to your plate via Tom Hixson & Co of Smithfield Market. Continue reading

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The Great British Tapas Project with José Pizarro and Codorníu (Blue Tomato)

With his eponymous and popular tapas bar and an equally adored sit-down restaurant (each just a minute’s walk away from the other on the trendy restaurant row that is Bermondsey Street), chef patron José Pizarro knows a thing or two about tapas and the British palate. Now, this master of the London tapa (before opening his own eateries, José was a chef at Eyre Brothers, Gaudi and Brindisa) has teamed up with cava brand, Codorníu, to add a Spanish twist to some of Britain’s most popular dishes – with the launch of the Great British Tapas project. Continue reading

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Four of London’s Quirkiest DJ Booths (CheapOair)

Yes, of course, the sounds coming from a DJ booth are of utmost important. But assuming the music is to your liking, the look and feel of a venue can certainly add or distract from your time listening to what the DJ is spinning. Looking for a London venue that takes its tunes but not itself too seriously? Continue reading

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The Best British Food in Sussex (Guest)

With its prime location between the coast and the rolling countryside of the South Downs, as well as containing the eclectic Brighton, Sussex is a fantastic place for finding food. From the casual cafe to the gourmet gutbusters, south coast … Continue reading

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A Beguiling Ode to Great Britain at Alvin Leung’s Bo London (CDCLifestyle)

It’s been a little over a month now, yet I still find myself carrying on about how lovely my dining experience at Bo London was. I’ve enjoyed a fair number of fine meals since but, still, something about my time there lingers. Odds are my dinner will go down as the best meal of the year. And if not, well then, the rest of 2013 promises to be one of exquisite culinary delight. Continue reading

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The Maverick: Alvin Leung (Salt)

Salt is a newly launched trade publication for the hospitality industry with a focus on “innovation, creation and evolution of food.” For the inaugural issue I interviewed Hong Kong demon chef, Alvin Leung, about his own innovative style and his … Continue reading

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Four Fantastic London Brunches (CheapOair)

Starting west and heading east, here are four of London’s most fantastic and filling weekend brunches … Continue reading

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In Search of London’s Best Tiramisu (CheapOair)

Lusciously layered Savoiardi biscuits dipped in coffee with a whipped mixture of egg yolks and mascarpone cheese, and flavored with marsala wine and cocoa – a dessert dish of tiramisu often provides a great litmus test for determining the merits of an Italian restaurant. Too bad it’s served at the end of a meal! Here are but a few of London’s most moreish tiramisu offerings. Continue reading

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Go Local – the Secrets of Italian Cuisine (Guest)

From the humble pizza to bubbling Prosecco, Italy has immortalised some of the world’s favourite dishes and developed some of its own gastronomic delights. The glorious climate and varied landscape has accommodated a wide range of foods to grow there, … Continue reading

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Wine of the Month: 2011 Monte delle Vigne Lambrusco 2011

It’s crimson and velvety. It sparkles. It even comes from the ancestral lands of St Valentine. So why Lambrusco isn’t the official wine for couples celebrating Valentine’s Day is a bit beyond me. Having recently tried Monte delle Vigne Lambrusco 2011 during a low key and rather romantic evening out, I thought this lightly frizzante vino rosso would make a fine choice for February’s Wine of the Month. Continue reading

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Four Sweet Eateries for Edinburgh Lovers (CheapOair)

Lovebirds looking for a romantic restaurant in Edinburgh for Valentine’s Day are spoilt for choice. That is if they act fast to make a reservation. There are plenty of great places to enjoy a delicious meal in an intimate and elegant setting. Here’s a list of four brilliant Edinburgh eateries to visit with your sweetheart. Continue reading

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Bo London by Alvin Leung (Great British Chefs)

Yes of course, sex sells. We all know that. But what about the after effects of a completed romp? Surely, all that leftover stuff is best left unmentioned … and certainly not exalted as the inspiration of haute cuisine in some fancy schmancy Mayfair restaurant? Continue reading

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Four Great Restaurants for Celebrating Chinese New Year in London (CheapOair)

Whether you’re on a tight budget or have one that you’re hankering to blow in grand style, London is home to a range of Chinese restaurants for every wallet and taste. Continue reading

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Four Fine Dines for London Valentines (CheapOair)

Here are four tried and true safe bet restaurants in central London that I think have the right mix of food and drink, ambiance and service for a memorable night out with that special someone in your life. Read my … Continue reading

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A Meaty Review of Smithfield’s Grill on the Market

y rib eye was cooked perfectly as I’d requested (medium rare) and was actually one of the better chunks of meat I’ve had in quite a long while. I was completely satisfied with every last bite of it. Continue reading

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Best of 2012 (OneTravel)

Discovering more of London’s hidden gems, jetting off to Parma to partake in the local dining scene, winding my way through the weird and wonderful world of Japan’s largest fish market: 2012 was an awesome year to be a OneTravel … Continue reading

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My Best of 2012 on CheapOair (CheapOair)

From Miami to Burgundy and all sorts of excellent destinations in between, I had a blast blogging for CheapOair this past year. As 2012 draws to a close, I thought now would be a great time to highlight five of … Continue reading

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Best Restaurants of 2012 – Everywhere Else

Yesterday I published my list of ten best London restaurants for 2012. Today, I’m sharing a list of some faves from trips beyond the M25. I didn’t get out of town as much as I would have liked during 2012. … Continue reading

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