Category Archives: Drink
Win a Havana Club Mojito Kit
Key to mixing up a perfect mojito is getting its most important ingredient right. Made in the heart of Cuba, Havana Club 3 Anos is an ideal accompaniment for summer cocktails. The only white rum aged for three years, it develops deep aromas and tastes to suit any assortment of tropical serves, whether an authentic Cuban mojito or refreshing daiq Continue reading
Pensacola, FL Is the Foodie Paradise You Never Knew About (Miles Away)
Sunny days, sandy beaches and sensational food – Pensacola is one of America’s tastiest seaside destinations. From farmers’ markets and “flip-flop fine dining” to innovative regional and international haute cuisine, if you’re hankering for something good to eat, this friendly Gulf Coast town has plenty to go round. Continue reading
Sponsored Video: Lipton Ice Tea Asks: Are You a Daybreaker?
Are you a morning person? Over the past month or so Lipton Ice Tea has been sharing some especially tasty ways for even the crankiest of grizzlies to rise and shine with joyful anticipation of the day. From a zip … Continue reading
Yelp London’s Big Night In: Free Treats and Services Delivered to Your Doorstep
Have you heard about Yelp’s Big Night In? With mega-loads of free treats and services being offered to 30 lucky Yelpers, a quiet Friday night at home never looked so good! Continue reading
Recipe: Jack Daniel’s Manhattan
With a taste of Tennessee and a touch of New York sophistication, a Jack Daniel’s Manhattan is Americana in a martini glass. Using the world’s favourite whiskey to create this highly regarded cocktail is a flavourful (and easy!) way to stir up some good times without raising too much of a fuss. Continue reading
Living Lech: A Taste of Austria’s Gourmand Side
Austria, like any culture-rich nation, has a consummate tradition of food: timeless recipes, fresh ingredients, and local preferences. That’s given. What I didn’t expect from my four-day trip to Lech, a traditional valley town nestled into the sprightly Alps, was for my farm-fresh experience to cross-over with world-renown couture gastronomy. And here’s the thing about couture: it always fits. (Not sure if I could say the same for my jeans afterwards.) Continue reading
Camino Tapas Bar Carves a Path to a New Bankside Location
Furthering restaurateur Richard Bigg’s vision of casual Spanish dining in Britain, Camino Bankside offers Londoners more opportunity to enjoy Executive Chef Nacho Del Campo’s smart menu of tapas, sharing platters and more in a stylish setting with plenty of outdoor seating. Continue reading
Sunlight Gleams on My Strategically Placed Coffee Machine (espressoCrazy)
Lousy photo? Maybe. But it illustrates well what I’m most pleased to blog about at this moment. Just look at all that streaming sunlight coming into the shot from my back garden! And what’s it gleaming on? My Francis Francis … Continue reading
Nothing Jarring about a Relaxing Dinner at Drury Lane’s Jar Kitchen
A member of the Sustainable Restaurant Association, Jar Kitchen’s menu features plenty of British fare (all meat sourced from Walter Rose & Son butchers in Wiltshire) with a contemporary European twist along with tasty items presumably picked up just round the restaurant’s Seven Dials corner (chiefly Monmouth Coffee and Neal’s Yard Dairy). And – from what I could ascertain at a recent tasting event – I it’s all in good hands with Chef Dominik Moldenhauer (ex-Heston Blumenthal’s Dinner). Continue reading
Pizza Union, Pentonville Road, King’s Cross
I’m not sure which I love more: a great pizza or a great bargain. But if I can get ‘em both in one go at a convenient and actually rather stylish setting then I reckon that’s a big tasty win that warrants a shout out! Already a fan of the original restaurant in Spitalfields, I am so pleased to share the good news that Pizza Union has opened a second location on Pentonville Road near King’s Cross St Pancras station. Continue reading
Good Stuff #43
Good stuff and lots of it! Here’s the low down on some fine things to see, sip or savour – all of which I’ve recently come across and thought were worth sharing with you. Enjoy. Continue reading
Live in Italian, Live from London Pop-Up at Potters Fields Park
Hosted sparkling water super brand S.Pellegrino in partnership with two Michelin starred chefs, Theo Randall of The Intercontinental and Phil Howard of The Square, the pop-up sees the chefs cooking “each evening with an exclusively created three-course-menu, perfectly paired with fine Italian wines,” while also providing live demonstrations of each course “within an intimate candlelit setting and guests will be encouraged to ask their burning cooking questions.” During the day there’s a lunchtime service with dishes created by Chris Denney, Head Chef at the popular Covent Garden restaurant, Four to Eight. And that’s what I had for lunch yesterday – a bite of Chris’ dishes. Continue reading
Lunch at Bunnychow
Bunnychow is a laidback sort of eatery with a no worries/no pretences vibe to it and where the star of the show is the filling and flavoursome food. Situated on Wardour Street in Soho (nearer the Shaftesbury Avenue end than the Oxford Street side), it’s a smart choice for an affordable quick bite … and if you like a bit of heat with your food, you’ll love bunnychow’s hot sauce (I sure did). Continue reading
Wimbledon-Themed Afternoon Tea at The Landmark London
Earlier today I had the pleasure of enjoying afternoon tea in the light filled Winter Garden of five star hotel, The Landmark London. I reckon it’s one of London’s most elegant spaces to book an afternoon tea service, and proved to be an excellent setting for me to get through an initially awkward start and have a great conversation. Continue reading
UK Premiere of Roxanne by Paul Frankl
Shot in 35mm and on location in Soho, the film follows the relationship of transgender sex worker (played cool and convincing by Miss Cairo) and motherless 12 year-old Lily (spectacularly portrayed by Thea Lamb). It’s an ‘unlikely friendship’ kinda flick – not too dissimilar in theme to, say, About a Boy except the ‘boy’ in Roxanne is a girl and the ‘Hugh Grant’ character is Miss Cairo. Continue reading
Dining at the Renewed Aqua Nueva
It had been some while (like a couple of years) since I had last dined at Aqua Nueva, but I still held strong memories of how much I enjoyed my meal when I recently accepted an invitation to return for a visit after the soft launch of this Spanish restaurant that’s just reopened after a long hiatus for refurbishment. Continue reading
Win a Range of Barman Sirops, Cans and Gourmet Drops from Teisseire
Teisseire has been making French sirop from naturally filtered water in the alps since 1720. The sirops come in a huge variety of flavours – from strawberry to cactus – among the most popular are Passionfruit, Raspberry, Lemon, Caramel, Mojito, Pink Grapefruit and Grenadine. They’re more flexible than cordials and go with both hot or cold drinks. Fancy a summery dash of French flair for free? I’ve teamed up with Teisseire to offer one lucky reader a chance to win a range barman sirops, cans and gourmet drops. Continue reading
Brunch at Blueprint Café
When the sun is out, a table at Blueprint Café overlooking the Thames is a glorious spot to enjoy a meal. And it’s been my experience that the café’s Head Chef Martyn Moody’s meals are definitely enjoyable. His new Saturday brunch menu is a guaranteed weekend delight. As for the weather, there are no guarantees, but the crisp blue skied Saturday I paid a visit was gorgeous. Continue reading
A Taste of Puglia: Drinking
The last post in my Taste of Puglia series was about the best bites from the region. But what drinks pair well with all that excellent southern Italian food … wine … coffee? Sure! Puglia can be proud of its contributions to these two most significant liquid elements of Italian culture. Continue reading
Scents of Summer Afternoon Tea at Intercontinental London Park Lane
A new limited edition Scents of Summer afternoon tea is available now and running until the end of September at the Wellington Lounge of the Intercontinental London Park Lane. The colourfully presented tea features a bouquet of delicacies created by the hotel’s Executive Chef Ashely Wells in collaboration with Edward Bodenham, 9th generation of the world’s oldest family-run perfumers Floris. For a taste (and whiff) of the joys of summer, this afternoon tea offers a luxurious opportunity to while away some and come out smelling like a rose! Continue reading
Coffee in My Garden (espressoCrazy)
You know what’s better than enjoying a perfectly made coffee every morning in my own home? Enjoying a perfectly made coffee every morning outside in the garden of my own home! This post is just a brief update on something … Continue reading
Yummy Sophistication in Swish Digs: Yauatcha City, Broadgate Circle
The new 7,220sqft semi-circle restaurant echoes the swankest of design elements of its flagship Michelin starred sister site in Soho – only in shinier new Broadgate Circle digs for easy access to Liverpool Street passers by and for City workers keen to flash cash in tasteful (and tasty) surroundings near their offices. Continue reading
Whaam Banh Mi, Great Windmill Street, Soho
Man oh man, I love banh mi and the recent years proliferation of places stuffin’ full and thick across London is a delicious thing indeed – and one that just got tastier with the launch of Whaam Banh Mi. Continue reading
Get a Free Side with Your Lobster Roll or Calamari Club at Fraq’s Lobster Shack
Love lobster and calamari? Ever find yourself passing through Goodge Street or around Tottenham Court Road? Like getting yummy stuff for free? Then check this out! I’ve joined forces with PocketHighStreet and Fraq’s Lobster Shack to offer tikichris readers a special discount: one free side order with any purchase of a Boston Lobster Roll or a Calamari Club Roll when you buy your roll online at pockethighstreet.com or via the handy dandy PocketHighStreet app. Continue reading
Lunch at The Angel, City Road/Old Street
A few years ago I used to live just down the road from The Angel. Back then, like so many other things hovering near Old Street Roundabout, the pub was a very different place to what it is now. Following a major sprucing up, the once scruffy old boozer has reopened as a really rather clean and cosy place to have a drink. It’s still a good pub to keep in mind for enjoying a proper pint (now with a craft beer selection), you just don’t need to worry about your shoes sticking to the floor anymore. Continue reading
Brunch … Busaba Style?
Busaba Eathai: it’s one of those go-to restaurants in London that everybody seems to like and a lot of people absolutely love. Now the dozen-strong group of popular Thai eateries aims to broaden its appeal even further with a new brunch menu. Continue reading
Maze Grill, Royal Hospital Road, Chelsea
Another week, another chance to visit another Maze Grill in Chelsea. Or so that’s how things have shaped up here on this blog with Leila Duke’s review last week of Maze Grill Park Walk and now my own write up of another recently opened MG in Chelsea – this one on Royal Hospital Road. Continue reading
Yelp x tikichris: #CariocaSummer in Brixton!
Yes, I’ve raved about Carioca’s breakfast, and now I’m going back to try the summer menu and bringing a few lucky Yelpers and bloggers along for a samba-licious sip of the restaurant’s signature caipirinha followed by an exclusive sharing selection of Carioca’s classic Brazilian starters and refreshing new summer mains. Continue reading