Category Archives: Drink

Spotlight on illy SustainArt Prize Winner: Adan Vallencillo (Espresso Crazy)

Honduran artist and recipient of the 2013 illy SustainArt Prize, Adan Vallencillo, has arrived in Venice to commence his three-month residency with the Bevilacqua La Masa Foundation. Continue reading

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Wine of the Month by @willbedwards: 2011 Barda Pinot Noir, Bodega Chacra

Up and coming wine writer, Will Edwards is back with a second Wine of the Month review. A “relative newbie” to the world of wine, Will works in the Chelsea shop of independent wine merchants Lea & Sandeman where he loves “to hear what our customers are enjoying to drink”. With the festive season fast approaching, Will finds an intriguing choice from a rather unexpected New World region to share with us. Continue reading

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Enjoy a Swedish Christmas Plate at Fika, Brick Lane

It had been a few years since my last visit to Fika Bar & Restaurant before my dinner there last week. The cosy little Scandi eatery at the top of Brick Lane seems to be as popular with the hipster set and as Swedish as it ever was. Never been to Fika or, like me, haven’t been in quite some time? With Xmas on the way and a special Jutallrik menu to celebrate the festive season, now’s a topical time to visit. Continue reading

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Christmas Menu at Bedford & Strand

A recent opportunity to sit in on a tasting of Bedford & Strand’s Christmas 2013 menu also served as a chance to sample the creations of new Head Chef Joseph Dean. Thumbs up to Dean for taking the same-old-same-old standards and adding just a touch enough pizzazz to enliven what otherwise might have come across and yawn-worthy stodge. Continue reading

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Kamps: New German Backerei Café on Tottenham Court Road Near Warren Street

Kamps is a new German backerei café on Tottenham Court Road near Warren Street station. Stop by for a coffee (artisan wood roasted in Oxford) and a pastry, an especially budget friendly and tasty breakfast or a loaf of bread baked fresh in-store. Not yet open a full week with no marketing , the clean little shop is making fans quick. After my recent visit I can see why. Continue reading

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Get 15% Off the Ticket Price for This Weekend’s BBC Good Food Show

Sponsored by BBC Heading to this weekend’s BBC Good Food Show at Olympia Exhibition Centre this weekend? Be sure to watch this video for 15% off your ticket price!

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Limited Edition Truffle Lusciousness at Coq d’Argent, EC2

An invitation to try a seasonal truffle menu led to me discovering what a crème brûlée is really supposed to taste like and where for an impeccable wine and dine in the City. Continue reading

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How to Chow Down Like a Houston Food Blogger (CheapOair)

Houstonians are a proud bunch, especially when it comes to their great BBQ, Tex-Mex and fine Southern cooking. Of course these days, this world class city is home to just about any cuisine you could hanker for. For a local scoop of what’s yummiest, have a look at this quartet of superb Houston food blogs and see how long you last before you’re craving for a taste of east Texas. Continue reading

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Celebrating Edward VII’s Birthday with The King’s Ginger and Berry Bros

The level of kitsch and pretence was nearly as copious as the amount of booze in the cocktails during a recent posthumous birthday lunch for King Edward VII, with The King himself on hand to preside over the merriment. As wackily anachronistic as the celebration was, the setting could not have been more authentic or historically spot on. Of course as is so often the case with too many wonderful experiences, there had to be a hitch. Continue reading

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Excellent Steaks and More at Gillray’s Steakhouse & Bar, County Hall

A recent visit to Gillray’s Steakhouse & Bar at The London Marriott Hotel had me enjoying finely crafted cocktails and tucking into an amazingly satisfying mega-steak dinner. Here’s a quick report on what made my meal so special along with details on how you can dine with a discount if you tell ’em tikichris sent you. Continue reading

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Top 10 London Restaurants for High Rise Dining (CheapOair)

High rise dining is a relatively new consideration for London, which aside for a few grand exceptions is a rather low rise city. Still with multi-storey towers such as The Shard and Heron Tower opening in the past few years, breaking bread with a breathtaking view of the city’s historic landscape is more possible and desired than ever. Here’s a list of the ten place restaurants for eating out and up in London. Continue reading

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London’s Duckiest Menus (OneTravel)

A true gourmand’s delight, duck is one of the heartiest and most satisfying dishes around. Here’s an appetizing look at four London restaurants with delicious duck dishes guaranteed not to ruffle any foodie tail feathers. Continue reading

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Upstairs Dining at The Portman Pub & Restaurant, Marylebone

The contact address may say Upper Berkeley Street, but The Portman Pub & Restaurant is very much part of the dynamic dining scene of its cross street corner – Seymour Place, home to Lockhart, Vinoteca, Sandy’s and Donostia. After my Friday night dinner, I’m pleased to report this Marylebone gastropub just a short jaunt from Marble Arch does a good job keeping up with the competition. Continue reading

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Delightful and Lofty Dining: The New Dim Sum Lunch Menu at Hutong, The Shard

The recently launched dim sum menu at Hutong proves an ideal opportunity for Sunday brunching. I very much enjoyed a chance to sample this upscale restaurant’s dim sum lunch menu a few weekend’s ago. Continue reading

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Wine of the Month by @willbedwards: Le Petit Roy 12eme année, Domaine Jean Royer

Here’s a new wine review from tikichris contributor Will Edwards, a “wine and food enthusiast who has fled the idyllic hills of Devon for the golden streets of London. A “relative newbie” to the world of wine, Will works in the Chelsea shop of independent wine merchants Lea & Sandeman where he loves “to hear what our customers are enjoying to drink”. These days – and just in time for nippy autumn – a good many of these Chelsea shoppers seem keen on Le Petit Roy 12eme année, Domaine Jean Royer. Continue reading

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Good Stuff

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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Win a Free Christmas Hamper Worth up to £200 from Hampergifts.co.uk

Tis the season or – at least – tis gonna be here soon! Are you ready for Christmas 2013? Here’s an opportunity to spread a little Christmas cheer and treat yourself to a bit of Yuletide yumminess or share a lovely gift with someone special. I’ve teamed up with Hampergifts.co.uk to offer one lucky reader the chance to win a Christmas hamper worth up to £200 in value. The competition runs this week only. Best of luck with the comp and with all your festive season shopping! Continue reading

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Recipe: Chilli con and non Carne

Autumn is here and there’s a chill in the air. That means it’s a great time to cook some chilli on the hob! Here’s my recipe for chilli con carne – or non carne if you prefer the vegetarian option and even some tips for making a chilli Quorn carne if you’d like to go veggie but still get some meaty flavour and good dose of healthy protein. Continue reading

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Two Cocktails for £10 at The Liquor Cabinet, Hackney Road

There’s a new bar opened up in Shoreditch. Okay, that’s not really news, is it? But a smartly curated selection of spirits and a range of superbly crafted hand bottled cocktails make The Liquor Cabinet well worth shouting about. Plus, I blagged a way for my readers to get two cocktails for a tenner! Keep reading for more about this fantastic bar and to find out about my exclusive two-for-a-tenner cocktail special. Continue reading

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London Daily Photo: East India Company Tea Master, Lalith Lenadora

Last night I attended an Evening of Tea Discovery at The East India Company shop on Conduit Street in Mayfair. The highlight of the event was a tasting session led by The East India Company’s Tea Master, Lalith Lenadora. Continue reading

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Heavy Metal Bowling vs Bompas & Parr’s Metal BBQ

Aw man, I’m going to be out of town and thus unable to attend this event but look: Heavy Metal Bowling – your chance to “finger holes, caress balls” while “crushing pins” to a soundtrack featuring Black Sabbath, Electric Wizard, Elder, The Sword, Slayer, Sleep, Metallica. Continue reading

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World Heritage Dining in the South of France (Blue Tomato)

Romping round the South of France touring UNESCO World Heritage sites can sure work up an appetite. In a country whose very gastronomy has achieved world heritage status, finding myself somewhere of cultural or historical significance paired nicely with the safe bet that I wouldn’t be far from something seriously delectable too. Here are but a few of the tastier highlights from my recent jaunt round La Región – all well within easy and scenic drives of Montpellier–Méditerranée Airport or Nîmes-Alès-Camargue-Cévennes Airport. Continue reading

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Delicious Italian Seafood Menu at Pescatori, Charlotte Street

It’s been a few weeks now since I enjoyed dinner at Italian seafood restaurant, Pescatori. I haven’t forgotten how lovely it was though. Indeed, I’ve been waiting for the right time to publish my review so it didn’t get crowded out by other posts about places receiving more than an equitable slice of momentary hype. So with little happening in the tikichrisosphere today, here’s my review of fantastic Fitrzrovia restaurant, Pescatori. Buon appetito! Continue reading

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5 Best Restaurants for Service in the UK (OneTravel)

UK restaurant bookings site, toptable, has announced the winners of its 2013 Diners’ Choice awards for the Top 50 Restaurants for Service in the UK. The awards represent the “combined opinions of approximately 350,000 reviews submitted between September 2013 and August 2013 by verified toptable diners for more than 4,000 restaurants across the UK. Continue reading

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A Quartet of Great Chicago Food Blogs (OneTravel)

No matter what’s taking you to Chicago, one thing you need to make sure to bring is a healthy appetite! Folks here know how to eat – and love to talk about what they’re eating too. Here’s a list of five … Continue reading

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Celebrate Halloween in Edinburgh (CheapOair)

Where better to spend a night of spooky merrymaking than in Edinburgh – purportedly the most haunted city in not just Scotland or the UK but the whole of Europe. From ghost stories to frightfully fun parties, here’s a roundup of some this great city’s best Halloween events and activities. Continue reading

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London Daily Photo: The Last Instinct at Gillray’s Steakhouse & Bar

Man oh man! I got an education last night from Jaume Beato, lead bartender at Gillray’s Steakhouse & Bar at the Marriott Hotel County Hall. From a crash course in the history and global reach of gin (Gillray’s keeps close to 70 different gins behind the bar) to how to mix a classic cocktail … Continue reading

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Win a Pair of Tickets to the bettane+desseauve Wine Experience London

The second edition of the bettane+desseauve Wine Experience London will take place the last weekend of October at Saatchi Gallery where guests will have the chance to sample more than 400 of the best European wines on the market today. Tickets for the tasting run 30 quid a pop. But check it out! I’ve got eight pairs of tickets to share with you lucky readers. Continue reading

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London Daily Photo: Appleton Estate’s Senior Blender, David Morrison, at Hawksmoor Spitalfields

It’s London Cocktail Week: red letter days for booze hounds, bar folk and limber elbowed media types from across the globe. I’ve been getting in on the LCW fun a bit too. My lunch yesterday came compliments of Hawksmoor Spitalfields where Appleton Estate’s Senior Blender, David Morrison, was on hand to guide a small group of us (booze hounds, bar folk and limber elbowed media types) through a hands-on rum blending. Continue reading

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5 Top Sights in Manila (OneTravel)

Manila – it’s one of the world’s biggest cities and one of its most exciting and diverse. Steeped in history but with a vibrant 21st century edge, Manilaoffers a tantalizing variety of delights for all travelers. Here’s a list of five … Continue reading

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5 Fine Ceviches in London (CheapOair)

Ceviche and Latin American cuisine are all the rage in London these days. With terrific restaurants such as the following five places wowing British palates with New World panache, it’s easy to taste why. Continue reading

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Culture Vulture Tour Across the South of France

If you like your natural history served with a heaping dose of ancient tradition (not to mention some fantastic wine), then Languedoc-Roussillon in southern France is for you. I certainly had a splendid time riding around the region on a recent tour of UNESCO World Heritage sites. Continue reading

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Gastro Pub Perfection at The Only Running Footman, Berkeley Square

If you’ve been following this blog recently you’ve noticed I’ve been on a winning streak hitting a string of terrific restaurants around town. I’m happy to add one more to the list – the evocatively titled gastro pub, The Only Running Footman, as another great example of London dining at its best. Continue reading

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Shake Shack Brat Burger and More: Shacktoberfest

It’s October. Need an excuse to stuff your face? How about the limited time only Shacktoberfest menu at Covent Garden’s Shake Shack? You can even take home your very own Shake Shack beer stein for your gourmand efforts. Here’s my take on the Shake’s autumnal offering. Continue reading

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Win a Bottle of Baileys Chocolat Luxe Chocolate Whiskey Liqueur

Chocolate lovers listen up! Whiskey connoisseurs, you pay attention too! I’ve got a 50cl bottle of Baileys recently launched Chocolat Luxe – the world’s first fusion of Belgian chocolate, Irish whiskey and cream – to share with one lucky reader. Continue reading

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