Category Archives: Restaurants

A Taste of Puglia: Eating

If a dietician were to design a food pyramid based solely on my most preferred eats, it would have giant tentacles extending from its based and wrapped around it to the top. Squid … octopus … cuttlefish: I had so much of it – along with all sorts of other bounty of the sea dishes – always sumptuously presented but with minimal fanfare while visiting Puglia … and at such low prices (from my gouged Londoner perspective anyway). Continue reading

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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

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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

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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

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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

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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

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Five Years of Bar Boulud London

Now considered a mainstay of the Knightsbridge dining scene, Bar Boulud London at the Mandarin Oriental Hyde Park celebrated five years at the hotel last week by closing the restaurant to the public and putting on an anniversary dinner hosted by Chef Daniel Boulud for “special customers and guests, and a few select media.” What a pleasure it was to be included among the select few invited to attend. Continue reading

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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

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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

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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

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Much To Do About Table 9: 108 Brasserie’s Stunning New Chef’s Table

Maddie Salters shares that “certain feeling” from her recent dining experience at 108 Brasserie’s Table 9. Like a flash of forethought, there’s a certain feeling one gets right before sitting down to an incredible meal. I don’t just mean the … Continue reading

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Good Stuff #41

Good stuff and lots of it! Here’s the (long overdue) lowdown 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

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Something for Everyone at Maze Grill, Park Walk

Leila Dukes takes a considered view in her delectable review of Gordon Ramsay Group’s new Maze Grill Park Walk in Chelsea. Continue reading

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Bird of Smithfield Soars into a Second Year

Happy birthday to Bird of Smithfield and cheers for the brilliant self-hosted bday par-tay! I had a blast and loved exploring your multiple floors of foodie fun – especially hanging out at your Veuve Clicquot roof terrace taking in the views of Smithfield Market and Clerkenwell. Continue reading

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Find Sicily’s Tastiest Spots with the Free Agromobile App (OneTravel)

A recent and delicious visit to Sicily was made all the more juicy, fruitful and scenic with the Agromobile app. Agromobile is a website and a free to download app sharing food and wine related itineraries in Sicily. Interested “land … Continue reading

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Shake Shack Westfield Stratford City

Shake Shack launches its second London eatery with a new restaurant opening 20 May at Westfield Stratford City. Guess who got to sample some classic Shack favourites alongside some new and exclusive to Stratford menu items this afternoon?! Don’t hate the player, folks. In fact, don’t even hate the game. Just get over there starting tomorrow for some of East London’s best best burgers, hot dogs, crinkle cut fries, frozen custards … Continue reading

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Barcelona Brief: OneOcean Club at Marina Port Vell

A key component of my brief Barcelona visit was a browse around OneOcean Club at Marina Port Vell. When it opened at the end of 2014, this private club raised the bar (and expectations) for the boating world by offering a range of luxury services and facilities just steps from the boundless amenities and amusements of an ever buzzing metropolis. Continue reading

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Barcelona Brief: The Stylishly Sumptuous Hotel Majestic

If you’re keen to hold convenient court in Barcelona’s elegant and central Eixample district (yet never realise it as long as the door to your room’s terrace is kept shut to not allow even a decibel of noise to seep in from the streets), then this five star hotel’s location is for you. Within easy reach of Las Ramblas; loads of upscale shops; Gaudi’s Casa Batlló, La Pedrera (Casa Milà) and Sagrada Familia; and the Barri Gòtic, it’s a fine location for sightseeing. The hotel is also only a minute’s stroll from Passeig de Gràcia station, where you can hope a train to the airport and be there in about a half hour. Continue reading

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Barcelona Brief: Ah-Inspiring Hotel Arts

The highest building in Barcelona? It’s the five-star, 43-storey Hotel Arts. At the top floor of this seaside beacon of luxury is 43 The Spa. For rarefied pampering with a view to match, the spa’s signature 43 Sea Experience allows the body to unwind while the mind and spirit soar. That guests can have a gorgeous al fresco lunch several floors down just minutes after … or a stroll the beach … or hit the far humbler but nonetheless inviting neighbourhood bars in nearby Barceloneta … or hop the Metro/hail a cab for more decidedly Barcelonan delights adds dreamy depth to such splendorous me-time. Continue reading

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Barcelona Brief: High on Generator

For my first of only two nights in Barcelona, I stayed at Generator … in the 8th floor penthouse … and absolutely loved it! If you hanker for a bit of luxury and a chance to spread out when in Barcelona (while still holding on to more than a few spare euros in your pocket), this suite is hard to beat. But whatever you might hope to achieve when booking a budget conscious visit to this bodacious city, you’d be smart to keep in mind Generator’s rather broad spectrum of possible overnight arrangements. Continue reading

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Barcelona Brief: Too Brief but Brilliant!

Just back from far too few but still wonderfully rejuvenating days in Barcelona, it’s easy to proclaim it as the ideal getaway. So ideal, I can’t stop thinking about what it might be like to getaway there for good! No matter your “thing” – art, food, beach, luxury, street life, shopping, history … etc etc ad nauseum – or whether you’re one to zealously guard a small budget or magnificently blow a big one, you can do so with flying colours in this captivating Catalan capital. And if you’re like me and want the best of it all in maximum dosage, then keep an eye out for upcoming posts in my Barcelona Brief. Continue reading

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Dammann Frères Teas at the Sofitel London St James’s Rose Lounge (espressoCrazy)

Man cannot live on coffee alone. And as much as I tried (often succeeded) in doing so, I must admit it’s nice to have a cup of something else every once in a while. Horses for courses and all that … Continue reading

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Win Dinner for Four + Two Bottles of Wine at Vapiano

Vapiano is a great value restaurant with pasta starting from just £6.95 and all pasta, sauces, pizzas and salads made completely fresh in-house everyday. It’s quite a feat, especially when you consider that 27,000 customers are served each week across its trio of London outlets alone. Want to add to the impress count of Vapiano’s happy pasta and pizza fans … and have your meal for even better value than usual (as in for free)? Keep reading for a chance to win dinner for four with wine at one of the Italian restaurant group’s London outlets. Continue reading

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Beany Green at Broadgate Circle

Based on the throngs (moving through a swiftly served queue, mind you) of folks showing up for lunch at the Beany Green flagship café at Broadgate Circle on the sunshiny weekday when I dropped by last week, this newly opened City worker pit stop for Aussie coffee and clean-minded food hardly needs an endorsement from me to ensure steady patronage. Still, I was impressed with just about every aspect of my visit and could see why everybody else seemed so keen for Beany Green bites. Continue reading

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Le Vie della Zagara: Ceramic Dynamic Caltagirone

Caltagirone was one of those places where soon into my time there I started wondered about the price of local property. Could I afford to chuck it all in and relocate? How could I make such a transition work – and what kind of work would I even be able to do if I actually did settle there? Such a feeling of immediate attraction to a place often used to overwhelm me when travelling in my 20s and early 30s. It’s a less frequent – but much deeper and more exacting – experience when it hits me these days. No, I don’t think I’ll actually up and move to Caltagirone (and I very much love my life here in London), but that possibility lingers still in my thoughts as I remember it. And I sorely hope I’m don’t have to wait too long to return there for further exploration. Continue reading

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Le Vie della Zagara: Palazzo Adriano

Okay. I’ve covered the citrus side of my Sicilian excursion – with bits about Ciaculli mandarins, Ribera oranges, blood oranges, Interdonato lemons and Syracuse lemons – and now I want to talk about some of the other equally fruitful aspects of my trip. So in the next few posts of my Le Vie della Zagara series I’m going to highlight a handful of the more remarkable sights encountered while touring Sicily. First up is the quaint and scenic mountain village of Palazzo Adriano. Continue reading

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La Vie en Rose Afternoon Tea at the Sofitel London St James

On now and running throughout May is a new floral-inspired La Vie en Rose afternoon tea at the Rose Lounge at the Sofitel London St James hotel. I got a taste of this limited run luxury a couple of weeks back and very much enjoyed it. Here’s a waft of what made it such a treat for me. Continue reading

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Le Vie della Zagara: When Life Hands You Lemons Make Granita!

One of the zestier episodes during my zip across Sicily’s Le Vie della Zagara was a visit to the seaside town of Alì Terme in the province of Messina. Here and along the Valle del Nisi, aside perhaps from the tourist trade, the locally grown Limone Interdonato is the main draw – whether on its own with a skin so sweet you can eat it raw or transformed into one of many refreshing delicacies at the local bar/pasticceria/gelateria/bomboniere. Continue reading

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Are you Sitting Comfortably? Street Food Heroes Crabbieshack Pop-up at The Hat & Tun

For three nights only from Wednesday 13th – Friday 15th May, 5.30pm to 9pm, Crabbieshack will be serving Old Bay Batter Soft-Shell Crab Burgers (£9.50) at The Hat & Tun pub in Clerkenwell. Continue reading

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The Ultimate Foodie Safari in Sabi Sabi (City AM)

The streets of Mayfair may seem a world away from the remote South African bush, but for discerning gourmet travellers the metaphorical – if not physical – distance between the two has just become smaller. A new initiative at Sabi Sabi Private Game Reserve invites some of the world’s top chefs into the kitchen at the area’s renowned Earth Lodge. The partnership was launched in February, with Michelin-starred Eric Chavot making the inaugural visit, taking a week-long break from his eponymous Mayfair brasserie (at The Westbury on Conduit Street) to share his experience with the cooks at Earth Lodge. Continue reading

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Piadabar: New Italian Takeaway in the Heart of Soho

Piadabar is a new Italian takeaway on Bateman Street in Soho that serves authentic piada (Northern Italian flatbread), traditional cheeses and cured meats, amazing homemade desserts, excellent espresso and more. It’s a brilliant spot to drop by for a quick sandwich or snack – whether on your way to work in the morning, during lunch or even after a late night out playing weekend warrior (Piadabar is open until 1am on Friday and Saturday nights). Continue reading

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Taking it Easy with an Overnight Spa Break in Bath

Easter week, Kemey and I made a quick overnight trip to Bath for a bit of rest and relaxation with a dash of history and scaled down but nonetheless urban ease. Both of us had been to Bath before but ages ago and not together. We had so much fun during our brief stay in this compact and attractive city. It’s a great place for couples and super easy to get to from London. Of course, more time to explore Bath and the bucolic countryside nearby would have been ideal, but our overnight visit proved to be an amply replenishing pause before having to head back to the London grind. Continue reading

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My Simple Italian by Theo Randall – Book Review (Great British Chefs)

Fellow alum of the kitchens at Hammersmith’s fabled River Café, Jamie Oliver likes the book and reckons it’s the “most deliciously gorgeous Italian cookbook I’ve seen in a long, long time.” Enough said? Maybe. But please indulge me in my own humble rave about this book featuring “100 inspired recipes from one of Britain’s best Italian chefs.” Continue reading

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Tredwell’s by Marcus Wareing

Often before heading to a restaurant for the first time I’ll have a look online at existing reviews about the place to know what to keep an eye out for and maybe to avoid. For my Sunday lunch visit to Marcus Wareing’s “Modern British” Tredwell’s, I should have just avoided reading the reviews all together and let my gut (which is now a good bit larger after my Tredwell’s meal) guide me in the right direction. Continue reading

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El Pirata of Mayfair Celebrates 20 Years Serving Authentic Tapas

Anchored for two decades in Mayfair with an admirable reputation, El Pirata has long been regarded as a regular favourite among the locals and a safe bet for out-of-towner’s seeking a more than decent meal. Slow sailing me, I’ve intended to visit this popular tapas bar for ages but only recently set a course in its direction, where I discovered a menu full of treasured Spanish dishes. Is El Pirata worth considering for your next port of call? Aye, Cap’n. Continue reading

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