Category Archives: Restaurants

BOGOF Bubble Tea at Yao Yao Cha, Earlham Street WC2

From now until the end of August 2014, when you purchase any regular drink at Yao Yao Cha simply mention “tikichris” and you can get another one of equal or lesser value for free. Continue reading

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Get it Fast and Fresh at Vapiano Soho

Not the first (and probably not the last) Vapiano outlet to open in London, but the new Wardour Street location of this global restaurant group with its fast casual take on serving freshly made Italian cuisine was worthy of a visit and my recommendation. Continue reading

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Good Stuff

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

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New Restaurant Review: INK, Bethnal Green

Definitely one of the most inventive and satisfying meals of the year, my dinner at newly opened INK was a sheer delight. Continue reading

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Good Stuff and a New Place to Puff

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

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Win Dinner for Two and an Overnight Stay at The Tommyfield London Pub

Located just five minutes from London’s Waterloo and owned by Renaissance Pubs, The Tommyfield now fully embraces its coaching inn roots by becoming a luxurious city crash pad as well as a cracking London local. Tempted? Keep reading to find out how to win a free night’s stay plus dinner for two at this ace Kennington pub! Continue reading

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Restaurant Review: Granger & Co Clerkenwell

I had a lot of fun during my recent visit to Granger & Co Clerkenwell. Aussie restauranteur Bill Granger’s latest restaurant in a selective global portfolio – which includes a well established eatery in Notting Hill along with outlets in Sydney, Tokyo, and Hawaii – features a playfully palate pleasing menu served in a comfortable and lavishly spacious dining room. Here are a few highlights from my dinner. Continue reading

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4 Foodie Festivals in Italy This Summer (OneTravel)

Anytime is a good time to visit Italy, especially if you are a foodie! And this summer promises a delicious array of events for folks keen to have as many gourmet experiences as possible during their Italian vacation. Here’s a … Continue reading

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Eat Basel: A Tale of Two Surprise Menus

Luckily for me, eating well in Basel is a straightforward matter. Eating well and cheaply is another story all together. But affordable options can be found. Here’s the scoop on two “surprise” dinners I had while in Basel: one a rather upscale affair, the other decidedly low brow and mercifully low priced. I’ve also listed a few other quality venues for food and drink that I came across during my Basel city break. Continue reading

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My Basel: Taking the Make My Switzerland App for a Spin

Obviously you’ve heard about Switzerland’s stunning panoramas of and from its mighty Alps. But for my first of hopefully many more visits to this friendly little Alpine nation, I found the views shared via a handy Swiss app to be a real wonder to behold as well. The free to download app, called Make My Switzerland, is available via Google Play and Apple’s App Store and offers a wealth of insider knowledge about the things that savvy locals love best in seven Swiss cities – Basel, Bern, Geneva, Lausanne, Lucerne, Lugano, and Zurich. I gave the app a whirl over an especially fun weekend in Basel, and I’m more than happy to recommend the city and the app to anybody keen to explore a delightful and compact destination that’s big on culture. Continue reading

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4 Fun Bars in Athens (OneTravel)

Like a lot of sunny Mediterranean destinations, the nightlife in Athens goes late and is, of course, a load of fun. From what I could tell during my recent visit to the Greek capital, Athenians are as friendly as anyone … Continue reading

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Experiencing the World Cup in London (OneTravel)

Okay. The World Cup is on! And, save a vacation in Brasil, every sporty London is as excellent a place to experience the footie action as anywhere. It’s also a city that likes to take the spirit of these global … Continue reading

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8 Great Gin Bars in London (OneTravel)

Gin. It’s a London thing. So it’s no surprise that this city has some of the best bars to drink it. Here’s a look at eight great places to enjoy an elbow bender with the infamous Mother’s Ruin. Read my … Continue reading

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Check Out Mikael Jonsson’s New Tartine Menu at Antidote Wine Bar

Under the guidance of Hedone’s Head Chef Mikael Jonsson (who’s been overseeing the menu at Antidote since it reopened earlier this year), the bar has introduced a new tartine menu available from noon to 5pm. Items are priced between £5 and £7.50 and can be had alongside a glass of house wine for an added three quid. Continue reading

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Good Stuff

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

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Grecotel Pallas Athena: Great Boutique Hotel in the Heart of Athens, Greece (OneTravel)

I’ve just returned from a long weekend in Athens, Greece where I had a fantastic time exploring this ancient and buzzing city full of all sorts of contemporary charm. In fact, I’ve been raving about the trip almost non-stop since … Continue reading

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Win a Free Dinner for Two and Celebrate Benihana’s 50th Birthday

Famed Japanese teppayaki restaurant Benihana turns 50 this year. With its unique offering of quality food served with a side of kitchen theatrics in a glamorous setting, Benihana is one of the most fun ways to dine in London. Keen to experience a delicious meal with a few thrills and a lot of laughs? Here’s a chance to celebrate the famous Japanese steakhouse’s half century of success with a free dinner for two at one of its three London restaurants. Continue reading

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New Gin and Tonic Menu at The Polo Bar at The Westbury

An invitation to sample a newly launched gin and tonic menu at The Polo Bar at The Westbury Hotel presented an excellent opportunity to discover a fine place to have a drink. Continue reading

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‘Make My Switzerland’ App Helps You Discover Top Tips from Locals (OneTravel)

“Choose a city, pick your mood, discover top tips from our locals.” That’s what a relatively new Make My Switzerland app offers visitors hoping to achieve maximum Swiss delight – whether aiming for alpine heights, lounging by the lake or … Continue reading

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Win a Carnaby World Cup Shopping Spree + Dinner for Two at Whyte & Brown

Want to watch the World Cup in style? Carnaby’s a smart place to do it … especially if you’re the lucky reader who wins my latest comp: a shopping spree worth £100 and dinner for two at free range chicken and craft beer haven, Whyte & Brown. Keep reading to find out how to win along with details about all the great World Cup action taking place in the heart of Soho. Continue reading

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Dom’s Place – Traditional Turkish Food with E5 Flavour

Since moving to Clapton three years ago, I’ve seen a lot of changes – mostly for the better and particularly along the retail strip of Lower Clapton Road. One of the tastiest has been the opening of Dom’s Place, a casual little low key eatery with a pared down menu featuring “traditional Turkish food with a modern twist.” Continue reading

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First 100 Corn Dogs Free – 23 May at Shake Shack Covent Garden

First 100 Corn Dogs Free – 23 May at Shake Shack Covent Garden: Consider the Shack Corn Dog, a “Vienna beef hot dog dipped in Shack-made corn batter and fried crisp, served with Rick’s Picks sweetcorn relish.” It’s going on sale tomorrow at Shake Shack Covent Garden for a super short limited run until the 1st of June. The treat will be priced at six quid. But from 11am tomorrow morning … Continue reading

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KFC Me: Clucking Off

I hope you’ve enjoyed reading my short series of posts about my “behind the scenes” visit to KFC HQ. Through KFC Me, I tried to add some nuance to the discussion about what it means to eat fast food and to get past the urban myths and corporate hype to tell the truth about what this global fast food peddler is and does. I don’t think the visit really changed my attitude toward the brand or that I will now begin patronising the restaurants on any sort of regular basis. But it is slightly more positive than it was before. Also, I am more aware of how KFC goes about its business and how those charged with expressing the KFC message perceive its image. There’s value in that, and I appreciate the folks at KFC for opening their doors (and kitchens) to me. Continue reading

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KFC Me: Fry Time

From the headquarters in Woking, we headed out to an actual KFC outlet near Heathrow where I tried my hand at cooking a few products and having a taste of some as well. Continue reading

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KFC Me: Finger Lickin’ What?

For me, the takeaway was this: the chicken you eat at KFC is to the same standard or above that which you get from a typical high street supermarket and probably a lot better than anything from one of the myriad copycat skanky chicken joints spread across the UK. Continue reading

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KFC Me: The Good, the Bad, and the BBC

So it wasn’t just me invited to Woking. A couple of other bloggers – Heidi of Heidi Roberts Kitchen Talk came along as did Jan of A Glug of Oil. There was also a film crew with us – a couple of dudes working on a three-part “fly on the wall” documentary about KFC that’s due to air later this year on BBC One. Continue reading

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KFC Me: Something to Cluck About?

… When an invitation recently came my way for a “behind the scenes” visit to KFC HQ in suburban London, I must admit my own secret recipe of childhood memories and cravings, blended with cynical adult ambivalence amounted to a heaping dish of intrigue and a quick RSVP to take up KFC’s PR wing on the offer. Soon enough I was on my way to Woking to visit the UK offices of Yum International (corporate group that owns KFC, Pizza Hut and Taco Bell) for a talk and a tour and even the chance to have a go at frying up some chicken in an actual shop. Continue reading

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Pizza Union, Super Fast and Budget Friendly Pizza in Spitalfields

Kemey and I dropped by for a midweek early evening dinner at new(ish)ly opened Pizza Union near Liverpool Street for a taste of its “fire-baked” and “super fast” stone oven pizzas. And? We were pleased with this all day pizza bar’s no nonsense approach to offering customers something tasty and quick at a great price. Continue reading

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Win Dinner for Two at The Portman Pub & Restaurant – Courtesy of Zomato

Looking for a great night out in Central London? The Portman Pub & Restaurant near Marble Arch features a lively pub downstairs with a more subdued tablecloth serviced restaurant upstairs – not to mention an excellent menu and wine list. And thanks to a team up with online restaurant discover guide, Zomato, I’m offering one lucky reader the chance to enjoy a free dinner for two at this fine Marylebone gastropub. Continue reading

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5 Most Unique Food Trucks Around the World (OneTravel)

Let’s face it. In many places around the world, some of the best meals to be had are handed over to you from the side of a kitted out truck. Whether offering urban fusion street food in the hopes of … Continue reading

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RAW, the Artisan Wine Fair, Returns to London – 18 and 19 May

RAW – the Artisan Wine Fair – is a two-day celebration of some of the best wine talent in the world. Featuring over 150 growers, RAW is one of the most exciting collections of fine, natural, organic and biodynamic wine artisans ever to come together in the capital. Their wines are pure, kind to the planet, very possibly better for your health and best of all they’re absolutely delicious. Continue reading

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Celebrate Norway Day Across the UK with 99p Fish and Chips – 17 May

Happy Norway Day? Ja!. Here’s the scoop on a tasty and affordable way to commemorate the 200th Anniversary of the Norwegian constitution. The Norwegian Seafood Council is partnering with 99 fish and chip shops across Britain to offer folks a chance to purchase a portion of the UK’s preferred takeaway for only 99p. Continue reading

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Ten Tastes Of Soho Tour for Foodies in London (OneTravel)

A couple of Saturdays back, I tagged along on a delicious tour through the historic and vibrant streets of one of London’s most celebrated neighbourhoods – Soho. The tour was organized and led by chef, ex-restaurateur, and host of the … Continue reading

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Codorníu Cava + Jose Pizarro and Ashika Mathews at Portobello Road Market – Saturday 10 May

The bright and bubbly folks behind Codorníu Cava “hitting the markets of Britain” with their Codorníu Cava Revolution to “spread the Cava love and bring the soul and vibrancy of Barcelona’s famous market – La Boqueria – to the UK.” This Saturday (10 May) they’ll be at Notting Hill’s Portobello Market from 8am to 7pm. Joining the Codorníu team will be wine expert Ashika Mathews as well as chef José Pizarro, who’ll be pairing the sparkling wine with his own tasty Spanish creations. Continue reading

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