Tag Archives: BARS

One Sixty – City: “US Style” Smokehouse and Bar

After epic success with its original restaurant in West Hampstead (I’ve never been but have heard great things), the team behind One Sixty have opened a sister site roughly equidistant to Liverpool Street and Aldgate Tube stations. Meathead carnivores and folks in the area who like a strong drink: start salivating now if you haven’t already dabbled in the excesses on offer. Continue reading

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Good Stuff #45

Good stuff? Great stuff! And so much of it I’m having trouble keeping track and sharing the best of it in a timely manner. But don’t let my inadequate ability to blog efficiently get in the way you having a wonderful time. Have a look a this list of 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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Have a Drinki on Me

Drinki is the world’s first app to reward users with free cocktails in return for Facebook check-ins. The free-to-download app for iOS or Android features more than 60 bars in London (with new venues joining every week) along with bars in Manchester and Liverpool too. Continue reading

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Donostia Social Club at Pop Brixton

I’ve snooped round container village Pop Brixton a few times now since it opened back in the spring. I like the vibe. I love the food there too – especially what’s being cooked up at street food trader Donastia Social Club’s first permanent pintxos bar loftily situated on the top level and near the entrance. Continue reading

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Ninth Ward, New Orleans Style Bar in Clerkenwell

Ninth Ward is a New Orleans style restaurant and bar that opened several weeks back near Farringdon Station (there’s a more established sister restaurant in New York as well). It’s a good place to consider for your next Clerkenwell drinking session with a menu of bar snacks and American fixings to abate any appetite. Continue reading

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Vinothec Compass: A Stroke of Food and Wine Genius in North Greenwich

Realising that one of the better meals served to me this year and the best wine list I’ve come across in London in quite a long while both happened to be on offer at a new golf range in North Greenwich really threw me for a loop. But hey, I’m apt to take a swing at virtually any possibility if there’s the promise of great food and drink. Accepting an invitation to what seemed like a long shot – an evening of “Terroir and Turf” at Vinotech Compass at Peninsular Golf Range – turned out to be an ace culinary experience that’s easy to recommend and one that I hope to repeat soon. Continue reading

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16 of the Best Bars in Bali (OneTravel)

Welcome to paradise! Here have a drink and enjoy perusing this list of the best bars on the beautiful island of Bali. Cheers! Read my complete post at OneTravel.

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Good Stuff #44

Good stuff? Great stuff! And so much of it I’m having trouble keeping track and sharing the best of it in a timely manner. But don’t let my inadequate ability to blog efficiently get in the way you having a wonderful time. Have a look a this list of 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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The Fire Station Hots up Waterloo Once Again

After a year long refurb, The Fire Station near Waterloo Station has reopened with a new look and menu. I tagged along to the relaunch last month and liked what I saw and what I tasted. Continue reading

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Ask for Janice

This casual bar and restaurant is a welcome addition to the cluster of food and drink options around Smithfield Market. I loved sipping my Beast of Bourbon cocktail (Woodford Reserve, sweet vermouth, crème de mure, £9). The stout salt squid (£8) was pretty yummy too as was most everything else I nibbled. I wasn’t too sure about my grenadine-y seasonal pickles (£3) though. Continue reading

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The Bonneville: Absinthe Minded Pursuit of Cocktails in Clapton

However you like your absinthe served (or if you even known whether or not you actually like absinthe at all), Giles’ bar is the place to give it a go. I especially enjoyed sipping Nouvelle Orleans’ Absinthe Superieure and marvelled at all the other bottles of absinthe behind the bar (no, I wasn’t seeing double). Continue reading

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How to Experience the Best of NOLA’s Legendary Live Music Scene (Miles Away)

Are you planning to hit the Crescent City for a taste of live music, but aren’t sure where to go for the best gigs? Don’t worry about it! A visit to NOLA without encountering live music is practically impossible. You cannot avoid great music here even if you try! But before you get down to boogie, keep these tips in mind … Continue reading

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Brighton Bound? Bincho Yakitori for Japanese Grilled Greatness Near the Beach

Yep, the same Bincho that used to grace London’s foodie havens of Soho and Clerkenwell with its simple menu of mostly grilled meats made all the more moreish by a Japanese approach to flavour, style and service is now pleasing palates in cozy little Brighton nook only a few blocks up from the beach. Too bad so sad London, Brighton’s got ya beat this time around. I paid an early evening weekday visit a week or so ago, and had a delightful time sampling my way through the menu – at a fraction of the cost such a exploratory dabble of a meal would set me back here in London. A flight of sake to start things off (the list of Japanese drinks was impressive), followed by a pint of Super Dry Asahi and I was ready for a parade of izakaya hits. Continue reading

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Food Yard Friday at The Artworks Elephant, Elephant & Castle

I had a blast and a lot of amazing street food (and drink!) during last week’s inaugural Food Yard Friday at The Artworks Elephant (a studio and retail hub comprised of shipping containers situated near Elephant & Castle Station). And now that it’s Friday again, here’s your chance to partake in this delicious new series “of food, drink, art and music shebangs.” Whether you’re passing through or making Elephant & Castle your base for the evening, I highly recommend paying a visit. Just make sure to bring a hearty appetite! Continue reading

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Polo Bar Pop-Up at Barcelona’s OneOcean Club (CDCLifestyle)

Mayfair heads to the Med this August when The Westbury Hotel’s award-winning Polo Bar pairs with Barcelona hotspot, the exclusive OneOcean Club, for a pop-up bar promising to keep club guests refreshed with a delicious array of gin and tonic … Continue reading

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Happy 150th to The Langham London

One of London’s most lauded luxury destinations, The Langham, celebrated a stately 150 years as a hotel last week. I tagged along for some of the birthday fun and had a peek at what’s new and upcoming for this upscale mainstay of impeccable hospitality. 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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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: 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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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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New Fangled Old Fashioneds with Woodford Reserve

The Old Fashioned is pretty much my go-to cocktail these days. And if it’s made with Woodford Reserve, well then all the better. So an invitation to attend an Old Fashioned masterclass hosted by Woodford Reserve brand ambassador Tom Vernon at South Place Hotel’s SPIES Society bar and to enter a Classic American Cocktail competition based on my takeaway from the event was greatly appreciated. Continue reading

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STK London’s 777 Bar Menu, 5pm to 7pm

STK London has recently launched new “777” menu featuring seven small plates and seven drinks priced at £7 each offered at its bar between 5pm to 7pm Monday to Friday and presents a no fuss opportunity to have a night out with going overboard. Continue reading

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Shackfuyu: Japanese Fun Food Pops Up in Soho

The izakaya good times keep rolling with another Bone Daddies opening in Central London. This one, Shackfuyu, is a pop-up in a failed pizzeria on Soho’s Old Compton Street. Is worth a visit? Here’s a nuanced take on the Nippon inspired nosh I tried there last week. Continue reading

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Tequila with Zing

World of Zing’s new range of Flavoured Salts is delicious; the salts pair especially well with Tequila Ocho – the world’s first single field (and still only?) premium tequila – for a most flavoursome margarita, and a fine bar for enjoying said cocktails is El Nivel near Covent Garden. Oh yeah, one more thing: World of Zing and Tequila have teamed up to launch a bottled Persian Lime and Nori Margarita cocktail. It’s yet to hit the market, but based on the sips I took a tasting a few weeks back, I can confirm it’s a lip smacker that’s well worth a wait. I reckon it’d make a terrific thirst quencher served just about anywhere you hanker to have it. Continue reading

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Bar Termini: Best Thing to Happen to Soho in Ages?

Been to Bar Termini, yet? If yes, give this review a quick skim, nod in agreement, and head back over to this understated and stylish bolthole of good taste. I’ll see ya there (and probably soon)! But if you haven’t been so fortunate, have a read why I reckon the bar is one of the best spots to open in Soho in a long time. Then make plans to get over there ASAP … and if you’re hoping to drop by in the evening, be smart and book a table first. Continue reading

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Good Stuff #38

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. Bread Street Sessions with Dub … Continue reading

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2014 – Best of the Best

Going back over of the best sights, bites and more from the past 12 months was a fun and fruitful exercise in counting my blessings and strive for more. I hope my series of Best of 2014 lists may assist you in making the most of your time in the months to come. Cheers for reading tikichris in 2014! Continue reading

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Best Bars in London – 2014

The options for getting one’s drink on in London continued to broaden and improve in 2014. I truly was impressed with the libations on offer at so many bars around town this year. Continue reading

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Washington DC: Where to Eat in the Political Capital of the Western World (City AM)

Over the past few years, ravenous London scenesters have been snarfing down a vast array of steaks, burgers, hot dogs, shakes, pizzas, burritos and all sorts of other full-flavoured Americana from a diverse range of restaurants, pop-ups and food trucks. US food, as our Stateside cousins would say, is hot right now. Meanwhile, denizens of US capital Washington DC have been reinvigorating the very concept of what it means to eat American, as I discovered during my recent city break there. Continue reading

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Far Rockaway Bar and Restaurant in Shoreditch

A couple of weeks back, a buddy and I hit Curtain Street’s Far Rockaway for a gab session over couple of beers and a pizza. The Shoreditch venue offers broad appeal if in a rather ‘dude-ly’ fashion. Continue reading

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DC Dining? It’s a Capital Idea!

A commission for City AM had me visiting Washington DC and rural Virginia at the end of September to write a piece about the exquisite Hay-Adams hotel and its relationship with regional food and drink suppliers. I’ll be sure to do a heads up post here on the blog when that article is published, but in the meanwhile I thought I’d share some of the best bits of my trip in a quickie roundup. Continue reading

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4 of London’s Best Hookah Bars (OneTravel)

Hookah … shisha … whatever you want to call it, a relaxed and al fresco sit round the hubbly bubbly pipe can add a bit of chilled out exotic charm to any night on the town. Here’s a list of … Continue reading

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