Tag Archives: review
Tasty Tales from the Italian Ham Highway: Udine
Udine is the hub and historical capital of the small Friuli Veneza Giulia province of the same name. With a sizeable university, it’s a lively setting with an interesting mix of people and pretty decent nightlife. If you’ve been to your share of checklist-y must-see Italian destinations (such as … oh let’s say … Florence) or you simply get a kick out off veering off the beaten path in an attempt to see what real life in a foreign country is like then Udine is a brilliant town to keep in mind. Continue reading
Vegetarian Delights at The Gate in Hammersmith
A few weeks back, I attended the reopening of The Gate in Hammersmith after it had closed for a refit. It had been a few years since my last (and only other) visit to stalwart of the vegetarian dining scene, I was pleased to discover the same high standards and a still tasty menu. Continue reading
Georgians Revealed at the British Library in London (OneTravel)
A newly opened exhibition at the British Library in London – Georgians Revealed: Life, Style and the Making of Modern Britain – takes an in depth look at the lives of people living in Britain during the Georgian era (roughly the early 1700s to … Continue reading
Whisky Wonderland – 2013 Jura Whisky Festival (City AM)
Waaaaaay back at the end of May I travelled up to the remote island of Jura to check out its annual Whisky Festival. This year’s event was even more worthy of red letters on the Jura calendar than usual, as the occasion marked 50th anniversary of the island’s distillery. Continue reading
Two Exhibitions – Old and New – at The Queen’s Gallery, Buckingham Palace (OneTravel)
Two seemingly tenuously tied exhibitions have just opened at The Queen’s Gallery in Buckingham Palace – Castiglione: Lost Genius and Gifted: From the Royal Academy to The Queen – offering visitors a chance to see some of the Royal Collections … Continue reading
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
Georgians Revealed at the British Library
A new exhibition at the British Library ponders whether British folk – particular those in the middle classes – during the Georgian era were “tasteful and polite, or riotous and pleasure-obsessed”? The answer I came away with after attending the press preview was a little bit of both, depending on the situation. Continue reading
Theatre Review: Richard III at Nottingham Playhouse
With only a week left in Nottingham before it moves on to York, here’s my review of the Nottingham Playhouse Theatre Company and York Theatre Royal’s joint presentation of Shakespeare’s tragic story of a conniving and paranoid king, Richard III. Continue reading
Two Exhibitions, One Gallery: #LostGenius and #Gifted at The Queen’s Gallery, Buckingham Palace
Two seemingly tenuously tied exhibitions have just opened at The Queen’s Gallery in Buckingham Palace – Castiglione: Lost Genius and Gifted: From the Royal Academy to The Queen – offering visitors a chance to see some of the Royal Collections oldest and most recently received works. Continue reading
“Free From” But Still Flavourful Food by Orgran
I recently got hold of a range of “free from” products by Orgran. The three products I sampled – Buckwheat Pancake Mix, Buckwheat Pasta Spirals and Spaghetti in Tomato Sauce – were gluten free, wheat free, dairy free, egg free, yeast free, soy free and vegan … and still right flavourful too. Nice thing is, all those missing ingredients hadn’t been replaced with a lot of unpronounceable crap created in a lab. Instead the products provided me with a few back-to-basics meals that left me satiated without feeling bogged down. Continue reading
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
Lunch at Lima: Wow.
Peruvian chef Virgilio Martinez’s much lauded London outpost, Lima, has just received its first Michelin star – and the first one ever granted to a Latin restaurant in Europe. Guess who was lucky enough to enjoy a leisurely lunch there the day after the big announcement? Yep. And I loved every last bite of my experience too. Continue reading
Crown & Shuttle Pub in Shoreditch Ups the London Burger Ante
New(ish) Shoreditch High Street pub, Crown & Shuttle, has recently launched a new burger menu big on flavour and full of umph. I dropped by yesterday for lunch and found my burger and the venue to be well worth a recommendation. Continue reading
Like Sunday Lunch for a Tuesday Tide Over at West Cornwall Pasty Co
So I was running around all over town yesterday without a chance to stop for a meal. At one point, I found myself at Waterloo Station (en route from Mayfair to South Bank with Soho, Camden and back home to Hackney lined up after that) and went with an old reliable for my din-din on the go: a pasty from West Cornwall Pasty Co. Continue reading
Theatre Review: When Midnight Strikes, Upstairs at the Gatehouse
If you’ve ever been in a room with more than one Manhattanite, you’ll recognise the tone of this musical and the acerbic banter bounced between its characters. Indeed, I was half surprised for there not to be a sea of yellow cabs swarming the streets of Highgate as I left the Gatehouse pub humming after Friday night’s stellar performance of When Midnight Strikes. Continue reading
Review: Sincerely, Mr Toad at Greenwich Theatre
Last night I caught the London premiere of Sincerely, Mr Toad at the Greenwich Theatre. Having toured around the UK with a well received stint at this year’s Fringe, the new musical examines the life of The Wind in the Willows author Kenneth Grahame, his icy relationship with wife Elspeth and the tragic early death of their son Alastair – and how these and other factors shaped Grahame’s imagination and writing. Continue reading
Theatre Review: Dirty Market’s Oxbow Lakes
That was some seriously fucked up shit. And if you know me at all, then you know that by “fucked up shit” I mean you should totally check this out. Fancy a bit of creeped-out absurdity with your surrealist theatre? Oxbow Lakes is for you. Continue reading
Tilia: Online Home Delivery Service of Artisan Food and Drink. Try it and Love it!
Tilia is a new online home delivery service connecting Londoners with local suppliers of artisan food and drink. At the moment, it’s a London only thing, but there are plans for rapid nationwide expansion. I recently gave Tilia a twirl. Completely impressed, I loved everything aspect of my experience. Indeed, I’m keen to try the service again (and again!) and can wholeheartedly recommend it as an incredibly convenient way to get top quality grub to your table. Continue reading
Dining in Chiswick, West London (CheapOair)
Situated in a leafy and somewhat suburban area of West London, Chiswick is a family friendly community with a village-y feel. It’s also a fantastic destination for some of London’s best restaurants with one of the most dynamic dining scenes in the entire city. From Michelin stars to whoopie pies and just about everything delectable in between, Chiswick is home to a variety of restaurants and food shops for just about any occasion. Here’s a list highlighting but a few of the excellent eateries around Chiswick. Continue reading
Best Fish and Chips in London? The Perkin Reveller at The Tower of London
For a touristic all rounder wedged between The Tower of London and Tower Bridge, the Perkin Reveller dishes out a quality dining experience and an excellent introduction to the best of British fare. Continue reading