Food and Drink

It’s a damp Friday afternoon in London and I’m lounging in the humidor room of a cigar shop with Amir Gehl, founder of Difference Coffee Co. Apart from the fact we’re smoking inside, what’s perhaps most surprising is the fact that (at four o’clock) all eight seats are filled with men who leisurely smoke fat cigars and drink wine, or coffee, as if it’s far later in the evening. “I haven’t always drunk coffee”, Amir explains, reclining in his plush...

London is no stranger to a themed bar – just think of the number of speakeasies that seem to pop up each year. While this can become tedious, I genuinely believe there’s at least one gem out there, somewhere. The Rotunda Bar at London’s Trinity Square Four Seasons Hotel, is dedicated to the roaring twenties. Inspired by the Bright Young Things (the group of bohemian aristocrats and socialites, known for being at the centre of many a party), Head Bartender...

Going into a high street supermarket or café and picking up a ready-made meal deal is a no-brainer for most of us – but what do you do as a vegan? A new survey by The Vegan Society found that 91% of vegans sometimes struggle to find ‘grab and go’ food options, which prompted the charity to launch its Vegan on the Go campaign. Food options for vegans have dramatically improved over the last few years but the research, which...

“Are you with me, or are you with The Woolwich?” Otto Tepasse probes before insisting I become heavily involved in the ceremonial crushing of a duck carcass. The question has no real relevance, but it’s just one key example of the endearing eccentricity that environs dinner at Otto’s – a classic French restaurant named after its off-the-wall owner. Opened in 2011, between Chancery Lane tube and King’s Cross, the restaurant has such nostalgic charm, it seems as though it might...

2017 has been an outstanding year for London restaurant openings, with over 300 having launched since January. Some have been absolutely sensational, others considerably less brilliant. From nose-to-tail cooking to Mexican fine-dining; Michelin-approved international exports to home grown triumphs – we pick ten of the best restaurants to have opened in London this year. Frog by Adam Handling An extension of The Frog E1 (one of last year’s best restaurant openings), Frog by Adam Handling is a slightly more formal...

Pan-Asian cuisine has become so oversaturated in London, it’s often distinguish between the bad and the utterly atrocious. With the opening of so many restaurants serving a mix of Japanese, Thai, Vietnamese, Chinese, Taiwanese and Laotian food, a great deal have roots far more British than the menus may suggest. Of these, though, chef Chris Denney’s experimental creations are some of London’s few wholly enjoyable examples. When 108 Garage opened last year, the restaurant was quickly met with rapturous critical...

“A good dinner and feasting reconciles everybody”, Samuel Pepys wrote in November 1665. Though best known for first-hand accounts of the Great Fire of London and the plague, kept within his diary, Samuel Pepys also wrote numerous passages on his favourite things to eat – perhaps most notably The Lampery Pye. Within the Apex Hotel City of London, a contemporary hotel on Seething Lane (one of Pepys’ former residences), The Lampery opened in September, serving a ‘Best of British’ menu...

A pub has launched a monster burger which is so big it is served in an entire LOAF of bread. The 'Apocolypse Cow' challenge has eight flame-grilled beef burgers, eight rashers of streaky bacon, pulled pork, onions, cheese, lettuce and tomato. It is served in an entire brioche loaf - and topped with 15 onion rings. The epic dishy is served with five chicken wings, corn on the cob, coleslaw and a mountain of chips. Anyone who completes the £25.98...

A fish and chip shop have shunned traditional fizzy pop in exchange for a more upmarket taste - Britain's best English wine list. Olley's Fish Experience stock nine separate English wines from the south coast including bottles from Sussex, Kent, Hampshire and Dorset. The bottles made from English grapes and produced entirely in Britain, have been matched with fish dishes. Owner Harry Niazi, 55, has run the takeaway and restaurant for 30 years but only began stocking the native wines...