Food and Drink

Regrettably, I remember my first Chinatown dinner experience quite well. One summer evening during the late nineties (I could only have been six or seven years old), following a matinee theatre performance, somebody suggested we might visit one of those all-you-can-eat restaurants on the south side of Gerrard Street. Exciting at the time. The name escapes me, though I remember the gaudy décor with various stereotypical hues of gold, dragons, phoenixes and lanterns. I also remember the dingy staircases and...

Since launching their Ancient Grains range of beers in the UK last year, Green’s has become quickly renowned for a unique and complex brewing approach, which doesn’t use wheat or barley in the brewing process. As a result, the beers are naturally gluten-free, targeting a constantly growing community of experimental beer connoisseurs. In addition to being suitable for those in need of a gluten-free diet – Green’s beers are naturally gentle on the digestive system and boast healthy attributes, with high levels of...

A gruesome Halloween menu has been created to make your tummy turn and your taste buds tingle. The fearsome feast is a collection of tantalising terrors designed by Emma Thomas (AKA Miss Cakehead) and British Chef and owner, Jim Thomlinson of London Mess and Prawnography. The four course menu has been created in partnership with UberEATS as a ‘Trick or EATS’ festive-themed takeaway dinner available exclusively on Halloween – Tuesday 31st October. An eerily life-like menu of starter, main and...

On the ground floor of the Marriott Hotel, just off Edgware Road, The Pickled Hen promises a ‘selection of authentic British food and drink, with a pickled twist’. I enjoy good pub food and pickles as much as the next person, but the signature Pickleback (Jameson with a chaser of hen pickle juice) fills me with concern. Opened at the end of the summer, this new ‘gastro-pub’ is not this year’s first new opening with a name suggesting a heavy...

Of all the square mile’s high-rise restaurants, Angler seems alone without a sole selling point that harks on about the view. Let’s be fair - even when the windows are (rarely) clean - the only real scenes observable from the top of the South Place Hotel are into the dreary lives of office clerks, or skyscrapers with ballistic lifts that blast unlucky diners into some of London’s worst restaurants. At Michelin-starred Angler, however, the main focus is on the food...

A criminally under loved cut of meat, shin of beef demands to be cooked slowly for a long time, given its natural toughness. When cooked properly, nonetheless, the shin is amongst the cow’s most flavoursome offerings (along with most of the cuts that have fallen out of favour), perfect as the base of a rich ragù sauce. As a result, a delicious, crowd-pleasing, relatively economical meal can be made with some due care and patience. This beef shin ragù recipe...

“The elixir of quietude”, according to E.B. White – the iconic Martini has become one of the world’s best-loved cocktails over the past century. Now with so many variations on the classic (traditionally made with gin and dry vermouth) readily available, from the lauded Espresso Martini to the Porn Star Martini, through to the Dirty Martini. One of the most iconic versions, apart from the classic Dry Martini; the Dirty Martini is typically embellished with a splash of brine from...

Everybody knows that grain is crucial in spirit production, yet the importance of water quality is so often overlooked by consumers. Operating from a site within The Lake District National Park – famous for its vast rainfall, in addition to breathtaking scenery - The Lakes Distillery uses water directly from the nearby River Derwent in the production of all its spirits. A fast flowing spate, the Derwent is one of the fastest flowing rivers in Europe which ensures the waters...

Eccentric, but warm and welcoming - Oslo is housed within Hackney Central’s redeveloped railway station building. Built in 1870 by the North London Railway Company, the two-storey building serves as not only a restaurant, but a bar and event space, hosting regular gigs throughout the week. The décor, which I am told draws on Nordic aesthetic, is somewhat moody with exposed bricks, dark wood table tops and interesting lamps . But it’s also cosy, with large windows and a lovely...