Food and Drink

One of London’s most exciting Modern-Indian restaurants, Darbaar in Shoreditch launched a brand new bar – Lotus - in May. Bringing a different drinking and dining experience to the city, Lotus has been given a new identity and fresh, inventive cocktail menu. The new menu features spice-infused spirits and unique Indian twists on classics, paired with a new menu of Royal-inspired dishes from chef-patron Abdul Yaseen. Heavily inspired by the flavours and spices of India, and the opulence of its...

I suspect it’s safe to say few, if any, Londoners consider themselves novices when it comes to dim sum. With an extensive number of Chinatown restaurants including it on the menu, we like to think there’s nothing that could possibly surprise us. Enter Courtesan. This restaurant, tea room, cocktail bar and events space in Brixton relaunched in September after an extensive refurbishment, promising not only a food menu designed and executed by an all-female chef team - under the leadership...

If the British trends of recent years are anything to go by, the Basque region of Spain is responsible for a remarkable food and drink offering. Although the rest of the country is most famous for lagers such as Estrella and San Miguel, the northern part of Spain – in particular – has become responsible for brewing a fine selection of dark beers (Amstel Oro, Alhambra Negra, Voll Damm). Brewed by Euskal Garagardoa S.A., the Pagoa range of ‘traditional Basque...

Released to tie in with World Vegan Day (1st November), which commences World Vegan Month, sales data research from high-street Italian chain restaurant Zizzi suggests that the popularity of veganism is continuing to rise, with sales of vegan dishes increasing by a huge 246 per-cent since last November. The restaurant has sold more than 166,000 dairy and meat-free meals since summer, alone. Examining sales data of vegan dishes as part of Zizzi’s ongoing commitment to providing the most varied menu...

With great expectations often comes great disappointment. When Adam Handling opened The Frog near Brick Lane last year, the menu read like an absolute dream. Nonetheless, my expectations weren’t particularly high; I’d imagined The Frog might be one of those restaurants wrought by an overambitious chef who over-promises but under-delivers. I was wrong. The Frog E1 (as it’s now stylised) has since become one of my favourite restaurants, and when the announcement of a new, bigger central London space was...

By Frances James  New research released for World Vegan Month has revealed over half of Brits are now adopting vegan buying behaviours - but how do you shop "vegan"? Veganism has now transformed from what was once regarded as a fringe movement to winning British hearts and minds in ever greater numbers. According to new research to mark the start of World Vegan Month, more than half of UK adults are now adopting vegan-buying behaviours and Britain is more vegan-friendly than ever...

What was once regarded as a fringe movement viewed by the wider public with varying degrees of suspicion, veganism is now winning British hearts and minds in ever greater numbers. According to new research to mark the start of World Vegan Month, more than half of UK adults are now adopting vegan-buying behaviours and Britain is more vegan-friendly than ever before. One in five (19 per cent) cut down on the amount of meat they buy and the same number...

With plenty of exciting restaurant openings constantly taking place across the Capital, we pick London’s best new restaurant openings taking place over the coming month.    Fiume – Battersea His third restaurant in collaboration D&D London (following Sartoria and Radici), Francesco Mazzei will launch Fiume this month. Literally translated as ‘river’, Fiume is situated on the bank of the Thames within Circus West Village in the eagerly anticipated Battersea Power Station development. A modern Italian restaurant, Fiume – with it’s picturesque...

With ‘concept’ and ‘rooftop bar’, ‘fusion’ is a term that generally fills me with patent trepidation, in terms of dinner. Since the introduction of the ‘F’ word, so many chefs have over zealously combined disputatious ingredients and cooking techniques, often creating the most absurd of grotesqueries. New Zealander Peter Gordon, a 'Fusion pioneer', has got it right, however, with The Providores and Tapa Room on Marylebone High Street - having been operating since 2001. Across two floors, the restaurant is...