Restaurants

In theory, the walk between Westminster station and Roux at Parliament Square should take less than two minutes. But during a curiously bright afternoon on the cusp of Spring, you’ll want to allow at least ten minutes to weave through the human traffic. At noon, the world and its wife has descended upon Parliament Square in hope of photographing Elizabeth Tower, unattractively cloaked in steel and silent as the grave. In sharp contrast, the surrounding area is punctuated by a...

Against all odds, Victoria is becoming a dining destination. The surrounding area, that is, rather than the station itself. Now, joining the Mango Trees and West Cornwall Pasty Companies of the world, a number of genuinely exciting restaurants have opened – largely thanks to the new Nova complex. No longer at terminus of terminal discontent, Victoria and its steely Nova complex, is now home to restaurants such as Jason Atherton’s Hai Cenato, Sticks’n’Sushi, Bone Daddies, Franca Manca and Aster. Opened...

Independent pizzeria Zia Lucia has opened a new local restaurant in Brook Green following the launch of their first eatery on Holloway Road in 2016. Founders Claudio Vescovo and Gianluca D’Angelo bring their authentic Italian neighbourhood pizzeria to this leafy part of West London with the same unusual doughs, delectable toppings and Italian community flair. Famed for its impressive selection of 48-hour slow-fermented dough, pizzas at Zia Lucia are as much about the base as the topping. With wholemeal, gluten free and...

Showcasing more than 100 paintings, sculptures and drawings, The EY Exhibition: Picasso 1932 – Love, Fame, Tragedy is the Tate Modern’s first ever solo Pablo Picasso exhibition. As well as offering much insight into the artist’s personal life, the exhibition intensely magnifies Picasso’s astounding prolificacy; with all of the featured works having been produced over the space of just one year. On the ninth floor of the new Blavatnik Building, the Tate Modern Restaurant is currently offering a set lunch menu, available...

To celebrate Goût de France, Alain Ducasse at The Dorchester served an extraordinary, one-off menu last night (21st March). A unique culinary event, Goût de France (‘Good France’) was spearheaded by the French Ministry for Europe and Foreign Affairs, alongside renowned French chef Alain Ducasse. Each year, on 21st March, an enormous quota of restaurants celebrates French gastronomy, respecting principles of high-quality and environmentally responsible cuisine. This year, over 3,000 restaurants and 150 embassies took part, stretched over five continents....

RIGO is “a tale of chef Gonzalo Luzarraga's culinary journey”, avers the restaurant’s website. Discovering the word “journey” on any restaurant menu, I’d generally rather take the direct route from the top of the Eiffel Tower to the ground. Without a parachute. Onto a mattress of those spikes that would always poleaxe Sonic the Hedgehog. But that’s not the case with this Parsons Green restaurant. Piedmontese for ‘journey of rigorous research’, RIGO opened last summer, drawing on Chef Gonzalo’s experience...

Although the concept of bottomless brunches is relatively new to London, in Tel Aviv they've been doing it for years - they call it, brunch. In classic Middle Eastern style brunch in Israel is all about variety and the limitless bounds of food. Small plates litter tables and are replenished until the heart (and stomach) is content, with zingy drinks and fresh tea on hand to help. It is a gloriously gluttonous affair, and it is now one that can...

The bottomless brunch concept has become so embedded in London culture over the past year that one struggles to remember a time that getting drunk before midday wasn't the norm at the weekend. With Bloody Mary's and Mimosas flowing like water across the capital it is fair to say that the city has truly embraced the idea of pairing breakfast foods with booze. Eggs Benedict with unlimited prosecco? Sure! A full English with a full bodied claret? Why not! So...

Termini, with its direct train service to and from Fiumicino airport, was my first carnal glimpse of Rome – as is the case with most tourists. A modern part of the city, less charming than Campo Marzio or Vatican City; Termini doesn’t sleep. Amid the nasal howl of sirens, burbling Vespas and suitcase wheels, Termini is littered with uncountable bars-cum-cafés-cum-coffee shops. Such cafés are accessible, ideal for a quick coffee, cocktail or snack before boarding the train to the airport...