Restaurants

A quintessentially British restaurant with a prominent focus on refined pies.

French cuisine is undeniably some of the world’s finest, but within multi Michelin-starred temples of fine dining it’s often chintzy and over complicated. Last year, for instance, I almost had my own Mr Creosote moment over lunch at one of Paris’ most luxurious hotels. By the time I’d snarfed five courses of fare laden with more butter and cream than Marco’s ‘White Heat’ cookbook, the wafer-thin mint scenario came with the waiter’s insistence that I bolt through just one more...

Battersea is booming. Partially thanks to the extensive refurbishment of Battersea Power Station, or close proximity to neighbouring Clapham and cooler-than-thou Brixton, the area is now home to a seemingly countless sum of neighbourhood restaurants. Often ensnared with reckless disdain, kebabs are seldom considered classy; but BabaBoom, a space on Battersea Rise, goes against the grain and manages to showcase the humble kebab in a positive light. Launched last August, the restaurant was set up by a trio of adventure...

It’s perhaps unsurprising that London is now filled with so many neighbourhood restaurants. Extortionate rates and continuous gentrification are, of course, a contributing factor, plus after a long day at work; it’s difficult to blame those hoping to avoid trudging back into central London for dinner. Of all the brilliant neighbourhood restaurants, Islington and neighbouring Farringdon are home to an outstanding number, including Galley, Oldroyd, Black Axe Mangal, Morito and many more. Opened earlier in the summer, Humble Grape –...

Forget Peckham, Shoreditch and Dalston – one of London’s most exciting neighbourhoods for eating out, at the moment, can be found in a considerably more central location. Tucked between Islington, King’s Cross and the square mile, Farringdon (commonly known as Clerkenwell) has always been deeply rooted in food history, but has – in the past ten years - finally become recognised as such an exciting cornucopia of brilliant restaurants, cafés and bars. Smithfield meat market, for instance, has operated continuously...

With Michelin-starred restaurants Galvin at Windows and Galvin La Chapelle, chefs Chris and Jeff Galvin’s set-lunch menu offers some of the best value fine dining in London. The same can be said for each of the other restaurants in the pair’s constantly growing restaurant empire (Galvin HOP, Bistrot de Luxe, etc.) within their respective price brackets. Speaking to The London Economic in a recent interview, Chris Galvin said: “Both of us feel strongly that when you visit an establishment such...

Even in your wildest dreams, could you honestly imagine ever opening a restaurant called ‘Plum Plum’? Merging the Chinese (‘Mei’) and Japanese (‘Ume’) words for the firm, juicy stone fruit, Mei Ume is the latest restaurant to open within the Four Seasons at Ten Trinity Square, joining La Dame de Pic. The hotel space is glorious, yet the location is frankly bewildering - somewhat disconnected from nearby landmarks the Tower of London and Tower Bridge. Instead of fruit, though, the...

Devastatingly, most of London’s Japanese restaurants have become poseur pilgrimages, instead of dining institutions. Terminuses for those who’ll choose a place for dinner based on the “vibe”, dress like stars from terrible films and push their raw fish around a slate, pretending to have fun before settling the four-figure bill and posing for optimum Instagram likes. Kikuchi, however, is a saving grace for those of us that actually enjoy Japanese food. Here, there are absolutely no bells, whistles or “live...

One of the first things you should consider when pairing wine with food is whether to mirror or contrast the bottle with the dish. For some people the like-for-like flavours of say, chardonnay and lobster make the perfect duo, whereas others opt to contrast with the crisp and bold flavours of champagne. Either are absolutely fine to do, but one of the big no-nos is to juxtapose great with humble or humble with great, and it's a sin Darwin Brasserie is...