Restaurants

By Jonathan Hatchman, Food Editor, @TLE_Food Situated towards the less exciting end of the King’s Road, Masala Grill first opened in May, taking over the spot of the now relocated Chutney Mary (now in St. James). Set up by the MW Eat Group, which also works with Michelin-starred Amaya, Veeraswamy, Masala Zone, and the aforementioned Chutney Mary, Masala Grill bridges the gap between the group’s formal and casual outposts. And although the restaurant’s name does sound reminiscent of a local...

By Jonathan Hatchman, Food Editor, @TLE_Food Way back in 1989, Robert Zemeckis’ classic cult Sci-Fi blockbuster – 'Back To The Future 2' – predicted that 2015 would behold all sorts of outrageous, futuristic contraptions most probably designed by an outrageous (evidently very prolific) scientist with dreams that even the most brainy of scholars would struggle to conceive. Many of those predictions of 2015 did, in fact, come true. Self-lacing Trainers and actual Hover Boards have been invented (although just for...

By Jonathan Hatchman, Food Editor, @TLE_Food Following the huge success of their restaurant placed just behind London’s busy Oxford Street, which now demands gargantuan queues during busy times, just in order to get a seat, the team behind MEATliquor have announced that their new offshoot will open in Islington next month. Opening as Yianni Papoutsis and Scott Collins’ fourth London restaurant, MEATliquor Islington is the first since 2012’s MEATmission, and will takeover an old Citroen Garage on Upper Street, which...

By Jonathan Hatchman, Food Editor, @TLE_Food Somehow it seems that scathing restaurant reviews are always the most fun. Not so much for the writer (negative reviews are no easier to write) but, in fact, for the reader, and proof comes with the fact that some of the most revered food writers are also the most outrageously unforgiving. Let’s face it, there’s only so many times that you can enjoy reading 500 words of drivel that describes every single specific detail of...

By Jonathan Hatchman, Food Editor, @TLE_Food With plenty of exciting restaurant openings constantly taking place across the Capital, here’s our pick of the best new restaurants arriving in London over the coming month. Four Hundred Rabbits - Crystal Palace Coming soon to Crystal Palace, the team behind The Lido Café’s new opening will have a strong focus on Pizza and Beer. Named after traditional Aztec lore of the God of Fermentation and the Goddess of Alcohol spawning 400 Rabbits. Boasting some of the best...

By Jonathan Hatchman, Food Editor, @TLE_Food Having opened way back in 1999, it would seem that, once upon a time, Quilon was actually quite brilliant. Again, they’ve managed to wow Michelin this year, for the seventh year running, so it’s a real shame that our recent visit didn’t quite manage to live up to high expectations. Owned by the Taj Hotel Group, Quilon is perched upon the corner St. James Court Hotel just a stone’s throw from Parliament and Victoria...

By Jonathan Hatchman, Food Editor, @TLE_Food With the current boom in popularity that’s surrounding Greenwich Peninsula at present, North Greenwich is turning into a real hot bed for eating out. Until quite recently, the only places to eat within a stones throw of North Greenwich station were one of the many restaurant chains within the O2 Arena (apart from The Pilot pub, which is a little off of the beaten track for visitors). Earlier this year, celebrated chef Stevie Parle’s...

By Jonathan Hatchman, Food Editor, @TLE_Food Whenever visiting a celebrity chef chain restaurant, there’s always a surrounding air of trepidation. It’s highly unlikely, of course, that the chef in question will be on hand to oversee everything that goes on within the kitchen, as well as giving the diner a chance to sample some of the cooking that they’ve witnessed on television. It is, however, likely that the restaurant will be absolutely filled with self-promoting portraits that adorn the walls,...

Photo: David Loftus By Jonathan Hatchman, Food Editor, @TLE_Food Since opening its doors in 2003, The Wolseley has become a celebrated Central London dining institution. Taking the place of a 1920s car showroom, The Wolseley Car Company, which was later acquired by Barclays Bank. Perched beside The Ritz Hotel, on Piccadilly, the restaurant has become so famous that there’s a downstairs shop selling all types of merchandise that’s emblazoned with the restaurant’s logo, as well as celebrated food writer A.A....