Food has come a long way in the UK in 20 years. I can remember a time when any sort of visitor attraction – be it a zoo, a gallery, a museum or a country house – could be absolutely guaranteed to have a truly miserable canteen where, because you’re a captive audience, you could …
This is the first time I’ve lived in London. I mean, I lived for 7 years in Sunbury-on-Thames and 3 years in Richmond and I called myself a Londoner… but hopping on the train once a week to do something around the West End or Kensington really doesn’t count, and my work was always in …
Small plates aren’t going anywhere. They are the new normal. And to be honest, while I have the occasional grouse at the silliness of some menus, that’s basically fine by me. You want first world problems, try stopping for a light lunch in France anywhere outside of a city. Sandwich? Non. Tapas? Non. Burger? Non. …
Beef and offal kofta is a lovely meaty sausage with that slight iron-y tang from whatever bits and bobs have gone into it. Beautifully grilled. On the menu it’s described as “beef and offal kofta, smashed cucumber” which is a hilarious piece of the menu writer’s art. You can just imagine the chef vigorously taking …
They didn’t help their cause at Oliviera by having some fairly useless front of house on our visit. Not only did we have to resort to wild arm-waving after 20 minutes of waiting to order (despite the place being half-empty) but she also had no idea how to deal with an actual complaint. Maureen’s main …