The Black Friar, Salford: ‘An ambitious pub that’s evolving quickly’ –...
Don’t be put off by the uncompromising location or lofty pricing, the cooking here is big, bullish and beautifulThe Black Friar, 41-43 Blackfriars Road, Salford M3 7DB (0161 667 9555). Starters and...
View ArticleThe government has hung hospitality out to dry – I’ve lost £65k in bookings...
We urgently need support to save our restaurants, bars and coffee shops in the face of mass cancellationsIn the last six days, more than 650 people have cancelled their bookings at one of my...
View Article‘Their hands would go purple’: New York restaurants brace for second pandemic...
From hot drinks to charming streetside cottages, restaurateurs are hoping to entice diners to Covid-safe winter diningBefore the pandemic, restaurants with outdoor seating were the exception in New...
View ArticleOn my radar: Mandip Gill’s cultural highlights
The Doctor Who actor on her R&B obsession, the magic of Matt Haig and the Wagamama dish she has three times a weekMandip Gill, 33, was born in Leeds to a Sikh family and grew up on the estate where...
View ArticleMasalchi by Atul Kochhar: ‘Come here for a bit of everything’ – restaurant...
A big new space in Wembley serving a terrific range of Indian dishes has it all to play forMasalchi by Atul Kochhar, 2 Wembley Park Blvd, Wembley HA9 0HP (020 8634 8181). Half plates £4-£7.50; large...
View ArticleEngland’s restaurants plead for help as Omicron wipes out bookings
Andrew Taylor’s Croydon gastropub is just one of thousands hit by mixed messages from government over socialisingCoronavirus – latest updatesSee all our coronavirus coverageFor weeks, Andrew Taylor had...
View ArticleRestaurant review: ‘It’s been a year of highs – and high prices’ | Jay Rayner
From an XL golden cheese toastie to a gold-leaf steak: Jay Rayner on 2021’s eating out highlightsIt was the year we craved the normality of a meal out, regardless of how abnormal an experience it might...
View ArticleSarap Filipino Bistro: ‘Many of the dishes are real showstoppers’ -...
This new Filipino venture has much to entice you – but bring a party of six for the best dish of allSarap Filipino Bistro, 10 Heddon Street, London W1B 4BX (020 3488 9769; saraplondon.com). Starters...
View ArticleApril Ashley made my 21st birthday unforgettable | Letters
Trish Kelly recalls how the pioneering transgender activist thwarted her attempts at urbane sophisticationIn 1974 I celebrated my 21st birthday in April Ashley’s Knightsbridge restaurant, April and...
View ArticleOut with the meat, in with the plants as world’s top chefs offer vegan menus
From London to San Francisco, haute cuisine is joining the food revolution. Michelin-starred chefs explain they’re going meat-freeAlexis Gauthier used to sell 20kg of foie gras a week. Now the chef,...
View ArticleThe Black foodie celebrating the Bay Area’s hidden gems: ‘our food scene is...
Darion Frazier’s Bayareafoodz Instagram page features the best taquerias, greasy spoons and small soul food joints in the regionGarlic noodles, french fries loaded with steak and shrimp, crab legs the...
View ArticleManteca, London: ‘Genuine verve and originality’ – restaurant review
Huge flavours and exciting ideas mean this Italian punches above its weightManteca, 49-51 Curtain Road, London EC2A 3PT (020 7033 6642). Snacks and small plates £3-£10; large plates £13-£36; desserts...
View ArticleJeremy Clarkson fails to win approval for Cotswolds restaurant
Council rejects TV star’s proposal for conversion of lambing shed, accused by barrister of being a ‘Trojan horse’In his old life, Jeremy Clarkson conceded he might have been prepared to pave over the...
View ArticleThere’s nothing worse than a restaurant that makes you feel like an old git |...
Give us over-50s a menu we can read, grownup waiters and the chance to hold a conversation. It’s not too much to ask – and it makes business sense tooThere is only one thing worse than having to thumb...
View ArticleZahter, London: ‘The best baklava I have ever eaten’ – restaurant review
Leave room for dessert at this fine new Turkish place in SohoZahter, 30-32 Foubert’s Place, London W1F 7PS (zahter.co.uk). Hot and cold meze £9-£18, platters £18-£42, desserts £8-£9, wines from £29The...
View ArticleAn ex-plumber, a pie maker, a pair of pioneers: Jay Rayner picks his rising...
Six chefs whose careers you should follow this year, as tipped by the Observer’s restaurant criticChief pie-maker, Holborn Dining Room, LondonContinue reading...
View ArticleChefs’ isolation in kitchens can trigger violence and abuse, study finds
Study of chefs at world’s top restaurants discovers working conditions create parallel moral universeThe physical isolation of chefs working in Michelin-starred kitchens can lead to violent...
View Article‘Dark kitchens’ serving food delivery apps are everywhere – but what goes on...
Their name makes them sound nefarious, and kitchen work at the best of times can be brutal - which makes me keen to know moreIn my neighbourhood, there’s a “dark kitchen” – a warehouse run by a major...
View ArticleWagamama owner TRG expects to rise above the Omicron effect
Adjusted profits for 2021 forecast at top end of £73m to £79m guidance to investorsCoronavirus – latest updatesSee all our coronavirus coverageThe owner of restaurant chains including Wagamama and...
View ArticleYotam Ottolenghi on the most important ingredient in any kitchen: diversity
As Covid and Brexit push many restaurants to the brink, the Israel-born chef celebrates the multiculturalism that has made British food great• Plus a portrait of Britain in 15 restaurants run by...
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