‘It’s not about big brands’: how will UK casual dining fare after Covid?
Byron and Strada are among chains to close sites, but independent restaurants are gaining groundAs the pandemic slashed through the UK’s restaurants like a sharpened cleaver, one slice of the industry...
View ArticleQueens Wine Bar, Liverpool: ‘Can show you a very nice time indeed’ –...
In these troubling days a really good lunch can be a gentle salve for the soulQueens Wine Bar and Bistro, 8-10 Queen Avenue, Liverpool L2 4TX (0151 345 6646). Starters £6.50-£9, mains £14-£27, desserts...
View ArticleReaders reply: why do restaurants give us bread at the start of the meal?
The long-running series in which readers answer other readers’ questions on subjects ranging from trivial flights of fancy to profound scientific and philosophical conceptsWhy do restaurants give us...
View ArticleHospitality industry calls for pay freeze for Australia’s lowest-paid workers
If minimum wage rises it’s ‘only a matter of time’ before cafes charge $7 for a coffee, employers sayGet our free news app; get our morning email briefingWorkers on the lowest pay would receive a real...
View ArticleStill hungry? How we fell out of love with small plates
It’s over a decade since seven perfectly arranged beans came to constitute dinner. But is the age of small plates dining coming to an end? And if so, what’s next?Happy big plate day,” my friend texted...
View ArticleRestaurateur Jeremy King ousted from fine dining group Corbin & King
King helped launch many of London’s top restaurants including Wolseley and Le CapriceJeremy King, the famed restaurateur behind the Wolseley and the Delaunay, has been ousted from the fine dining group...
View ArticleClaw & Hammer, London: ‘The seafood is terrific’ – restaurant review
The City of London may be an unlikely spot to catch the taste of the US south, but wait till you try Claw & HammerClaw & Hammer, 30-33 Minories, London EC3N 1DD (020 7702 1605). Small plates...
View ArticleIn bad taste: the bitter battle for control at leading London restaurants
The Observer’s critic heads for dinner at the Wolseley, the Corbin & King restaurant taken over last week by corporate giant Minor International, and laments the end of an era in hospitalityShortly...
View ArticleCalories on menus will do more harm than good | Letter
It should be an opt-in, rather than an opt-out system, so that it’s not damaging to the millions of people with mental health problems, says one readerSince when did restaurants become a maths lecture,...
View ArticleCalorific: which high street meals are the most and least fattening?
From today, large UK restaurants and cafes have to display calorie counts on their menus as part of the government’s drive to tackle obesityUK consumers respond to the introduction of calorie...
View ArticleGoila Butter Chicken, London W1: ‘A new religion? I wasn’t moved’ –...
This butter chicken is not bad, but I felt no real urge to declare the chef my new spiritual leaderAt Goila Butter Chicken in London, lunch is served with a lavish, side portion of hyperbole. According...
View ArticleWeekend podcast: Marina Hyde, Douglas Stuart and the death of the small plate
In this week’s episode, Marina Hyde notes how following the rules is something MPs can ignore (1m42s), Simon Hattenstone interviews author Douglas Stuart (10m19s), Imogen West-Knights ponders the end...
View ArticleFive Little Pigs, Wallingford: ‘The cooking really is up to scratch’ –...
It’s named after an Agatha Christie whodunnit, but the only crime here is that it’s not busierFive Little Pigs, 26 St Mary’s Street, Wallingford OX10 0ET (01491 833 999). Starters £3.50-£8.50, mains...
View ArticleI’ve already wasted too much energy calorie-counting – pass the chorizo! |...
Pork belly at 2,500 calories, with a side of cauliflower cheese at nearly 500? Printing calories on menus forces people to either stay at home or stop caringIt was a sunny Saturday and my first...
View ArticleLisboeta, London W1: ‘The custard tasted like bacony trifle’ – restaurant...
Nuno Mendes has created a slice of deeply personal Portugal with this wild and educational new rideThe server’s end-of-dinner offer at Lisboeta had all the hallmarks of the chef. “Nuno would love you...
View ArticleRichoux, London: ‘An instant classic’ – restaurant review
After 113 years, the revamped Richoux on Piccadilly is suddenly a genuinely nice place to eatRichoux, 172 Piccadilly, London W1J 9EJ (020 3375 1000). Starters £6.95-£12.95, mains £8.95-£19.95, desserts...
View ArticleMonica Galetti to leave MasterChef to focus on restaurant and family
TV chef says ‘something had to give’ after 14 years on judging panel of BBC showThe television chef Monica Galetti has announced she will be stepping back from her role as a judge on MasterChef: The...
View ArticleMildreds, London WC1: ‘Unapologetic and utterly un-preachy’ – restaurant...
There’s no chummy mission statement about being kind to pigs or saving us from cow fartsUntil recently, Mildreds had a niche appeal: meat-free and going strong since 1988, but not exactly mainstream....
View ArticleBlind date: ‘I spied her hiding at the bar, getting a pep talk from the host’
Jo, 35, junior buyer, meets Joel, 30, head baristaJo on JoelWhat were you hoping for?A different sort of evening, good company and maybe a little more.Continue reading...
View ArticleYikouchi at Chancer’s Café: ‘An utter joy’ – restaurant review
A move to Birmingham from Beijing lets this fine British chef show off his robust talentsYikouchi at Chancer’s Café, 1418 Pershore Road, Stirchley, Birmingham B30 2PH. No booking. All dishes £3.50-£9....
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