Nuala, London: ‘Some beautiful moments’ – restaurant review
If Nuala were a racehorse, it would have a fine pedigree, and get off to a flying start. But then the going gets hardNuala, 70-74 City Road, London EC1Y 2BJ (020 3904 0462). Meal for two, including...
View ArticleNumber of UK restaurants going bust up by a fifth in 2017
Chains under pressure from rising costs and competition amid consumer spending squeezeThe number of UK restaurants going bust jumped by a fifth last year as major chains came under pressure from rising...
View ArticleJamie Oliver's Barbecoa restaurants go into administration
Piccadilly site closes, with loss of 80 jobs, while St Paul’s outlet is bought at last minute by Oliver’s companyJamie Oliver’s upmarket Barbecoa steakhouses in London have crashed into administration,...
View ArticleThere is a quick and humane way to kill lobsters | Letters
Using a machine called the Crustastun could spare millions of lobsters and crabs long and excruciatingly painful deaths, writes Magda RobinsonI would like to draw attention to the Crustastun machine...
View ArticleThe casual dining crunch: why are Jamie’s Italian, Strada, Byron (and the...
The list of chains closing sites and restructuring is growing by the day. How did the world of mid-market restaurants overstretch itself so badly?In the summer of 2015, restaurant owner David Fox was...
View Article'The whole university system is broken': your best comments today
We look at the articles provoking conversation, including a university lecturers strike and a major study into antidepressantsStrikes at universities across the UK have provided one of the major...
View ArticleWulf & Lamb, London SW1 – restaurant review | Grace Dent
Not all vegan-friendly restaurants are created equal. Some are flashy setups with mission statements but no idea what customers wantSome critics visit restaurants twice before writing their review. I...
View ArticleCash-strapped restaurants turn up heat on no-show diners
Some ask for money up front, others name and shame in fight to beat scourge of empty tablesThe declining fortunes of restaurants have prompted headlines recently, with 12 branches of Jamie Oliver’s...
View ArticleThe Greyhound Café, London: ‘There are things here I want to come back for’ –...
A new Bangkok café shows that Thai food can be whatever it wants to beThe Greyhound Café, 37 Berners Street, London W1T 3LZ (020 3026 3798). Meal for two, including drinks and service: £50 to £90You...
View ArticleThe OFM 50: everything we love in the world of food right now
From the taco queen to the king of pies, British Columbia to Skibbereen: presenting our favourite people and places for 2018Continue reading...
View ArticleMoules Britannia: why are celebs flocking to Café Rouge in Highgate?
The French-style chain offers a quiet space with a retro feel – and is attracting regulars including Liam Gallagher, Kate Moss and Jude LawIt’s not every day you get to watch Ray Davies enjoy a full...
View ArticleGig economy? Pizza Express dishes up live music to beat restaurant blues
Chain converts 50 outlets into venues after shows starring Martin Kemp, Goldie and othersPizza Express is converting up to 50 restaurants into live entertainment venues after appearances from artists...
View ArticleIt’s futile to think firms like Carillion can be trusted to run public...
For markets to work, firms need to take risks. That’s no way to run the things we all depend onThe mid-market restaurant business is apparently in trouble. Chains that made ill-judged investment...
View ArticlePrezzo restaurant chain to close a third of its UK branches
1,000 jobs at risk as Italian food outlet seeks company voluntary arrangement to reduce rentsThe Italian restaurant chain Prezzo is to close a third of its 300 UK branches, putting about 1,000 jobs at...
View ArticleSorella, London SW4: Grace Dent's restaurant review
A little corner of the Amalfi coast can now be found down a Clapham backstreet, and it’s proving to be wildly popularSorella has shape-shifted since its previous incarnation as The Manor. It has let...
View ArticleCulinary women serve up their own #MeToo moment in Sweden
Hundreds of chefs, scientists and farmers to attend Malmö forum to confront sexism in industryThe #MeToo movement has already disrupted the worlds of film, politics, education and international aid....
View ArticleUniversities are cathedrals of public relations not learning | Letters
Deans and heads of department know little of teaching and student fees are spent on surveys and consultationsThe Observer is right that universities are not run by those who teach in them (“Academics...
View ArticleZuni Café, San Francisco: 'Not merely a list of dishes, but a way of life' –...
Is it sensational? Not quite, but it is very good. However, there are many other dishes to enjoy at this famed San Francisco restaurantZuni Café, 1658 Market Street, San Francisco (001 415 552 2522)....
View ArticleSea snail broth? What’s on the menu at the all-new Noma?
Chef René Redzepi closed his restaurant – the world’s most influential – last February. Now, he’s returned to Copenhagen with Noma 2.0. We tucked into a meal featuring sea cucumber ovaries, ant sauce...
View ArticleOne in three of UK's top 100 restaurant groups are lossmaking – study
A 75% rise in past year highlights impact of casual dining crunch on oversaturated market One in three of the UK’s top 100 restaurant groups are lossmaking, a rise of 75% in the past year as the casual...
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