Laurent at Café Royal, London: ‘Shameful pricing’ – restaurant review
Laurent Tourondel has had some great ideas, but this calamity isn’t one of themLaurent at Café Royal, 68 Regent Street, London W1B 4DY (020 7406 3310). Meal for two, including drinks and service,...
View ArticleJamie Oliver spent £13m to save Italian chain hours before bankruptcy
Chef reveals he still does not understand why restaurants ran into financial troubleJamie Oliver has revealed that his restaurant chain was hours from bankruptcy before he rescued it by injecting...
View ArticleGazelle, W1 – Six dishes are not enough – restaurant review | Grace Dent
Trapped in London’s Bermuda Triangle of food, our hungry critic finds that six experimental dishes are not enough ...Some restaurants provoke an existential crisis. Yes, I know it’s just dinner. But...
View ArticleTozi, London: ‘Exceeds your expectations’ – restaurant review
Venetian small plates at Tozi are a tasty, timely reminder of all that’s at risk if we leave the EU8 Gillingham Street, London SW1V 1HJ (020 7769 9771). Meal for two, including drinks and service:...
View ArticleOn my radar: Kwake Bass’s cultural highlights
The south London musician on why he loves waking up to people arguing, the vegan nuggets that taste better than chicken and Hamburg’s best record shopBorn Giles Kwakeulati King-Ashong, south London...
View ArticleAlexander Shihwarg obituary
iMy friend Alexander Shihwarg, who has died aged 95, invested in, and helped to create, restaurants in London such as the Golden Duck, Nikita’s and the Ebury Wine Bar.Shura, as he was widely known,...
View ArticleAre Japanese souffle pancakes worth the wait?
These towering souffle-style pancakes are light and lovely, yet satisfyingly eggy – but the 20-minute cooking time feels like foodie purgatory Even in the increasingly filthy world of food porn, these...
View ArticleGaucho buyout saves 700 jobs as creditors rescue restaurant chain
Purchase of Argentinian-themed chain ‘offers the best outcome for all parties’More than 700 jobs are set to be saved after the Gaucho restaurant chain was bought out by its lenders.Investec Bank and...
View ArticleAlchemilla, Nottingham – ‘Quite gorgeous’ – restaurant review | Grace Dent
A refreshing experience: compelling, Japanese-influenced, semi-fine dining that tests the boundaries of Nottingham’s eating out sceneAlmost all new restaurants claim to be a labour of love, hewn from...
View ArticleIgnore the Good Pub Guide: food in Britain’s boozers is better than ever |...
The guide’s attack on pretentious pub food is bogus. We should be proud of the abundance of hearty, lip-smacking fareDo not judge the Good Pub Guide (GPG) too harshly: it needs to sell books in a tough...
View ArticleCasa do Frango: ‘London needs this delightful piri piri chicken joint’ –...
Fiery Portuguese cuisine in Southwark takes Jay back to the Algarve – and a general strikeCasa do Frango, 32 Southwark Street, London SE1 1TU (020 3972 2323). Starters and sides £4-£10, chicken £9,...
View ArticleOn my radar: Deborah Frances-White’s cultural highlights
The comedian and host of the Guilty Feminist podcast on her Elizabethan poet pin-up, a Syrian silversmith and some powerful protest folkBorn in Australia, comedian Deborah Frances-White was adopted...
View ArticleDining fine: should you be charged £50 for missing a restaurant reservation?
No-shows cost the industry billions every year. Now, businesses are turning the tables on flaky customers by taking deposits or charging unexplained absenteesCustomer no-shows are a huge problem for...
View ArticleBeyond dim sum: a guide to Hong Kong's international cuisine
Food lovers, why book five holidays – Vietnam, India, Spain, Thailand and Sweden – when you could travel the world with Hong Kong’s global gastronomy?Hong Kong is known for its dim sum and milk tea....
View ArticleAmerica's favorite Mexican restaurant is Taco Bell – what does it mean?
Consumers rated 3,000 brands for this year’s Harris Poll and the results range from predictable to downright weirdIt’s not as easy being a brand as it used to be. In the age of social media, intensely...
View ArticleCalorie labelling could be extended to eating out in England
Child obesity and diabetes campaigners welcome announcement of consultationCalorie labels for food and drink in restaurants, cafes and takeaways could be introduced after the government announced it...
View ArticleTast, Manchester: ’We probably don’t quite deserve it’ – restaurant review |...
Pep Guardiola’s Catalan adventure is important, possibly a bit earnest, but the proof is in the puddingAs I sit in the Pep Guardiola-financed Catalonian restaurant Tast, one of Manchester’s newest,...
View ArticleAmano, West Malling, Kent: ‘An enclave of the land of pasta and gelato’ – B&B...
Kent may be the actual destination but the food and drink provide authentic flavours of Italy at this recently opened restaurant with roomsHow far is it to Italy? Depends which bit you mean of course,...
View ArticleXi’an Biang Biang Noodles, London: ‘I left thinking all was well in the...
Slurp joyously at this brilliant noodle joint – and drown your fears over Britain’s Chinese eateriesXi’an Biang Biang Noodles, 62 Wentworth Street, London E1 7AL (020 8617 1470). Small plates...
View ArticleBite the bullet train and head to Japan
Instead of lazing by the Med, Jay Rayner decided to take his family to Japan. It wasn’t an entirely selfless act … food played a major part, naturallyGetting to eat the good stuff in Tokyo can be a...
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