Bodean’s Covent Garden review – the mediocrity continues
★★★☆☆ / Barbecue/BBQ

Bodean’s Covent Garden review – the mediocrity continues

Bait and switch tourist trap barbecue For many people Bodean’s is syonymous with American-style barbecue in London, but that doesn’t mean the food is actually any good. As I discovered in my original BBQ group test, the Tower Hill and Fulham branches of Bodean’s were distinctly middling, average and underwhelming – and that’s before you consider all the barbecue … Continue reading

Bukowski Grill Soho review – bandwagon burgers and barbecue
★★☆☆☆ / Barbecue/BBQ / Burgers

Bukowski Grill Soho review – bandwagon burgers and barbecue

A waste of Soho real estate Update 19/06/2020 – this restaurant has now closed I haven’t heard the name Bukowski Grill in years – not since my round up of London’s best non-chain burgers. The Shoreditch branch of Bukowski fared poorly in those burger stakes, so it was no surprise when superior burger purveyors expanded far more rapidly … Continue reading

Som Saa review – eye-opening pop-up Thai settles down in Spitalfields
★★★★★ / Thai and Lao

Som Saa review – eye-opening pop-up Thai settles down in Spitalfields

Some say it’s the best Thai in London. All we know is that we call it bloody brilliant. It’s very easy to become jaded and disillusioned when covering London’s restaurants. From the devised-by-committee initiatives to the cynical tourist trap theme parks, from overwrought concepts and dull chains to the atrocious bandwagon jumpers, there’s no shortage of mediocre and down … Continue reading

Benazuza review – Cancun hotel fine dining falls flat on its face
★★☆☆☆ / Mexican / Modern European / Modernist

Benazuza review – Cancun hotel fine dining falls flat on its face

This review of a Cancun restaurant is a break from The Picky Glutton’s usual London-based coverage El Bulli, Ferran Adria’s famed modernist restaurant, must have employed half a continent’s worth of people given the number of chefs claiming some connection to that now closed Catalan institution. Benazuza is located half a world away in the basement … Continue reading

La Chaya Maya review – Merida breakfast with a bit of cheesiness
★★★☆☆ / Breakfast / Mexican

La Chaya Maya review – Merida breakfast with a bit of cheesiness

This review of a Yucatan restaurant is a break from The Picky Glutton’s usual London-based coverage Hotel breakfasts can be a repetitive, dispiriting experience. Over the course of a few weeks in Mexico, I stayed at mostly mid-range hotels. Most of them seemed to enjoy inflicting omelettes or fried eggs with toast on their guests for … Continue reading

Santo Remedio review – the best Mexican in London
★★★★★ / Mexican

Santo Remedio review – the best Mexican in London

Hidden Shoreditch gem finally gives Mexican food its due Update 14/2/17 – this restaurant has now closed Britain’s continuing love affair with the US manifests itself in our culture in many ways, not least in the number of barbecue and burger restaurants springing up across the capital. The cuisine of America’s southern neighbour has been … Continue reading

Rosas and Xocolate review – just as sweet by any other name
★★★★☆ / Eclectic / Mexican

Rosas and Xocolate review – just as sweet by any other name

This review of a Yucatan restaurant is a break from The Picky Glutton’s usual London-based coverage Rosas & Xocolate is an odd name for a restaurant and an even odder name for a hotel. Even if it didn’t have a distinctive name, the pink yet graceful mansion-esque premises is hard to miss. The dining room at … Continue reading

Yumi Izayaka review – small Japanese bar with big flavours
★★★★☆ / Japanese / Japanese Noodles

Yumi Izayaka review – small Japanese bar with big flavours

Shaftesbury Avenue yakitori that deserves your support Update 14/2/17 – this restaurant has now closed Location, location and location. It’s supposed to be one of the keys to a successful London restaurant, but a spot on the West End’s bustling Shaftesbury Avenue hasn’t helped Yumi Izakaya. Nestled in between the entrance to the Piccadilly West … Continue reading

Dickie Fitz review – light and airy Australian almost ruins an entire suckling pig
★★★☆☆ / Eclectic

Dickie Fitz review – light and airy Australian almost ruins an entire suckling pig

The successor to Newman Street Tavern I rarely get upset when a restaurant closes, no matter how good it was. At the risk of sounding trite, nothing in this life lasts forever. Even so, I was mortified to hear that Newman Street Tavern, an elegant restaurant serving reliably well-crafted French-ish dishes, was closing to be replaced by a … Continue reading