Casa Oaxaca review – grasshoppers and stone soup on a rooftop in the south of Mexico
★★★☆☆ / Mexican

Casa Oaxaca review – grasshoppers and stone soup on a rooftop in the south of Mexico

This review of an Oaxaca restaurant is a break from The Picky Glutton’s usual London-based coverage Oaxaca may be best known to Londoners, if it’s known at all, as the inspiration behind the name of London mini-chain Wahaca. But this city in southwestern Mexico has a rich culinary tradition that’s barely touched upon in Wahaca’s menu. … Continue reading

Le Bab review – venison kebabs and a pig’s head
★★★★☆ / Eclectic / Turkish Kebabs

Le Bab review – venison kebabs and a pig’s head

Moo, cluck and oink Disclosure: A 10% discount was applied to the bill for my fourth meal, unsolicited. This was accepted only out of politeness. I originally had no intention of reviewing Le Bab. The first thing that put me off was the location – Soho’s Kingly Court (home of the risible Whyte and Brown) is effectively … Continue reading

Nudo Negro review – culture clash dining in Mexico City
★★☆☆☆ / Eclectic

Nudo Negro review – culture clash dining in Mexico City

This review of a Mexico City restaurant is a break from The Picky Glutton’s usual London-based coverage Wandering around Mexico City’s Roma neighbourhood is a pleasant way to while away a couple of hours. Previous residents had a curious European fixation with some of the streets humorously named after continental cities. Many of the late 19th … Continue reading

Shuang Shuang review – conveyor belt Chinese hot pot
★★★☆☆ / Chinese

Shuang Shuang review – conveyor belt Chinese hot pot

Do-it-yourself food at silver spoon prices Chinese food in London has long been dominated by Cantonese cooking, but that appeared to be changing in the mid noughties with Sichuanese eateries opening up across the city. That move towards better representation of China’s myriad regional cuisines soon stalled, but it appears to have restarted with new … Continue reading

Kaah Siis review – beautiful but overwrought and far too fussy
★★★☆☆ / Mexican / Modern European / Modernist

Kaah Siis review – beautiful but overwrought and far too fussy

This review of a Mexico City restaurant is a break from The Picky Glutton’s usual London-based coverage Mexico City (or the DF in local slang) is hardly the most beautiful metropolis I’ve ever visited, but it does have its charms and quirks. Polanco, DF’s moneyed equivalent to Mayfair or Chelsea, has streets amusingly named after (mostly … Continue reading

Biko review – glossy, classy Mexico City fine dining
★★★★☆ / Mexican / Modern European / Modernist

Biko review – glossy, classy Mexico City fine dining

This review of a Mexico City restaurant is a break from The Picky Glutton’s usual London-based coverage Biko is a glossy and sleek fine dining restaurant decked out in refined and soothing shades of beige and brown. It really could be anywhere in the world, but what it lacks in aesthetic distinctiveness it more than … Continue reading

Sushisamba review – sky-high group dining
★★☆☆☆ / Eclectic / Japanese / Sushi/Sashimi

Sushisamba review – sky-high group dining

Glossy, pretty and oh so vacant Tourist guide books often note that London no longer has a high-rise rotating tower restaurant like Berlin’s TV Tower or Toronto’s CN Tower. While thankfully true, this doesn’t mean London is short of skyscraper restaurants – far from it. There are plenty of places where you’re paying more for the … Continue reading

The Ninth review – racing towards first place and falling short
★★★☆☆ / Eclectic / French

The Ninth review – racing towards first place and falling short

Fitzrovia French falls forwards While there’s hardly a shortage of expensive fine dining restaurants in London, there has still nonetheless been a general shift away from pricey, starched table cloth restaurants towards less costly, more informal eateries. In most cases, big name chefs and restaurant groups have been content to merely launch spin-offs, such as Dabbous … Continue reading