Nobelhart and Schmutzig review – cloaked contemporary cuisine close to Checkpoint Charlie
★★★☆☆ / German/Austrian / Modern European / Modernist

Nobelhart and Schmutzig review – cloaked contemporary cuisine close to Checkpoint Charlie

This review of a Berlin restaurant is a break from The Picky Glutton’s usual London-based coverage Berlin, like most major cities, has more than its fair share of tourist trap restaurants in and around its historical, heavily touristed centre. It also has some surprises up its sleeve, such as Nobelhart & Schmutzig. Located a literal stone’s throw … Continue reading

Nanban Brixton review – Japanese food with a West Indian edge
★★★☆☆ / Eclectic / Japanese / Japanese Noodles

Nanban Brixton review – Japanese food with a West Indian edge

Masterminded by a MasterChef Disclosure: upon asking for the bill, my fourth meal here was given free of charge by the management in light of my repeated custom. This was not asked for and was accepted out of politeness.  There’s no shortage of casual Japanese restaurants in London, but Nanban is different. Although headed up by … Continue reading

Vico review – Italian fast food that thinks it’s opera but is just out of tune
★★★☆☆ / Italian / Pizza

Vico review – Italian fast food that thinks it’s opera but is just out of tune

Cheap (ish) Cambridge Circus cuisine Marketing is a magical thing. It can transform the mundane into something much more wondrous and exotic. Vico, an Italian restaurant that has taken over what used to be the Pizza Hut on the corner of Cambridge Circus and Charing Cross Road, is basically a fast food joint. Or a canteen or cafeteria if … Continue reading

Austen’s review – DJ Yoda’s Kensal Rise BBQ
★★★☆☆ / Barbecue/BBQ

Austen’s review – DJ Yoda’s Kensal Rise BBQ

Now there’s a headline I never thought I’d ever write Update 14/2/17 – this restaurant has now closed The comfortably leafy and middle class, yet relatively remote northwestern climes of Kensal Rise is the last place I’d expect to find an American barbecue restaurant. Even more so given the celebrity money backing it – DJ Yoda is … Continue reading

Rök review – Scandinavian smoked meats in Shoreditch
★★★☆☆ / Steak/chophouse

Rök review – Scandinavian smoked meats in Shoreditch

Smoke and fire that didn’t really rock my world Thanks to the recent and growing popularity of American barbecue in London, restaurants serving other cuisines have jumped onto the barbecue and smoking branded bandwagon. It wouldn’t be completely fair to ascribe such cynical opportunism to the people behind Rök, as they do serve dishes inspired by the … Continue reading

Banh Mi in London review – baguettes from Whaam Banh Mi, Moba and more
★★★★★ / ★★★★☆ / ★★★☆☆ / ★★☆☆☆ / Best and Worst group tests / Vietnamese

Banh Mi in London review – baguettes from Whaam Banh Mi, Moba and more

Vietnamese sandwiches spread across the capital My 2014 group test of banh mi eateries proved to be one of my most popular Best and Worst round-ups – and also one of the most contentious, as some of the ill-tempered Comments attest. I’m quite thick-skinned though and I take such vehement, blinkered criticism as a sign … Continue reading

Pidgin review – tiny Dalston restaurant with an equally compact set menu
★★★☆☆ / Eclectic / Modern European / Modernist

Pidgin review – tiny Dalston restaurant with an equally compact set menu

Don’t just look at the star rating and move on, read the words If anything symbolises the obstacles London’s insane property market throws in the way of budding restauranteurs, then it’s the location of Pidgin. Located in a mostly residential area on a side street with a handful of other shops, passing trade is probably … Continue reading

Oldroyd review – Polpo-lite comes to Islington
★★★☆☆ / Eclectic / Italian

Oldroyd review – Polpo-lite comes to Islington

Finally, a good restaurant in Islington Oldroyd might sound like a wizened, unwanted hanger-on in an unmentionable anatomical structure, but it’s actually a new restaurant in Islington from one of the brains behind Polpo. Although independent from that burgeoning empire, Oldroyd’s menu immediately feels Polpo-esque – small plates, as well as a few larger dishes, with … Continue reading

The Perfectionists’ Cafe review – Heston does Heathrow breakfast
★★★☆☆ / Breakfast

The Perfectionists’ Cafe review – Heston does Heathrow breakfast

Heathrow Terminal 2 comfort food This review was originally published on 13/7/2015 and has since been updated, most recently on 06/6/2016 There are many annoying things about flying from Heathrow. Its distance from just about anywhere else in the city. The absence of electrical sockets. The unbearable delays in take-off and landing. And then there’s the … Continue reading