Barnyard review – Dabbous does dirty food
★★★★☆ / British / Eclectic

Barnyard review – Dabbous does dirty food

Almost the entire menu reviewed at Fitzrovia’s Farmville-chic diner Update 6/01/2017 – this restaurant has now closed.  The phrase ‘dirty food’ is often used to describe the casual, inexpensive, non-haute cuisine, such as burgers and burritos, that have taken London’s restaurant scene by storm ever since the recession. I don’t like the term as it implies … Continue reading

Imli Street review – gluten-free Soho Indian
★★☆☆☆ / Indian / South Asian

Imli Street review – gluten-free Soho Indian

Contemporary Indian small plates for sharing I’m fortunate enough that I can almost anything I want, but others have restrictions on what they can eat. The Cape, the better half of the The Squinting Brummie, is gluten intolerant for example. A surprising number of London’s restaurants do little to accommodate those with celiac diseases, but … Continue reading

Devran review – Green Lanes kebab newcomer
★★★☆☆ / Turkish / Turkish Kebabs

Devran review – Green Lanes kebab newcomer

Getting fat on big-ass kebabs Most of the Turkish restaurants on north London’s Green Lanes have been around for years, so the arrival of an apparent newcomer such as Devran is an unusual occurrence. Its decor fits the Green Lanes template though – murals depicting the Haiga Sophia and other typically Turkish vistas adorn the … Continue reading

Clockjack Oven review – Soho rotisserie and fried chicken
★★★☆☆ / Steak/chophouse

Clockjack Oven review – Soho rotisserie and fried chicken

Juicy birds or plucking hell? London has been inundated by a small flood of fried and roast chicken restaurants. I fully recognise that chicken cooked well can be a world apart from the usual fowl stuff, but I haven’t really covered these chicken restaurants largely because I just don’t care. Chicken, broadly speaking, is a … Continue reading

The Clove Club review – superlative Shoreditch supper
★★★★★ / Modern European / Modernist

The Clove Club review – superlative Shoreditch supper

The best meal of the year and inexcusably overlooked by the Michelin Guide I encountered a fellow travelling Brit with some interesting views on food during my recent jaunt around Jordan. Although he had a broad palate, this didn’t extend to Modernist cuisine, especially multi-course tasting menus. ‘Artsy fartsy’ ‘nouvelle cuisine’ wasn’t ‘proper food’ he contended. Like … Continue reading

Galeto review – Brazilian street food comes to Dean Street
★★★☆☆ / Brazilian / Burgers

Galeto review – Brazilian street food comes to Dean Street

A party in my mouth or a damp squib? Update 28/03/2016 – this restaurant has now closed I’ve never seen the appeal of Nando’s. As far I’m concerned the seemingly ubiquitous chain serves unremarkable but acceptable chicken. My occasional dining companion Snoop Dogg explained Nando’s to me as ‘comfort food in grown up surroundings with … Continue reading

Shin Yeh review – eating chicken testicles and more
★★★☆☆ / Chinese / Taiwanese

Shin Yeh review – eating chicken testicles and more

This review of a Taiwan restaurant is a break from The Picky Glutton’s usual London-based coverage Chain restaurants have a poor reputation in the UK for limp, poor-quality food and soulless atmospheres. Most dedicated London restaurant lovers try to avoid chain outlets whenever possible, although there are a few that are worth seeking out. Different rules … Continue reading